MONTH

The Hebrews months were lunar months, that is, from one new moon to another. These lunar months were each reckoned at twenty-nine days and a half; or rather, one was of thirty days, the following of twenty-nine, and so on alternately: that which had thirty days was called a full or complete month; that which had but twenty-nine days was called incomplete. The new moon was always the beginning of the month and this day they called new-moon day, or new month. The Hebrews usually designated the months only as first, second, etc.; and the names by which they are now known are believed to be of Persian origin, and to have been adopted by the Jews during the captivity. At the exodus from Egypt, which occurred in April, God ordained that that month-the seventh of the civil year—should be the first of the sacred year, according to which the religious festivals were to be reckoned; and from that time both these modes of numbering the months continued to be employed. As the Jewish months were governed by the moon, while ours entirely disregard it, the two systems cannot wholly coincide. It is generally agreed, however, that their month Nisan answers most nearly to our April, Iyar to our May, etc. Twelve lunar months making but three hundred and fifty-four days and six hours, the Jewish year was short of the Roman by twelve days. To recover the equinoctial points, from which this difference of the solar and lunar year would separate the new moon of the first month, the Jews every three years intercalated a thirteenth month, which they called Veadar, the second Adar. By this means their lunar year nearly equaled the solar. See YEAR.

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Month. Month
Among the Egyptians the month of thirty days each was in use long before the time of the Exodus, and formed the basis of their calculations. From the time of the institution of the Mosaic law the month among the Jews was lunar. The cycle of religious feasts depended on the moon. The commencement of a month was determined by the observation of the new moon. The number of months in the year was usually twelve (1 Kings 4:7; 1 Chr. 27:1-15); but every third year an additional month (ve-Adar) was inserted, so as to make the months coincide with the seasons.

“The Hebrews and Phoenicians had no word for month save ’moon,’ and only saved their calendar from becoming vague like that of the Moslems by the interpolation of an additional month. There is no evidence at all that they ever used a true solar year such as the Egyptians possessed. The latter had twelve months of thirty days and five epagomenac or odd days.”, Palestine Quarterly, January 1889.

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MONTH. → Ancient use of Ge 7:11; 8:4 → Twelve months reckoned to a year 1Ch 27:1-15 1. Abib (April)
* The Jewish calendar began with Ex 12:2; 13:4; De 16:1
* Passover instituted and celebrated in Ex 12:1-28; 23:15
* Israelites left Egypt in Ex 13:4
* Tabernacle set up in Ex 40:2,17
* Israelites arrive at Zin in Nu 20:1
* The Israelites cross the Jordan River in Jos 4:19
* The Jordan River overflows in 1Ch 12:15
* Decree to put the Jews to death in Es 3:12
* The death of Jesus in Mt 26; 27
* After the captivity called Nisan Ne 2:1; Es 3:7

2. Zif (May) 1Ki 6:1,37
* Israel numbered in Nu 1:1,18
* Passover to be observed in, by the ceremonially unclean and others who could not observe it in the first month Nu 9:10,11
* Israel departed from the wilderness of Zin in Nu 10:11
* Temple begun in 1Ki 6:1; 2Ch 3:2
* An celebrated in 2Ch 30:1-27
* Rebuilding of the temple begun in Ezr 3:8

3. Sivan: (June) Es 8:9
* Asa renews the covenant of himself and people in 2Ch 15:10

4. Tammuz (July) → (The number only appears in the Bible) .Jerusalem taken by Nebuchadnezzar in Jer 39:2; 52:6,7 5. Ab (August) → (Number only mentioned)
* Aaron died on the first day of Nu 33:38
* Temple destroyed in 2Ki 25:8-10; Jer 1:3; 52:12-30
* Ezra arrived at Jerusalem in Ezr 7:8,9

6. Elul (September)
* The wall of Jerusalem finished in Ne 6:15
* The temple built in Hag 1:14,15

7. Ethanim (October) 1Ki 8:2
* Feasts held in Le 23:24,27; Ne 8:13-15
* Jubilee proclaimed in Le 25:9
* Solomon's temple dedicated in 1Ki 8:2
* Altar rebuilt and offerings renewed in Ezr 3:1,6

8. Bul (November)
* The temple finished in 1Ki 6:38
* Jeroboam's idolatrous feast in 1Ki 12:32,33; 1Ch 27:11

9. Chisleu (December) Ezr 10:9; Jer 36:9,22; Zec 7:1 → 10. Tebeth (January) Es 2:16
* Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem in 2Ki 25:1; Jer 52:4

→ 11. Sebat (February) Zec 1:7
* Moses probably died in De 1:3

→ 12. Adar (March) Es 3:7
* Second temple finished in Ezr 6:15
* Feast of Purim in Es 9:1-26
* Months in prophecy Re 11:2

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month. Month, [munth] n. the time from one change of the moon to another, the 12th part of a year

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Month (mŭnth), n. [[OE. month, moneth, AS. mōnð, mōnað; akin to mōna moon, and to D. maand month, G. monat, OHG. mānōd, Icel. mānuðr, mānaðr, Goth. mēnōþs. √272. See Moon.]] One of the twelve portions into which the year is divided; the twelfth part of a year, corresponding nearly to the length of a synodic revolution of the moon, — whence the name. In popular use, a period of four weeks is often called a month. ☞ In the common law, a month is a lunar month, or twenty-eight days, unless otherwise expressed. Blackstone. In the United States the rule of the common law is generally changed, and a month is declared to mean a calendar month. Cooley's Blackstone. A month mind. (a) A strong or abnormal desire. Shak. (b) A celebration made in remembrance of a deceased person a month after death. Strype. — Calendar months, the months as adjusted in the common or Gregorian calendar; April, June, September, and November, containing 30 days, and the rest 31, except February, which, in common years, has 28, and in leap years 29. — Lunar month, the period of one revolution of the moon, particularly a synodical revolution; but several kinds are distinguished, as the synodical month, or period from one new moon to the next, in mean length 29 d. 12 h. 44 m. 2.87 s.; the nodical month, or time of revolution from one node to the same again, in length 27 d. 5 h. 5 m. 36 s.; the sidereal, or time of revolution from a star to the same again, equal to 27 d. 7 h. 43 m. 11.5 s.; the anomalistic, or time of revolution from perigee to perigee again, in length 27 d. 13 h. 18 m. 37.4 s.; and the tropical, or time of passing from any point of the ecliptic to the same again, equal to 27 d. 7 h. 43 m. 4.7 s. — Solar month, the time in which the sun passes through one sign of the zodiac, in mean length 30 d. 10 h. 29 m. 4.1 s.