Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-09-23
FRIDAY IS Y0M k|PPUR
jous Al Over Tho World Ire
Preparing 10 Celebrate
historic INCIDENTS ARE RECALLED
Religious Ceremonies Attaching to the
70 Observance OF this Auspieious Sea-
son Are Beautiful and impressive
No Change Since the Earliest Times.

son Are 6eauttf0i ana Impressive
No Change Since the Earliest Times.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22.-Ah over
the civilized world preparations are
afoot for the celebration of the Jew
ish New Year which falls on Friday
evening. September 25. and. already
Jewish New Year cards, breathing
the cordial wishes OF the senders Tor
the health, happiness and moral ana
material prosperity of the recipients
are flooding Uncle Sans mails In
every city and town In the United
States. The religious ceremonies at
taching to the celebration OF this
auspicious N,ason are beautiful and
impressive, and the historic incidents
which cluster around its observance
in every country in the old and new
worlds are ancient. informative and
interesting. Outside Of the Jewish
faith there are very few Christians
or others who know its meaning. or
anything whatever regarding its COM
pntation.
In the earliest times the Hebrew
year began in autumn with the open
ing OF the economic year. There fol-
lowed in regular succession the sea-
soma of seed-sowing, growth and ripen-
ing OF the corn under the influence OF
the former and the latter rains, mar
vest and the ingathering Of the fruits.
In harmony with this was the order.
Of the great agricultural festivals, &C
cording to the oldest legislation, name
w., the feast Of unleavened bread at
the beginning Of the barley harvest,
in the month Of Ab...>: the feast Of har-
vest, seven weeks later; and the feast
OF ingathering at the going out Of turn
of the year.
This system of dating the New Year
is that which was adopted by the Sem
ties generally, while other people, as
the creeks and Persians. began the
year in spring, both method Of reckon.
ing being primarily agricultural ana
based on the seasons Of seed-time ana
harvest.
The regnal year was evidently reck-
|oned in the same way as late as tne
end Of the seventh century. This 10
evident from the account OF the eign.
!teenth year Of King Josiah, In which
only by such q reckoning can sufric.
lent time be allowed for the events Of
that year which precede the ceiebra.
ton Of the Passover, assuming, OF
course. that the Passover was ceie'
brated at the usual time in the spring
The Leyitical Law places the be
ginning of the Sabbatical year In the
autumn. on the tenth day Of the sew
enth month, according to the latter
reckoning. It has been pointed out
that the story Of the flood places the
beginning Of the deluge on the sew
|enteenth day of the second MONTH
which would. on an autumn reckon.
in. coincide with the beginning OF the
rainy season.
There il much difference Of opinion
as to whether or not there was in pre-.
exile times q second mode Of reckon
ing from the vernal equinox. The ex'
preston used AT the return OF the
year." is, however, sufficiently ex
planned as ''the time when kings &c
out" that's to say, the usual time for
opening a military campaign. BY pre-
|exilic- is meant existing or dcoe be
fore the exile said chiefly OF certain
Biblical writings supposed TO- have
been written before the Jewish exile
bout 5s6-537 before Christ. -.
OF course II the Law OF the Pass
lover Is preexile. the question admits
|of no further argument II seems
however, to be now very generally nc
|cepted that this law in its present
form is not earlier than the sixth cen
tury and that II represents post-exii
lie -practice. According to this legs
lafien, which henceforth prevailed
/ the Month Abb, or Nissan (March
Aprfl). became the hfst q the yea4.
1t is possible that this chance VA
due. in part at least, to the inauenct
of the Babyionian sacred year, which
likewise began with the month Nissan
LIT appears. however. that the festisa
OF the new year continued to be %
served in the autumn. perhaps origin
ally on the tenth. and later On the mrs
l ay of the seventh month, Tishri. 10
ssephus asserts that wiIhe Moses ap
luoiuted Nissan TO be the 6rst month
IyOr the E8CISO keShsSsS eks9 49,
emnities, he preserved the orgna
order Of the months for buying ans
selling and for the transaction Of ON
er business.
The seIeucidan calendar, from II:
h. C.. placed the beginning OF the yea
| I'm the autumn; but u appears tha
the PaIestinian Jews stiIl reckoaes
from the spring and dated the seseu
cidan era according to that reckonins
according TO such an authority as tn
IJcrisa encicopedia- u II aitoeethe'
lprobable that the beHinning Of the yea
was celebrated from ancient ttmes u
Isme special way, like the Nov Hoo
festival.
The cariies; reference. however, .
such q custom h. probably, in the &c
lcount q the vision OF Ezeh.ei whscl
took piacc NJ the beginning Of tn
-. - suhf;co raa IN te UrOcIat1eS