God

(majesty, splendor) (1 Chron. 7:37): a) one of the sons of Zophah, a descendant of Asher; b) (from Hebrew: shanah) the highest unit for measuring time. The original Hebrew year was lunar, consisting of 12 lunar months, alternately of 29 and 30 days each; consequently, the Hebrew lunar year numbered only 354 days. In time it became necessary to bring the lunar year into correspondence with the solar year. For this purpose an additional, thirteenth month, Ve-Adar (the supplementary Adar), was added to the last month of the lunar year, and in this way the Hebrews came to have common years and leap years.

Besides this, the Hebrews divided the lunar year into civil and sacred. From the civil year, which began with the month Tishri (from the middle of September), contracts were reckoned, elections of officials were held, sabbatical and jubilee years were appointed, the births of children were recorded, and the beginnings of reigns. The sacred year was established after the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt and began with the vernal equinox, that is, with the month Nisan (Esther 3:7), corresponding to our March.

By the sacred year, feasts and holy seasons were reckoned. By this same year the prophets marked the time of their prophecies and visions (Zech. 7:1). The months of the civil and sacred year, with their festivals and corresponding seasons, are set forth in the following table: