Jewish Calendar Sacred and Civil Years graphical version includes the Star of David and Feast Table.  Jewish Calendar fundamental concepts highlight other lunar/solar calendars.  The 19-year lunar/solar Metonic cycle adds a final Veadar lunar month, or Second Adar, to intercalate some 209-days of lunar/solar separation time.  Dating from 3,761 B.C.E., the Jewish year calculates to be one of six different lengths of days.  Sacred years have a different meaning from Mesoamerican 260-day sacred years.

Jewish Calendar Sacred and Civil Years

The Jewish calendar is the most widely known lunar/solar calendar still in continuous use in our modern times.  The Jewish Calendar applies the oldest calendar mechanics in existence.  The present Jewish Calendar consists of two basic types of years, the sacred and the civil year.  The sacred year comes from original directives given to Moses and is the official calendar year of the religious festivals.  The national calendar at the time of Moses began in the spring or the month of Abib.  The Star of David or Shield of David is an accepted symbol that recognizes Jewish character.  National use of the Magen David sign reflects the supposition that it once adorned the Shield of David (figure 1).  The symbol appears on the state flag for the nation of Israel.  Some think the intertwined equilateral triangles have deeper theological meaning.  Jewish synagogues have used the symbol to identify them as houses of worship.

Star of David  Figure 1

Star of David

Old Testament scriptures in the left column of figure 2 specifically reference Hebrew months.  The civil year is the later instituted version of the Jewish calendar.  Both types of years contain twelve lunar months for 354-and-one-quarter days until the Jewish leap year adds a thirteenth "Veadar" intercalary month.  There are seven leap years in every 19-year cycle.  The focus of the Jewish calendar rests with the 19-year Metonic cycle.  Developed in 432 B.C. and named after Athenian astronomer Meton, seven-extra-months are spread over 19-years.  Approximately 209-days of lunar/solar separation time accumulate through close observation of the moon, sun and stars during the 19-year lunar/solar cycle.  These extra 209-days divide into seven-intercalary-months to reinforce the sacred seven-day week and they usually alternate between 29-days and 30-days each in the Jewish calendar.

One extra Veadar month inserts seven different times during 19-years.  The Veadar intercalary month is included seven different times and every two or three years within the 19-year lunar/solar Metonic cycle of the Jewish calendar.  The intercalary month of Veadar, also called Second Adar, adds between the months of Adar and Nisan.  Adar is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the sacred ecclesiastic year in the Jewish calendar.  Second Adar (Adar II) adds to the end of the 12-lunar-month year.  Every two or three years, the Jewish calendar has 13-lunar-months.  The Jewish Calendar year has six possible lengths.  The 12-month lunar year is called a common year with 353-days, 354-days or 355-days.  The Jewish calendar Veadar Year (Jewish Leap Year) adds one-lunar-month.  Jewish leap years have 383, 384 or 385-days that furnish 13-months.  Adjustment of the Jewish leap year within the 19-year Metonic cycle becomes complex.  Seven times in a 19-year Metonic cycle result in the required 209-days of lunar/solar separation time.


The Bible imparts the calendar's lengthy development in a kind of diary fashion for the Jewish people.  Adjustments to Rosh Hashanah and the resultant celebrations of the sacred festival year influence modern study of New Testament events.  Perhaps the most well known tie between contemporary Christianity and use of the Jewish calendar is the Passover Sabbath.  In celebration of the Exodus from Egypt (circa 1,250 B.C.E.), the Jewish Rosh Hashanah precedes the sacred Passover festival in the month of Abib (Exodus 13:4).  To obey the will of God, the Passover commemoration must be recognized every year forever (Exodus 12:14-15).

The sacred feast and festival calendar year has origins dating from the Exodus.  Leviticus 23 details when and how to observe the Day of Atonement, Passover, and the Feast of Weeks or Shavu’ot.  Today, Judaism observes these celebrations the world over.  Placement within the Jewish Calendar year held significance for the Holy Convocations.  Feasts and festivals have served to sustain Jewish culture.


Holy Bible Jewish Sacred Festival Calendar  Figure 2
Jewish Calendar Feasts and Festivals
Holy Bible Jewish Sacred Festival Calendar  Figure 2
The Jubilee year is the Sabbatic Year that follows seven successive Sabbatic years (Leviticus 25:8-54).  The numerical matching of seven days to seven years was elementary to counting the 50-year Jubilee cycle.  After six years, the seventh year was a Sabbatic year.  Seven multiples of seven years are 49 years that result in a 50-year Jubilee cycle.  Culminating the fiftieth year of the l/s calendar as a Sabbatic year included Hebrew custom.   The Jubilee year gave rest to the soil, reverted landed property back to original owners and freed Israelites that were formerly slaves.  Traditions reinforce the appointed feasts of HaShem.

The Passover Sabbath begins a 50-day countdown to the feast of first fruits or feast of weeks.  Seven multiples of a Sabbath was either 49 days or 49 years.  The feast of weeks closes the harvest with Shav’ot by usually celebrating a two-day festival on the 6th and 7th of Sivan.  Christians assign Pentecost to be 50-days after Nisan 16, or the second day following Passover Sabbath.  For many, the giving of the Law to Israel is synonymous with the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles.  Lunar/solar origins of the Jewish calendar combine with threads from other agricultural calendars.  Observance kept the Jewish lunar/solar calendar on track year after year.

Dating from 3,761 B.C.E., the Jewish year calculates to be one of six different lengths of days.  Intercalary months add with 354-days or 355-days to give 383, 384 or 385-days in the Jewish leap year (Eqn. 4a-d).  Precise calculations of Jewish calendar science are elaborate.  Other cultures worldwide, such as the ancient Greek, Chinese, Babylonian and Sun Kingdoms of Central and South America all used similar methods of lunar/solar observation and intercalation.

Equation 1. a-d.

a.   29 Days per Jewish Veadar Intercalary Month
+ 354 Days per Jewish Lunar Year
= 383 Days per Jewish calendar Leap Year

b.   29 Days per Jewish Veadar Intercalary Month
+ 355 Days per Jewish Lunar Year
= 384 Days per Jewish calendar Leap Year

c.   30 Days per Jewish Veadar Intercalary Month
+ 354 Days per Jewish Lunar Year
= 384 Days per Jewish calendar Leap Year

d.   30 Days per Jewish Veadar Intercalary Month
+ 355 Days per Jewish Lunar Year
= 385 Days per Jewish calendar Leap Year

Are you a pastor, educator or a student of the Holy Bible?  Timeemits.com seeks anointed people to review and contribute to the Ages_of_Adam ministry.  Ancient lunar/solar calendars like the Jewish and Mayan calendars provide the background to understanding early time.  Ancient calendars of the Holy Bible use differences between the moon and sun, numerical matching and a 364-day calendar year to describe X-number of days that match with X-number of years.  Ages_of_Adam is a free read at timeemits.

Clark Nelson is webmaster for http://www.timeemits.com/Get_More_Time.htm, author of Ages_of_Adam and sequel, Holy_of_Holies.  Revised Copyright 2012  Clark Nelson and timeemits.com  All Rights Reserved.  URL http://www.timeemits.com/AoA_Articles/Jewish_Calendar_Sacred_and_Civil_Years.htm

Jewish, Veadar, Second Adar, Moses, feast, festival, Old Testament, Atonement, Passover, Feast of Weeks, Jubilee, Exodus, Leviticus, timeemits