This of course says a significant amount of the endurance of Nehemiah's burden where he is still noticeably upset by the events 4-5 months later. It opens up many a great understanding of the text and of what Nehemiah was actually going through at that time.
Understanding the perspectives of the people involved in the narrative texts helps to let the events come alive and for you to understand more of what the author was intending. After all, even though the messages are obviously still relevant today, the author didn't write to Americans in the twenty-first century. Instead, he wrote to the culture of the times.
Thus, it is helpful in understanding especially the Old Testament to understand what is going on within the context of the culture. I feel that a good way of beginning an understanding of that culture is by understanding the calendar. It also is what allows you to catch what was going on in Nehemiah.
So today, we will examine some key tidbits about the Hebrew calendar in hopes of giving you tools that will allow you to memorize it in the future. Much general information was taken from the book, The Comprehensive Hebrew Calendar.
Background
Civil v. Ecclesiastic Year
The Hebrew calendar has to be a bit difficult to even begin to understand. You see, there are 12 months in the calendar, but there are two important distinct calendars using those twelve months. Indeed, the Hebrew calendar utilizes both a civil year and an Ecclesiastic year, which begin with different months!
Indeed, the civil calendar starts with the month Tishri and is used for documenting, well civil events that pertain to governments. It is also used to count the number of the year. The ecclesiastic calendar starts in the month Nisan (also goes by the Hebrew word Aviv, which means Spring).
Ecclesiastic Year Civil Year
Nisan Tishri
Iyar Chisleu
Sivan Cheshvan
Tammuz Tevet
Av Shevet
Elul Adar
Tishri Nisan
Chisleu Iyar
Cheshvan Sivan
Tevet Tammuz
Shevet Av
Adar Elul
This may seem confusing at first, but it really isn't much different than the way we Americans discuss the calendar year starting in January, and the school year that starts in September. The only difference is that in the Hebrew system, both calendars are formalized.
The Ecclesiastic calendar is the one primarily used in the Bible and as our goal is to get at understanding the Bible better, we will be examining this particular formalized calender, which for this current year started on 21 March 2015.
Lunisolar System
In the English calendar are months are kinda arbitrary in their length and can span from 28-31 days depending on what that particular month feels like at the time. Hebrew is much less arbitrary. Hebrew months are determined by the cycle of the moon.
This used to mean that the new month would start when the new moon was noticed in the sky. Thankfully, the Hebrew month has been standardized to mean that instead we now know that each Hebrew month is either 29 or 30 days in the year and largely it alternates between those two amounts for days by the month it's in.
But there is a slight hiccup in this system. The Hebrew people needed to calculate the year based on the Sun because many of their festivals must fall during certain parts of the harvest season. For instance, it would be a tad bit awkward to have a firstfruits offering when there are no firstfruits... But a purely Lunar calendar would fall 11 days behind a solar calendar.
Thus, 7 years in every 19 years, there is an added month before Adar, called Adar 1. This month contains 30 days. Adar simply becomes Adar 2. This is called a Shanah Me'uberet (pronounced shah-NAH meh-oo-BEH-reht), literally: a pregnant year.
Now, I say that a month is added before Adar, rather than that a month is added at the end for two primary reasons. First, in a Shanah Me'uberet, Adar 2's 29 days corresponds to the number of days in Adar in a normal year. More importantly though, the festivities of the month of Adar (most notably Purim) will occur during Adar 2 during a pregnant year, meaning that it's as if the festivities of the month of Adar are postponed for 30 days for the month of Adar 1.
The Hebrew Calendar Itself
With the background explained, we can go through a look at the calendar as a whole. I will go through the current Ecclesiastic calendar year in comparison (5775-5776) in comparison with the dates of the Gregorian calendar we use today.
Spring
1. Nisan/Aviv (Mar/Apr) 30 days 21 March 2015 – 19 April 20152. Iyar (Apr/May) 29 days 20 April 2015 – 18 May 20153. Sivan (May/June) 30 days 19 May 2015 – 17 June 2015Note the alternation of the days beginning pretty clearly; this continues for a little while longer anyway.
