The Hebrew Calendar - Open Scroll

Part I

How the months are counted

The Bible counts the months from the month the people went out of Egypt.

Exodus 12:2

This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

The count of months begins here.

Open the verse

Exodus 13:4

This day ye go forth in the month Abib.

The first month is named Abib.

Open the verse

Esther 3:7

In the first month, which is the month Nisan,…

In Esther the first month is called Nisan.

Open the verse

Months follow the moon. A month has 29 or 30 days. In Bible times a new month began when the new moon was seen: witnesses reported it to the court, the Sanhedrin, which declared the new month. Jewish tradition credits Hillel II, in the fourth century, with a fixed calendar worked out by calculation. That calendar is used today.
The leap year. In 7 of every 19 years a thirteenth month, Adar I, is added before Adar. In the fixed calendar the leap years are years 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17 and 19 of each 19-year cycle.
Four new years. The Mishnah names four. The 1st of Nisan is the new year for kings and for the order of the feasts. The 1st of Elul is the new year for the tithe of animals. The 1st of Tishri is the new year for counting years. The 1st of Shevat (15th of Shevat, by the school of Hillel) is the new year for trees. So the Hebrew year number changes in the seventh month.
Sources: Judaism 101, jewfaq.org, “Jewish Calendar” (checked 11 October 2026); Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:1, read on Sefaria.org (checked 11 October 2026).

Part II

The months

The Bible names some months and only counts others. The second column gives the name used today.

Monthin the count	Name todayin English letters	In the BibleASV	Days	Falls in about
1	Nisan	AbibExodus 13:4	30	March–April
2	Iyar	Ziv1 Kings 6:1	29	April–May
3	Sivan	SivanEsther 8:9	30	May–June
4	Tammuz	the fourth monthJeremiah 39:2	29	June–July
5	Av	the fifth monthNumbers 33:38	30	July–August
6	Elul	ElulNehemiah 6:15	29	August–September
7	Tishri	Ethanim1 Kings 8:2	30	September–October
8	Cheshvan	Bul1 Kings 6:38	29 or 30	October–November
9	Kislev	ChislevZechariah 7:1	30 or 29	November–December
10	Tevet	TebethEsther 2:16	29	December–January
11	Sh’vat	ShebatZechariah 1:7	30	January–February
Leap years	Adar I	Not in the Bibleadded before Adar in leap years	30	February–March
12	Adar	AdarEsther 3:7	29	February–March

Tap a name in the Bible column to open its verse. Names today, order, days and months of the year: Judaism 101, jewfaq.org, “Jewish Calendar.” The first month is spelled Nisan, as in the ASV (Esther 3:7); Judaism 101 spells it Nissan. In leap years the regular Adar is called Adar II. Because the months follow the moon, each feast falls on a different date of today’s calendar each year.

Part III

The feasts of Leviticus 23

Leviticus 23 gives the weekly sabbath first. Then it gives the yearly feasts in order through the year.

The weekly sabbath

…on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of work:…

Every seventh dayJewish name: ShabbatLeviticus 23:3

The text says: Six days of work, then a day of rest with no work.
Kept today: From sunset Friday to nightfall Saturday. Candles are lit before it begins, and no work is done.
In the New Testament: Luke 4:16; Mark 2:27

Open the verse

The passover

In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, is Jehovah’s passover.

First month, 14th day, at eveningJewish name: PesachLeviticus 23:5

The text says: The passover is kept at evening on the 14th day.
Kept today: A family meal called the seder on the first night.
In the New Testament: Luke 22:1; John 2:13

Open the verse

The feast of unleavened bread

And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto Jehovah: seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread.

First month, 15th day, seven daysJewish name: part of PesachLeviticus 23:6

The text says: Eat unleavened bread seven days. No servile work on the first and seventh days (verses 7 and 8).
Kept today: No leavened food. Matzah is eaten. Kept eight days, seven in Israel.
In the New Testament: Acts 12:3; Acts 20:6

Open the verse

The sheaf of firstfruits

…and he shall wave the sheaf before Jehovah, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

The morrow after the sabbathLeviticus 23:10 to 14

The text says: Bring the first sheaf of the harvest to the priest, who waves it. Eat no new grain until then (verse 14).
Kept today: Each of the 49 days from the second day of Passover to Shavuot is counted.

