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Detailed Chronology of the Exodus from Egypt |
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Last updated: 18-May-2022 at 15:02 (See History.) © Richard P. Aschmann |
(biblechronology.net/The_Exodus.html)
Extensive info about the Hebrew calendar
added in the charts in May, 2022. See History.
2. Month-by-month
Summary View of the Exodus
3. Detailed
Chronology of the Exodus
1. Introduction
In this chronology I only include events from 1447 or 1446 B.C. through 1406 B.C., since this period contains month-by-month or even day-by-day detail in many cases, actually an amazing amount of detail perhaps not matched anywhere else in the Bible. This covers part of Exodus, all of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, and part of Joshua. Earlier events in Exodus and later events in Joshua are already clearly shown on the Bible chronology main page.
The dates provided are my own, based on information gleaned from the text itself. The Narrated Bible generally does not provide these detailed dates for this time period, which is a bit surprising, given the amount of detail the text provides. If anyone thinks I have interpreted the text incorrectly in a particular case, please let me know. Note that events in the Bible text are not necessarily sequential, and in a few cases it is not entirely clear which events occur first, as in the case of Leviticus 10 and following chapters versus Numbers 7:54 and following. I have just tried to place them as logically as possible.
The English month names given in quotes in the charts below actually refer to the Hebrew months. To see a comparison of the Hebrew and Gregorian calendars, see 4. The Hebrew Calendar.
2. Month-by-month Summary View of the Exodus
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Hebrew |
Hebrew |
Year B.C. |
Approximate |
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1447? |
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(Late in year?) |
- Burning bush, etc., Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh, backlash (Exodus 3-6) |
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1446 |
(Early in year?) |
- Early plagues (Ex. 7:1-9:12) |
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March? |
- Plague 7 (Ex. 9:13-35) |
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1 |
1 Abib |
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“April” |
- Plagues 9-10, first Passover, the Exodus, cross Red Sea (Ex. 10-15) |
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2 |
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“May” |
- Wilderness of Sin, quail and Manna, Rephidim, Jethro (Ex. 16-19) |
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Moses 40 |
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3 |
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“June” |
- Arrive at Sinai, Ten Commandments (Ex. 19-31) |
“June”
11? |
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days on |
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“June” 1? |
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4 |
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“July” |
- Golden calf (Ex. 32:1-34:29) |
“July”
20? |
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Mount |
“July”
23? |
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Moses on |
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Sinai |
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Mount Sinai |
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6 |
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“September” |
- Moses comes down from mountain, veils face (Ex. 34:29-33) |
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“Sep.”
4? |
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another |
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40 days |
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Israelites |
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at Sinai |
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Construction of the tabernacle |
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almost |
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1445 |
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over the course of 7 months |
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12
months |
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(Exodus 35:1-40:16) |
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2 |
1 |
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“April” |
- Tabernacle erected, priests ordained, second Passover (Ex. 40:17-38, all of Leviticus, Numbers 7-9) |
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2 |
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“May” |
- Census, leave Sinai, Taberah, Kibroth Hattaavah (Numbers 1-6,10:1-11:34) |
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“May” 20 |
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3 |
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“June” |
- Miriam’s complaint and leprosy (Numbers 11:35-12:15) |
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(Early fall?) |
- Arrive in Kadesh, spies sent (Numbers 12:16-13:20) |
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Spies explore the land for 40 days |
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(Late in year) |
- Spies return, people rebel and are judged (Numbers 13:25-13:22) |
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(Numbers 13:21-24) |
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1445 |
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↓ |
- 38 years of wandering in the wilderness! (Numbers 14:21-35, Deu. 2:1,14) |
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1407 |
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40 |
1 |
1407 |
“April” |
- Return to Kadesh, death of Miriam (Numbers 20:1) |
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- People complain about lack of water (Numbers 20:2-13) |
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- Passage requested of Edom, refused (Numbers 20:14-21) |
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5 |
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“August” |
- Mount Hor, death of Aaron, battle with Arad (Numbers 20:22-21:4a) |
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(Late in year?) |
- Travel stages, cross Zered River (38 years after leaving Kadesh towards the end of 1445 to wander in the desert! (Numbers 21:4b-12) |
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- More travel stages (Numbers 21:13-35) |
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1406 |
(Early in year?) |
- Arrive at Plains of Moab, trouble with Moab and Midian, Reuben and Gad settle in Gilead, directives for conquest (Numbers 22-36, Joshua 12:1-6) |
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11 |
“February” |
- Moses’ Deuteronomy addresses, Death of Moses (Deuteronomy 1:1-34:7) |
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▬ |
People mourn Moses 30 days (Deuteronomy 34:8) |
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41 |
1 |
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“April” |
- Joshua takes leadership, spies in Jericho, first Passover in Canaan, manna ceases (Joshua 1:1-5:12) |
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- Initial Conquest of Canaan (undatable, unclear how much occurred during 1406) (Joshua 5:13-11:23,12:7-24) |
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3.