Summer
4. Tammuz (June/July) 29 days 18 June 2015 – 16 July 20155. Av (July/Aug) 30 days 17 July 2015 – 15 August 20156. Elul (Aug/Sep) 29 days 16 August 2015 – 13 September 2015
Fall
7. Tishri (Sep/Oct) 30 days 14 September 2015 – 13 October 20158. Cheshvan (Oct/Nov) 29 or 30 days 14 October 2015 – 12 November 2015 (30 days) .9. Chisleu/Kislev (Nov/Dec) 29 or 30 days 13 November 2015 – 12 December 2015 (30 days)And this is where our difficulty with the easy to remember alternating pattern begins. The reason why Cheshvan and Chisleu decide to be so annoying with their dates is not entirely clear, though there is certainly an element of it that had to do with the fact that Tishri cannot being on the first, fourth, or sixth day of the week, and so at some point manipulation would be needed to ensure that didn't happen.
Also, when you get down to trying to memorize these names (I will be making that easier for you very shortly, just you wait), it will be difficult to deal with Cheshvan and Chisleu both starting with C being right next to each other. Easy way to keep it straight is that is remains in alphabetical order.
Winter
10. Tevet (Dec/Jan) 29 days 13 December 2015 – 10 January 201611. Shevat (Jan/Feb) 30 days 11 January 2016 – 9 February 201612. Adar (Feb/Mar) typically 29 daysConveniently for teaching purposes, the current Hebrew calendar year is a Shanah Me'uberet, so we get to examine the effects on this in real time. So the months of Adar look like this:
12. Adar 1 30 days 10 February 2016 – 10 March 201613. Adar II 29 days 11 March 2016 – 8 April 2016
How to go from Here
So this is kinda a lot of information, and those Hebrew words seem kinda rough, so how are you ever suppose to remember them? Have no fear, my mom developed a wonderful mnemonic device that should greatly aid you with this effort. She may have a slight sense of humor that you may or may not catch.
Normal Nisan
Intelligent Iyar
Students Sivan
That Tammuz
Apply Av
Effective Elul
Techniques Tishri
Can Cheshvan
Comprehend Chisleu
This Tevet
Simple Shevet
Aid Adar
Other than that, it's just a lot of hard work, that may not seem worth it, but maybe you should at least copy this down and interact with it when reading some Old Testament narratives. You never know when you might find a gem like we discovered with Nehemiah not that long ago.
Appendix: Calendar with Major Festivals (and Explanations)
I. Background
A. Civil
v. Ecclesiastic Year
1. Civil
year is when they change the number of years and starts with Tishri
2. Ecclesiastic
year is the calendar referenced in the Bible and starts with Spring “Aviv”
Nisan
3. There
are also other “years” in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the trees or the reign
of kings.
4. Since
we want to understand more about interpreting Bible, we will follow the
Ecclesiastic year.
B. Lunisolar
system
1. Months
are determined by the cycle of the moon. All are 29 or 30 days in length.
2. The
lunar calendar falls 11 days behind a solar calendar
3. Ergo,
7 years in each 19 years, there is an added month before Adar, called Adar 1
(of 30 days). Adar becomes Adar II.
II.
Calendar
A. Spring
1. Nisan/Aviv
(Mar/Apr) 30 days 21 March 2015 – 19
April 2015
a. Passover
15 Nisan – 22 Nisan
i.
Background
1) To
celebrate what the Lord did in delivering the Israelites from Egypt. Killling
Firstborn… Passed over Israelites’ houses
2) Also
marks the beginning of harvest season
3) Ordained
in Exodus 12-15
ii.
Observances
1) Sacrifice
a lamb
2) Eating
unleavened bread. Symbolizes that the Israelites were in a hurry when leaving
Egypt, couldn’t wait for bread to rise.
3) Must
sell all leaven and have none in possession for the duration of the holiday. Spring
cleaning!
4) No
work on the first two or last two days of the festival.
iii.
Other Scriptural
references
1) Joshua
5:10. After the act of circumcision on the Canaanite side of the Jordan River.
