The start of the first day of the new year was marked by the new moon visible at sunset at the spring equinox. The 'new moon' means when the moon re-appeared after being invisible for a time.
The springtime in March-April is described in the Song of Solomon, Song 2 v 10 -13. This is the time of the latter rains, the last chance for crops to grow before the scorching summer heat began in May.
Towards the end of dry season, (September?) Palestine is scorched by a sirocco, a strong, sand laden wind blowing in from the eastern desert.
The early rains softened the soil and this opportunity was used for ploughing and then planting crops.
Most of the best agricultural land was in the north, especially in the valley of Jezreel.
The round of Hebrew festivals was synchronised to the agricultural cycle, especially to the harvest of the main crops. Passover in early April was the time of the barley harvest. The feast of Weeks or Pentecost in late May coincided with the wheat and summer fruits harvest, and the feast of Tabernacles or Booths coincided with the grape and fig harvests in August and September.
The Gezer Calendar, 10th century BC hebrew calendar, translated by Professor W.F. Albright, reads as follows, [23]:
His two months are [olive] harvest;
his two months are planting [grain];
his two months are late planting;
his month is hoeing up flax;
his month is harvest of barley;
his month is harvest of festivity;
his two months are vine tending; [See
Isaiah 18 v 5]
his month is summer fruit;
The Hebrew year was punctuated by three major festivals, Passover, Weeks and Booths. All Hebrew males were expected to attend these three festivals and to come with food offerings. These festivals coincided with major crop harvests. There were good economic reasons for the synchronisation of the festivals with crop harvests. Since the income on the Levites was based upon their right to eat the sacrifices offered to God, it was sensible to synchronise the festivals with the major harvests in the land of Israel. Exodus 23 v 14 - 16, Deut 16 v 9 - 15, Lev 23, Neh 8.
Other minor festivals included: Secular new year connected with agriculture began 1st day of the seventh month, (Tishri). Dedication, or Lights 25th of the ninth month, Kislev mentioned in John 10 v 22.
Months in the Old Testament are numbered
from the month of Passover, which was the first month, [19]:
1st month = Nisan (= abib),
2nd month Iyyar (= Ziv),
3rd month Sivan
4th month Tammuz, (From the name of the
Babylonian pagan god of vegetation)
5th month Ab,
6th month Elul,
7th month Tishri (= Ethanim) ,
8th month Marchesvan (= Bul),
9th month Kislev,
10th month Tebet,
11th month Shebat,
12th month Adar.
Two early Canaanite month names are recorded in [23]: Abib = 'ears' of barley and Ziw = 'bright flowers'.
The Lunar calendrical scheme is mentioned in Lev 23, 1 Kings 8 v 2 & 12 v 32
In the Hebrew calendrical scheme, days
began and ended at sunset, (not sunrise) based on the pattern of evenings
and mornings in the Genesis account and the practical necessity of checking
the lunar phase to mark the first day beginning a new month. The night
time was divided into three watches. The day was divided into twelve hours.
The Greek word for early morning is
Proios, Matthew 27 v 1
There are two Greek words for evening,
(see Vines): Hespera is the time between 3pm and sunset. Ophias is the
late evening after sunset, Matt. 27 v 57, John 20 v 19. This corresponds
to an ancient distinction between two evenings, one before and one after
sunset, see Exodus 12 v 6, (Hebrew 'between the two evenings').
Jesus lists the descriptions of different
parts of the night in Mark 13 v 35.