History of Months III: Ancient Egypt & Babylonia

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Author, Physician, Philosopher, Polyhistor

2 years ago

In community: History, Myths, Legends & Mysteries(be45)

Topics: Calendars, Months, Egypt, Babylonia, History

This is the third article in the series about the “History of Months”. Today I will discuss the calendars from old Egypt and from Babylonia. They are ancestral to some important calendars that are used today.

[The lead image shows Egyptian god Thoth, who is said to have invented the 365-day calendar.]

Ancient Egypt and the Coptic Calendar

The Coptic year is a Solar year, and it begins on 11 September Gregorian time, or the 12 September in the years before Gregorian leap years. The Coptic Christians' counting of years begins on 11 September 284 AD. It was the day when Diocletian became the Roman emperor and executed a huge number of Christians in Egypt. Coptic Christian time is counted AM, Anno Martyrium.

The Ancient Egyptian year was originally a Sidereal Solar year, based on the heliacal rising of Sirius, bright star of the constellation Canis Major. It might be slightly different based on where on earth you are while observing Sirius. The year was divided into 12 months of 30 days, and 5 extra days.

A reform of the Egyptian calendar in 238 BC, not enforced until 25 BC, synchronised it with the Roman, Julian calendar, and that new calendar was called Coptic. It is important to know, however, that the Julian calendar was originally based on the Egyptian, and mainly designed by Egyptian astronomer Sosigenes, who was hired by Julius Caesar to reform the Roman calendar and introduce solar years. The Roman calendar until then had been based on lunar years.

Sosigenes introduced years of 365 ¼ days. One result of that we still see today, is the existence of 29 February every fourth year.

The Coptic calendar, still used by Egyptian farmers and the Coptic Church, is based on the calendar of Ancient Egypt. Deities referred to in etymology always mean Ancient Egyptian deities.

First I give two forms of the months' names, based on Greek respective Arabic versions. Within the parentheses are given two alternative forms of the names, those of Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom Ancient Egyptian (except for the 13th month). Further comments and explanations follow last.

There are two major Coptic dialects: Boharitic, which is the liturgical language of the Coptic Church, and Sahidic. I refrain from listing their respective versions of these names.

1. Thout/Tout (Tekh/Dhwt): From Thoth, Djehuty, Tut, or Tergot; the measurer, god of science, art, magic, wisdom, etc. Thoth is what the Greeks called "psychopompos", the one who guided the souls through the underworld upon death; and he is said to have given humanity script.

2. Paopi/Babah (Menkhet/Pa-n-ip.t): from Hapi or Yepi, a Nile and vegetation God. Not to be confused with Horus' son, Hapi. Might also be Ptah. "Menkhet" is "clothing".

3. Hathor/Hatour (Hwt-hwr/Hwt-hwr): Hathor was the goddess of beauty, love, and motherhood. She was also "the Lady of Turquoise".

4. Koiak/Kiahk (Nekheb-kau/Ka-hr-ka): from Ka Ha Ka, "Good of Good" a name of Apis, the holy bull.

5. Tobi/Tubah (Sf-bdt/Ta-'b): Amso Khem, Amon-Ra.

6. Meshir or Amshir (Rekh wer/Mhyr): from Mechir, God genius of wind.

"Why are you angry like Amshir winds?" (Egyptian phrase)

7. Paremhat/Baramhat (Rekh neds/Pa-n-amn-htp.w): from pa-en-Amenhotep, month of Amenhotep I. Before his time it was called Rekeh-nedjes (little burning). Sometimes said to be derived from Mont(u), god of war, at times manifested as Buchis, a bull (not to be confused with Apis). Montu is depicted with a falcon’s head, plumes, and a sun disc.

8. Paremoude/Baramoudah (Renwet/Pa-n-rnn.t): from Egyptian Renenutet, goddess of the true name, a deification of an aspect of the soul; also a goddess of good fortune and harvest, sometimes depicted as a cobra. Her name consists of two stems and can be read as "ren-nutet" or "renen-utet"; the first meaning "she who gives true name", the second "nourishment" and "snake".

[Not all cobras are Renenutet, however, her child Nehebkau and, above all, Wadjet, were other cobras. The one figuring in the Pharaonic regalia is Wadjet.]

Another derivation leads to Renno, a god of death and strong wind.

9. Pashons/Bashans (Hnsw/Pa-n-hns.w): from Khonsu, a moon god; from the son of Amon-Ra and Mut, or from Khenti, god of metals, a name of Horus.

10. Paoni/Baounah (Hnt-htj/Pa-n-in.t): from an Egyptian phrase denoting a Theban festival. "Pan-en-inet" means "the one in the wadi".