2) 2
Kings 23:21-23 Part of Josiah’s reforms to bring people to God. No Passover
like it ever.
3) Ezra
6:20-22 Part of the dedication of the Temple after it was rebuilt.
4) The
Last Supper: Luke 22:1, 7-22, Matt. 26:17-30, Mark 14:12-26, John 13:21-30, I
Cor. 11:23-25
5) I
Corinthians 5:7-8 Christ is our Passover.
2. Iyar
(Apr/May) 29 days 20 April 2015 – 18
May 2015
3. Sivan
(May/June) 30 days 19 May 2015 – 17
June 2015
b. Shavu’ot 6 Sivan
i.
Background
1) As
of post-exilic era, commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai (note:
not receiving because they are always receiving)
2) Referred
to as Marriage day in Talmud between the people and God.
3) Commemorate
the Firstfruits of the harvest.
4) Count
49 days between second day of Passover and Shavu’ot. This reminds the
Israelites of the connection between the two. They were physically emancipated
at Passover, but the giving of the Torah spiritually rescued them from
idolatry.
5) Ordained
Lev. 21:15-22
ii.
Observances
1) No
work. Treated like a Sabbath
2) Burnt,
sin offering, peace offering.
3) Firstfruits
harvested, baked, and brought to the temple
4) Stay
up the night before Shavu’ot, studying Torah, and pray as early as possible in
the morning.
5) Eat
a dairy meal once on the day
6) The
book of Ruth is read
iii.
Application in
Scriptural Interpretation – Ruth
1) Can
glean from the fact that Ruth is read at this festival some insight into how
the Hebrews interpret this passage.
2) Marriage
between Ruth and Boaz is a bigger picture of a marriage between the world and
Christ
3) Ruth’s
rescue with Boaz is indicative of a bigger rescue promised to the Israelite
people through Christ.
B. Summer
4. Tammuz
(June/July) 29 days 18 June 2015 – 16
July 2015
5. Av
(July/Aug) 30 days 17 July 2015 – 15
August 2015
c. Tisha
B’av 9 Av
i.
Background
1) Translated:
the ninth of Av
2) To
commemorate many tragedies that have occurred to the Israelite people on the
ninth of Av, such as the destruction of the first temple (586 BC) and
destruction of the second temple (70 AD)
3) Created
after the destruction of the first temple (II Kings 25:8-9; Jer. 52:12-13)
4) From
the Talmud Taanit: “It cannot be said that on the seventh day the calamity
occurred, because it is also written "on the tenth." Neither can it
be said that it happened "on the tenth," because it says "on the
seventh"--hence it must be assumed that entrance to the Temple was gained
by the enemy on the seventh, and they ate and did damage therein on the
seventh, on the eighth, and on the ninth. Toward the evening of the ninth they
set it on fire, and it continued to burn all day on the tenth, as it is written
[ibid. vi. 4]: "Wo unto us! for the day waneth, for the shadows of the
evening are stretched out." And this bears out the statement of R.
Johanan, who said as follows: "Were I living in those days, I would have
ordained the fast for the 10th of Abh; for on that day the greater part of the
temple was burned." The sages of that day, however, held that the day when
the calamity began should be observed as a fast-day.”
ii.
Observances
1) Culmination
of a three week period of mourning, starting with the fast on 17 Tammuz
2) Fast
and mourning. Refrain from even so much as idle conversation. No bathing, no
washing, no leather shoes, no sex, and no study of Torah.
3) Book
of Lamentations is read
4) If
the 9 of Av falls on a Sabbath, then Tisha B’Av is postponed to the tenth.
iii.
Other Scriptural
references
1) Zech.
7:3
6. Elul
(Aug/Sep) 29 days 16 August 2015 – 13
September 2015
C. Fall
7. Tishri
(Sep/Oct) 30 days 14 September 2016 – 13
October 2015
d. Rosh
Hashanah 1 Tishri
i.
Background
1) Translated:
head of the year. Tis the beginning of the civil year. Year number changes here
2) Ordained
Lev. 23:24-25 called day of remembrance in Bible
ii.
