Jewish calendar

[Sarah]

A lunisolar calendar in use among Hebraic peoples, reckoningfrom the year 3761 b. c., the date traditionally given for theCreation. It received its present fixed form from Hillel II. about360 a. d. The present names of the months, which are Babylonian-Assyrian in origin, replaced older ones, Abib, Bul, etc., at the timeof the Babylonian Exile. Nineteen years constitute a lunar cycle, ofwhich the 3d, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th years are leapyears. The year 5663 [1902-3 a. d.] was the first year of the 299thlunar cycle. The common year is said to be defective, regular, orperfect (or abundant) according as it has 353, 354, or 355 days. Theleap year has an intercalary month, and a total of 383 (defective),384 (regular), or 385 (perfect, or abundant) days. The calendar iscomplicated by various rules providing for the harmonious arrangementof festivals, etc., so that no simple perpetual calendar can beconstructed. The following table gives the months in order, with thenumber of days assigned to each. Only three months vary in length.They are: Heshvan, which has 30 days in perfect years; Kislev, whichhas 30 days in regular and perfect years; and Adar, which has 30 daysin leap years. The ecclesiastical year commences with Nisan and thecivil year with Tishri. The date of the first of Tishri, or theJewish New Year, is also given for the Jewish years 5661-5696 (1900-1935 a. d.). From these tables it is possible to transform any Jewishdate into Christian, or vice versa, for the years 1900-1935 a. d.