Detailed Chronology of the
Exodus
In Moses’ Deuteronomy addresses he retells some of the events in the Exodus story. I have added a few of these references in the Deuteronomy column beside those events (and in a few other places), but in blue and in parentheses and with a grey background[1] (unless there is already another colored background) to show that these are Moses’ later recollections of them. (I will not provide page numbers in The Narrated Bible in these cases.) I have not included all of Moses’ retellings, since Moses’ style is a bit rambling, and it became too complicated to do so.
An almost complete list of the Israelite encampments is listed in Numbers 33, and I have given this list its own column. Most of these places are unknown.
In The Narrated Bible the Laws in the Pentateuch are often rearranged by topic, so the page numbers are not as helpful as for the narrative sections. In these cases I usually do not provide page numbers, but usually simply have ~, or occasionally ~ with a page number. It is not always clear when sections composed exclusively of laws and regulations were given. I will mark these in green to show that they do not really form part of the chronological narrative. For other colors used, see Format.
As with all of my chronology material, I wrote this so that I would understand what happened, and hopefully it will help others as well.
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Year B.C. |
Date |
Verses and phrases |
Israelite encampment |
Event(s) |
Chapters |
Chapters |
Num. |
Chapters |
Date given |
Page |
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1447? |
(Late in year?) |
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Midian |
Burning Bush |
Exodus |
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99 |
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3:1-4:17 |
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Midian |
Moses leaves for Egypt |
4:18-23 |
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101 |
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lodging place |
Moses’ son circumcised |
4:24-26 |
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102 |
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Mountain of God (Sinai) |
Aaron meets Moses |
4:27-28 |
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Egypt (Goshen = Rameses) |
Moses and Aaron meet Israelites |
4:29-31 |
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Pharaoh’s court |
Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh |
5:1-5 |
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103 |
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Egypt (Goshen = Rameses) |
backlash |
5:6-23 |
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” |
God promises deliverance |
6:1-12 |
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104 |
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” |
Family record |
6:13-27 |
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102 |
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” |
Aaron to Speak for Moses |
6:28-7:9 |
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104 |
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1446 |
(Early in year?) |
Exodus |
Pharaoh’s court |
Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh again |
7:7 |
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1446? |
105 |
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7:7 |
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(Moses
80, Aaron 83) |
7:10-13 |
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(Acts 7:30) |
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Throughout Egypt |
Plagues 1-6 |
7:14-9:12 |
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1446? |
105 |
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9:31-32 |
” |
Plague 7, hail |
9:13-35 |
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108 |
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” |
Plague 8, locusts |
10:1-20 |
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109 |
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“April” 11-13 |
10:22-23 |
” |
Plague 9, darkness for three days |
10:21-23 |
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“April” 14 |
12:6: 14th day of month |
” |
Pharaoh refuses, Passover |
10:24-12:28 |
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110 |
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“April” 15 |
12:29 “At midnight” 13:3-4 “in the month of Abib” |
” |
Plague 10, Angel of Death |
12:29-13:16 |
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112 |
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” |
(Numbers 33:3: 15th day, 1st
month) |
Goshen = Rameses |
The Exodus: leave Rameses (Goshen) |
13:17-18 |
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3-5 |
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113 |
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Succoth |
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13:20 |
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5-6 |
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114 |
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Etham |
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13:20 |
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6-7 |
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114 |
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Pi Hahiroth |
Crossing of the Red Sea |
14:1-15:21 |
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7-8 |
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Marah |
Bitter water made sweet |
15:22-26 |
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8-9 |
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117 |
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Elim |
12 springs, 70 palms |
15:27 |
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9-10 |
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118 |
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Red Sea |
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10-11 |
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118 |
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“May” 15 |
16:1: 15th day, 2nd month |
