The 25^th day of Kislev is November 28, known as Hanukkah or Feast of Dedication of the Temple, which is 8 days long.
Tropical: Oct. 17-Nov. 14, Gregorian: Nov. 16-Dec. 15, Julian: Nov. 30-Dec. 29.

• It is also called the Festival of Lights, since Hanukkah (Hanukah also Chanukah, Heb. hanukka, dedication, from hanak, to dedicate).
  • Dedicate.
    • Hebrew chanukka' (Chald.), chan-ook-kaw', corresponding to Heb. chanukkah, khan-ook-kaw', from Heb. chanak, khaw-nak', a primary root, properly to narrow, fig. to initiate or discipline, dedicate, train up, thus initiation, i.e. consecration, dedicating (-tion), thus consecration, dedication.
  • It celebrates the purification of the Temple by Judas Maccabeus in 164 B.C., following the defeat of the Seleucids.
  • The Festival of Lights is so called because of the story of the flame, which miraculously burned in the temple lampstand for eight days, although it only had oil enough for one.
  • As you will see in the following sections a history of dedication occuring on the ancient altars.

    Kislev (kiz'lev also kis'-lew, KJV Chisleu, Neh. 1:1; Zech. 7:1, "of the ninth month, even in Chis'-leu").

• Hebrew Kiclev, kis-lave', probably of foreign origin, Kisleu, Chisleu.
  • The ninth month of the Hebrew ritual year, and the third month of the Jewish calendar.
• Akkadian kislimu, kisliwu.    Also called Kissilimu.
  • One-source claims that the Hebrew kislew, comes from the Akkadian kishmu, or kishwu.
  • Under Sagittarius one of its decans, Ara, the Altar where the following is listed:
    • Sumero-Akkadian Kisal-Bat-Ala.
    • Babylonian-Assyrian Kisallu-Iabiru, "The-Ancient-Altar-Below."
    • Phoenician Mizbaiach.
    • Hebrew mizbeach, miz-bay'-akh, from Heb. zabach, zaw-bakh', a primary root to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice), kill, offer, (do) sacrifice, slay, thus an altar.
    • Sumerian unug, unu₆ [TEMEN-ÈŠ]: elevated shrine, temple.
      • Sumerian unu_(2,6)-gal: great dining hall ('elevated shrine, fortress' + 'great').
• Canaanite derivation is uncertain.

    Weather in this period is cold with intense rainstorms.    Flocks were moved down to the plains from the mountains to take advantage of recent growth of grasses and avoid the mountain snows.

• Storms.
  • Hebrew ça'ar, sah'-ar, or (fem.) çe'arah, seh-aw-raw, from Heb. ça'ar, saw-ar', a primary root to rush upon, thus a hurricane, storm, tempest, whirlwind.
    • Hebrew ça'ah, saw-aw', a primary root to rush, storm.
  • Hebrew zerem, zeh'-rem, from Heb. zaram, zaw-ram', primary root to gush (as water) thus a gush of water, flood, shower, storm, tempest).
  • Sumerian ud, u₄: n., sun; light; day; time; weather; storm (demon); prep., when; since.
  • Sumerian ug₍₂₎: lion; anger, fury; storm.
  • Sumerian eštug_(2,3)...u₁₈-lu: to forget ('understanding' + 'great storm').
  • Sumerian im-gíri: lightning storm ('storm' + 'lightning flash').
    • Sumerian imi, im, em: wind; direction; weather; storm; cloud; rain (cf., tumu).
  • Sumerian mar-uru₅[GUR₈]: heavy storm ('to immerse' + 'high, deep').
    • Sumerian uru_2,5,18: n., devastating flood; thunderstorm. adj., high, deep.

    Here we find the first references to those who built the Tower to Heaven.

• Tower.
  • Hebrew migdal, mig-dawl', also (in plural) fem. Migdalah, mig-daw-law', from Heb. gadal, gaw-dal', a primary root, properly to twist, thus promote, proudly (spoken), tower, thus a tower (from its size or height), by analogy a rostrum, fig. a (pyramidal) bed of flowers, castle, flower, pulpit, tower.
  • Also see Hebrew Migdowl, mig-dole', or Migdol, probably of Egyptian origin, Migdol, a place in Egypt, tower.
  • Sumerian an-za-kàr: tower ('heaven' + 'stone' + 'round, high thing').
    • Sumerian dul₍₆₎, du₆: mound, heap; sanctuary; ruins, 'tell'.

