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Comparing calendars
Hebrew vs Islamic
Both are calendars of the moon, but the Hebrew adds a leap month to hold its place in the seasons while the Islamic lets its year drift — which is what makes one lunisolar and the other purely lunar.
| Attribute | Hebrew | Islamic |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Lunisolar | Lunar |
| Origin | Jewish tradition, fixed in its present form by the medieval period | Islamic tradition |
| Year | 12 or 13 lunar months (353–385 days) | 12 lunar months (about 354 days) |
| Months | 12, or 13 in a leap year | 12, of 29 or 30 days |
| Week | 7 days, each beginning at sunset and ending on Shabbat | 7 days |
| Leap rule | A 13th month seven times in each 19-year (Metonic) cycle | None — so it falls about 11 days earlier against the seasons each year |
| Counts years from | A calculated date of Creation (Anno Mundi) | The Hijra, 622 CE (AH) |
| Where it’s used | Jewish religious life; a civil calendar in Israel | Islamic religious life worldwide; civil use in several countries |
See this moment on each: Hebrew calendar · Islamic (Hijri) calendar. Or convert a specific date into both.