Observances
1) Used
as opportunity to turn around oneself and become a better person.
2) Unless
holiday falls on a Sabbath, a shofar (ram’s horn) is blown in the Synagogue.
3) No
work
4) L'shanah
tovah ("for a good year") commonly used as a greeting
5) Read
the story of Abraham to try to receive an empathic heart.
6) Starts
the “ten days of repentance” leading into the Day of Atonement
e. Yom
Kippur (Day of Atonement) 10 Tishri
i.
Background
1) It
is a day to afflict the soul and find atonement for sin. Atones only for sins
between you and God…
2) Ordained
Lev. 16:29-30, 23:26-32
ii.
Observances
1) Must
seek reconciliation from others before the Day of Atonement to
2) Complete
Sabbath
3) 25
hour fast starting an hour before sunset until sunset the next day.
4) No
bathing, no washing, no leather shoes, no sex,
5) Spend
day in synagogue praying
6) Priest
allowed to enter the Holy of Holies
7) Sacrificial
lambs
iii.
Other Scriptural
references
1) Hebrews
9:6-14
f. Sukkot
(Feast of the Tabernacles) 15 Tishri – 21 Tishri
i.
Background
1) Commonly
referred to as “The season of our rejoicing” Z'man Simchateinu
2) Commemorates
the forty year period the Israelites wandered in the wilderness
3) Also
a harvest festival.
4) Ordained
Lev. 23:33-43
ii.
Observances
1) Live
in temporary booths (must have two and a half walls, like the letter Hay)
2) No
work permitted on the first day
3) Binding
together four species of plants and waving in all six directions (up, down,
west, east, north, south) to signify that God is everywhere.
iii.
Other Scriptural
references
1) Ezra
3:4 As part of the spiritual revival before the rebuilding of the Temple.
2) Nehemiah
8:13-18 Part of Nehemiah and Ezra’s reforms that took place as a part of
revival after the rebuilding of the wall.
3) Zechariah
14:16-20 Prophesied that in the day of the Lord, all will go up and keep the
feast of the Tabernacles
4) John
7:2-14 Jesus attends the Feast of the Tabernacles right as the desire to kill
Him becomes stronger.
g. Shemini
Atzeret and Simchat Torah 22 Tishri
i. Background
1) Immediately
follows the Feast of the Tabernacles
2) Host
(Lord) asks them to stay another day
3) Simchat
Torah = rejoicing in the Torah
iv.
Observances
1) No
work permitted
2) Finishing
a week of Torah reading in the Synagogue
3) Much
celebration with the Torah, like marching and dancing with the Torah scrolls.
8. Cheshvan
(Oct/Nov) 29 or 30 days 14 October
2015 – 12 November 2015 (30 days)
9. Chisleu/Kislev
(Nov/Dec) 29 or 30 days 13 November 2015
– 12 December 2015 (30 days)
D. Winter
10. Tevet
(Dec/Jan) 29 days 13 December 2015 – 10 January 2016
11. Shevat
(Jan/Feb) 30 days 11 January 2016 – 9
February 2016
12. Adar
(Feb/Mar) 29 (except leap month this year) so 30 days 10 February 2016 – 10 March 2016
13. Adar
II 29 days 11 March 2016 – 8 April 2016
h. Purim
14 Adar
i. Background
1) Commemorates
the protection from extermination in Persia in the book of Esther
2) Purim
means “lots” reference to how Haman determined the day the Jews would be
exterminated.
3) On
the thirteenth day of the month Adar, Israelites were saved from their enemies;
14th day then set aside as a day of merriment and fasting
4) The
walled city of Shushan did not receive rest until the 15th day of
the Month Adar; thus, in cities that were walled at time of Joshua, Purim
festivities occur on the 15 Adar
5) Ordained
Esther 9
iii.
Observances
1) Preceded
by a minor fast, marking the Fast of Esther (Esther 4)
2) Hear
the reading of the book of Esther (booing, hissing, stomping, and using
noisemakers to blot out the name of Haman)
3) Commanded
to drink and be merry
4) Making
gifts to charity, sending gifts of food to friends
