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New Moon: The first day of the lunar month was observed as a holy day. In addition to the daily sacrifice there were offered two young bullocks, a ram and seven lambs of the first year as a burnt offering, with the proper meat offerings and drink offerings, and a kid as a sin offering. Nu 28:11-15 As on the Sabbath, trade and handicraft work were stopped, Am 8:5 and the temple was opened for public worship. Isa 66:23; Eze 46:3 The trumpets were blown at the offering of the special sacrifices for the day, as on the solemn festivals. Nu 10:10; Ps 81:3 It was an occasion for state banquets. 1Sa 20:5-24 In later, if not in earlier, times fasting was intermitted at the new moons. Judith 8:6. The new moons are generally mentioned so as to show that they were regarded as a peculiar class of holy days, distinguished from the solemn feasts and the Sabbaths. 1Ch 113:31; 2Ch 2:4; 8:13; 31;3; Ezr 3:5; Ne 10:33; Eze 45:17 The seventh new moon of the religious year, being that of Tisri, commenced the civil year, and had a significance and rites of its own. It was a day of holy convocation. The religious observance of the day of the new moon may plainly be regarded as the consecration of a natural division of time.
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