a month of the Hebrews, answering to our March, and which sometimes takes from February or April, according to the course of the moon. It was the first month of the sacred year, at the coming out of Egypt (Exod. xii. 2.), and it was the seventh month of the civil year. By Moses it is called Abib. The name Nisan is only since the time of Ezra, and the return from the captivity of Babylon.

On the first day of this month the Jews fasted for the death of the children of Aaron (Lev. x. 1, 2, 3.). On the tenth day was celebrated a fast for the death of Miriam the sister of Moses; and every one provided himself with a lamb for the passover. On this day the Israelites passed over Jordan under the conduct of Joshua (iv. 19.). On the fourteenth day in the evening they sacrificed the paschal lamb; and the day following, being the fifteenth, was held the solemn passover (Exod. xii. 18. &c.). The sixteenth they offered the sheaf of the ears of barley as the first fruits of the harvest of that year (Levit. xxiii. 9. &c.). The twenty-first was the octave of the passover, which was solemnized with particular ceremonies. The twenty-sixth the Jews fasted in memory of the death of Joshua. On this day they began their prayers to obtain the rains of the spring. On the twenty-ninth they called to mind the fall of the walls of Jericho.