Karaite Korner Newsletter #194

Aviv Found!

On Tuesday March 8, 2005 Aviv was found in Israel at Alon
Junction and Ein Mabua near Jerusalem. Large quantities of
Aviv barley were found near Ein Mabua and smaller
quantities near Alon Junction. Ein Mabua is located 15km
east of Jerusalem. The Aviv examination on March 8, 2005
started out as a field trip to teach Aviv Searchers about what
to look for during the main Aviv Search on Thursday-Friday
March 10-11, 2005. During this preliminary examination we
immediately found that the barley in the region was in an
advanced stage of ripening. The main Aviv Search, which
will cover the Northern Negev and Jordan Valley regions,
will still be carried out on March 10-11. However, the vast
quantities of Aviv Barley already located east of Jerusalem
are enough to establish the coming month as the Month of the
Aviv. In light of this discovery, the New Moon on Friday
March 11, 2005 will be the beginning of the coming biblical
year. Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread) will fall
out on Saturday March 26, 2005 and Shavuot (Feast of
Weeks) will fall out on May 15, 2005. The following people
participated in the Aviv examination on March 8, 2005:
Nehemia Gordon, Ruthanne Koch, Devorah Gordon, Glen
Cain, Karl Bloodworth, Ferenc Illesy, Avi Marcus, Dina
Marcus, Avi Gold, Terry Fehr, and Yosef Ruach.

Pictures of Aviv Barley fields found on Tuesday March 8,
2005 are posted at:
http://www.Karaite-Korner.org/aviv/2005/

Happy New Year!

Nehemia Gordon