| Cheshvan | |
|---|---|
 TheGreat Flood, which according to theBible wiped out the world, started in Marcheshvan. | |
| Native name | מַרְחֶשְׁוָן (Hebrew) |
| Calendar | Hebrew calendar |
| Month number | 8 |
| Number of days | 29 or 30 |
| Season | Autumn (Northern Hemisphere) |
| Gregorian equivalent | October–November |
Marcheshvan (Hebrew:מַרְחֶשְׁוָן,StandardMarḥešvan,TiberianMarḥešwān; fromAkkadianwaraḫsamnu, literally, 'eighth month'), generally shortened toCheshvan (חֶשְׁוָן,StandardḤešvanTiberianḤešwān), is the second month of the civil year (which starts on 1Tishrei), and the eighth month of the ecclesiastical year (which starts on 1Nisan) on theHebrew calendar.
In a regular (kesidran) year, Marcheshvan has 29 days, but because of theRosh Hashanah postponement rules, in some years, an additional day is added to Marcheshvan to make the year a "full" (maleh) year. Marcheshvan occurs in October–November in theGregorian calendar.
TheHebrew Bible, before theBabylonian Exile, refers to the month asBul (1 Kings 6:38). In Sidon, the reference toBul is also made on theSarcophagus of Eshmunazar II dated to the early 5th century BC.
Compared to its Akkadianetymonwaraḫsamnu, the nameMarḥešvan displays the samelenition of ungeminatedמ/m/ toו/v/ found in other month names (Tammuz traditionally contains mem withdagesh). Uniquely to this name the initialו has also changed toמ, giving the overall effect of ametathesis.In the modern form, with the connection to therootsw-r-ḥ ('moon', 'month') andš-m-n ('eight') no longer apparent, the first two lettersמַר (mar) have been re-interpreted as the Hebrew word for 'bitter', alluding to the fact that the month has no holidays or fasts.[1] In other contexts, the wordמַר is attributed to meandroplet,[2] associating this month with therainy season.