Scenes From the Promised Land

Will You Learn From the Seasons?

JEHOVAH once said: ‘All the days the earth continues, seed sowing and harvest, summer and winter, will never cease.’ (Genesis 8:22) He thus stressed the agricultural seasons.

What do you know of the seasons and their relation to farming? Even if you live in a city or do no farming, you should learn of Israel’s seasons and agricultural activities. Why? Because the more you know about these, the better you will understand God’s Word.

Farmers plow the ground, sow seed, and then harvest and thresh their crops. But to grasp more clearly what the Bible says, we should know more, including when those activities occurred. Take as an example plowing, such as we see being done above on terraced land in what was ancient Judea.a In what month do you think this picture was taken? Knowing when plowing is done in your land may mislead you. The time for plowing is not the same in the Northern Hemisphere as in the Southern Hemisphere; it differs also at various altitudes and according to the time of the rainy season.

This may affect how you view Bible events. You may read of Elijah’s appointing of his successor: “He . . . found Elisha the son of Shaphat while he was plowing with twelve spans before him.” (1 Kings 19:19) In what month do you think that occurred, and how would the land have looked? And at John 4:35, Jesus said: “Do you not say that there are yet four months before the harvest comes? . . . Lift up your eyes and view the fields, that they are white for harvesting.” Though he specified a time, do you understand when?

The chart provides an excellent summary of seasons and agricultural activities in the Promised Land. The outer ring gives the months of the Jewish sacred calendar.b Comparing these with our months, you note the overlap, such as Nisan (or, Abib) overlapping late March and early April. The next portion toward the center shows when crops ripened, which helps you to realize when certain farming activities, such as harvesting and threshing, took place. The center of the chart lets you compare the weather changes during the year.

Use the chart to deepen your understanding and appreciation of Biblical accounts, such as the two examples already mentioned.

Elisha was taking part in a major plowing operation when he was called as a prophet. That likely places the time in Tishri (September-October), when the extreme heat of the summer was past. The early rains had begun to soften the soil, making it possible to do plowing, followed by sowing.

And when did Jesus say the words at John 4:35? The harvest was four months away. Note that the barley harvest began in Nisan (March-April), about Passover time. Count back four months. That brings you to Chislev (November-December). The rains were increasing, with stronger rains and colder weather ahead. So Jesus clearly meant a figurative harvesting when he said: “Lift up your eyes and view the fields, that they are white for harvesting.”

Following are other questions for your personal study or for use in a pleasant study period with your family:

▪ The flax harvest around Jericho was in the month of Adar; hence, how do the details at Joshua 2:6 and Jos 3:15 confirm the accuracy of the Bible?​—Joshua 4:19; 5:11.

▪ Threshing followed the grain harvest, so how does the promise at Leviticus 26:5 depict abundant prosperity?

▪ How does 2 Samuel 21:10 suggest that Rizpah may have kept an extended vigil over her two sons, who were allowed to be slain to remove bloodguilt from God’s people?

▪ Why were the thunders and the rain mentioned at 1 Samuel 12:17 taken as a divine response?​—Proverbs 26:1.

▪ What reason did Ruth have to conclude that Boaz’ treatment of her was not just a momentary reaction?​—Ruth 1:22; 2:23.

Why not keep this chart handy when doing Bible reading?

CHISLEV NISAN

IYYAR ADAR

SIVAN TISHRI

[Footnotes]

[Diagram/​Pictures on page 17]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

NISAN (ABIB)

March-April

Barley

IYYAR (ZIV)

April-May

Wheat

SIVAN

May-June

Early Figs

TAMMUZ

June-July

First Grapes

AB

July-August

Summer Fruits

ELUL

August-September

Dates, Grapes, Figs

TISHRI (ETHANIM)

September-October

Plowing

HESHVAN (BUL)

October-November

Olives

CHISLEV

November-December

Flocks Wintered

TEBETH

December-January

Vegetation Developing

SHEBAT

January-February

Almond Blossoms

ADAR

February-March

Citrus

VEADAR

March

[Picture Credit Line on page 16]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Picture Credit Lines on page 17]

Garo Nalbandian

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.