    From www.lexiline.com it claims, "On the 15^th of Kislimu, the Leopard UD.KA.DUCH.A (Cepheus), the eagle TI8.MUSHEN and the fire-arrow-Sagittarius PA.BIL.SAG are visible.    ZA.BA4.BA4 and sitting gods DINGIR.TUSH.A.MESH rise, while the Lance KAK.SI.SA, the Bow BAN and Crooked Staff GAM set.    To the rise of the swallow SIM.MACH is 30 days, and the opposite is SHU.PA (Bootes).    Originally DINGIR.GUB.BA.(MESH), the standing gods."

    To see more about the comparisons of the Ancient Calendar Months with the Ancient Sumerian, Akkadian, Semitic, Canaanite, Hebrew, Babylonian and Arabic names for each then click on Ancient Calendar Months.

    In the Tablets from pre-Sargonic (before 2334 B.C.) the Calendar of Ur give us nine month names, however their order is not known.    The following is one of those nine names:

• 9) Sumerian itiezem-mah-dNin-e-gal, which means in the Sumerian possibly this format
  (iti, month + ezem, festivity + mah, great + dNin-e-gal, Divine Lord of the Great House/Water),
  this reads as "The Month of the Festival of the Lord of the Great House, Temple, or Water."
  • Sumerian itud, itid, itu, iti, id₈; it₄, id₄: moon; month; moonlight (te, 'to approach, meet', + ud, 'sun').
  • Sumerian ezem: festivity.
    • Sumerian èš-èš: a festival (reduplicated 'shrine').
    • Sumerian ezen-mah: great festival ('feast' + 'great').
      • Sumerian ezen: festival, feast (uzu, 'cut of meat', + en, 'time').
    • Sumerian gišbun: (cultic) feast.
    • Sumerian únu: (cf., únug).
    • Sumerian ùnu: feast; chief cowherd.
  • Sumerian mah: v., to be or make large. adj., high, exalted, great, lofty, sublime.
  • Sumerian dNin-e-gal which is (dNin, Divine Lord + e, house, temple, canal, water + gal, great)
    which must mean "The Divine Lord of the Great House," or "Temple" or "Water."
    • Sumerian nin: queen, mistress, proprietress, lady; lord.
      • Sumerian nin₉: sister.
    • Sumerian é-gal: palace ('house' + 'large').
      • Sumerian é: house, household; temple.
        • Sumerian e: (cf., ég).
          • Sumerian ég, íg, e: n., irrigation ditch; boundary canal/dike/levee; v., to water; to speak, say (e = sing. marû, plural hamtu, and plural marû; cf., dug₄, also di); to do (as auxiliary verb preceded by a noun); demonstrative pron., this one; in the immediate vicinity; suffixed to ergative agent.
        • Sumerian è: (cf., éd).
        • Sumerian e₁₁: (cf., èd).
        • Sumerian a, e₄: n., water; watercourse, canal; seminal fluid; offspring; father; tears; flood. interj., alas!; prep., locative suffix - where; in; when - denotes movement towards or in favor of a person; def. article, nominalizing suffix for a noun or noun clause, denoting 'the'.
      • Sumerian gal, gal: n., a large cup. adj., big, large, great.
        • Sumerian gu-la: large, great (cf., gal; gu-ul).
  • This complies to Sagittarius in that after the Great Deluge the ancient text describes the Lord who was involved with the Great Temple or Tower of Babel.
    • Some claim Nin-agal is the 'lord strong-arm' patron god of smiths, chews copper and makes tools.
      • Sumerian kù-dím: goldsmith, metal worker ('noble metal' + 'to fashion').
      • Sumerian simug: metal-sculptor, smith (si₄, 'red', + mug, 'to engrave').
        • Sumerian urudu: copper; metal (ùru, 'luminous object', + dù, 'to mould, cast').
      • Hebrew charash, khaw-rawsh', from Heb. charash, khaw-rash', a primary root to scratch, engrave, plough, fabricate, devise, thus a fabricator of any material, artificer, carpenter, craftsman, engraver, maker, mason, skilful, smith, worker, workman, such as wrought.
      • Hebrew maçger, mas-gare', from Heb. çagar, saw-gar', a primary root to shut up, fig. to surrender, thus a fastener, i.e. (of a person) a smith, (of a thing) a prison, prison, smith.

