Mesopotamian month names are often mentioned in this volume and the charts in this section are intended to aid the reader in understanding the Babylonian Calendar. The Mesopotamian month names and their modern equivalents are:
| I | Nisannu | March–April | VII | Tašrītu | September–October |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| II | Ayyāru | April–May | VIII | Araḫsamna | October–November |
| III | Simānu | May–June | IX | Kislīmu | November–December |
| IV | Duʾūzu | June–July | X | Ṭebētu, Kinūnu | December–January |
| V | Abu | July–August | XI | Šabāṭu | January–February |
| VI | Ulūlu | August–September | XII | Addaru | February–March |
| VI₂ | Intercalary Ulūlu | XII₂ | Intercalary Addaru |
Unless it is stated otherwise, the dates given in this volume (excluding those in bibliographical citations) are all BC. Each ancient Mesopotamian year has been given a single Julian year equivalent even though the ancient year actually encompassed parts of two Julian years, with the ancient year beginning around the time of the vernal equinox. Thus, for example, the fourth regnal year of Tiglath-pileser (the eponymy of Bēl-Ḫarrān-bēlu-uṣur) is indicated to be 741, although it actually began around the middle of March in 741 and ended in March 740; therefore, events which took place late in the ancient year "741" actually took place early in the Julian year 740.
Hayim Tadmor & Shigeo Yamada
Hayim Tadmor & Shigeo Yamada, 'Dating and Chronology', RINAP 1: Tiglath-pileser III and Shalmaneser V, The RINAP 1 sub-project of the RINAP Project, 2019 [http://oracc.org/rinap/rinap1/RINAP1Introduction/DatingandChronology/]