Wilderness of Sin |
Quail and manna |
16 |
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11-12 |
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Dophkah |
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12-13 |
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Alush |
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13-14 |
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Rephidim (Massah, Meribah) |
water from the rock, Amalek |
17 |
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14-15 |
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119 |
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”? |
Jethro brings Moses’ family |
18 |
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120 |
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1446* |
“June” 1? [3] |
19:1 (see footnote) |
Wilderness of Sinai |
arrive at Sinai, consecration |
19:1-15 |
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15 |
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1445? |
122 |
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“June” 3? |
19:16 “the third day” |
” |
Moses meets God on the mountain |
19:16-25 |
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123 |
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” |
Ten Commandments |
20:1-17 |
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(5:6-21) |
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123 |
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” |
People afraid to meet God |
20:18-20 |
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” |
First lawgiving |
20:21-24:4a |
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124 |
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“June” 4? |
24:4 “early the next morning” |
” |
Moses called to the mountain again |
24:4b-16a |
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126 |
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“June” 11? |
24:16 “on the seventh day” |
” |
God calls to Moses |
24:16b-18 |
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” |
Second lawgiving |
25-31 |
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“July” 20? |
32:5-6 “Tomorrow… festival” |
” |
Worship of golden calf |
32:1-5 |
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135 |
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“July” 21? |
24:18 “forty days and forty nights” |
” |
Calf destroyed; tablets broken |
32:6-29 |
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136 |
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“July” 22? |
32:30 “The next day” |
” |
Moses intercedes for the people |
32:30-34:3 |
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137 |
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“July” 23? |
34:4 “early in the morning” |
” |
Moses returns to the mountain |
34:4-28 |
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138 |
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“September” 4? |
34:28 “forty days and forty nights” |
” |
Moses comes down, veils face |
34:29-33 |
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139 |
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” |
Construction of the tabernacle |
35:1-40:16 |
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140 |
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1445 |
“April” 1 |
40:17: 1st day, 1st month, 2nd
year |
” |
Tabernacle erected |
40:17-33 |
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147 |
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“April” 1 |
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” |
Cloud first appears over tabernacle |
40:34-35 |
9:15 |
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Regular travel procedure |
40:36-38 |
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Leviticus |
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“April” 1? |
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Wilderness of Sinai |
Laws about offerings |
1-7 |
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~ |
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“April” 1? |
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” |
Ordination of priests |
8 |
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148 |
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“April” 1 |
Numbers |
” |
Leaders of tribes bring offerings: |
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7:1-11 |
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153 |
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“April” 1 |
7:12 “first day” |
” |
Judah |
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7:12-17 |
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154 |
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“April” 2 |
7:18 “second day” |
” |
Issachar |
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7:18-23 |
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“April” 3 |
7:24 “third day” |
” |
Zebulun |
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7:24-29 |
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“April” 4 |
7:30 “fourth day” |
” |
Reuben |
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7:30-35 |
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“April” 5 |
7:36 “fifth day” |
” |
Simeon |
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7:36-41 |
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155 |
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“April” 6 |
7:42 “sixth day” |
” |
Gad |
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7:42-47 |
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“April” 7 |
7:48 “seventh day” |
” |
Ephraim |
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7:48-53 |
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Leviticus |
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“April” 8? |
9:1 “eighth day” |
” |
Ordination of priests completed |
9 |
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149 |
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“April” 8?? |
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” |
Nadab and Abihu die |
10:1-7 |
3:4 |
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150 152 |
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“April” 8?? |
