Now from new moon to new moon again, is about 29-1/2 days; therefore, the Hebrew year consisted of 354 days, for 29-1/2 x 12 = 354; so that the epact, (which is the excess of the solar year beyond the lunar) is eleven days. Hence, had they no method of intercalation, the commencement of their year would go back eleven days every year, and consequently make a revolution of the seasons every thirty-three years, for 365 / 11 = 33 nearly. To illustrate, let us suppose that the new moon of Nisan, which is the first month in the Sacred year, should on any given year fall on the 10th of April, then the following year it would fall on the 30th of March, which is eleven days earlier; the second year it would fall on the 19th of March or twenty-two days earlier; the third year the new moon would fall on the 8th of March or thirty-three days earlier, but that would not be the new moon of Nisan, which cannot happen earlier than the 11th, so the following moon which happens thirty days later on the 7th of April is the new moon of Nisan. Hence it may be seen that by intercalating a full month every three years, or which comes nearer to accuracy seven times in nineteen years, restores the coincidence of the solar and the lunar year, and consequently the moons to the same day of the month on which they fell nineteen years before. The method of designating the months previous to the exodus, was by their numerical order, as the ancient Hebrews had no particular name to express their month. They said the first, second and third month, and so on. No names of months appear in the Bible until about the time of the institution of the passover, when the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying this month, (Abib, which appears to have had its origin in Egypt,) shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. The names of the months appear to belong to two distinct periods. In the first place we have those peculiar to the Jews previous to the captivity, viz: Abib, the first month in commemoration of the exodus; Zif, the second, Ethanim, the seventh, and Bul, the eighth. These names are of Hebrew origin, and have reference to the characteristics of the seasons, a circumstance which clearly shows that the months, by intercalation, were made to return at the same period of the year. Thus, Abib was the month of the ears of corn, that is the month in which the ears of corn became full, or ripe on the 16th day, that is the 2d day of the feast of unleavened bread. Zif, the month of blossoms or the bloom of flowers. Ethanim, the month of gifts, that is of fruits, and Bul, the month of rain. These were superceded after the captivity, by Nisan, Iyar, Tisri and Hesvan, or Marchesvan.