Genesis 1:14 "God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth"; and it was so."
The Bible reveals that God created time, He created the days and the seasons, the sun the moon and the stars. He created this world with all the necessary components of what we call today the calendar. To the ancient Hebrews the calendar was extremely important. During the time of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt God revealed his appointed times and the calendar for his people Israel.
In ancient Israel there was the "sacred" or religious year, and also the civil year, and these formed the Hebrew calendar. The religious or sacred year began toward the end of March, which was the Hebrew month of Nisan. The civil year began in October, on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishri. Therefore the seventh month on the religious calendar was the first month on the civil calendar. The Hebrew year was divided into 12 lunar months, with an Intercalary month (a 13th month 7 times every 19 years).
Jesus confirmed all of the months mentioned in the Old Testament (Luke 11:49-51).
Below is a list of months in the ancient Hebrew Calendar.
List of Hebrew Months in the Old Testament |
Numerical Order | Hebrew Month | Our Month |
The Religious Year | | |
1 | Nisan | March |
2 | Iyyar | April |
3 | Sivan | May |
4 | Tammuz | June |
5 | Av | July |
6 | Elul | August |
7 | Tishri | September |
8 | Heshvan | October |
9 | Chislev | November |
10 | Tebeth | December |
11 | Shebat | January |
12 | Adar | February |
| | |
The Civil Year | | |
7 | Nisan | March |
8 | Iyyar | April |
9 | Sivan | May |
10 | Tammuz | June |
11 | Av | July |
12 | Elul | August |
1 | Tishri | September |
2 | Heshvan | October |
3 | Chislev | November |
4 | Tebeth | December |
5 | Shebat | January |
6 | Adar | February |
Psalm 104:19 - "He made the moon for the seasons; the sun knows the place of its setting."
Exodus 12:3 - "Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house"