Hebrew months in order: Nisan, Tishrei and the two Adars
A clear table of Hebrew months, their lengths and alternate spellings, plus the difference between Nisan order and a Tishrei year.
The months from Nisan to Adar
In the traditional order counted from Nisan, the Hebrew months are Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, Elul, Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat and Adar. In a leap year, Adar is represented by Adar I followed by Adar II. The table follows that Nisan-based order and gives the month lengths used in the modern fixed calendar.
Keep the names beside the numbers when you make a reference sheet. A bare “month 7” is less useful than “Tishrei, seventh in Nisan order,” particularly when you exchange data with an application or read a calendar arranged from autumn. The extra words tell another reader which sequence you mean and prevent a number from carrying more certainty than it deserves.
| Nisan order | Month | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nisan | 30 |
| 2 | Iyar | 29 |
| 3 | Sivan | 30 |
| 4 | Tammuz | 29 |
| 5 | Av | 30 |
| 6 | Elul | 29 |
| 7 | Tishrei | 30 |
| 8 | Cheshvan | 29 or 30 |
| 9 | Kislev | 29 or 30 |
| 10 | Tevet | 29 |
| 11 | Shevat | 30 |
| 12 | Adar in a common year | 29 |
| 12 and 13 | Adar I, then Adar II in a leap year | 30, then 29 |
Source notes: Chabad · The Jewish Month: How is it Calculated? · Hebcal · Hebrew Date Converter conventions
Why Nisan is called the first month
Exodus 12:2 establishes the month of the Exodus as the beginning of the months. In the traditional calendar this is Nisan, the spring month containing Passover. This is the background to references such as the first, third or seventh month in biblical passages. A month number in that setting should be read within that sequence.
When learning the order, practise moving in both directions. Nisan is followed by Iyar; Elul is followed by Tishrei; Shevat leads into Adar, or into the two Adars in a leap year. Knowing the neighboring months helps you spot a transcription error more quickly than memorizing a list alone. It is especially useful when a handwritten month name is incomplete or difficult to read.
Source notes: Sefaria · Exodus 12:2
Why annual calendars often start with Tishrei
The year number changes at Rosh Hashanah, on 1 Tishrei. A calendar organized by the numbered Hebrew year therefore runs Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat, Adar, Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av and Elul. Insert Adar I and Adar II in the leap-year version. Nisan remains first for traditional month numbering even though it appears later on that annual page.
Imagine turning from Elul to Tishrei in a family calendar. That is when the year heading changes. Turning from Adar to Nisan moves you to the first month in the Nisan sequence while retaining the same year heading. Two different organizing principles are operating together. Neither list is a correction of the other; each is appropriate to a different reading task.
Source notes: Hebcal · Four New Years on the Hebrew calendar
Different spellings can name the same month
Hebrew month names are transliterated in several ways. Hebcal’s converter documentation explicitly accepts Iyar and Iyyar, Tammuz and Tamuz, and Tevet and Teves. You may also encounter Tishri beside Tishrei, or Shvat beside Shevat. These variations can reflect pronunciation or transliteration choices rather than a different date.
When searching a source, try a common alternate spelling before deciding the month is missing. When recording a family date, retain the original spelling in a note and use one consistent display spelling in your main list. Avoid changing a historic inscription silently. A searchable record can contain both “Cheshvan” and the form found in the source without treating them as competing dates.
Source notes: Hebcal · Hebrew Date Converter conventions
Adar needs an explicit label in a leap year
A leap-year date should identify Adar I or Adar II. Hebcal documents that entering the unspecific month “Adar” in a leap-year conversion is interpreted as Adar II. That is a software convention you should know before using it to interpret an older record. It is not evidence that an unlabeled original document necessarily meant the second Adar.
If a certificate says only Adar and the year is a leap year, preserve that ambiguity while checking the civil date or other surrounding evidence. Do not let a converter default substitute for historical information. Once the original date is established, keep the full month label in invitations, archive notes and anniversary records. The distinction may matter long after the initial conversion.
Source notes: Hebcal · Hebrew Date Converter conventions
Use seasons as orientation, then check the date
Month lists often pair Nisan with March–April or Tishrei with September–October. Those ranges help you orient yourself on a civil calendar, but they do not provide a one-to-one conversion. A Hebrew month crosses civil month boundaries, and the position of a given Hebrew day changes from year to year.
For study, a named-month table is enough to understand a passage’s sequence. For an actual birthday, appointment or anniversary, add the year and use a date conversion. Keep this reference for recognition and order; let the complete date do the precise work. Learning the names and checking the year together is a small habit that prevents many otherwise plausible calendar mistakes.
Source notes: Hebcal · Four New Years on the Hebrew calendar