7-Day Dedication

The primary scriptures stating that the dedication or consecration of the altar lasted 7- days are:

Exodus 29:37 "Seven days thou shall make an atonement for the altar and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most set apart: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be set apart."

2 Chronicles 7:9 "On the 8th day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for 7-days and the festival for 7-days.

Ezekiel 43:26 "Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, so shall they consecrate it."

Leviticus 8:33-35 Details the 7-day ordination period for Aaron and his sons, which coincided with the sanctification of the altar.

You shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle for 7-days, until the days of your consecration be at the end: for 7-days shall he consecrate you. As he hath done this day, so Yah hath commanded to do, to make atonement for you. Therefore, shall you abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night 7-days and keep the charge of Yah, that you die not: for so I am commanded.

These verses highlight a 7-day purification process to make the altar "set apart" BEFORE SACRIFICES BEGAN.

This 7-day period signifies complete consecration and purification required by Yah.

The Temple Scroll tells of the burnt offerings required when a new High Priest were to replace His father in the temple service.

" They are to burn on the altar over the burnt offering to atone for themselves, each of the seven days of the ordination ceremony.

11Q20 col.1 with col.15 and 16

The DSS gives us a 6-year priestly cycle that rotates within the 294-jubilee cycle. This 7-day ordination ceremony would allow for the new priest to replace the retiring priest at the end of the 6th year before the next 6-year cycle began.

As with the command for Arron and his sons the 7-day purification process had to be completed BEFORE The SACRIFICES BEGAN.

After the 7-day consecration of Aaron and his sons Moshe calls them out of the tabernacle.

Leviticus 9:1-2 And it came to pass on the 8-day, that Moshe called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. And he said to Aron take thee a young calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before Yah. And unto the children of Israel thou shall speak saying, take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering; and a calf and a calf and lamb of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering....

DSS Temple Scroll Col.14 Sacrifices for the 1st-DAY of the YEAR:

On the 1st-day of the 1st-month falls the beginning of months for you it is the beginning of month of the year. You are to do no work. You shall offer a he-goat for a sin offering, which must be offered separately from the other sacrifices to atone for you. In addition, you are to sacrifice on young bull, one ram, seven unblemished yearling lambs, and a he-goat as a sin offering, not including the regular burnt offering of the 1st-day of the year.

If we compare the DSS Temple Scroll with Leviticus 9 you will see that there was a 7-day consecration period before Aaron and his sons came out to offer the required sacrifices and burnt offerings ON THE 1ST DAY OF THE YEAR!!