The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-01-17
THE CALENDARS.
A History OF the Evolution Of the
Solar Year.

1E0m tHE MJob AAAAdi kAaANE ~
planisphere. Or celestial globe, one Il
led TO associate tile noble and sublime
science ~ astronomy with shepherd
life. In the pastures Of the newly-cre-
ated world The first human beings had
very little society, and all they saw
from day to day was their fiocks graz
ing and frisking about them. There
were several signs, however, BY means
OF which, II they we're only observant,
they could have roughly calculated the
flight OF time. Thus the departure Of
the birds7in the autumn and the fall Of
the leaves warned them Of the approach
of winter. and fixed an epoch recnr
ring with periodic regularity; but In
their wanderings ia search Of new
pastures. the necessity Of an unerring
guide became Of paramount i'm
portance, and naturally the heavenly
bodies came 10 be adopted as a great
compass Of wondrous directing and
date-marking machine, fixing the regu-
lar periodic TOW Of time. Thus the
heliacal rising Of one certain sta her
aided the advent of the shearing season,
while the appearance Of the pleiades ii
the east preluded the seedtime; and
thus two dates Of the utmost impor-
tarce to q primitive.and pastoral people
came 10 be fixed And as IN this sim
pie astronomy the shepherds traced
the annals OF the stars among their
hocks and herds, SO ia like manner
they traced the history Of their focks
among the stars
Thus the course Of the sun came to
lie amid sheepfolds and their surround
ings. At oue time Of the year the 70
diacal constellation Taurus, the bull,
the lord Of the herd, marked where
the father Of the day was located.
At another time the ram, the master
Of the fold. served to designate his po-
siti0n.
The lion, the terror OF herdsmen, was
also placed In the sky, together with
the dreaded scorpion, and besides these
concomitants Of the life Ct a shepherd,
he placed likewise above him still dear
er associations, such as the children Of
his household. Gemini; the virgin, Viz
10; the ear Of corn. Spica Virgins; and
his instruments Of kusbandry, the plow
and the sickle.
The best possible proof Of how far
the stars had entered into the life Of
man may be found in the worship Of
the Sabeanseef antiquity, who adored
the starry hosts as infinite God. But
this epoch Of mystery evidently pre-
coded the dawn Of observation, and the
most important period in connection
with the subject Of time-measuring
commenced when men began to turn
the celestial sphere into i mighty rus
tic habitation, modelled on the basis OF
their own immediate surroundings.
Even the dog, the type Of watchful-
ness, was translated to the heavens;
the bright star Sirius whose heliacal
rising II the days 81 ancient Egypt pre-
saged the overlooking Of the Nile, q
periodic event Of they greatest national
Importance.
Thus, from the earliest times the
heavenly bodies ia their seasons have
been regarded as grand time.measur-
ers; but long before the stars had been
observed for astrological or other pur-
poses the sun and moon, more intimate
~ connected with mans existence, came
70 be regarded as time-marking ma
chimes; and il is on the motions of these
two celestial bodies that all calendars
have been based.
II would be reasonably expected that
the sun, which il the great source and
supporter Of life upon the earth, and
me regulator II the seasons. would be
generally adopted as 4 measure Of
time, but men were also struck ~ the
constant and regular return az the
phases OF the moon. and from this fact
Were ledyto use the moon as tile basis
for their calendar
LhseAipssnIman year u purely lunar,
and consists Of the period embraced bY
twelve revolutions III the moon around
2 earth, Or three hundred and ffty.
four and one-thtrd days. The israel.
ltes never adopted the solar year, not
even when they lived 80 long III the
Ian Of Egypt for we find 4hem, 81
soon AS they WIRE settIed ii tile prom.
issd land, using the lunar month
and the lunar year TheSancEnt Jew.
ish year had only three hundred and
hfty-fonr days; twelve DAYS were
added sometimes II the end II
tne year and sometimes 4 month tx
thirty days after the mouth Adat, ID 81
ger 70 bring il into agreement with the
solar year But the Jewish calendar
reeeiyed = reform inthe fourth century
alter the Christian era, and 1t is this
improved calendar which Is used By ths
Jews ~ our day for fixing their fes
usalS and religious cerem0nieSN II i