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” |
other issues with priests |
10:8-20 |
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150 |
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“April” 8?? |
Numbers |
” |
More laws |
11-27 |
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~ |
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“April” 8 |
7:54 “eighth day” |
” |
Manasseh |
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7:54-59 |
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155 |
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“April” 9 |
7:60 “ninth day” |
” |
Benjamin |
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7:60-65 |
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156 |
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“April” 10 |
7:66 “tenth day” |
” |
Dan |
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7:66-71 |
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“April” 11 |
7:72 “eleventh day” |
” |
Asher |
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7:72-77 |
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“April” 12 |
7:78 “twelfth day” |
” |
Naphtali |
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7:78-83 |
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” |
Summary of offerings |
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7:84-88 |
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” |
Moses hears God in Most Holy Place |
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7:89 |
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157 |
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” |
More laws |
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8 |
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~ |
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“April” 14 |
9:1,3,5: 14th day, 1st month,
2nd year |
” |
second Passover celebrated |
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9:1-14 |
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158 |
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“May” 1 |
1:1,18: 1st day, 2nd month, 2nd
year |
” |
census of Israelites (without Levites) |
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1 |
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159 |
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” |
arrangement of camp |
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2 |
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161 |
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” |
separate census of Levites |
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3:1-39 4 |
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162 |
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” |
redemption of the firstborn |
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3:40-51 |
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165 |
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” |
More laws |
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5-6 |
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~ |
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” |
Silver trumpets for mobilizing |
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10:1-10 |
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166 |
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|
“May” 20 |
10:11: 20th day, 2nd month, 2nd
year |
” |
leave Sinai |
|
10:11-34 |
16 |
(1:6-8,19a) |
|
166 |
|
|
“May” 23 |
10:33 “three days” |
Taberah |
complaining and fire |
|
11:1-3 |
— |
(9:22) |
|
168 |
|
|
|
|
Kibroth Hattaavah |
cry for meat |
|
11:4-34 |
16-17 |
(9:22) |
|
|
|
|
Late “June” |
11:20-21 “a whole month” |
Hazeroth |
Miriam’s complaint and leprosy |
|
11:35-12:15 |
17-18 |
|
|
170 |
|
|
|
|
Rithmah |
|
|
|
18-19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rimmon Perez |
|
|
19-20 |
|
|
171 |
|
|
|
|
|
Libnah |
|
|
|
20-21 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rissah |
|
|
|
21-22 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kehelathah |
|
|
|
22-23 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mount Shepher |
|
|
|
23-24 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Haradah |
|
|
|
24-25 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Makheloth |
|
|
|
25-26 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tahath |
|
|
|
26-27 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Terah |
|
|
|
27-28 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mithcah |
|
|
|
28-29 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hashmonah |
|
|
|
29-30 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Moseroth / Moserah |
|
|
|
30-31 |
(10:6)[4] |
|
216? |
|
|
|
|
(Beeroth) Bene Jaakan |
|
|
|
31-32 |
(10:6) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hor Haggidgad / Gudgodah |
|
|
|
32-33 |
(10:7) |
|
216? |
|
|
|
|
Jotbathah |
|
|
|
33-34 |
(10:7) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Abronah |
|
|
|
34-35 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ezion Geber |
(northern tip of Gulf of Aqaba) |
|
|
35-36 |
|
|
|
|
1445 |
(Early fall?) |
|
Kadesh in Wilderness of Zin (also the W. of Paran) |
arrive in Kadesh |
|
12:16 |
36-37 |
(1:19b) |
|
171 |
|
|
|
|
” |
Spies selected and commissioned |
|
13:1-20 |
|
(1:20-23) |
|
|
|
|
(40 days) |
13:25 |
(various places) |
Spies explore the land for 40 days |
|
13:21-24 |
|
(1:24) |
|
172 |
|
1445 |
(Late in year) |
|
Kadesh |
Spies return and give report |
|
13:25-33 |
|
(1:25) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
” |
Israelites murmur, God declares judgment |
|
14:1-35 |
|
(1:26-40) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
” |
Spies die |
|
14:36-38 |
|
|
|
174 |
|
|
|
|
” |
People decide to obey, but too late |
|
14:39-43 |
|
(1:41-43) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hill Country |
People are defeated |
|
14:44-45 |
|
(1:44-46) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kadesh |
More laws |
|
15 |
|
|
|
~ |
|
1445 |
(Late in year) |
|
” |
Challenge to leadership |
|
16-17 |
|
|
|
174 |
|
|
|
|
” |
Laws about priests and Levites |
|
18 |
|
|
|
177 |
|
|
|
|
” |
More laws |
|
19 |
|
|
|
~ |
|
1445 ↓ 1407 |
Num. 14:33-34 (Deu.
