(1)If fires were lit on the night AFTER Rosh Chodesh, the day of Rosh Chodesh itself would not be known till it had passed.Is it possible that there was some form of traditional calendar, known to local'sages', and that the beacons were merely confirmatory?
(2)In all this section,the only 'Chul' land mentioned is Bavel.Surely even in Mishnaic times there were comunities in Greece and further afield. How were they informed of Rosh Chodesh? My chavrusa thought carrier pigeons were a possibilty.What is your reaction to this suggestion?
Ralph Fagelston, Netanya, Israel
Hello there and thanks for your questions.
1) In those days any potential day of Rosh Chodesh was observed as such, until there was no doubt. So the thirtieth day was always treated as Rosh Chodesh, and in the event that it was not declared Rosh Chodesh, the thirty-first day was automatically Rosh Chodesh. This was the custom in Eretz Yisrael as well, and is the reason why we nowadays observe two days Rosh Chodesh when the month has thirty days (despite the fact that the true Rosh Chodesh is only the thirty-first day). The Gemara explains that if they would have lit the torches on the thirty-second day, it would cause them to refrain from work two days every month (see Tosfos DH Mishum). In other words, the days in doubt would be treated as Rosh Chodesh.
2) The Mishnah does indeed only refer to the direction of Bavel (east), but the Gemara (23b) quotes a Beraisa which mentions other points. According to one opinion, these are points in the opposite direction (westward). This shows that the Gemara understood that the system of torches could have been used elsewhere too. When messengers were sent out later on, they were also went out to Egypt (Rambam), thus it is safe to assume that there was some form of system. I have no sources regarding carrier pigeons, and find no reference to them in Chazal literature.
All the best.
Y. Landy