INTRODUCTION.

THE JEWISH CATECHISM.

THE MONTHS AS LISTED IN THE BIBLE.

THE NAMES OF THE MONTHS AFTER THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.

EUROPEAN MONTH’S = GREGORIAN CALENDAR.

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

 

The Western calendar is based upon the sun.  It is a Solar calendar.

The Muslim calendar is based upon the Moon.  It is a Luner calendar.

The Hebrew (Jewish) calendar is based upon both the moon and the sun.  In other words, it goes by sited new moon and Avid (Western calendar April) barley sittings.

The Rabbinic calendar (established in the 4th century under Hallel the 2nd) is established upon the entire Luner system (mostly the moon).  However, we know it to be off by two days.

 

 

THE JEWISH CATECHISM

 

 

It has been said that the Jewish Catechism is his Calendar.

 

The names of the months not found in the Bible are from the “Talmud,” the “Targum,” and other works.  In an interesting note is the fact that on one occasion the Passover (normally kept in the first month) was kept in the second month (see Second Chronicles 30:2).

 

In order to better understand the Hebrew calendars, one must know that the Jews have two (2) calendars from which they go by.  The first is the Religious calendar, which begins with the month of “Nisan,” or “Abid,” as found in Exodus 12:2.  The second is their Civil year calendar, which begins in the month of “Tishri,” which is the seventh month of the Religious year but the first month of the Civil year.

 

 

THE MONTHS AS LISTED IN THE BIBLE

 

 

First:  Abib (Our April):  Exodus 12:2; 13:4; 23:15; 34:18; Deuteronomy 16:1.  Looking at Exodus 13:4 we learn that Abib is the month when the “barley ears” begin to form.  Thus, this month is subject to change every year, meaning in reality that there is no month called “Abib,” for “Abib” is just a word to proclaim that the “barley ears” have begun to form, i.e., “Abib” is an agricultural term to designate this event.  In other words, “Abib” is only associated with what is taking place with the “barley ears” for that particular year.

Second:  Zif (Our May):  First Kings 6:1 & 37.

Third:

Fourth:  Tammuz (Stated as “fourth month,” its only mention) (Our July):  Jeremiah 39:2; 52:6.

Fifth:  Ab, or Av (Stated as “fifth month,” its only mention) (Our August):  Numbers 33:38.

Sixth:

Seventh:  Ethanim (Our October):  First Kings 8:2.

Eighth:  Bul (Our November):  First Kings 6:38.

Ninth:

Tenth:

Eleventh:

Twelfth:

 

According to Exodus 12:2:  “This month [speaking of Abib, but now Nisan will replace Abib, because Abib was changeable {see my note above}, whereas Nisan will be steady] shall be unto you the beginning of months:  it shall be the first month of the year to you.”  Thus it is, that the Jewish community has within its ranks two calendars.

 

Also, in order to make up for the loss of days (a Biblical year is 360 days in a year; thus losing 4 to 5 days each year) an entire month was added every 7th year.

 

 

THE NAMES OF THE MONTHS AFTER THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY

 

 

First:  Nisan (Our April):  Nehemiah 2:1; Esther 3:7.

Second:  Iyar (Our May).

Third:  Sivan (Our June):  Esther 8:9.

Fourth:  Tammuz (Our July).

Fifth:  Ab (Our August) (See Above).

Sixth:  Elul (Our August / September):  Nehemiah 6:15.

Seventh:  Tisri or Tishre or Tishri (Our September / October).

Eighth:  Marcheshvan or Heshvan (Our November).

Ninth:  Chisleu or Kislev (End of Our November / December):  Zechariah 7:1.

Tenth:  Tebeth or Tevet (Our January):  Esther 2:16.

Eleventh:  Sebat or Shevat (Our February):  Zechariah 1:7.

Twelfth:  Adar (Our March):  Esther 3:7 & 13; 8:12; 9:1.

 

 

EUROPEAN MONTH’S (or better, Roman month’s; since they named them, or our today’s accepted:)GREGORIAN CALENDAR

 

 

JANUARY = Named after the double-headed god Janus, the god of beginnings and endings.

 

FEBRUARY = Named after the goddess Februa, the overseer and purifier of things.  However, like her counter part (see April), worshiped for fertility purposes.

 

MARCH = Named Mars, the Roman god of war.  And still later, after the planet Mars, the warring planet.

 

APRIL = Named after the goddess Aphrodite, goddess of fertility, because it represents the opening of buds and flowers in spring.

 

MAY = Named after the goddess Maia, goddess of growing plants.

 

JUNE = Named after the pagan sun goddess Juno, who is queen of the gods and patroness of marriage and weddings (since June is a popular month for weddings due to easier traveling weather in the Roman world).

 

JULY = Named after Julius Caesar, a man who to the Romans became god.

 

AUGUST = Named after Augustus Caesar, a man who to the Romans became god.

 

SEPTEMBER = This was the “seventh month” on the original Roman calendar, and the number “seven” in Italian is “septem.”