Open the verse

The feast of weeks

And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath,…verse 16 beginseven unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days;…

Fifty days counted from the sheafJewish name: ShavuotLeviticus 23:15 and 16

The text says: Count fifty days, then offer a new meal-offering. No servile work (verse 21).
Kept today: No work. The book of Ruth is read, and a dairy meal is customary.
In the New Testament: Called Pentecost: Acts 2:1; Acts 20:16; 1 Corinthians 16:8

Open the verse

Blowing of trumpets

…In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest unto you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.

Seventh month, 1st dayJewish name: Rosh HashanaLeviticus 23:24

The text says: A day of rest with blowing of trumpets. No servile work (verse 25).
Kept today: No work. The shofar is sounded in the synagogue.

Open the verse

The day of atonement

…on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement: it shall be a holy convocation unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls;…

Seventh month, 10th dayJewish name: Yom KippurLeviticus 23:27

The text says: Afflict your souls. No work of any kind (verse 28).
Kept today: A fast of about 25 hours, with no food or water. Most of the day is spent in prayer.

Open the verse

The feast of tabernacles

…On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto Jehovah.

Seventh month, 15th day, seven daysJewish name: SukkotLeviticus 23:34

The text says: Dwell in booths seven days (verse 42). No servile work on the first day.
Kept today: Meals are eaten in a sukkah, a temporary booth.
In the New Testament: John 7:2

Open the verse

The eighth day

…on the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you;… it is a solemn assembly; ye shall do no servile work.

The day after the seven daysJewish name: Shmini AtzeretLeviticus 23:36

The text says: A holy convocation and a solemn assembly. No servile work.
Kept today: A holiday of its own, linked to Sukkot. A line asking for rain is added to the daily prayer.

Open the verse

Verses from the ASV, with its punctuation. “The text says” gives what Leviticus 23 asks for, in short. The name “feast of weeks” is from Deuteronomy 16:10. Jewish names: Hebcal, hebcal.com/holidays. Kept today: Judaism 101, jewfaq.org, the pages “Shabbat,” “Passover,” “Shavu’ot,” “Rosh Hashanah,” “Yom Kippur” and “Sukkot” (checked 11 October 2026). Judaism 101 notes that Shavu’ot is also called Pentecost. The New Testament line lists verses that name the feast.

Part IV

Two later days

These two days are not in Leviticus 23. They come from later times.

Purim

…keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,…verse 26Wherefore they called these days Purim, after the name of Pur.…

Twelfth month, 14th and 15th daysJewish name: PurimEsther 9:21 and 26

The text says: Days of feasting and gladness, of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor (Esther 9:22).
Kept today: The book of Esther is read aloud. Food is sent to friends, and gifts are given to charity.

Open the verse

The feast of the dedication

And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem:…

Ninth month, from the 25th day, eight daysJewish name: ChanukahJohn 10:22

The text says: John 10:22 only names it. 1 Maccabees 4:59 says it was to be kept eight days from the 25th day of the month, with gladness.
Kept today: Candles are lit each night after dark, one more each night, for eight nights.

Open the verse

The feast of the dedication is called Chanukah. It begins on the 25th day of Kislev and lasts eight days. Its story is told in 1 Maccabees 4:52 to 59. Judaism 101 notes that Jews do not accept the book of Maccabees as Scripture. On Open Scroll, 1 Maccabees is in three reading Bibles: the King James Version with Apocrypha, the Catholic Douay-Rheims and the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint).
Sources: Judaism 101, jewfaq.org, “Purim” and “Chanukkah” (checked 11 October 2026); Hebcal, hebcal.com/holidays; 1 Maccabees 4:52 to 59 checked in the King James Version with Apocrypha.