11. Epip/Abib (Ipt-hmt/Ipip): from Apep (Apophis), a serpent which was killed by Horus. "Ipt Hmt" (Ipet hemet) means "She whose incarnation is select."

12. Mesori/Misra (Wep-renpet/Msw-r'): from Mes-en-ra, birth of the sun. "Wep renpet" is "opening of the year".

13. Pi Kogi Enavot/Al Nasii (the Little Month). A month of only five days, six in leap years.

Babylonian - Hebrew - Assyrian

The names of the Hebrew (Jewish) months originate from the Babylonian calendar, going back to Akkadian, and ultimately to the Sumerian lunar calendar of the city of Nippur. The Jews adopted them during the Babylonian exile. The Babylonian names are put in parentheses. Assyrian names are as the Babylonian, or approximately so, except for 3 cases; they are stated separately.

Jewish names of months from before the Babylonian exile are unknown, except for four names turning up in old scripts. Otherwise, they are mostly referred to by numerals. The four, which are Canaanite in origin, are Aviv, Ziv, Ethanim, and Bul. They can be found in the Tanakh, or the Old Testament respectively.

According to Edwin R. Thiele, in his excellent "The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings", Judah would have counted the year as beginning with Tishrei, while Israel started at Nisan. Some apparent inconsistencies in chronology can be explained by such a theory.

The Hebrew years are counted from Anno Mundi, abbreviated AM. It is calculated based on the creation of Adam, according to Rabbinical belief, and should have taken place in 3760 BC. [Unfortunately this is abbreviated in the same way as Coptic time, although AM there means Anno Martyrium (see above).]

1. Nisan/Nissan (Nisanu). The first month of the ecclesiastical year. Before the Babylonian exile called "Aviv", spring. "Nisanu" was also the beginning of the Babylonian year.

2. Iyar (Ayaru): from Akkadian "ayyaru", blossom. Before the Babylonian exile called "Ziv", light. Babylonian "procession month".

3. Sivan (Simanu): means "time". Babylonian "time of brickmaking". Assyrian "Khzeeran".

4. Tammuz (Du'uzu): from Sumerian god Dumuzid. Month of Tammuz.

5. Av/Menachem Av (Abu): from Akkadian "abu". Babylonian "Month of torches". Assyrian "Tdabbakh" or "Ab".

6. Elul (Ululu): derived from a word meaning harvest. Babylonian "Month of purification".

7. Tishri/Tishrei (Tashritu). From Akkadian "surru", to begin. The first month of the civil year, but not of the religious year. Before the Babylonian exile called "Ethanim", strong. Babylonian "month of beginnings".

8. Heshvan/Cheshvan (Arakhsamna), from Akkadian "warahsamnu", "eighth month". Before the Babylonian exile called "Bul". Babylonian "eighth month". Assyrian "Tishri(n) II".

9. Kislev (Kislimu); from Akkadian "kislimu". Meaning unknown.

10. Tevet/Teves (Tebetu); Babylonian "month of violent rains".

11. Shevat/Shvat (Shabatu); Babylonian "month of rain".

12. Adar I (Adaru). This month exists only in leap years, as an intercalary month.

13. Adar II (Adaru) In non-leap years this month is only called Adar. It is second only when Adar I is added, in leap years. Babylonian "month of threshing".

The Babylonians sometimes inserted Ululu 2 as an intercalary month instead of Adar II.

To be continued...

Comments

Egypt lost its culture and tradition when it was occupied by Muslims. You can correct me if I am wrong.

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Miika

2 years ago

A few traditions still linger, but they are superficial, nothing remains of the old Egyptian mind.

Not much was lost when Islam arrived. Egypt was then a Christian country and it was the arrival of Christianity that destroyed most of the old culture. Islam to a large extent replaced the already present Christianity (although there is a quite large minority still adhering to the Coptic Orthodox Christian belief, the oldest still practised branch of Christianity), but it destroyed nothing further of the pre-Christian culture.

Then I use to claim that the true Pharaonic era ended when the Ptolemaic dynasty took over Egypt in 305 BC, that is, when it became the centre of the Hellenistic culture. Hellenism diluted the Egyptian culture and when Egypt finally was incorporated into the Roman empire in 30BC, the old Egyptian culture was to a large extent already gone, remaining only in empty formalia.

So, I disagree about blaming Islam for the death of the old Egyptian culture; when it arrived, the old culture was already essentially dead.

If you are interested in old Egypt, I have written many articles here about it. You can find them here: https://read.cash/@Mictorrani/index-over-my-articles-at-read-cash-5f7c1e34#egyptology

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Mictorrani

2 years ago

You're really really knowledgeable mictoranni!!! I could barely follow most of the names there... But I've always known about thoth from egyptian myth... Nice write up... Very comprehensive!!!! Good work!!!

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