Weather Conditions at Harvest Time in the Jordan Valley

The Jordan River is known to overflow its banks during the harvest season ^[1]. This phenomenon is particularly notable because the harvest period in ancient Israel, spanning from Passover to Pentecost, was generally characterized by dry weather and an absence of rain ^{[5, 11]}.

The harvest season in Palestine typically began with the barley harvest around mid-April, followed by the wheat harvest about six weeks later, in early June ^[12]. The period extended through the end of June or beginning of July for the wheat harvest ^{[8, 9]}. During these months, from May to October, rain is uncommon in the region, and the land becomes dry and parched ^[6]. Thunder, for instance, is rarely heard in Palestine between mid-April and mid-September ^[2]. This dry period made any rainfall during harvest time an extraordinary event, likened to snow in summer ^[2]. Jerome, who lived in the region, stated that he had never witnessed rain in the latter part of June or July ^{[2, 9]}.

The overflowing of the Jordan River during this dry harvest season is specifically mentioned in the biblical account of the Israelites crossing into the Promised Land (Joshua 3:15) ^[1]. This event occurred in the first month, Nisan (Abib), which corresponds to parts of March and April, a time when the Jordan was known to overflow ^[10]. Josephus describes the Jordan as watering a large plain, supporting excellent gardens and various palm trees ^[4].

The absence of rain during harvest was considered a normal and expected condition, allowing agricultural work to proceed without interruption ^[11]. Therefore, when Samuel called for thunder and rain during the wheat harvest as a sign of God's displeasure, it was a striking demonstration of divine power, as such weather was highly unusual for that time of year ^{[2, 7, 8]}. The "latter rain," or spring rain, falls before harvest in March and April, essential for ripening crops, but after this, the dry season commences ^{[6, 11]}. The harvest was a time of joy and intense labor, involving reapers and binders, and was expected to be free from adverse weather ^{[3, 5]}.

Sources

Joshua “Joshua 3:15 (BSB) — Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge,”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Thunder — is hardly ever heard in Palestine form the middle of April to the middle of September; hence it was selected by Samuel as a striking expression of the divine displeasure toward the Israelites. (1 Samuel 12:17) Rain in harvest was deemed as extraordinary as snow in summer, (Proverbs 26:1) and Jerome states that he had never witnessed it in the latter part of June or in July. Comm. on (Amos 4:7) In the imaginative philosophy of the Hebrews, thunder was regarded as the voice of Jehovah, (Job 37:2,4,5; 40:9; Psalms 18:13; 29:3-9; Isaiah 30:30,31) who dwelt behin”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Harvest, The — Ingathering of fruits of the fields -- Mr 4:29. To continue without intermission -- Ge 8:22. Called the Appointed weeks of harvest. -- Jer 5:24. Harvest time. -- 2Sa 23:13; Jer 50:16. Fields appeared white before -- Joh 4:35. Of barley at the passover -- Le 23:6,10; Ru 1:22. Of wheat at Pentecost -- Ex 34:22; 1Sa 12:17. Men and women engaged in -- Ru 2:8,9. Persons engaged in Reapers. -- Ru 2:4. Binders. -- Ge 37:7; Ps 129:7. Called harvest-men. -- Isa 17:5. Called labourers. -- Mt 9:37. Fed by the husbandman during. -- Ru 2:14. Received wages. -- Joh ”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, CHAPTER 8, section 4: when it flows even in little quantities. Accordingly, it waters a larger space of ground than any other waters do, and passes along a plain of seventy furlongs long, and twenty broad; wherein it affords nourishment to those most excellent gardens that are thick set with trees. There are in it many sorts of palm trees that are watered by it, different from each other in taste and name; the better sort of them, when they are pressed, yield an excellent kind of honey, not much inferior in sweetness to other honey. This country withal p”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Harvest — The season for gathering grain or fruit. On the 16th day of Abib (or April) a handful of ripe ears of corn was offered as a first-fruit before the Lord, and immediately after this the harvest commenced (Lev. 23:9-14; 2 Sam. 21:9, 10; Ruth 2:23). It began with the feast of Passover and ended with Pentecost, thus lasting for seven weeks (Ex. 23:16). The harvest was a season of joy (Ps. 126:1-6; Isa. 9:3). This word is used figuratively Matt. 9:37; 13:30; Luke 10:2; John 4:35. (See [260]AGRICULTURE.)”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Rain — In the Bible "early rain" signifies the rain of the autumn, (11:14) and "latter rain" the rain of spring. (Proverbs 16:1,5) For six months in the year, from May to October, no rain falls, the whole land becomes dry, parched and brown. The autumnal rains are eagerly looked for, to prepare the earth for the reception of the seed. These, the early rains, commence about the latter end of October continuing through November and December. January and February are the coldest months, and snow falls, sometimes to the depth of a foot or more, at Jerusalem, but it does n”
1 Samuel (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Samuel 12:17: 12:17 The wheat harvest occurred in late spring or early summer, when little or no rain fell in Israel. Thunder and rain would thus demonstrate God’s power as a sign of the people’s wickedness in asking for a king.”
1 Samuel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Samuel 12:17: HE TERRIFIES THEM WITH THUNDER IN HARVEST-TIME. (Sa1 12:17-25) Is it not wheat harvest to-day?--That season in Palestine occurs at the end of June or beginning of July, when it seldom or never rains, and the sky is serene and cloudless. There could not, therefore, have been a stronger or more appropriate proof of a divine mission than the phenomenon of rain and thunder happening, without any prognostics of its approach, upon the prediction of a person professing himself to be a prophet of the Lord, and giving it as an attestation of his words being”
1 Samuel (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 12:17: Is it not wheat harvest to-day? - That is, This is the time of wheat harvest. According to St. Jerome, who spent several years in the promised land, this harvest commenced about the end of June or beginning of July, in which he says he never saw rain in Judea: Nunquam enim in fine mensis Junii, sive in mense Julio, in his provinciis, maximeque in Judea, pluvias vidimus. - Hier. in Amo 4:7; where he refers to this very history. What occurred now hardly ever occurs there but in the winter months.”
Joshua (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Joshua 3:15: And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan,.... Not to the bank, which was overflowed, but to the extremity of the water overflowing: and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water; which was doubtless the first they came to, and not the brim or extremity of it on the other side: for Jordan overfloweth all its banks all the time of harvest; that is, of barley harvest, as appears from the time of year; for it was in the first month, the month Nisan, or Abib, which answers to part of March, and April, it used to overflow,”
Jeremiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jeremiah 5:24: rain . . . former . . . latter--The "former" falls from the middle of October to the beginning of December. The "latter," or spring rain in Palestine, falls before harvest in March and April, and is essential for ripening the crops (Deu 11:14; Joe 2:23). weeks of . . . harvest--the seven weeks between passover and pentecost, beginning on the sixteenth of Nisan (Deu 16:9). By God's special providence no rain fell in Palestine during the harvest weeks, so that harvest work went on without interruption (see Gen 8:22).”
Leviticus (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Leviticus 26:5: your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time, &c.--The barley harvest in Judea was about the middle of April; the wheat harvest about six weeks after, or in the beginning of June. After the harvest came the vintage, and fruit gathering towards the latter end of July. Moses led the Hebrews to believe that, provided they were faithful to God, there would be no idle time between the harvest and vintage, so great would be the increase. (See Amo 9:13). This promise would be very animating to a people who h”

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