More on the 22-day cycles of the year: Acrostics and Priestly Guard Shifts

There are 8 acrostic psalms in Tanach. Chapter 119 has eight verses for each letter. Furthermore, the last chapter of the Book of Proverbs is also an acrostic. It is known as Eshet Chayil (the woman of valor) and said to be composed by Abraham, our Patriarch, in honor of Sarah.

1	Psalm  9-10	1st Cycle	Jehoiarib	11:35 PM	Three weeks from Selichot to Sukkot
2			Hezir	11:47 PM
3	Psalm 25	2nd Cycle	Harim	11:59 PM	Three weeks from  Sukkot to Cheshvan
4			Happizzez	12:11 AM
5	Psalm  34	3rd Cycle	Malchijah	12:23 AM	Three weeks from Cheshvan to Rosh Chodesh Kislev
6			Pethahiah	12:35 AM
7	Psalm  37	4th Cycle	Hakkoz	12:47 AM	Three weeks from  Rosh Chodesh Kislev to Chanukah
8			Jehezkel	12:59 AM
9	Psalm 111	5th Cycle	Jeshua	1:11 AM	Three weeks from Chanukah to Mid-Tevet
10			Jachin	End of 2nd Watch (2/3) (1:23 AM)
11	Psalm 112	6th Cycle	Eliashib	1:35 AM	Three weeks from Mid-Tevet to Yud Shvat
12			Gamul	1:47 AM
13	Psalm 145	7th Cycle	Huppah	1:59 AM	Three weeks from Yud Shvat to Rosh Chodesh Adar
14			Delaiah	2:11 AM
15/16	Proverbs 31:10-31 (Eshet Chayil) Psalm 119	8th Cycle	Bilgah Maaziah	End of  3rd Watch (3/4) 2:23 AM 2:35 AM	Three weeks from Rosh Chodesh Adar to 24th of Adar
17	Psalm 119 (1)		Jedaiah	2:47 AM	Three weeks from 25th of Adar to Pessach
18		9th Cycle		2:59 AM
19	Psalm 119 (2)		Seorim	3:11 AM	Three weeks from Pessach to 9th of Iyar
20		10th Cycle		3:23 AM
21	Psalm 119 (3)		Mijamin	3:35 AM	Three weeks from 10th of Iyar to 2nd of Sivan
22		11th Cycle		3:47 AM
23	Psalm 119 (4)		Abijah	3:59 AM	Three weeks from 3rd of Sivan to 24th of Sivan
24		12th Cycle		4:11 AM
25	Psalm 119 (5)		Shecaniah	4:23 AM	Three weeks from 25th of Sivan to 16th of Tammuz
26		13th Cycle		4:35 AM
27	Psalm 119 (6)		Jakim	Alot Hashachar (dawn)   4:47 AM	Three weeks from 17th of Tammuz to Tisha B’Av
28		14th Cycle		4:59 AM
29	Psalm 119 (7)		Jeshebeab	Earliest Shmah,Talit & Tefilin  5:11 AM	Three weeks from 10th of Av to Rosh Chodesh Elul
30		15th Cycle		5:23 AM
31	Psalm 119 (8)		Immer	5:35 AM	Three weeks from 2nd of Elul to 23rd of Elul
32		16th Cycle		5:47 AM

[Another idea would be to add Chapters 1 through 4 of the Book of Lamentations, which are also in acrostic form. The first verse starts with an Alef, the second with a Bet, etc. Chapter 5 has 22 verses, but is not in alphabetical order. All but one chapter is composed of 22 verses. Instead of 22 verses, Chapter 3 has 66, 3 x 22. Chapter 1 of Nachum appears to have at least half an acrostic, the other half hidden within the text.  Counting Chapter 3 of Book of Lamentations three times, and Psalm 119 eight times times there are a total of 24 texts that are composed in acrostic fashion, 16 of which are from the Psalms and Proverbs and 8 of which are from Lamentations and Nachum.  We split the year in two halves, the first for the Psalms and Proverbs (16), and the second for Nachum and Lamentations (8). This parallels the guards of Elazar and Ithamar in the times of King David. There were 24 families – 16 for Elazar and 8 from Ithamar. In the times of Aharon, it used to be split exactly in half, 8 for each. We therefore join 2 of Elazar for every 1 from Itamar.]