Aviv Search 2009

Final Report, March 28, 2009

Hi Folks,
Once again the inspections are over for another year. Some patterns we have been following for some time now have been established with this years inspections. The most important one being the fact that the red strain of selfseeded barley is by far the most advanced regardles of location or elevation found in. I first noticed this specific variety in 2004 and since then it has truly been an important indicator of what will be aviv and where. I have mentioned it in the past but I have never attached a biblical perspective to it relative to the blood of Christ. As most of us know Christ is our wavesheaf as well as our Passover sacrifice as the Lamb of God, the Lamb of the household of the Father. I do believe that this strain of barley is representative of both His rolls and symbolizes Him as the first of the firstfruits and recognizes His shed blood as our Passover Sacrifice. The two are inseperable and I do believe they are represented by this red strain of barley which is always earlier, fuller, and healthier than any other. These are personal understandings that I feel compelled to mention.
The samples we brought back from the Jordan Valley were allowed to sit in our room for 2 days to complete the drying process. In that time span they were very hard and could not be split with a finger nail. Today they would easily be able to be ground into flour if it were not the Sabbath. The three samples we brought back from Wednesdays inspections in the Negev from 3 different locations can not be split by a finger nail today as well. I would estimate by Monday at the latest they could be ground to flour. If you refer to the Abib Booklet you will see an example of how we do this. This drying process has not been aided by exposure to the sun or wind which completes it faster. We wanted to see how long it would take with no assistance, natural or artificial to do so.
Thursday was spent walking the area around the Old Wall, Mount of Olives, etc. We found the barley in the exact stages we expected, that being those exposed to direct sunlight in the late flowering through early milk stage, and those not getting the full sun in the just emerging from the boot to early flowering stages. However, we did find scattered patches of the red strain growing here. They were well into the dough stage! That was very significant for I have never found that strain in the area before. Maybe it past me by but the fact remains in was much more mature than all others and solidified the pattern I mentioned earlier.
We would like to thank all of you who have spent time praying for the success of this years inspections and for Gods will to be done in determining our appointed times of meeting with Him. We are still waiting to hear from the many first crescent spotters from around Israel to see if any were successful in viewing it with the naked eye. As most of you understand who follow this sighting method if it is not seen in Israel after sunset on the 29th day then the 30th would be the start of the new year calculations. The skies here in Jerusalem were cloudy again this morning but are now breaking at times with blue sky and some sun.
I will attempt to send out a few pictures in a seperate email.
Our peace we give to you.

Gerald, Lynne, Linda, and Brian

Report #3, March 25, 2009

Hi Folks,
We hope all is well with you all. Today we found many different locations that had barley which will be ready before Wavesheaf Day all on its own. I tried to attach pictures to an email to everyone a while ago but it would not work for me. They will be sent out once I get home and someone there can do so. The barley we picked yesterday in the JV is already hard enough with one day of drying so it can not be split with a fingernail.

Brian, Linda, Gerald, and Lynne

Report #2, March 24, 2009

Hi Folks,
Lots of rain last night and during parts of the day here in Jerusalem. The Jordan Valley and northward was on and off in spots with some very light to moderate showers during the trip today. We made quite a few stops with the wild barley being in excellant condition in most locations. We found spots where it was semi-hard dough and others where it was in the flowering stage, and others in between. As has been the case in the past the higher the elevation traveled and inspected the younger the barley was. The red streak strains once again proved to be more advanced than others reguarless of which location they were found in. Much of the central Jordan Valley is being utilized for cash crops and vineyards at an incredible pace. It is amazing to see how even the roadside barley in those locations has been cropped down by all the grazing goats and sheep. You can actually follow the progress northward until you run into the large traveling herds at which time all the barley appears again. This was actually the case in the area of the infamous Ein Ma'bua. Linda and I stopped there on Monday on our way to Jerusalem. The livestock trails coming in and out of it are quite numerous. The barley has been completely cropped by them over the winter months. It is trying to make an attempt to produce heads again but that I am sure will be short lived with the amount of goat and sheep activity there.
The grapes in the JV are very well along whether under nets or in the open. They are leafed out with lots of vine extentions. Several wheat fields in the N Jordan Valley were already turning color. This is the earliest I have seen that much color that far north before based on the time frame. Just a point of interest to some.
We also saw lots of storks migrating north to Europe.
All in all the JV is behind the areas of the Negev we looked at last week but similar to many other years. Tomorrow we will be traveling through the Negev. Lots of stops to make.
We have some good shots from today but I can't seem to dublicate the process I used last week to send them out. Oh well they will have to wait!

Brian and Linda Convery, Gerald and Lynne Kirby

Report #1, March 19, 2009

Hi Folks,

Hope all is well with you all. As we promised we stopped at several locations to take some early checks on the barley growth. Linda and I arrived late afternoon and managed to stop at a dozen locations on our way to Beer Sheva to visit with Pierre and Franciose. It was a wonderful visit and we have moved on to Eilat. Pierre and Franciose send their greetings to all and especially to those they have met in the past. It seems odd not having you here travelling through Israel this year Rick.
There were many fields of wheat changing from green to brown. Some were 50% color changed and some 25% and some still green. Some pictures are attached. That puts the machine seeded wheat right where it needs to be in following patterns from the past. I will attempt to attach 5 pictures to this email. All our stops were random except for two fields I deliberately wanted to check. The ones we inspected had at their earliest stage flowering with the majority in one state of dough or another.
Picture 003 Wheat field turning color near Kiryat Mal'Akhi.

Picture 004 Self seeded barley growing all around the field in the prior picture. Very healthy and very tall and in the advanced dough stage.

Picture 005 An entire field of self seeded barley growing near Sderot. It is next to a field of machine planted wheat.

Picture 006 A field of wheat turning near Ofakim.

Picture 017 Six samples of barley. Guess which one is the domestic machine planted. From left to right.

1) Barley turned with just about all green color gone but not yet aviv. It is in the hard dough stage.
2) Barley in soft dough stage.
3) Barley in stage between soft/hard dough
4) Barley in early dough stage.
5) Domestic barley in soft/hard dough stage.
6) Barley in early dough stage

We did not witness any barley yet in the boot at any of our stops. Some of the early fields we stop at each year had been heavily grazed by goats and sheep. Keep in mind these stops cover a very long length of the western N. Negev. We will cover the majority of it next week as well as the Jordan Valley.
If anyone has any questions on the various stages here in the pictures you can contact Angie in Michigan. She is staying at home this year for her and Zach's son Isaac is still young. Angie is well versed in this endeavor as is Rick for that matter. Gerald and Lynne Kirby will be joining up with us for the inspections next week.
Hope you all have a good week and upcoming Sabbath.

Brian and Linda

Festival Dates for 2009

There were sufficient amounts of barley which were determined to be aviv and the new moon was visible in the evening of Friday March 27 after sunset. The following dates will apply for the feasts of the 1st and 3rd months.

All times start at sunset of the previous day of the Gregorian Calendar.

First Day of the New Year: Saturday, March 28
Passover: Friday, April 10
First Day of UB: Saturday, April 11
Wavesheaf Day: Sunday, April 12
Last Day of UB: Friday, April 17
Feast of Weeks/Pentecost: Sunday, May 31

If the New Moon is sited on Sunday September 20 after sunset the following dates will apply for the festivals of the 7 month.

Trumpets: Monday, September 21
Atonement: Wednesday, September 30
Feast of Tabernacles: Monday, October 5 thru Sunday, October 11
Last great Day: Monday, October 12