In the Scriptures and Jewish tradition there are various names given to "this month," including the following:

Rosh Chodashim ( ראשׁ חֳדָשִׁים ), the "head of the months." The month of Nisan is counted as first for the purpose of counting the days, months, and holidays of the Hebrew calendar. Chodesh Ha-Aviv ( חדֶשׁ הָאָבִיב ), "the month of spring," so named because it marked the time of the Exodus from Egypt (Exod. 13:3-4; 23:15; 34:18; Deut. 16:1). From the verse, "Guard ( שָׁמוֹר ) the month of spring and make Pesach for the LORD" (Deut. 16:1), the sages inferred that an additional month (of Adar) should be inserted into the calendar when necessary to ensure that the holiday of Passover would always occur in the spring. (For more, see the Jewish Calendar pages.) Chodesh Ha-rishon ( חדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן ), "the first month," so named because the other months are named in relation to it, similar to the days of the week in the Hebrew calendar (i.e., the first day, the second day, etc.). This is the most frequent designation of this month in Scripture. The Ramban (Nachmanides) wrote: "By counting every month from Nisan, we constantly commemorate the miracle that God performed when He took us out of slavery." Chodesh HaGeulah ( חדֶשׁ הַגְּאֻלָּה ), "the month of the redemption." This is an inferred name from the Scriptures, since the redemption from Egypt took place during the month of Nisan. The Babylonian Talmud (Tractate Rosh Hashanah 11a) states: "In Nisan our forefathers were redeemed from Egypt and in Nisan we will be redeemed." In that sense, Nisan is also Chodesh ha-Yeshuah ( חדֶשׁ הַיְשׁוּעָה ), the "month of the salvation," both in terms of the physical deliverance from Egypt, but more profoundly in terms of the spiritual salvation given at Zion/Moriah through the Messiah. Chodesh Nisan ( חדֶשׁ נִיסָן ), "the month of Nisan," the name given to the first month after the Babylonian Exile (Esther 3:7; Neh. 2:1). Some think that the word Nisan ( נִיסָן ) derives from a Sumerian word that means "first fruits" (indicative of aviv, or spring), though most Jewish commentators think nisan derives either from the word nissim ( נִסִּים , "miracles"), suggesting a link to the miracles of the Exodus, or to the word nitzan ( נִצָּן ), meaning "bud" (Song 2:12). Still others suggest that Nisan comes from the verb nus ( נוּס ), meaning "to flee," both in relation to Israel's flight from Egypt and Egypt's flight from Israel (i.e., when the pursuing Egyptian cavalry fled ( נָסִים ) before the sea closed upon them (Exod. 14:25, 27).



According to the sages, after the Babylonian Exile and the prophecy of Jeremiah was fulfilled (i.e., "it will no longer be said 'as the LORD lives, who took the people of Israel out of Egypt,' rather it will be said 'as the LORD lives, who raised up and brought the people of Israel from the Northern Land' (Jer. 16:14-15), the Jews began to call the months by the names commonly used in exile as a reminder of God's faithfulness.

Chodesh HaMelakhim ( חדֶשׁ הַמְּלָכִים ), "the month of the kings." The 1st of Nisan is counted as the new year for the purpose of counting the reign of kings of Israel (in Exodus 12:2, the word lakhem ( לָכֶם ), "to you," can be rearranged to form the word melekh ( מֶלֶךְ ), "a king."). For instance, if a king ascended the throne just a week before the new moon of Nisan, that week would be reckoned as a year in the chronicles of Israel's kings.

Chodesh Yehudah ( חדֶשׁ יְהוּדָה ), "the month of Judah." Jewish tradition assigns the month of Nisan to the royal tribe of Judah ( יְהוּדָה ), in whose merit both the Holy Temple was built and from whom the Messiah Yeshua would descend. The tribe of Judah was divinely favored because: Judah was functionally the "firstborn" son of Israel (Reuben, Shimon, and Levi had been disqualified). Judah saved Joseph from death (Gen. 37:26). Judah saved Tamar from death and disgrace (Gen. 38:26). Judah had interceded on behalf of his father Jacob to preserve Benjamin's freedom at the cost of his own (Gen. 44:16-34). This last quality, in particular, is known as mesirat nefesh ( מְסִירַת נֶפֵשׁ ), "self sacrifice," and reveals Judah's role as Israel's intercessor. When Jacob blessed his sons on his deathbed, he prophesied that Judah would be praised by his other brothers and ultimately be the source of the Messiah of Israel (Gen. 49:8-10). According to Jewish tradition, at the time of the Exodus from Egypt it was a descendant of Judah - Nachshon ben Aminadav (Num. 1:7) -- who initiated the parting of the Sea of Reeds by walking into the waters until the sea split (Shemot Rabbah). The name Judah ( יְהוּדָה ) includes the Name YHVH ( יהוה ) with the insertion of the letter Dalet ( ד ), suggesting that Judah would be the "door" or "gate" into the presence of God (Yeshua was from the tribe of Judah who described Himself as ha-sha'ar ( הַשַּׁעַר ) "the gate"(John 10:9)). The arrangement of the tribes placed Judah directly in front of the door into the Mishkan (Num. 2:3; see Bamidbar for more information).



Indeed, according to Jewish tradition, the dedication and inauguration of the Mishkan also occurred on Nisan 1: "Rabbi Yossi used to say, 'When did the Inauguration of the Mishkan occur? It began on the twenty third of Adar, and concluded on the first of Nisan. And on all of the first seven days, Moses used to set up the Mishkan and take it apart at the end of the day. On the eighth day, he set it up, and did not take it apart. And that eighth day was Shabbat, and it was the Rosh Chodesh of Nisan" (BaMidbar Rabbah).