From Zion Goes Out The Word of the Lord

In response the two sages quote to them the well known verse from Isaiah:

For out of Zion shall go forth the Torah and God’s word from Jersualem.[Isaiah 2:3]

They meant, of course, that Zion and Jerusalem were the source of God’s law and not Babylon. In the Talmud of Eretz-Israel [Sanhedrin 6a] we find a truly caustic comment about this matter.

Rabbi Yitzĥak stood up [in the Sanhedrin] and read [as if from the Torah]: “These are the festivals of Ĥananya the nephew of Rabbi Yehoshu’a!” [parodying Leviticus 23:4 - "These are the festivals of the Lord"]. Rabbi Natan then stood up [as if reciting] the Haftarah: “For out of Babylon shall go forth the Torah and God’s word from the River Pekod!”

via Eretz-Israel 007.

Very interesting series of posts on the power struggle between the sages of the Land of Israel and those of Babylon.  This particular quote is regarding an attempt to determine the calendar in Babylon independent of decisions in the Land of Israel.  That spirit of discourse seems alive and well among the modern movements.