The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-06

years succeed cacn Otllcr In such Il way
that after period of nineteen wears
the commencement of the Jewish year
arrives n the same epoch as the solar
year. The Jewish year is therefore n
lunar-solar year, and the civil year of
this remarkable people. in common
with ali Oriental nations, commences
with the new moon of September, and
the ecclesiastical year ut the new moon
in March.
The Egyptians, who reached Il high
state of civilization i'll the dim twilight
of remote antiquity, calculated the
year rs consisting OF three hundred
and sixty days, or twelve months OF
thirty days In the pursuit Of astrol.
ogy-that vain attempt to evolve the
secret of the supposed mystic conncc-
ton between the celestial bodies and
the destiny of mantle Egyptians
were uncousciously laying the ground
work of the sublime science of astron-
omy; and in IL period of continued oh.
scrvation they found that the wear of
three hundred and sixty days fell short
OF true solar year by five days This
new year came into force and com.
ncnccd on the Goth of February, al Il.
C., and this day was the beginning of
the era of Ncbonassar. The year of
three hundred and sixty-fivc DAYS was
followed for period of seven hundred
and twcnty-three years; but in the
year % Il. L. supplementary day was
added every four years, and this wear
OF three hundred and siXty-fivc and one
fourth days became Il fixed year, and
was adopted by the Romans when they
conquered Egypt. This year was also
adopted by the Copts, and the first year
OF the era of the martyrs commenced
on the Goth of August A. ID. oS4.
The Greeks the most cultured of the
nations of antiquity, were rather slow
to turn their powers of observation to
the Sky. They employed at first-bor-
rowing from the Egyptians and the
abylonians--thc year of three hun
dred and sixty days, divided into
twelve months of thirty DAYS Each
month consisted of three decades: and
this is the sole example in ancient his
tory of Il week of ten days Meton, of
Athens, in 49, b. c., having observed
the summer solsticc, found that n
period OF nineteen solar years con-
tanned two hundred and thirtv-five
iunations exactly, and that at the end
OF this period the sun ana the moon re-
turned To the same point in the hcay-
ems. This discovery was considered so
important that an account of it was
carved III letters of gold upon the tenn
pic OF Minerva, and hence the origin of
what is generally known as the golden
number. For the purposes of chronol-
ogy, the Greeks counted the wears Inv
means of olympiads; the first olvmpiad
occurred 40 Il. C., and the last in the
year 40 of the Christian era.
The Roman year, as instituted by
Numa and regulated by the moon, con
sisted of three hundred and fifty-cirht
days, divided into twelve months of
unequaled length. But this year Of
three hundred and fifty five DAYS did
not correspond to the periodic return
OF the seasons, and in the time of Jul
ius Caesar the Roman calendar had
fallen into great disorder. To correct
this confusion, Cesar sought the as
| slstance OF Soslgenes, distinguished
astronomer of Alexandria; and it was
decided that the civil year should con-
sist OF three hundred and SiXty-five
days, SIX hours-in other words, that
there should be three consecutive
years of three hundred aud slXty-ive
days, and that the fourth should con-
tain three hundred and sixty-six
days, the extra day being intercalatcd
between the Esd and the oath of Feb
ruary; and as the gath was the sexto
calcndas-siX days prior to the LIST of
March inclusive-the additional day
was called Observation-Disclosures; hence
the origin of our word bisscxtile.
This change took place in the year a
Il. c.; and to correct the disorders in
the calendar, it was necessary that the
previous year should consist of four
hundred and forty-fve days. The Jul
ian year is still actually followed by
the Russians, Greeks, and some Orien.
tai Christians.
The year rs fixed by julius Caesar be-
ing fully eleven minutes longer than
the true solar year. another change
was made in the year 1852, when Pope
Gregory Nil. ordered that Thursday,
the 4th of October. 1852. should he fol-
lowed by Friday the 18th of October.
This, as it has been called, the New
Style, WAS not adopted in England till
the year 1852. The quarter days are
Christmas, Lady Day, Midsummer and
Michaelmas; SO, when the New Style
came into operation, these days
were advanced SO to speak, eleven
days, and thus became the 9Th of Jan
nary. April and July, and the 10th of
Octobcr-most important days in con-
nection with stock and annuity bust.
ness. Chambers Journal.
Wonderful Work of a Watch,