    The calendar reformed in the Ur III period by Shulgi, king of Sumer from 2094-2047 BC.    Five of the pre-Sargonic month names survived the transition, and the total number of months rose from nine to twelve.    The following is one of the twelve:

• 9) Sumerian Shu-esh5-sha / Sumerian ezem-dShu-dSuen
  (Sumerian šu, hand, strength + eš₅, three { or aš₍₅₎: spider} + ša, dry up).
  This reads as "The Three Strong Ones Dry Up."
  

• Sumerian šu: n., hand; share, portion, bundle; strength; v., to pour.
  • Sumerian šú: (cf., šuš₍₂₎).
  • Sumerian šu₁₂: (cf., šùde).
    • Sumerian šùde, šùdu, šùd, šu₁₂: n., prayer, blessing; v., to pray, bless (šu, 'hand', + dé, 'to hail').
• Sumerian eš₅,6,16,21: three.
  • Sumerian eš-bar: decision ('much' + 'to divide'; cf., ka-aš-bar).
  • Sumerian éš-gán: surveyor's rope ('rope' + 'surface measure').
    • Sumerian éše, éš: rope; measuring tape/cord (eš, 'much', + eš, 'much').
  • Sumerian èš: shrine.
    • Sumerian èš-èš: a festival (reduplicated 'shrine').
    • Sumerian eš_(2,3)-da: ceremony ('shrine' + 'with, near').
    • Sumerian eš_2,3-dam: tavern; brothel ('shrine' + 'spouse').
  • Sumerian unug, unu₆ [TEMEN-ÈŠ]: elevated shrine, temple.
  • Sumerian aš₍₅₎: spider.
    • Sumerian aš: one; unique
    • Sumerian áš: n., wish; curse (abbreviated tàš ?, ašte ? [ašte: need; necessity; desirable or beloved object (á, 'side', + šita₄, 'to bind, join').]); v., to desire; to curse.
    • Sumerian aš_3,4,8: six (ía, 'five', + aš, 'one').
    • Sumerian a-na-aš(-am): why ('what' + 'one' + 'to be').
    • Sumerian a-šà-(g): field ('seed' + 'womb'; cf., a-gàr; ašag).
    • Sumerian ašag, aša₅ [GANÁ]: field, plot (cf., a-šà-(g)).
• Sumerian ša: to dry up.
  • Sumerian su₉; ša₄: n., red ocher.
    • Sumerian ša₄, še₁₃: (cf., su₉).
  • Sumerian šà: (cf., šag₄).
  • Sumerian ša₅: to cut, break (reeds).
  • Sumerian ša₆: (cf., šag₅); v., to mourn, grieve.
    • Sumerian šag₅, sig₆, ša₆, sa₆: n., good fortune; (divine) grace; v., to be/make good; to please, satisfy; to be friendly (with dative or -da-) (reduplicated in hamtu; sa₆-ge in marû); adj., sweet, good, pleasant.
• /
• Sumerian ezem: festivity.
  • Sumerian èš-èš: a festival (reduplicated 'shrine').
  • Sumerian ezen-mah: great festival ('feast' + 'great').
  • Sumerian unu_(2,6)-gal: great dining hall ('elevated shrine, fortress' + 'great').
  • Sumerian únu: (cf., únug).
  • Sumerian gišbun: (cultic) feast.
• Sumerian dShu (Divine hand, strength).
  • Sumerian šu: n., hand; share, portion, bundle; strength; v., to pour.
    • Sumerian šú: (cf., šuš₍₂₎).
    • Sumerian šu₁₂: (cf., šùde).
      • Sumerian šùde, šùdu, šùd, šu₁₂: n., prayer, blessing; v., to pray, bless (šu, 'hand', + dé, 'to hail').
• Sumerian dSuen if divided as:
  (dSu, Divine body, flesh, increase + en, Lord) or as
  (Sumerian dSuen, Divine Moon).
  • Sumerian su: n., body; flesh (cf., si; sug6 sug6, su: to replace, return (a loan, etc.) (reduplication class) (cf., rúg), or rúg); adj., naked.
    • Sumerian lúSU: Subarian.
    • Sumerian su₍₃₎: (cf., sud, sug₄).
      • Sumerian sug₄, sù; su: v., to strip naked, lay bare; to empty; adj., empty, destitute.
      • Sumerian sud, sù; su: v., to be/make remote, lasting; to stretch; to wag (a tail); to rejoice, feel delight; to sip; to sprinkle (liquids); to immerse; to sink; to drown (reduplication class); adj., distant, remote; long (duration).
    • Sumerian su₄: to grow; to multiply.
    • Sumerian su₆: beard.
    • Sumerian sug₈, su₇: threshing floor.
    • Sumerian su₈: (cf., súg, súb).
    • Sumerian su₉; ša₄: n., red ocher; v., to mourn, grieve.
    • Sumerian su₁₁: (cf., zú).
    • Sumerian su₁₃: (cf., sud₄).
    • Sumerian su_x (TAG): to spread (cf., sud).
    • Sumerian si; su; sa; sa₅: v., to fill up; to fill with (with -da-); to survey a field; to inundate; to be full; to be sufficient; to increase; to compensate, repay, replace; to grow weak (probably reduplication class) (cf., sum, sug₆, rúg, sig); adj., suitable, fit.
  • Sumerian en: n., dignitary; lord; high priest; ancestor (statue); v., to rule; adj., noble.
    • Sumerian en_(2,3): n., time; background; prep., until.

