Tekufah Tevet: The Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice in Jewish Teachings

Part of the mosaic from the ancient Bet Alpha synagogue that shows the zodiac, Helios in the center and the arch angels in each corner with the words “tekufat” and the name of the month of that solstice or equinox.

If people know that there are Jewish observations of the solstices and equinoxes, most align them with directly with the astronomical solstices or equinoxes, but according to the Jewish Encyclopedia they may actually fall up to 14 days after this.  For example, think about the fact that the Winter solstice is called the “Tekufat Tevet (תקופת טבת).”  Some years the Winter Solstice actually falls in the month of Tevet, but this is not always the case.

In case you are wondering why I chose the mosaic from the Beit Alpha Synagogue as the photo -- just look at the angel in the top right corner.  See the Hebrew letters? It says - Tekufat Tevet (תקופת טבת) - the winter solstice.  Most likely that is the Angel Gabriel, who is the angel overseeing the season of winter.