Ancient Bible Hebrew Calendar

Passover Prophecy

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Ancient Jewish Calendar

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The Biblical Hebrew calendar is based on the motions of the moon and, secondly, the motion of the earth around the sun, as revealed by the Psalmist:

seasons Bible verse

"He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knows its going down" Psalm 104:19.

By this method, the Jewish calendar is a lunisolar system with twelve months of alternating twenty-nine and thirty-day lengths. Officials intercalated replica months every two or three years to keep synchronization with the tropical year.

The main festivals and fasts were ordained by God. Each feast and fast holds a special place in Bible prophecy and the revelation of Christ's restorative work through the ages.

Westerners gradually replaced the lunisolar calendar with a purely solar calendar containing months that are not related to the motions of the moon. During the dispersion after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, the exact, ancient biblical calendar was lost. We have reconstructed the Old Jewish calendar from the fifth century BC, Elephantine papyri.

The modern Jewish calendar. Hillel II, is similar to the older calendar yet differs in structure. Fortunately, however, enough information has become available to reconstruct the Bible calendar with great accuracy.

More than five centuries before Christ, a colony of Jewish mercenaries escaped the perils of their homeland and settled in the fortress of Yeb, near the first cataract of the Nile that separated Egypt from Nubia. This colony spoke Aramaic, which was the language franca of the Persian Empire. They used the same Imperial Aramaic that the prophet Daniel had spoken and written. Of great interest to our study, these settlers double-dated important documents using their calendar and the Egyptian calendar. The dual dating allows us to reconstruct the Bible calendar used by the prophets.

Daniel's Ancient Hebrew Calendar Decoded

Our illustrated book closely examines each Elephantine papyrus individually and places its origin in absolute time. From this data set, a beautiful calendar system comes into sharp focus. The pattern displays how ancient Bible scholars devised a calendar system that followed the autumnal equinox and harmonized with the sacred festivals. You will see how Daniel's prophecy visions foretold exact events and dates in Christ's ministry nearly five hundred years before His first advent. This study is a basic requisite to those who wish to understand Bible chronology and how God shaped world history. So follow along as we brush away the sands of time from these ancient Egyptian artifacts to reveal Daniel’s Hebrew calendar.

Jewish Months and Bible Seasons

Jewish Months
  1. 1. Abib/Nisan: Young green ears (barley, flax).
  2. 2. Iyyar/Ziv: Brilliance of flowers and healing.
  3. 3. Sivan: 9th month
  4. 4. Tammuz: Sprouting of Life.
  5. 5. Ab: Fatherly consoling and chastizement.
  6. 6. Elul: Soul searching of the heart.
  7. 7. Tishri/Ethanim: New beginnings / perennial streams.
  8. 8. Bul/Cheshvan: 8th moon - Productive showers.
  9. 9. Kislev/Chislev/Chisleu: Confident heart.
  10. 10. Tevet/Tebeth: Soaking goodness.
  11. 11. Shevat/Shevat: Downpour
  12. 12. Adar: Majestic swelling.
Former rains were a blessing which conditioned the soils for plowing and planting.

Seasonal rains began in Bul and continued through Kislev, Tebeth, Shebat and Adar. The fruit of citris trees ripened and barley grew.

Latter rains were an extra blessing ripening bumper wheat, corn and late barley harvests.

Arid season was dry and hot. Wheat threshing and vine fruit tending.

Jewish Feasts and fast days

Nisan 1 Nisan 1: First day of the Ceremonial Year, Nisan Formerly called Abib.
Verse: And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, "This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you". Exodus 12:1,2

Comment: The Canaanites called this month Abib, indicating that the early barley was in the ear. The ceremonial year began on Aviv (Nisan) 1. The lands were drying, and the moon was waxing providing sure footing and a lamp to the pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for the spring festivals.

Tishri 1 Tishri 1: First day of the civil year.

Comment: Anciently, the Hebrews began the new year near the autumnal equinox on the first day of Tishri, which was the first month. Later, after the Exodus when most of the feast days were instituted, God told Moses to begin counting months in the spring with Abib (Nisan). Even so, the Israelites continued to consider the now seventh month, Tishri to be the beginning of the civil year.

  1. Nisan 10 Nisan 10: Passover lamb selected
    Verse: Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: "On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household." Exodus 12:3

    Comment: On the tenth day of Nisan, Christ descended the Mount of Olives on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem as both the Lion of Judah and the prospective sin offering.

  2. Nisan 14 Nisan 14: Passover lamb killed
    Verse: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. Exodus 12:6-10

    Comment:The king James Version says evening here. The verse actually conveys, "between the suns," which was about 3 O'clock in the afternoon or the ninth hour of daylight. The Bible associates the Pascal meal with the fourteenth, but the meal carried into the fifteenth.

