Tammuz

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Tammuz ( Hebrew תמוז , from Akkadian du-muzu ) is the tenth month of the civil and fourth month in the Jewish religious calendar . It has 29 days and usually falls between June and July in the Gregorian calendar .

In the Bible this month carrying the numbering of the other months following simply called "the fourth month": "On the ninth day of the fourth month in the city, the famine was grown, and the country's citizens had no bread." ( 2 Kings 25.3  EU )

The current name has its origins in the month names of ancient Babylonia , which were used during the Babylonian exile between 586 BC. BC and 536 BC Were taken over by the Jews. Tammuz was the Babylonian deity of spring fertility who ruled in the months of Nisan , Ijjar and Siwan and died at the end of Siwan: “Then he took me to the north gate at the house of the Lord. There sat women weeping for Tammuz. ”( Ez 8,14  EU ) Only later was the month following Siwan named after the deity as the month of death of the deity.

Tammuz is always 29 days long and marks the beginning of summer . The month is in the zodiac sign Cancer .

The Arabic name of the month Tammuz and the Turkish name of the month Temmuz are also derived from the Babylonian deity.

Jewish holidays in the month of Tammuz

  • The Shiva Assar beTammus fast day on the 17th of Tammuz, which begins at sunset, is the first of the fast days listed in the Bible: “Thus says the Lord of Armies: Fasting the fourth, fasting the fifth, fasting the seventh and fasting The tenth month will be days of jubilation and joy and happy festivals for the house of Judah. ​​”( Zech. 8:19  EU ) It is first written in memory of the double demolition of the Jerusalem city ​​wall by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. Then celebrated by Vespasian in the year 70, three weeks before the capture of the city and the destruction of the second temple of Jerusalem by the Romans on the 9th of Av of the year 70.
  • The “Three Weeks” , the period between 17 Tammuz and 9 Av .

Web links

Wiktionary: Tammuz  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations