Syriac Calendar

A Note by the Translator.—The following list of the Syrian names of months, in use in the empire and during the era of the Seleucidæ, several of which have been mentioned in these Documents, is taken from Caswinii Calendarium Syriacum, edited in Arabic and Latin by Volck, 1859. The later Hebrew names also are here added for comparison. It must, however, be noticed that “the years employed in the Syrian Calendar, were, at least after the incarnation, Julian years, composed of Roman months.” (SeeL’Art de vérifier les dates: Paris, 1818, tom. i. p. 45.) The correspondence with the Hebrew months, therefore, is not so close as the names would indicate, since these commenced with the new moons, and an intercalary month, Veadar, following their twelfth month Adar, was added.

Month / Syrian / Hebrew

October / Tishri prior / Tishri, or Ethanim

November / Tishri posterior / Bull, or Marcheshvan

December / Canun prior / Chisleu

January / Canun posterior / Tebeth

February / Shubat / Shebat

March / Adar / Adar

April / Nisan / Nisan

May / Ajar / Zif, or Iyar

June / Chaziran / Sivan

July / Tamuz / Tammuz

August / Ab / Ab

September / Elul / Elul