TEQUFAH

In the Scriptures, there are only TWO SEASONS: summer and winter. Western cultures have made things more complex, dividing the 52 weeks of the year into four groups of 13 weeks each. If we simply realized that the EQUATOR and the sun's position relative to it was all that mattered, then we can better interpret the meaning of the Scriptures. When the sun reaches the equator, the length of the night and day become "equal", so we express this with the word Latin word, "equinox", meaning "equal night". This occurrence is known as a "tequfah" (Hebrew), the point at which a "circuit" comes to a close. When winter ends for the northern hemisphere, it is because the sun is directly over the equator. There are 26 weeks of summer (what we would call spring + summer), and 26 weeks of winter (what we would call fall + winter).

The "equinox" actually spans several days - the sun is directly over the Earth's equator for a period of days. It is not a precise moment, but is

"Day and night are not exactly of equal length at the time of the March and September equinoxes.

The dates on which day and night are each 12 hours occur a few days before and after the equinoxes.

The specific dates of this occurrence are different for different latitudes. (note the word "dates" for this occurrence).

On the day of an equinox, the geometric center of the Sun's disk crosses the equator, and this point is above the horizon for 12 hours everywhere on the Earth. However, the Sun is not simply a geometric point. Sunrise is defined as the instant when the leading edge of the Sun's disk becomes visible on the horizon, whereas sunset is the instant when the trailing edge of the disk disappears below the horizon. These are the moments of first and last direct sunlight. At these times the center of the disk is below the horizon. Furthermore, atmospheric refraction causes the Sun's disk to appear higher in the sky than it would if the Earth had no atmosphere. Thus, in the morning the upper edge of the disk is visible for several minutes before the geometric edge of the disk reaches the horizon. Similarly, in the evening the upper edge of the disk disappears several minutes after the geometric disk has passed below the horizon. The times of sunrise and sunset in almanacs are calculated for the normal atmospheric refraction of 34 minutes of arc and a semidiameter of 16 minutes of arc for the disk. Therefore, at the tabulated time the geometric center of the Sun is actually 50 minutes of arc below a regular and unobstructed horizon for an observer on the surface of the Earth in a level region.

For observers within a couple of degrees of the equator, the period from sunrise to sunset is always several minutes longer than the night. At higher latitudes in the northern hemisphere, the date of equal day and night occurs before the March equinox. Daytime continues to be longer than nighttime until after the September equinox. In the southern hemisphere, the dates of equal day and night occur before the September equinox and after the March equinox."

At the equinoxes, Earth's tilt places the sun directly above the equator. The equinox spans several days, as this statement correctly expresses it:

"The dates on which day and night are each 12 hours occur a few days before and after the equinoxes." (U.S. Naval Observatory quoted above).

The Naval Observatory concedes that the equinox is really spread over a period of days, and our position on the Earth causes geometric variables in observed data. There is some "approximating" going on with whatever set of data one goes on, however if everyone separately analyzes what appears right to them, as we see commonly done anyway, some will be right and the others wrong.

Voy Wilks of the Assembly of Yahweh (Cisco, TX) has this to say about the equinox topic:

(parenthesis are corrections made by Lew White. Voy had expressed that there were four seasons, not two)

The equinox occurs because of the (apparent) action of the sun. The earth, which is tilted 23.5 degrees, circles the sun, creating our (two) seasons (spring/summer, fall/winter). The equinox occurs when the sun "crosses" the equator. The Hebrew word is tekufah, and refers to the equinoxes.

Tekufot (plural) means "seasons;" literally, "circuit, to go round." The (two) seasons in the year are called tekufot. More accurately, tekufot is the beginning of the (two) seasons. ... tekufah stands for the true, not the mean, equinox.

Tekufah appears in the Scriptures four times, and relates to the calendar at least three times.

This refers to the end and, therefore, the beginning of another year, demarcated by the spring equinox and the new moon.

This speaks of the sun's daily course, or it's yearly circuit through the equinoxes

This may indirectly allude to the calendar year. In any case, the above Scriptures indicate that the saints of old understood the equinox and it's place in the calendar. (end of Voy Wilks quote)