Babylonian calendar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "e Babylonian calendar was a lunisolar calendar with years consisting of 12 lunar months, each beginning when a new crescent moon was first sighted low on the western horizon at sunset, plus an intercalary month inserted as needed by decree. The calendar is based on a Sumerian (Ur III) precedecessor preserved in the Umma calendar of Shulgi (ca. 21st century BC).
The year begins in spring, and is divided into reš šatti 'beginning', mišil šatti 'middle', and kît šatti 'end of the year'. The name for 'month' was arxu (status constructus arax). That the calendar originates in Babylonian, not Assyrian times is shown by the fact that the chief deity of the Assyrians is assigned the surplus intercalary month. During the 6th century BC Babylonian exile of the Hebrews, the Babylonian month names were adopted into the Hebrew calendar.
The names of the months were:
1. Arax Nisânu, Sumerian ITU BARAG.ZAG(.GAR) 'month of the sanctuary', zodiacal sign KU (Aries) , dedicated to Anu and Bel
2. Arax Âru, Sumerian ITU GUDDA.SIDI 'month of the righteous bull', dedicated to Ea
3. Arax Simanu, dedicated to Sin, zodiacal sign BI(KAŠ) Gemini
4. Arax Du'uzu (DU.ZID, Dumuzi), dedicated to Adar
5. Abu, Sumerian NE.NE.GAR, zodiacal sign A (âru, Leo)"
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