The First Month of the Hebrew Year: Abib or Nisan?

by Russ Schmidt; 2/5/2025

Why two names? The month of Abib was named by God (Deuteronomy 16:1). The Hebrew word Abib literally means, “ear of grain.” It is in reference to the ripening of the Spring barley. The name Nisan, was never intended to refer to the first month of God’s calendar. The name comes directly from the Babylonian calendar, which the Jews became accustomed to during their 70 years of captivity which ended in approximately 539 B.C. at the fall of the Babylonian Empire. 

When the Persians allowed the Jews to go back to their homeland, they brought the Babylonian calendar with them, as well as the names of the Babylonian months. It was at this time when the Jews began observing their civil New Year in the month of Tishri, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, which is in the fall. Tishri is the Babylonian name for the first month of the Babylonian calendar year. 

The Babylonian calendar is also a lunar calendar, meaning it solely revolves around the cycle of the moon. God’s original Hebrew calendar is a solar/lunar calendar, which depends on both the solar and lunar cycles. However, today the Hebrew calendar used by the Jews is strictly a lunar calendar because over the millennia the Jews have held on to the influence of the Babylonian calendar.

Are these pagan Babylonian names for the Hebrew months used in scripture? Yes, but not until after the Jews came back from Babylonian captivity. Prior to their captivity, any mentions of months, other than Abib, God refers to the number order in which the month falls. 

The same goes for the names of the days of the week. Even the names we use today for the days of the week comes from the names of ancient gods. For example: Sunday is named after the Sun god; Monday is named after the Moon god; Tuesday comes from the Germanic god of war, Tu’s day; Wednesday is Woden’s day; Thursday is for Thor’s day; Friday is Frigga’s day; Saturday is Saturn’s day.

When you really begin to look into how our society and religions have been corrupted by Satan in order to deceive the masses of people to keep them from the true God, the more you understand how even our Christian religion has been deceived into believing false doctrines. Jesus said in Matthew 24:24, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” 

Now, I am not speaking for Christ and I also am not saying I am a prophet, because I’m not, but the deception Jesus is talking about may have already begun almost 2,000 years ago when the false doctrine of Sunday worship began.

So, not only were the Jews deceived into accepting the Babylonian calendar as their own, or at least merging aspects of that calendar with the Hebrew calendar, Christians as well, have been deceived into accepting pagan days as their own holidays. 

I know many Christians think it is okay in taking pagan days and Christianizing them, but scripture does not support this. Let’s read what God has to say about this kind of acceptance of merging Christian holy days to that of the pagans:

In Deuteronomy 12:29-32 we read, “29 When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, 30take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ 31You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. 32 Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.” 

I think this is pretty clear that God wants nothing to do with anything pagan. Particularly calling pagan holidays, holy days to God. God has established His holy calendar, and has yet to give us any indication things have changed with it. This goes for the Jews today as well, and renaming things that God already gave names, like Abib to Nisan!