2:14-16) |
|
38 years of wandering in the wilderness! (Leave
Kadesh initially heading |
|
(14:21-35) (14:25) |
|
(2:1) (2:14-16) |
|
|
|
|
1407 |
“April”[5] |
Numbers |
Kadesh in Wilderness of Zin |
Return to Kadesh, death of Miriam |
|
20:1 |
36-37 |
|
|
179 |
|
|
|
20:1: 1st month |
(also the W. of Paran) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
” |
People cry for water |
|
20:2-12 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
” |
(Second place named Meribah) |
|
20:13 |
|
|
|
180 |
|
|
|
|
” |
Passage requested of Edom, refused |
|
20:14-21 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mount Hor (border of Edom) |
arrive at Mount Hor |
|
20:22 |
37 |
|
|
180 |
|
|
“August” 1 |
33:38-39: 1st day, 5th month, 40th year |
” |
Death of Aaron (age 123, 40th year after Exodus) |
|
20:23-29 |
38-39 |
(10:6)4 |
|
180 |
|
|
|
|
” |
King of Arad heard about them |
|
21:1a |
40 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
” |
King of Arad captures some Israelites |
|
21:1b |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Arad (Hormah) |
Israel defeats Arad |
|
21:2-3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mount Hor (border of Edom) |
Leave Mount Hor |
|
21:4a |
41 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Zalmonah (on the Red Sea?) |
Go by way of the Red Sea around Edom |
|
21:4b |
41-42 |
(2:2-12) |
|
181 |
|
|
|
|
|
People impatient, bronze serpent |
|
21:4c-9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Punon |
|
|
|
42-43 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oboth |
|
|
21:10 |
43-44 |
|
|
181 |
|
|
|
|
Iye Abarim (Iyim) (border of Moab) |
|
21:11 |
44-45 |
|
|
181 |
|
|
|
(Late in year?) |
Deuteronomy |
Valley of Zered River |
38 years after leaving Kadesh towards |
|
21:12 |
|
(2:13-15) |
|
|
|
|
|
(2:14) |
|
the end of 1445 to wander in the desert! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dibon Gad (on Arnon River) |
|
|
21:13-15 |
45-46 |
(2:16-25) |
|
181 |
|
|
|
|
Beer |
|
|
21:16-18 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mattanah |
|
|
21:18-19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nahaliel |
|
|
21:19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bamoth |
|
|
21:19-20 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Almon Diblathaim |
|
|
|
46-47 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
mountains of Abarim (near Nebo/Pisgah) |
|
|
21:20 |
47-48 |
|
|
182 |
|
|
|
|
Amorite territory |
Israelites defeat Amorites |
Joshua |
21:21-30 |
|
(2:26-37) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
12:1-3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bashan |
Israelites conquer Bashan |
12:4-5 |
21:31-35 |
|
(3:1-11) |
|
|
|
1406 |
(Early in year?) |
|
plains of Moab (Shittim) |
arrive at Plains of Moab |
|
22:1 |
48-49 |
|
|
185 |
|
|
|
|
|
Balak and Balaam |
|
22:2-24:25 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
plains of Moab (Shittim) |
immorality with Moabite |
|
25 |
|
|
|
191 |
|
|
|
|
” |
new census |
|
26 |
|
|
|
194 |
|
|
|
|
” |
the daughters of Zelophehad |
