Zadok Clock Inner Rings - Onah Studies Gregorain Style Calendar

The outer circles of the Dead Sea Scroll calendar comprise the year divided into months, weeks, and days. The year is made up of twelve months each consisting of 30 days. This makes a 360-day year inside the months. The solstices and equinoxes are called Tekufahs. The Tekufahs are outside the months. When the four are added it makes a complete calendar year of 364 days. A leap week is added once every five to six years.

Spring Equinox - Tekufah Nisan
The spring equinox is called Tekufah Nisan because it occurs right before the first full day of spring. The first full day of spring is New Year's Day, Nisan 1. The three spring months are: Nisan, Iyar, and Sivan.

Summer Solstice - Tekufah Tammuz
The summer solstice is called Tekufah Tammuz. The first full day of summer is Wednesday, Tammuz 1. The three summer months are: Tammuz, Av, and Elul.

Fall Equinox - Tekufah Tishrei
The fall equinox is called Tekufah Tishrei. The first full day of fall is Wednesday, Tishrei 1. The three fall months are: Tishrei, Heshvan, and Kislev.

Winter Solstice - Tekufah Tevet
The winter solstice is called Tekufah Tevet. The first full day of Winter is Wednesday, Tevet 1. The three winter months are: Tevet, Shevat, and Adar.

Mid-Seasonal Dates
The mid-seasonal dates are marked on the calendar as the Tekufahs are. Mid-spring occurs on Sunday, Iyar 17. Mid-summer occurs on Sunday, Av 17. Mid-fall occurs on Sunday, Heshvan 17. Mid-winter occurs on Sunday, Shevat 17. Just as all Tekufahs fall on a Wednesday, all mid-seasonal dates fall on Sundays. Genesis 7:11 states that the Flood occurred on Iyar 17. The Flood occurred on a Sunday at a mid-spring point.

Seasonal Drift
The Tekufahs all are calculated. The actual spring equinox is almost always March 20 on the Gregorian calendar. It will drift backwards because the tropical year is 365.2422 days per year. Calendars cannot have partial days, so the spring Tekufah would drift backward one or two days each year. Every five to six years a leap week is added which keeps the caluclated Tekufah within three days of the actual spring equinox. See the section on the Leap Week for more details.

There are seven outer circles representing the seven days of the week. They are divided into 52 columns representing the 52 weeks of the year. The week flows from the outer circle to the inner circle starting with Sunday, the Lord's Day, and ending with Saturday, the Sabbath.

The Dead Sea Scroll calendar has twelve months. Every month has exactly 30 days.

Spring Months
The spring months start at the top with Tekufah Nisan (spring equinox). We have the three spring months beginning with Wednesday, Nisan 1 through Thursday, Nisan 30; Friday, Iyar 1 through Saturday, Iyar 30; and finishing with Sunday, Sivan 1 through Monday, Sivan 30.

Summer Months
The summer months start at the right with Tekufah Tammuz (summer solstice). The three summer months begin with Wednesday, Tammuz 1 though Thursday, Tammuz 30; Friday, Av 1 through Saturday, Av 30; and Sunday, Elul 1 through Monday, Elul 30.

Fall Months
The fall months start at the bottom with Tekufah Tishrei (fall equinox). The three fall months begin with Wednesday, Tishrei 1 though Thursday, Tishrei 30; Friday, Heshvan 1 through Saturday, Heshvan 30; and Sunday, Kislev 1 through Monday, Kislev 30.

Winter Months
The winter months start at the left with Tekufah Tevet (winter solstice). The three winter months begin with Wednesday, Tevet 1 though Thursday, Tevet 30; Friday, Shevat 1 through Saturday, Shevat 30; and Sunday, Adar 1 through Monday, Adar 30.

Starting Dates
Every season is identical. Each one starts on a Wednsday and ends on a Monday. The Tekufahs between the seasons are always on a Tuesday.

Passover
Passover occurs on Tuesday, Nisan 14 every year.

Unleavened Bread
Unleavened Bread is a week long festival occurring from Wednesday, Nisan 15 through Tuesday, Nisan 21.

First Fruits
Commonly referred to only as "First Fruits," the First Fruits of the Barley Harvest occurs on Sunday, Nisan 26 each year.

Pentecost
Pentecost is the fiftieth day after First Fruits of the Barley Harvest. It's actual name is the "Festival of Oaths." This is the time when Essenes would rededicate themselves to the LORD and await the coming of the Messiah and the New Covenant. It occurs on Sunday, Sivan 15 each year.

New Wine
The Festival of New Wine is the fiftieth day after Pentecost. It occurs on Sunday, Av 3.

New Oil
The Festival of New Oil is the fiftieth day after New Wine. It occurs on Sunday, Elul 22 each year.

Wood Offering
The Wood Offering is a week-long observance occurring from Monday, Elul 23 through Saturday, Elul 28.

Rosh HaShannah
Rosh HaShannah is also called Yom Teruah and the Festival of Trumpets. It is anciently a two-day festival occurring on Wednesday, Tishrei 1 and Thursday, Tishrei 2.

Yamin Noraim
The Yamin Noraim is a seven-day period between Rosh HaShannah and the Day of Atonement. The name means the "terrible days." It is thought to represent the seven-year "time of Jacob's trouble." It occurs from Friday, Tishrei 3 through Thursday, Tishrei 9.

Day of Atonement
The Day of Atonement, also called Yom Kippur, occurs on Friday, Tishrei 10 each year.

Tabernacles
Tabernacles is a week-long festival. It occurs from Wednesday, Tishrei 15 through Tuesday, Tishrei 21.

The Great Day
The Great Day, also called Shemini Atzeret, occurs on Wednesday, Tishrei 22 each year.

Hanukkah
Hanukkah is an eight-day festival, occurring from Wednesday, Kislev 25 through Wednesday, Tevet 1.

Purim
Purim is celebrated on Saturday, Adar 14 and Sunday, Adar 15.

The Gregorian calendar has a 365-day year with a leap day added once every four years. This offsets the weeks. New Year's Day, Janurary 1st, is always on a different weekday.

This calendar has a 364-day year which keeps the weekdays in sync. Nisan 1, New Year's Day, is always on a Wednesday. Instead of a day every four years, this calendar adds a leap week every five to six years. This keeps the weeks completely in sync.

The above graphic alternates from a non-leap year to a leap year. This can also be seen on the Dead Sea Scroll sundial.