The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-01-07
IT'S A Case OF FIGURES
Judge Roger Greene Convinced that
this is the Year 1900.
ARE We WRONG IN OUR RECKONING
The Judge Seeks to Prove with Bibie
Dates and References that Jesus
Christ Was Born In the Year ) u.
e. "Where Are We AR"

Seattle Post Mtelligencer There has
been a tremendous mistake going on
during the many centuries in which the
Christian world and the business world
have been dating their scrolls of parch-
ment and records and every. day cores
pondence, II the statements OF students
of the Bible and Bible history are to be
believed. Perhaps no one is better quail
flied to pass an opinion on 50 stupendous
question than a citizen OF Seattle who
has given the matter the closest study
and scholarly inquiry, and to whose opn-
ion scoffers and unbelievers are bound to
listen and acknowledge. if not the truth,
the righteousness of his argument.
The person alluded to is Judge Roger
S. Greene, who says with a certainty born
only of conviction that Jesus Christ was
not born In The year A. D., bu, three and
perhaps four years prior to that time,
and that the Christmas just past is the
close of the last year of the century, and
that we are now in the first week Of the
year 1900, if reck oned from the birth OF
Jesus.
At first the statement is a positive
shock, but upon the assurances that no
attempt Is to be made to change the cal
endar the question becomes one of gener-
al interest As far as dating documents
and letters, as they are now, there is no
particular reason why the celebration OF
Jesus fouth birthday should not have
been the commencement of the system
as well as the date of his birth. The
statement is made that an old monk,
"Dionysius the Little" was responsible
for turning the system topsy-turvey.
Dionysus the Little posed as very wise
man, who was not by any means as
erudite AZ he would have people believe,
and having no access to materials rs to
the correct date of the Nazarene's birth,
got it years out of the way by his guess
ing process.
According to Bible records and com
paratiye historical dates Jesus Christ
was born i've years before His first birth
day as set forth in the Dionysus the Little
calendar, making the present year, 1896,
really 1899, on the eve OF the twentieth
century. This fact does not make the
Paris exposition one OF next year by any
means, but simply throws it over into
1uli tnutnaA Of 10ln intanIal MnFt.
cages will not fall due any sooner, nor
will railroad tariffs for 1896 and those
projected for 1897 be thrown away or
filed away as obsolete. The practical
flying machine promised for 1900 will not
be FASTENED in its invention; in reality it
will come later than intended, and its
application will not be made to CONNER
cial purposes until 1904.
Hamlet might have had an idea of the
of things when he said: "The
times are ont of joint" but if he had he
did not see fit to enlighten the people OF
his time, and the world was allowed TO
turn on it's axis and describe the cycles Of
ages four years ont of schedule time.
In this age it is most distressing TO be
lieve that we are four years behind the
times, whatever else we are, but the
proofs are not wanting to show such to
be the case, and instead OF being up-to
date in everything we are really very old
fashioned. There is one satisfaction that
we cannot be robbed of in this connec
ton, however, and that is that we are
fin de steele. journalism
would crumble were it not for the sus
tanning quality that the above imported
phrase accords it, and in view OF the fact
that the calendars will continue to be
printed without reference to the error,
its use will undoubtedly 20 on until 1904,
when new one, possibly 'le matin de
steele" or something else equally alb
,urd, will replace it.
Whatever term may be applied, or
how long it may be before it comes into
vogue, matters very little with the ques-
ton that Judge Greene is solving when
he refers one to the King James version
Of the Bible, which says in its marginal
notes 10 references to the event in the
gospel Of st. Matthew; ''The fifth year
before the common account called Ammo
Domini," all of which is is a direct alu-
sion to the birth OF Christ in the year 1
B. G. This makes an additional system
1f complications, in which the visit Of
The wise men to the lowly stable in JGdea
occurred four years before the Christian
world has been taught to believe that the
star stood still above His birthplace.
Sermon after sermon preached on the
Day of the Nativity has referred to that
event as occurring as many years before
AZ the misleading calendar has reci,ed in
figures. While the sentiment Was I'M
pure and lofty in its nature, it
WAS four years behind time, a matter OF
no great importance 10 rura! districts, but
in feverish cities, where the hurry and
hustle in the accumulation Of sordid
wealth are uppermost in the minds OF
most men the knowledge will come with
q sickening sensation that four good
years have been lost. Ststisticians will