The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-26
THE HEBREW CALENDAR.
THE SYSTEM OF COMPUTING TIME
AMONG THE IsRAELIrES.

The Luui-Solar Calendar IN OSo ioI
MANY Centuries-How the Festivals
and Holy Days are Regulated-The
v,idences of Remarkable Astronom-
,os1 and Mathematical Knowledge.
From the Philadelphia Ledger
rbs suggestion by President Harrison
chat Oct. q, 1892, be celebrated as the day
s,u,rnsmorative of the 4OOth anniversary of
.,a discovery of America has, doubtless,
.at many to thinking, especially when they
resd that Christopher Columbus first saw
,bis continent on Oct. IL, 1899. But in set
,i,- snart a different date to honor so
,no1,antous an event, the President OF the
United States has been guided by another
s,snt that occurred in the same month of
October Just ninety years subsequent to
Columbus discovery.
II ia generally known that what is styled
the Julian calendar arranged by JULIUS
Casar) had received almost universal &C
cantance from those who reckoned their
ears bv the sun, and hence numbered 365
laws in A common year, and 500 days in a
Ian wear, or every fourth year; but really
the Julian common year was regarded as
consisting of 1851 days without any
allowance being made for fraction less
less than GQab Oue-QuhEbOEt hihOuhsAuk W
II minutes aud 10 seconds. However, the
cslsndar remained unchanged until 1882,
wien Pope Gregory XIII. came to the
conclusion that unless some altera-
lions we're put in force, all the movable
feasts Of the Christian church, especially
Easter, the occurrence of which is regulated
upou the same basis as that OF the Hebrew
Feast of the Passover, would continue to be
kent out Of season. He felt obliged to order
sen DAYS deducted from October. 1882, calling
the 5th Of that month the 18th, and then pro-
yidiug against any further displacement by
ordering that no hundredth year be leap
year-such as for example 19O0-exoept it
be divisible by 400.
This altered system was by no means gen.
orally accepted for long while, and to our
day Russia adheres to the strict method OF
the Julian calendar, by which, as is seen,
the reckoning is constantly behind that of
the civilized nations of Europe and
America.
Oct. 81, or difference of nine days from
Oct. 70, the original date Of Columbus dis
covery, about fixes the time, therefor, for
the year 1892. based upon the Gregoriau ar
rangement Of the calendar.
These statements, however, are but intro
ductory TO brief explanation concerning q
calendar, the arrangement and division of
which have often evoked praise from deep
thinkers and specialists in astronomical
calculations. The holy scriptures allude
in numerous places to the Observance Of the
new moon as marking the beginning of
another period OF time, or another month.
The method Of counting was then according
to the phases Of the moon. The Pentateuch
expressly commands when each feast and
each holy day must be observed, setting the
exact day of the month. Thus. for instance,
in Numbers, it is commanded "ln the
seventh month, on the first day OF the
Kill Oh
rial Of blowing the coruet, a holy convo-
cation" How was the seventh month deter
mined, since originally these periods Of
time we're known only by their successive
numbers The scriptures state in Exodus,
referring to the Passover, This month
shall be unto you the beginning OF the
months of the year" and as the Feast Of
Unrevealed Bread is ordained Ia the month
Of Abb, which, translated. msans ''spring-
ing up" or "the spring time" 1t is readily
observed what marked the starting point.
Again, the Feast of Tabernacles is ordered
to be kept at 1.-THE turning round
Of the year." or the autunnal season. Ac-
cording to sacred tradition, the month now
designated as Tishri, and corresponding
with September or October, WAS originally
the first month, and unto this day marks
the beginning of the jewish civil year Tor
the change Of number-thus 1862 will be
superseded in few weeks by 1858 Ammo
Mundi-the year of the world. However.
the ecclesiastical year is, by divlRe CONS
mand, reckoned from Nissan. in March or
April, when the Passover Is kept; this great
festival being the determining sligo for all
the feasts and holy days that annually
follow it. Thus, for instance,
the first day of the Passover and the fast
of the ninth day Of Alb always occur on the
same day OF their respective months, as
this year, for instance. on Tuesday. The
- Al.
DAY, renders the first day of the Pentecost
on the same day Of the week. The second
day Of the Pentscost being Thursday
brings the first days Of the New Year, the
Feast Of Tabernacles, and the Eighth Day
Of Solemn Assembly in the autumn, also on
Thursday, and the Day OF Atonement, on
Saturday-the Sabbath-as will be noticed
this year.
All these points and more, however, are
dependent upon a system. The Hebrew
calendar, as it is to-day, is lunissolar. 1t is
dependent upon the moon, yet in every set
period arrives at an agreement with the
solar computation. The lunar year being
considerably shorter than the solar year, the
twelve Hebrew months consist of either
1T% TIVE or thirty days, but no more.
Inc method varies, however, to this
extent, viz: A common year may
consist Of 1853, 354 or S55 days. This
Is intended to avoid having the day
OF stonement on any one Of three days
because Of two connecting Sabbaths such
as we're the great Fast day to occur on
either Friday or Sunday or on Tuesday,
which would cause a semi-festival to occur
on the Sabbath day; and yet, at the same
time, by the insertion or omission of a day
or two days in different months, the exact
uate prescribed in the Pentateuch ia
invariably adhered to. In every cycle of
nineteen year seven bissextile or leap
years are introduced, viz, in the third,
sixth, eighth, eleventh, fourteenth, seven
teenth and nineteenth years. Each of these
ulssextlle years adds an entire month OF
thirty days, called Adar Sheut second
Adar), and preceding the month of Nissan.
10 which the passover is celebrated. The
Ieap years for the same reason as that
which applies to the common years, are of
100, 5o4 or 1856 days. as may he required.
nus, In every nineteen years the lunar and
Ihe solar computations equalize
Inns method again, while it never tends
!" orlng the festivals and holy days out OF
tuelr respective seasons, causes them TO
Tocur sooner or later in the solar year.
mus for example, in a bissextile. or leap
year OK the Hebrew calendar, the passover
may occur on the oath Of April, and in a
oomnon year on the Both of March. The
as" year may be celebrated on year on the
"a OF October, and In another-though not
tue next year, the lessening of the time be-
ba 6th ofS