The Hebrew calendar was composed of 12 lunar months, each of which began when the thin crescent moon was first visible at sunset. They were composed of approximately 29/30 days and were built around the agricultural seasons. Apparently some of the names of the months were accommodated from Babylon following the time that the Israelites were exiled there.
| Month | Hebrew Month | Gregorian (Modern) Month | Festivals | Biblical References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Month |
|
March–April |
|
Ex. 13:4; 23:15; 34:18; Deut. 16:1; Neh. 2:1;Est. 3:7 (cf. Gen. 8:13; Ex. 12:2, 18; 40:2, 17; Lev. 23:5; Num. 9:1; 20:1; 28:16; 33:3;Josh. 4:19; 1 Chron. 12:15; 27:2, 3; 2 Chron. 29:3, 17; 35:1; Ezra 6:19; 7:9; 8:31; 10:17;Est. 3:7, 12; Ezek. 29:17; 30:20; 45:18, 21;Dan. 10:4) |
| Second Month |
|
April–May | 14th: Later Passover (Num. 9:10–11) | 1 Kings 6:1, 37 (cf. Gen. 7:11; 8:14; Ex. 16:1;Num. 1:1, 18; 9:11; 10:11; 1 Chron. 27:4; 2 Chron. 3:2; 30:2, 13, 15; Ezra 3:8) |
| Third Month | Sivan | May–June | 4th: Pentecost [Feast of Weeks] (Lev. 23:15–16) | Est. 8:9 (cf. Ex. 19:1; 1 Chron. 27:5; 2 Chron. 15:10; 31:7; Ezek. 31:1) |
| Fourth Month | Tammuz | June–July | Ezek. 8:14 (cf. 2 Kings 25:3; 1 Chron. 27:7;Jer. 39:2; 52:6; Ezek. 1:1; Zech. 8:19) | |
| Fifth Month | Ab | July–August | Not mentioned by name in the Bible (cf.Num. 33:38; 2 Kings 25:8; 1 Chron. 27:8;Ezra 7:8, 9; Jer. 1:3; 28:1; 52:12; Ezek. 20:1;Zech. 7:3, 5; 8:19) | |
| Sixth Month | Elul | August–September | Neh. 6:15 (cf. 1 Chron. 27:9; Ezek. 8:1; Hag. 1:1, 15) | |
| Seventh Month |
|
September–October |
|
1 Kings 8:2 (cf. Gen. 8:4; Lev. 16:29; 23:24, 27, 34, 39, 41; 25:9; Num. 29:1, 7, 12; 2 Kings 25:25; 1 Chron. 27:10; 2 Chron. 5:3; 7:10; 31:7; Ezra 3:1, 6; Neh. 7:73; 8:2, 14;Jer. 28:17; 41:1; Ezek. 45:25; Hag. 2:1;Zech. 7:5; 8:19) |
| Eighth Month |
|
October–November | 1 Kings 6:38 (cf. 1 Kings 12:32, 33; 1 Chron. 27:11; Zech. 1:1) | |
| Ninth Month | Chislev (Kislev) | November–December | 25th: Dedication (John 10:22) | Neh. 1:1; Zech. 7:1 (cf. 1 Chron. 27:12; Ezra 10:9; Jer. 36:9, 22; Hag. 2:10, 18) |
| Tenth Month | Tebeth | December–January | Est. 2:16 (cf. Gen. 8:5; 2 Kings 25:1; 1 Chron. 27:13; Ezra 10:16; Jer. 39:1; 52:4;Ezek. 24:1; 29:1; 33:21; Zech. 8:19) | |
| Eleventh Month | Shebat | January–February | Zech. 1:7 (cf. Deut. 1:3; 1 Chron. 27:14) | |
| Twelfth Month | Adar* | February–March | Ezra 6:15; Est. 3:7, 13; 8:12; 9:1, 15, 17, 19, 21 (cf. 2 Kings 25:27; 1 Chron. 27:15; Jer. 52:31; Ezek. 32:1; 32:17) |
*Periodically, a 13th month was added so that the lunar calendar would account for the entire solar year.