|
27:1-11 |
|
|
|
~273 |
|
|
|
|
” |
preview of Moses’ death |
|
27:12-14 |
|
|
|
308 |
|
|
|
|
” |
Joshua commissioned to succeed Moses |
|
27:12-23 |
|
|
|
198 |
|
|
|
|
” |
More laws |
|
28-30 |
|
|
|
~ |
|
|
|
|
” |
Vengeance on Midian (and Balaam) |
|
31 |
|
|
|
191 |
|
|
|
|
” |
Reuben and Gad settle in Gilead |
|
32 |
|
(3:12-20) |
|
199 |
|
|
|
|
” |
directives for the conquest |
|
33:50-36:13 |
|
|
|
201 |
|
|
|
|
|
Moses’ Deuteronomy addresses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
“February” 1 [6] |
1:3: 1st day, 11th month, 40th year |
” |
Moses’ first Deuteronomy address (40th year after Exodus) |
|
|
|
1:1-4:40 |
|
203 |
|
|
|
|
” |
Moses sets apart eastern cities of refuge |
|
|
|
4:41-43 |
|
~200 |
|
|
|
|
” |
Moses’ second Deuteronomy address |
|
|
|
4:44-11:32 |
|
210 |
|
|
|
|
” |
More laws |
|
|
|
12:1-26:15 |
|
~ |
|
|
|
|
” |
The covenant renewed |
|
|
|
26:16-19 |
|
296 |
|
|
|
|
” |
Blessings and curses |
|
|
|
27-28 |
|
301,296 |
|
|
|
|
” |
Covenant renewed in Moab |
|
|
|
29-30 |
|
299 |
|
|
|
|
” |
Final events in Moses’ life |
|
|
|
31-33 |
|
303 |
|
|
|
34:7 |
Mount Nebo/Pisgah |
Death of Moses (age 120) |
|
|
|
34:1-7 |
|
311 |
|
|
|
34:8 |
plains of Moab (Shittim) |
People mourn Moses 30 days |
|
|
|
34:8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
” |
Joshua takes the leadership |
1:1-9 |
|
|
34:9 |
|
312 |
|
|
“April” 3? |
Joshua |
Jericho |
Rahab hides the spies |
2:1-21 |
|
|
|
|
313 |
|
|
(or 6?) [7] |
2:22 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2:22 |
hills west of Jericho |
Spies hide in hills three days |
2:22 |
|
|
|
|
314 |
|
|
“April” 6? |
2:22 |
plains of Moab (Shittim) |
Spies return to Joshua |
2:23-24 |
|
|
|
|
314 |
|
|
(or
9?) 7 |
1:11 |
” |
Mobilization ordered |
1:10-11 |
|
|
|
|
314 |
|
|
|
|
” |
Reminder to eastern tribes |
1:12-18 |
|
|
|
|
314 |
|
|
“April” 7 |
3:1 “Early in the morning” 3:2 “after three days” |
Jordan bank |
Israelites move to Jordan bank |
3:1 |
|
|
|
|
313 |
|
|
“April” 9 |
3:2,5 “tomorrow” |
Jordan bank |
Preparations for crossing |
3:2-5 |
|
|
|
|
314 |
|
|
“April” 10 |
4:19: 10th day, 1st month |
Jordan bank |
Israel crosses the Jordan |
3:6-4:18 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
“April” 10 |
4:19 |
Gilgal east of Jericho |
Camp on west side of Jordan |
4:19-24 |
|
|
|
|
316 |
|
|
|
|
” |
new generation circumcised |
5:1-9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
“April” 14 |
5:10: 14th day |
” |
first Passover in Canaan |
5:10 |
|
|
|
|
317 |
|
|
“April” 16 [8] |
5:11 “The day after the Passover” |
” |
People eat the produce of the land |
5:11 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
“April” 17 |
5:12 “the day after they ate this food” |
” |
Manna ceases after 40 years (Ex. 16:35) |
5:12 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(throughout Canaan) |
Initial Conquest of Canaan (undatable, unclear which |
5:13-11:23 12:7-24 |
|
|
|
|
317 327 |
* Indicates a date about
which I vary slightly from F. LaGard Smith’s The Narrated Bible (I have
the 1984 edition).
4.