    We reckon days in different ways, and so they did in Bible times. The Passover Day was a sacrificial day, which spanned from daylight to daylight as opposed to a calendar day, which changed at sundown. The suppliant slayed the sacrifice during the daylight, and it had to be eaten or consumed by fire before the next daylight (see also the Peace Offering). This difference in reckoning has long been a source of confusion. Each group killed and broiled the Passover during the afternoon of the 14th and ate it throughout the night. Even though the calendar day changed at sundown, the sacrifice belonged to the fourteenth when it was slain. God required that the sacrifice be consumed on "the same day." Consequently, the Passover Seder belonged to both the fourteenth and fifteenth of Nisan.

  3. Nisan 15 Nisan 15: Unleavened Bread, Ceremonial sabbath.
    Verse: Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.

    In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. Exodus 12:15-20

    Comment: Unleavened Bread, which began on the fifteenth, was a seven-day festival. Commonly, however, the people lumped Passover day, which fell the fourteenth, with the holiday, making it an eight-day festival. It was common for people to refer to the entire festival as either Passover or Unleavened Bread. Small, similarly styled cakes, baked without leaven, were found in every household.

  4. Nisan 16 Morrow after Sabbath: Wavesheaf, Counting of Omer Begins.
    Verse: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. Leviticus 23:11

    Comment: The Wave Sheaf offering is the most misunderstood of all the ceremonies and festivals. Factions have long disagreed about whether the sabbath mentioned here refers to the ceremonial sabbath of the fifteenth or the Fourth Commandment Sabbath that fell out during the festival. The Bible refers to both Sabbaths. If the fifteenth fell on any day of the week other than Friday, then the high priest waved the sheaf on the following day, the sixteenth. Otherwise, the authorities postponed waving the barley omer for a day until the seventeenth so that it was never waved on the Bible Sabbath. This happened once in seven years on average.

  5. Nisan 21 Nisan 21: Last day of Unleavened Bread. Ceremonial sabbath.
    Verse: But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Leviticus 23:8

    Comment:The priests offered sacrifices each day of Unleavened Bread. It was a time of friendly feasting as well. Those who had the means would invite visiting pilgrims or neighbors and acquaintances to private meals as well.

  6. Sivan 6 50th day Counting of the Omer: Pentecost.
    Verse: And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
    Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.
    Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD. Leviticus 23:15-22

    Comment: Seven weeks separated First Fruits of barley from Pentecost and the first fruits of the wheat harvest, forty-nine absolute days (fifty days reckoned inclusively as was the custom). Workers planted the barley seventy days before First Fruits on Shebat 5, or Shebat 6 if the fifth was a Sabbath. Therefore, the entire span of time from barley sowing to wheat harvest lasted three full months, which is seventeen weeks, or 119 absolute days (120 days reckoned inclusively). The priests offered up two, leavened loaves of bread to the Lord before the wheat harvest could begin.

    On the day that Samuel anointed Saul to be the first king of Israel, the prophet poured oil on his head to ratify his coronation. Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, Saul met three men and they gave him two loaves of bread. After this, Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy.

    After Christ's victory at Golgotha and after forty days spent maturing His disciples, Christ ascended to heaven and entered the Holy Place to receive his coronation as king of kings. As He promised, Christ sent the Holy Spirit, and it fell upon Peter and the willing attendees as tongues of fire on Pentecost.

  7. Tishri 1 Tishri 1: Feast of Trumpets
    Verse: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. Leviticus 23:24,25

    Comment: Early in the morning, from the temple mount, the trumpets sounded loud and long, announcing the beginning of latter events and the new year. Since the beginning of Elul, sincere people had begun to prepare their hearts for the awesome days ahead. Everyone picked up their personal trumpet and went about blowing them thereby participating in the announcement.

  8. Tishri 10 Tishri 10: Solemn Day of Atonement
    Verse: Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath. Leviticus 23:25-31

    Comment: The Day of Atonement was/is the most revered day of the year, a day of judgment. Acceptance and atonement were linked to the former, seasonal, and latter rainfall and agricultural success in the following season. The antitypical Day of Atonement is equally vital. Many believe that judgment occurs after the resurrection, but Christ said, "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be" Revelation 22:12. His reward is based on judgment. The judgment began at the end of the 2300 days.

  9. Tishri 15 Tishri 15: Feast of Tabernacles Begins
    Verse: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Leviticus 23:35

    Comment: Tabernacles and Ingathering marked the turn of the agricultural year in autumn. The produce from the earth had been harvested and placed in barns. Harvesters had separated all the wheat and grains from the chaff. They had finished pressing or drying the grapes. Now the people enjoyed a seven-day harvest celebration living in temporary dwellings to remind them of their sojourning.

    Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years Revelation 20:5.

  10. Tishri 21 Tishri 21: Feast of Tabernacles Ends.
    Verse: And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 23:40-43

    Comment: The eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles was a holy convocation. In many ways, the autumn feast was a mirror image of the spring festival in that both were eight-day holidays. Passover Day preceded the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the spring, and the Last Great Day closed the Feast of Ingathering in the autumn.

  11. Tishri 22 Tishri 22: Last Great Day of the Feast
    Verse: Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. Leviticus 23:36

    Comment: The Last Great Day will follow the thousand years when Christ returns to Earth with the New Jerusalem. Fire consumes the old Earth. Behold, all things are new. Eternity begins in the promised land.

These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: Leviticus 23:37