ESV Charts

The Hebrew Calendar Compared to the Gregorian (Modern) Calendar

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
  • Abib (Preexile)
  • Nisan (Postexile)
 March–April
  • 14th: Passover (Ex. 12:18;Lev. 23:5)
  • 15th–21st: Unleavened Bread (Ex. 12:14–20;Lev. 23:6)
  • 16th: First Fruits (Lev. 23:9–11)
 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
  • Ziv (Preexile)
  • Iyyar (Postexile)
 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
  • Ethanim (Preexile)
  • Tishri (Postexile)
 September–October
  • 1st: Trumpets (Lev. 23:24;Num. 29:1)
  • 10th: Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29–34; 23:27–32)
  • 15th–21st: Booths (Lev. 23:34–40)
  • 22nd: Solemn assembly (Lev. 23:36)
 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
  • Bul (Preexile)
  • Marchesvan (Postexile)
 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.