Rosh Hashanah and the Feast of Trumpets

Ro'sh Hashshanah (literally,"head of the year") the Hebrew new year, ushered in the Feast of Trumpets with the blowing of the ram's horn. It was the first of the high holy feast days and looked forward to the solemn Day of Atonement which occurred ten days later. The new moon of the seventh month (1 Tishri) constituted the beginning of the civil new year and was designated as Ro'sh Hashshanah,"the first of the year," or yom truah,"day of sounding [the trumpet]. " Leviticus 23:23-25 and Numbers 29:16 are the only Old Testament references to Rosh Hashanah, the regulations, prayers, and customs of which fill volumes today in the Jewish rabbinic literature. The blowing of the shofar, or ram's horn, occupied a significant place on several other occasions, such as the monthly new moon and the Year of Jubilee, but especially so at the beginning of the new year, hence its name-Feast of Trumpets. The Hebrew calendar actually began with Nisan in the spring (Exod. 12:2), but the end of the seve…