The Bible contains indications that the new moon of Tishri, the seventh month, coinciding with the beginning of autumn, may also have functioned as a New Year. For example, Ezekiel 40:1 contains a phrase, the head of the year (KJV) or the beginning of the year (New King James Version NKJV), in concert with a date, the tenth day of the month, which Judaism identifies as Tishri, making this the Day of Atonement. In addition, in Exodus 23:16, the Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacles) is said to be at the end going out of the year, and in Exodus 34:22, the same feast is dated at the year's end, a phrase more literally rendered as at the turn of the year. Scholars argue that these phrases indicate two calendar years in simultaneous use. Tishri 1, they assert, began what can be called the civil or secular year, while Abib 1 inaugurated the sacred, cultic, or religious year. However, each of these indications of a Tishri 1 New Year can be disputed. For instance, the name of the month in Ezekiel 40:1 does not appear in the text, and further, throughout his book, the prophet consistently uses the Babylonian system of reckoning which had a spring New Year. Head of the year, then, would indicate the tenth day of the first month, Abib, making Abib 1 the true rosh hashana. As for the Feast of Tabernacles taking place at the end of the year, it does at the end of the agricultural year. The context says nothing about a calendar but a great deal about Israelite agrarian activities throughout a typical annual cycle. Finally, calling springtime the return of the year makes sense, as it is indeed the time when the year returns to begin anew. While some surrounding cultures may have used a Tishri 1 date for their New Year, Israel seems to have adhered to an Abib 1 New Year based on the clear and unambiguous statement by God in Exodus 12:2.

The year of release begins and ends in Tishri, the seventh month of the sacred calendar, which corresponds to our September/October. It runs from one Tishri to the next one. So, years of release cover parts of two years on the sacred calendar. The critical point is that the day the year of release will end is before the Feast of Tabernacles.

Ethanim/Tishri, the seventh month, is significant in the calendar due to the placement of postponements. The decision to place postponements at the beginning of Tishri was made for two reasons. Firstly, it is an astronomical decision because during this time, the moon is usually farthest from the earth, and the appearance of the first faint crescent takes the longest amount of time to show up. Secondly, it is based on biblical thought, specifically the concept of a preparation day before a holy day or a weekly Sabbath, as mentioned in Exodus 16. This placement ensures there is a preparation day before each holy day or weekly Sabbath, preventing two Sabbaths from falling back to back.

In the days of Nehemiah, the month of Tishri, the Hebrew seventh month, marked the beginning of the fall holy days with a significant gathering of God's people. On the first day of Tishri, all the people assembled as one in the open square, and Ezra the Scribe read aloud from the Book of the Law during the Feast of Trumpets, from morning to midday. The reading and explanation of the law deeply convicted the people, leading them to repentance and obedience as they prepared to keep the Feast of Tabernacles in temporary booths, experiencing very great gladness. On the twenty-fourth day of Tishri, just two days after the Last Great Day, the children of Israel remained together, fasting and repenting as a group, humbling themselves before God. This powerful example from Tishri in Nehemiah's time shows a commitment to act on the inspiration received during the holy days, turning conviction into concrete spiritual growth.

The Hebrew calendar originally marked the first day of Tishri, also known as Ethanim, as the beginning of the year. At the time of the Exodus, God shifted the sacred year's start to the first day of Abib or Nisan, yet the civil authorities retained Tishri 1 as the new year's first day, making Tishri the seventh month in the sacred calendar after Exodus 12. Significant events tied to Tishri 1, now celebrated as the Feast of Trumpets, include the day Noah opened the covering of the ark to find the earth dry, as recorded in Genesis 8:13. This event symbolizes a release from confinement and the start of a new life, paralleling the future liberation of God's sons from physical bodies into spirit at His appointed time. Additionally, Psalm 81:1-4 connects Tishri 1 to Joseph's release from prison and elevation to prime minister, marking it as a day of historical and prophetic importance, reflecting God's saving power and the promise of deliverance.