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Why Babylonian Names for Jewish Months?

Why Babylonian Names for Jewish Months?



The first month (Nissan): Aviv1
The second month (Iyar): Ziv2
The seventh month (Tishrei): Eitanim3
The eighth month (Cheshvan): Bul4








I hope that I’ve been helpful today.

Yours truly,

Rabbi Menachem Posner


Exodus 13:4. Literally, “spring” or “ripening.”


I Kings 6:1 and 6:37. Literally, “radiance,” so called because it is the time when the trees become radiant with blossoms.


I Kings 8:2. Literally, “strong ones,” so called because the ripe fruit are at the height (strength) of their goodness. (Our sages [Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 11a] attribute the names Ziv and Eitanim to the births of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—the radiant and strong ones—in these months.)


I Kings 6:38. Related to the word for “withering,” and so called because at that time the branches and stubble in the field begin to wither.


Rosh Hashanah 1:2.


While many maintain that the names are actually taken from the Babylonian tongue, the Rebbe maintains (Likkutei Sichot, vol. 23, pp. 214ff) that it is likely that many (if not all of) these names are actually Hebrew, but that the practice of calling months by names instead of their numeric position on the calendar originated in Babylon.
See also Tammuz—Time for Transformation.


Commentary to Exodus 12:2.


Jeremiah 16:14.


For similar reason, Nachmanides argues, we have no names for the days of the week. Sunday is called “the First Day,” Monday is “the Second Day,” and so on—because we are constantly counting down to the Shabbat. Every time we mention the day of the week—any day of the week—we are fulfilling the divine precept (Exodus 20:8) to always “remember the Shabbat day to keep it holy.”

Rabbi Menachem Posner serves as staff editor for
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Discussion (16)
March 24, 2015
third month is Sivan
Beryl Boanerges
October 6, 2014
Thank you!
Wow, than you so much, I was very confused about this! Unfortunately, non-Jewish sources love to say that these babylonian month names indicate that Judaism evolved from a Babylonian religion, but not so!
June 11, 2013
To Yankel
Both Zecharia and Esther were written after we went to Babylon.
June 9, 2013
what about Kislev? And Shevat? They are in Zechariah?
Yankel Lipskier
March 26, 2013
The Torah uses numbers for the names of months. That should be good enough for anyone that honors the Torah.
February 25, 2013
what about teves? it says it in megillas esther?
yankel lipskier
February 25, 2013
What are the the names of other jewish months before Babylonian exile ?
NWAGBOROGU C.C. Nigeria , west Africa
Awka Anambra state Nigeria
January 9, 2013
Why does current Hebrew calendar not start with month one? Or put another way. Why is the head of the year Rosh Hashana not the first month?
Len Levine
January 6, 2013
will we go back to months from leaving mitzrayim?
thank you for this very fine article. does anyone still use the numeric system?
Why don't we go back to that system? the use of these names could it be healthy for us?
June 6, 2011
to Daniel
indeed it would be better to use the names september, october, november, and december, since they mean 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th. and do not refer to any pagan deity! the interesting part i find is that those months of the High Holidays, G-d never allowed them to be named otherwise, even if they do not correspond exactly to the date, they cover the whole time so that no pagan god's name is pronounced. unfortunately it is not so for the days of the week in most countries. in portugal, and brazil, they use 1st, 2d, 3rd to 6th, then Sabado (shabbat)! and no pagan god's name at all. an improvement! i think in the orient also. thai, chinese. don't quote me!
ft laud, fl
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