What is the structure of the Jewish calendar?

The months were reckoned by the Jews from the moon. From new moon to new moon is about 29½ days, and to suit this period their months consisted alternately of 29 and 30 days; thus 12 months would amount to only 354 days; being 11¼ days short of a solar year. This reckoning would soon have thrown out some of their festivals because they were connected with the first-fruits of the barley and wheat harvest. Every three years a month had to be added, and this was called Ve-adar, the 'added Adar.' There were two periods for the year to commence: one called the Civil year, and the other the Sacred. The Israelites were brought out of Egypt in the month Abib, and that was to be the beginning of the year to them. Ex. 12:2; Ex. 13:4. This agrees with the sacred order, and all through the O.T. when the name of a month is given, its position in the year agrees with this arrangement. See 1 Kings 6:1; Esther 3:7, 13; Esther 8:12; Esther 9:1, Zech. 1:7; Zech.7:1. It is remarkable that the Jews now begin their year on the first day of Tisri (in September),which stands the first month of the civil year.

Civil Sacred Year Year 7 1 Abib or Nisan. 30 days. 8 2 Zif or Iyar. 29 days. 9 3 Sivan. 30 days. 10 4 Tammuz. 29 days. 11 5 Ab. 30 days. 12 6 Elul. 29 days. 1 7 Ethanim or Tisri. 30 days. 2 8 Bul or Marchesvan. 29 days. 3 9 Chisleu. 30 days. 4 10 Tebeth. 29 days. 5 11 Sebat. 30 days. 6 12 Adar. 29 days.

1892 172 The whole Hebrew year was typical. It was "a dome of many-coloured glass" through which one looked out on "the white radiance of eternity." It had two beginnings, each of them in the seventh month dating from the other. The month Tizri began the civil year, when we pass through cold and barren season till we come to the seventh month, Abib, which then becomes the first month of the new era (Ex. 12:2, Ex. 16:1.) when all is changed, "when the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come;" all is in resurrection life. Then again, the period beginning at Abib culminates on the seventh month, in a new Tizri when the Feast of Tabernacles reveals to us the glory of the Lord covering the earth as the waters cover the sea.

The feasts were all but one arranged in these first months: three feasts (Passover, Unleavened-bread, and First-fruits) in Abib, the beginning of the spiritual year; and three (Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles) in Tizri, the beginning of the civil year. The remaining feast, that of the Two Loaves, which typified the Church period, is, so to speak, interjected in the month Sivan distinct from the other two groups of festivals but connecting them, like Panama betwixt the two seas.

Looking forward along the year from Tizri, the natural commencement, it begins with ploughing and sowing, and ends in the general vintage (judgment). Looking forward from Abib, the spiritual commencement, the year begins with the Passover and First-fruits (death and resurrection) passes on through the period of Unleavened-bread, the barley* and wheat harvests (the time of salvation), the blossoming fig-tree (devotion), the former and the latter rain, the vintage, culminating in the holy convocations and rejoicings of the Feast of Tabernacles. The sabbaths running through the year are perpetually recurring pledges of the coming divinely-appointed rest. The seventh year was sabbatic. Seven sevens brought round the jubilee when the slaves were set free, mortgages were cancelled, and land that had been sold reverted to the original owner. In proportion as the jubilee was near, the lease of the land diminished in value to the holder. In proportion as the coming of Christ seems near to us, so is the value of the earth and earthly things lessened in our estimation.

Bearing all this in mind, it is apparent that not only in Israel's calendar, but in the manner of its introduction, matters of importance will be found. Jehovah at the inauguration of Israel's New Year's Day had said: "This month shall be the beginning of months; it shall be the first month" — or the head of the months — "of the year to you." To this month was given the name Abib — "the month of the ears of corn." It was for Israel the month of life out of death, the fruitful month — a name most appropriate for the people at their birth into national life. This important principle in connection with their year is observable throughout the books of Moses, Joshua, and Judges, where Abib alone has a name, all the other months being spoken of in their relation to it by numbers, as the "second," the "third," and so on.*

It was impossible to refer to time in Egypt without uttering the name of a demon, and Israel was bidden, "Be circumspect, and make no mention of the name of other gods"; but in the calendar given to Moses, time was ever associated with Jehovah. Possibly when God gave Israel their New Year's Day He enabled them to read aright the clock of time, for Egypt, like more modern nations, had found considerable difficulty in arriving at the length and starting point of the true year.

There was now to take place an event of an epoch-making character. This is indicated in verse 2. By it the Jewish calendar was to be entirely recast. They had, and still have, their reckoning on a secular basis, since their New Year 5712 fell on October 1st, last. Now, however, their reckoning, in the Divine estimation, was to begin in the month of the Passover, which comes, as we know, in our spring.

For Israel, the months began with each new moon; they were lunar months. Since the Passover took place on the fourteenth day of the month, the Israelites went out of Egypt on the full moon. In the evening they ate the lamb; their loins were girded; they were ready to leave. “At midnight … the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt … So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead” (Ex. 12:29-30).

The set feasts moadim, varied with the year, since the Jewish year had an intercalary month, i.e., an additional month inserted next to Adar, called Veadar, as often as was required, for their months had to correspond with the seasons. In Nisan or Abib, the first month, the barley harvest began to be ripe; by the middle of Tisri, the seventh month, all harvest and vintage operations had ceased. Hence the term moed would especially apply to these times, whereas the sabbath came round regularly each week. Further, it may be observed, that the feasts of the new moons are not included in the appointed times treated of in this chapter.

The series of numbers which we may consider fundamental is, I believe, but seven: answering to the seven notes in music, which by their combinations produce all the various melody and harmony with which we are acquainted. Seven is the well-known number of perfection, which, taken from the completion of God's six days' work with the Sabbath of His approving rest, has been used for the division of time ever since, and in Israel was the basis of most of the larger divisions, except the year itself. Thus the months were lunar, (except the partial one intercalated to keep the year straight,) and the 7th month specially marked out by the day of atonement and the feast of tabernacles (Israel's celebration of rest); while there was a sabbatic year as well as day, and a jubilee at the end of a week of sabbatic years — a still more joyous rest.

It is truly edifying to mark the way in which the God of Israel was ever seeking to draw the hearts of His people to Himself by means of the various sacrifices, solemnities and institutions of the Levitical ceremonial. There was the morning and evening lamb, every day; there was the holy sabbath, every week; there was the new moon, every month; there was the Passover, every year; there was the tithing, every three years; there was the release, every seven years; and there was the jubilee, every fifty years.

The Jewish Calendar here given follows the order usually found in books of reference, but the climate and seasons have somewhat altered. Some of the names of the months apparently point to the time of the year in which they fell. Thus Abib signifies 'budding' or 'ear of corn'; Zif, 'blossom'; and Bul, 'rain.' See MONTHS and RAIN.

JEWISH CALENDAR AND ITS ANTITYPES.