What is the 13th month in Hebrew?
| Number | Hebrew name | Babylonian analog |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Tevet | Tebetu |
| 11 | Shevat | Shabatu |
| 12 | Adar I | Adaru |
| 13 | Adar / Adar II | Adaru |
It consists usually of 12 alternating lunar months of 29 and 30 days each (except for Ḥeshvan and Kislev, which sometimes have either 29 or 30 days), and totals 353, 354, or 355 days per year.
We are in a Jewish leap year, with 13 instead of 12 lunar months, one of seven in every 19-year cycle.
In the Gregorian Calendar, a year is composed of 12 months. Each month has a different number of days. For example, January has 31 days, February has 28 days, and sometimes 29, April has 30 days, and so on.
In 1849 the French philosopher Auguste Comte (1798–1857) proposed the 13-month Positivist Calendar, naming the months: Moses, Homer, Aristotle, Archimedes, Caesar, St Paul, Charlemagne, Dante, Gutenberg, Shakespeare, Descartes, Frederic and Bichat.
However, for Jews, 13 has been a symbol of strength and… (sometimes) even good luck. For example, when Israel was established in 1948 the first provisional government had 13 members– because its founders said they needed all the luck they could get.
Holidays during which weddings are traditionally forbidden include Rosh Hashanah (two days, typically September or October), Yom Kippur (one day, September or October), and Passover (eight days, March or April).
According to Maimonides' calculations, the beginning of creation was in Hebrew Year 0 (referred to as “Anno Mundi 0” in Latin), and the creation of humans was in Anno Mundi Hebrew Year, or Anno Mundi 1, which corresponds to 3761 B.C.E.
Nisan is considered the first month, although it occurs 6 or 7 months after the start of the calendar year. Apples and Honey at Rosh Hashana. The Jewish New Year begins on 1 Tishri, known as Rosh Hashana.
13 Nisan (1575) – Death of Joseph Caro, author of the Shulchan Aruch. 13 Nisan (1866) – Death of Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the third Lubavitcher Rebbe. 14 Nisan (1943) – Warsaw Ghetto Uprising begins. The uprising would last until 3 Iyar, and is now commemorated in Israel on 27 Nisan.
What are the Hebrew months in the Bible?
| Name | Time According to Gregorian calendar | Jewish Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Tishrei | September – October | Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot |
| Heshvan | October – November | |
| Kislev | November – December | Hanukah |
| Tevet | December – January | Tevet 10 Fast |
Iyar usually falls in April–May on the Gregorian calendar. In the Hebrew Bible, before the Babylonian captivity, the month was called Ziv (1 Kings 6:1, 6:37). Ziv is a Hebrew word that means "light" or "glow".
Kislev is a month which occurs in November–December on the Gregorian calendar and is sometimes known as the month of dreams. The name of the month derives from Akkadian kislimu.