The Hebrew word Niysan refers to the first month of the Jewish religious calendar, corresponding roughly to March-April. The name was adopted from the Babylonian calendar during the exile. In earlier texts, this month was called Abib (H24). Nisan is the month in which Passover falls, marking the anniversary of Israel's liberation from Egypt.
Nisan holds supreme theological importance as the month of redemption. God declared it to be the first month of the year for Israel (Exodus 12:2), redefining time itself around the act of deliverance. The Passover lamb was selected on the 10th of Nisan and slain on the 14th. This calendar designation underscores the principle that God's redemptive acts reshape all of life — even the marking of time. In Nehemiah and Esther, Nisan appears as the month when God's providential plans unfold for His people's protection and restoration.