 

OCTOBER = This was the “eighth month” on the original Roman calendar, and the number “eight” in Italian is “octo.”

 

NOVEMBER = This was the “ninth month” on the original Roman calendar, and the number “nine” in Italian is “novem.”

 

DECEMBER = This was the “tenth month” on the original Roman calendar, and the number “ten” in Italian is “decem.”

 

 

WESTERNIZED MONTHS

 

 

JANUARY

 

January comes to us from the Roman god “Janus,” which means, “Beginning.”  Also   known as the “god of Doorways,” in which many roman arches don his name.  Over a thousand years ago the English name for the month was, “Ianuariusmonad,” with “monad” meaning, “moon.”  Why “moon?”  because the months were designated from one new moon to the other new moon.  And the English word “monad” eventually became the English word today of “month.”

 

FEBRUARY

 

February also comes to us from the Roman god “Februus.”  This false god was associated with “death” and “purification.”  Sacrifices were made to him during his festival of “Februalia.”  Supposedly for “purification” or cleansing.  Originally on the Roman calendar, “Januarius” was the 11th month, while “Februarius” was the last month.  The Romans considered both of these months to be “Dark Months.”  Too cold for war, or for farming, or any other fun activities.  In B.C. 700 January was moved to the first month of the year, while February became the second.  The month became known as “Februariusmonad,” once again “monad” standing for “month.”  It was also known as “Solmonad,” with “Sol” standing for “soil,” or better, “mud,” as it was such a dreary month.

 

MARCH

 

Originally marked by the Romans as the first month of the year, this month was named after the Roman god “Mars,” the “god of War.”  The original name of the month was “Martius.”  Other old English names for the month were “Hlyda,” or “Lide.”  It was known as “Lide,” which means “Loud,” because the month was “noisy with wind and storm.”  The English called the month “Hredmonad,” after their goddess “Hretha,” which was their goddess of “glory.”

 

APRIL

 

This months name also comes to us via the Romans who called it “Aprilis.”  It is still to this day debatable, but it may have come from the goddess “Aphrodite.”  Others speculate that it came from “Aperire,” which means “pleasant smelling.”  Most disagree.  The English called it “Aprilismonad,” or “Eastermonad,” from which came the English word, you guessed it, “Easter Month.”  “Easter” was the “goddess of Fertility,” also known as “Eostre; Ostara; Eastro.”

 

MAY

 

May is named after the Roman “Fertility goddess,” “Maia.”  Not to be confuses with the Greek goddess of the same name.  The English called this month, “Primilcemonad.”  Which literally meant, “Three Milk Month.”  According the the historian “Bede,” in 725 A.D., “The fifth month is called Thrimilci in our language, because before, there was such abundance in Britain and also in Germania, whence the Angle-people came to Britain, they would milk their cows thrice a day.”

 

JUNE

 

Named after the Roman goddess “Juno,” which was the “goddess of woman and marriage.”  Other theorize that the name comes from ‘Juniours,” which meant, “young ones.”  The English called it “Lida,” which moved to “Aerra Lida,” meaning “Early Lida.”  The meaning of “Lida” is uncertain.

 

JULY

 

This month was named after the death of Julius Caesar in B.C. 44.  Of course, he was considered to be a god.  Prior to Julius Caesar the Romans called it “Quintilis.”  Its beginning, “Quint,” later came into the English vocabulary, where they get their words such as, “Quintuplets,” meaning “five babies.”  Therefore, it literally meant, “The Fifth Month.”  Which remember, January and February were the 11th and 12th months at that time.  The English called it, “Aefterra Lida,” meaning, the month “After Lida.”

 

AUGUST

 

August was known by the Romans as, “Sextilis,”  which meant, “Sixth.”  It was renamed “August,” after Augustus Caesar during his reign in B.C. 8.  Remembering that he was also considered to be a god.  The English called it, “Weodmonad,” meaning, “Weed Month.”

 

SEPTEMBER

 

To the Romans, “Septem” meant “Seven.”  The English called it “Haerfestmonad,” meaning, “Harvest Month.”  It was also known as “Haligmonad,” which meant, “Holy Month.”  Why ‘Holy Month?”  Because offerings were offered to the gods for a nice hefty harvest.

 

OCTOBER

 

To the Romans, “Octo” meant “Eight.”  The English named it, “Wintefylled,” because it was the month of the full moon and the beginning of “Winter.”

 

NOVEMBER

 

To the Romans, “Novem” meant “Nine.”  The English named it, “Blotmonad,” meaning, “Sacrifice Month.”  It was a time for the slaughter of cattle, both for meat for the winter and offerings to the gods.  It was also known as “Blodmonad,” meaning “Blood Month.”

 

DECEMBER

 

To the Romans, Decem,” meant “Ten.”  The English named it “Aerra Geola,” or “Geolmonad,” meaning “Yule Month,” as in “Yule Log,” or “Yuletide,” with “Yule” meaning, “Christmas.”