Secondly, Always before the New Moon, there is a conjunction between the Sun and the Moon; during this conjunction she is called Luna silens, by reason of her darkness, and all this time there is a participation of the New Moon.
Thirdly, When the conjunction was over past before noon-tide, namely, in any of those first 18 hours, then the New Moon was celebrated the same day.[348] But if it continued but one minute after twelve of the clock at noon, then the feast was translated to the day following, because otherwise they should begin their Holy-day in the time of the old Moon. And this translation they noted with this abbreviation יה, that is, 18, because of those eighteen hours which occasioned it.
[348] Munster. Calend. Heb. p. 46.
The reason of Politick translation, was, that two Sabbaths, or feast-days might not immediately follow each other: because say they,[349] it was unlawful those two daies to dress meat, or bury the dead; and it was likewise inconvenient to keep meat dressed, or the dead unburied two daies. Yet here two exceptions must be remembred, when the meeting of two Sabbaths could not be avoided.
[349] Munst. Calend. p. 139.
First, When the Passover, or the fifteenth day of Nisan, fell on Saturday; for then the Pentecost must needs fall on Sunday.
Secondly, When the Passover fell on Sunday; for then their Passover immediately followed their weekly Sabbath.
The first Author of this Politick translation was a certain chief man amongst them, named Eleazar;[350] three hundred and fifty years before Christ his Nativity.
[350] Hospinian. de Orig. fest. p. 6.
The several species or kinds of Politick translation, were five. The first, אדו Adu. The second, בדו Badu. The third, גהז Gahaz. The fourth, זבד Zabad. The fifth, אגו Agu. For the understanding of these abbreviatures, we must know, that in these made words the letters only stand for numbers, and are applied to the seven daies of the week, thus א 1. Sunday. ב 2. Munday. ג 3. Tuesday. ד 4. Wednesday. ה 5. Thursday. ו 6. Friday. ז 7. Saturday: which was the Jews Sabbath.