[Fact Sheet 09]

A CALENDAR OF THE HEBREW YEAR

The "first month" was the Egyptian month of Abib, in the spring, when Passover occurs to remind them that GOD brought them out of Egypt in that month.

Exodus 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. (Exodus 23:15, 34:18, Deuteronomy 16:1).

Exodus 13:4 This day came ye out in the month Abib.

Deuteronomy 16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.

The year began with Abib (later called Nisan) and the months are numbered beginning with Abib.

However the first day of the Jubilee and Sabbatical years began in the Autumn on the first day of 'The Seventh Month' (later called Tishri)  called 'The Feast of Trumpets.'

Leviticus 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

Leviticus 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.
8 And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.
9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.

So even though the Hebrew year begins with the first month, Abib (Nisan), the counting of the years changes with the first day of the seventh month (Tishri) and celebrated with'The Feast of Trumpets '.

All male Hebrews had to attend three major feasts. [Exodus 23:14-17 Deuteronomy 16:16]

1) In the first month - 'The Feast of Unleavened Bread'  - which began with 'The Passover.'
2) In the second month - 'The Feast of Weeks' - called 'Pentecost' - when they had gathered in the firstfruits of the agricultural year.
3) In the seventh month - 'The Feast of Tabernacles' - when they had gathered in the harvest at the end of the agricultural year. [Exodus 23:16, 34:22 Levticus 23:34]

Also, ever since the captivity the Jews have celebrated the first day of the seveth month ('The Feast of Trumpets') as a New Year's Day (Rosh Hashanah)

Some theologians refer to the twelve months beginning with Abib as 'The Ecclesiastical Year' and the twelve months beginning with Tishri as 'The Legal Year'

BABYLONIAN MONTHS	HEBREW MONTHS		Comments	WESTERN MONTHS
Tisri (Ethanim)	7	The Seventh Month	Jubilee and Sabbatical years were numbered from the first day of Tisri - 'The Feast of Trumpets." [Leviticus 23:24, 25:2-9] - The 15th day was "The Day of Atonement." [Leviticus 23:27]	Late September
				October
Bul	8	The Eighth Month
				November
Kislev (Chisleu)	9	The Ninth Month
				December
Tevet (Tebeth)	10	The Tenth Month
				January
Shevat (Sebat)	11	The Eleventh Month
				February
Adar	12	The Twelfth Month
				Early March
Veadar  (leap years only)	13	The Thirteenth Month (leap years only)	Leap months were added to keep the years in step with the seasonal festivities.
Nisan (Abib)	1	The First Month	The first month of the Hebrew year. [Exodus 12:2] The Passover was observed in the evening of the 14th day [Leviticus 23:5]	Late March
				April
Iyar (Zif)	2	The Second Month
				May
Sivan	3	The Third Month
				June
Tammuz	4	The Fourth Month
				July
Av (Ab)	5	The Fifth Month
				August
Elul	6	The Sixth Month
				Early September