    Some claim that the Sumerian Suen, is the crescent moon, which is seen in Sumerian é-u₄-7: first crescent moon ('house' + 'day 7').    Note the similarity to the moon god Sin.    Unrelated but, similiar is the Sumerian silig_3,4: sin.    Bull god and moon god Nanna were prevalent in Ur.    Ur (modern Tell al-Muqayyar) was a Sumerian city in southern Mesopotamia established early in the Ubaid period (c. 4000 B.C.).    The city was the primary center for the worship of the Moon god, Nanna (Sin), and is home to a magnificent ziggurat built for the purpose of his adoration.

    Moon, Month as connected with Denderah Decan 8.

• Hebrew chodesh, kho'-desh, from Heb. chadash, khaw-dash', a primary root, to be new; to rebuild, renew, repair, thus the new moon, by implication a month, new moon.
• Hebrew yareach, yaw-ray'-akh, from the same as Heb. yerach, yeh'-rakh, from an unused root of uncertain significance; a lunation, i.e. month, moon, thus the moon.
• Hebrew lebanah, leb-aw-naw', from Heb. laban, law-ban', primary root, to be (or become) white; also (as denom. from Heb. lebenah, leb-ay-naw', a brick (from the whiteness of the clay), (altar of) brick, tile) thus to make bricks: make brick, be (made, make) white; thus properly (the) white, i.e. the moon).

    A note of interest here is that the reference to making white brick is under the sign of Sagittarius, or that of Nimrod, the builder of the Tower of Babel, the great altar of brick.

• Tower.
  • Hebrew migdal, mig-dawl', also (in plural) fem. Migdalah, mig-daw-law', from Heb. gadal, gaw-dal', a primary root, properly to twist, thus promote, proudly (spoken), tower, thus a tower (from its size or height), by analogy a rostrum, fig. a (pyramidal) bed of flowers, castle, flower, pulpit, tower.
  • Also see Hebrew Migdowl, mig-dole', or Migdol, probably of Egyptian origin, Migdol, a place in Egypt, tower.
  • Sumerian an-za-kàr: tower ('heaven' + 'stone' + 'round, high thing').
    • Sumerian dul₍₆₎, du₆: mound, heap; sanctuary; ruins, 'tell'.