The Hebrew Calendar
The English month names given in quotes in the charts above actually refer to Hebrew months. The correspondence is as follows:
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
|
Pre-exilic Hebrew name: |
אָבִיב |
זִו |
|
|
|
|
אֵ֫תָנִ֫ים |
בּוּל |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ʾāˈḇîḇ |
ziw |
|
|
|
|
ʾęṯāˈnîm |
būl |
|
|
|
|
|
Name used in English Bibles→ |
Abib |
Ziv |
|
|
|
|
Ethanim |
Bul |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(6: list) |
(2: list) |
|
|
|
|
(1: list) |
(1: list) |
|
|
|
|
|
Postexilic and modern Hebrew name: |
נִיסָן |
אִיָּר |
סִיוָן |
תַּמּוּז |
אָב |
אֱלוּל |
תִּשׁרִי |
מַרְחֶשְׁוָן |
כִּסְלֵו |
טֵבֵת |
שְׁבָט |
אֲדָר |
|
|
Nīˈsān |
ʾIyˈyār |
Sīˈwān |
Tamˈmūz |
ʾĀḇ |
ʾĔˈlūl |
Tišˈrī |
Marḥešˈwān |
Kisˈlēw |
Ṭēˈḇēṯ |
Šəˈḇāṭ |
ʾĂˈḏār |
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Name used in English Bibles→ |
Nisan |
|
Sivan |
|
|
Elul |
|
|
Chislev |
Tebeth |
Shebat |
Adar |
|
|
(2: list) |
|
(1: list) |
|
|
(1: list) |
|
|
(2: list) |
(1: list) |
(1: list) |
(8: list) |
|
Approximately: |
April |
May |
June |
July |
August |
September |
October |
November |
December |
January |
February |
March |
The English month equivalence is only approximate, and varies from year to year, since the calendar is actually lunar. This means that every month begins on the new moon, and that the months are always either 29 or 30 days long, since a lunar cycle averages 29.53 days, though this can vary significantly. This means that the 12 months don’t actually reach to the end of the year, but only to about 354 days. A “leap month” is added when needed to keep the months from moving into the wrong season. (This would need to occur about every three years.) This is called a lunisolar calendar, and existed in the ancient Middle East well before this time, as the Babylonian/Sumerian calendar, which is found as early as the third millennium B.C., hundreds of years before the Exodus.[10] It seems likely that the Egyptian calendar used at the time of the Exodus was also lunisolar; however, later it changed to a form more similar to our modern calendar. Originally the start of a new month was set by observing when the new moon occurred in the sky each month, so it was impossible to know in advance whether a given month would have 29 or 30 days, though in most cases it alternated from one month to the next, since the lunar cycle is quite close to 29.5 days. (Nowadays the calendar is mathematically predetermined, and most months always have the same number of days, but this was not the case throughout Old Testament times.)
The names of the months are very seldom used in the Bible; instead, normally only the month numbers are used. (For each month name used, a link to a list of its occurrences is provided in the chart above.) Those used before the Babylonian exile are completely different from those used afterwards, as the Jews adopted the Babylonian names during that time. Only four of the older names occur in the Bible; the others are simply unknown.
The Bible never says that leap months were added, but they almost certainly were, since even the name of the first month אָבִיב /ʾāˈḇîḇ/ means “fresh, young ear(s) of barley”, and this makes it clear that this month occurred when the barley was ripe, and without leap months this correspondence could not be maintained. As the first link in this paragraph indicates, Jewish tradition used the ripening of the barley as an indicator of whether to add the leap month. This was always added right before אָבִיב /ʾāˈḇîḇ/. Interestingly, in Exodus 9:31 we are told that the barley was ripe before the 7th plague, the plague of hail, and that because of this the Egyptians’ barley crop was destroyed, and in fact this very word אָבִיב /ʾāˈḇîḇ/ is used in this verse to say that the barley was “in the ear”! (See endnote 2 for more on this.)
Because of this lunar calendar, the אָבִיב /ʾāˈḇîḇ/ of 1445 would not have started 365 days after the אָבִיב /ʾāˈḇîḇ/ of 1446, but only 354 days or so, and this would be the same for 1407 and 1406. This doesn’t seem to affect any of the chronology in the charts above, since we are always told when a new אָבִיב /ʾāˈḇîḇ/ occurs, and don’t need to add up any numbers from the end of the previous year. Also, it is impossible to know if there was a leap month in either of these cases, but there is no evidence that there was one.[11]
Throughout this chronology it turns out not to be necessary to know whether any given month had 29 days or 30 days, since almost all dates are given by month and day. The one place where this is not true is from “June” through “September” of 1446, where two periods of 40 days are specified, plus various additional days, but no days of the month are specified. I have assumed that “June” and “August” had 30 days and “July” 29, following the current Jewish conventions, since there is no way to actually know. I’m not sweating this, since my goal is just to get a picture of the actual time flow.