THE OMER CONTROVERSY

In the first century, various sects such as the Sadducees, the Boethusians and the Essenes (who lived in the Dead Sea / Qumran area) and later the Karaites had a disagreement with the Pharisees (who are traced today to Rabbinic Judaism) on when you start counting the omer. The Boethusians were considered a sect of the Sadducees. They received their name from Simeon b. Boethus who was appointed high priest by Herod the Great in 24 B.C.E [Josephus, Antiquity 15:320].

The Sadducees, Boethusians and Karaites maintain that the counting of the omer should begin the first day following the weekly sabbath. The Essenes believed it started on the Sunday after the end of the entire eight day festival (one week later than the Sadducees, Boethusians and Karaites.)

The Pharisees (Rabbinic Judaism) maintains that the counting should begin on Aviv / Nisan 16 which is the day following the first day of Unleavened Bread.