Question
On which date of Av did the course of priests begin?
Answer
Ezra 7: 8-10 points out that the course of priests began in Av and implies that the beginning date of the course was not so long from arrival date in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, according to Jerusalem Talmud Taanith Tract about fast and fast day, Rabbi Jose ben Halafta c. 150 AD (80 years after destruction of Jerusalem temple) said that course of Jehoiarib was in charge when destruction of the temple happened.
Whence do we know that the second Temple was also destroyed on the 9th of Abh? We have learned in a Boraitha: “A happy event is credited to the day on which another happy event happened, while a calamity is ascribed to the day when another calamity occurred; and it was said that when the first Temple was destroyed it was on the eve preceding the 9th of Abh, which was also the night at the close of the Sabbath and also the close of the Sabbatical year. The watch at the time was that of Jehoyoreb, and the Levites were chanting in their proper places, at that moment reciting the passage [Psalms, xciv. 23]: “And he will bring back upon them their own injustice, and in their own wickedness will he destroy them”; and they did not have time to end the passage, which concludes, “yea, he will destroy them–the Lord our God,” before the enemy entered and took possession of the Temple. This happened also at the destruction of the second Temple. (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Talmud/taanit4.html)
First course of priests was Jehoiarib (1 Chronicles 24:7).
| Division | Name | Scriptural Reference |
| First | Jehoiarib | 1 Chronicles 24:7 |
| Second | Jedaiah | 1 Chronicles 24:7 |
| Third | Harim | 1 Chronicles 24:8 |
| Fourth | Seorim | 1 Chronicles 24:8 |
| Fifth | Malchijah | 1 Chronicles 24:9 |
| Sixth | Mijamin | 1 Chronicles 24:9 |
| Seventh | Hakkoz | 1 Chronicles 24:10 |
| Eighth | Abia | 1 Chronicles 24:10 |
| Ninth | Jeshua | 1 Chronicles 24:11 |
| Tenth | Shecaniah | 1 Chronicles 24:11 |
| Eleventh | Eliashib | 1 Chronicles 24:12 |
| Twelfth | Jakim | 1 Chronicles 24:12 |
| Thirteenth | Huppah | 1 Chronicles 24:13 |
| Fourteenth | Jeshebeab | 1 Chronicles 24:13 |
| Fifteenth | Bilgah | 1 Chronicles 24:14 |
| Sixteenth | Immer | 1 Chronicles 24:14 |
| Seventeenth | Hezir | 1 Chronicles 24:15 |
| Eighteenth | Happizzez | 1 Chronicles 24:15 |
| Nineteenth | Pethahiah | 1 Chronicles 24:16 |
| Twentieth | Jehezkel | 1 Chronicles 24:16 |
| Twenty-first | Jachin | 1 Chronicles 24:17 |
| Twenty-second | Gamul | 1 Chronicles 24:17 |
| Twenty-third | Delaiah | 1 Chronicles 24:18 |
| Twenty-fourth | Maaziah | 1 Chronicles 24:18 |
Temple destruction happened in Sabbath, Ab 9, 3830 Hebrew Calendar, hence, first course of priests began on 9th day of Ab.
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Christmas on December 25 