The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-03-25

year it will come on April is. For
n - Il all the red letter days on our calendar
La ne 4 Easter is the most variable The only
E$#EE thing certain about it is that it al
Il tf&9 4 ways comes on a Sunday and it is
4 x&M 8 limited to either one of two months
E% March and April Then there are
" other limits too, that is, it cannot
e1271sszN~ come earlier than March % nor later
than April % .
Why all this variation in such an important
annual festival? The reasons go back into an
cient history.
The festival now known Easter was cele-
brated by ancient Israel as the Passover for
many centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ.
1t was based upon the events which took place
when the Hebrews were saved from the destruc-
ton which was visited upon the Egyptians, as
given in Exodus II 81. The first Christians, be-
ing in the main Jews continued for long time
to observe the Passover well as other ancient
ceremonies. But gradually these early followers
of the Cross began to substitute the Christ for
the paschal lamb of Israel in the Passover cere-
monies.
Eventually there arose difference of opinion
between the Christians of Hebrew descent and
those Of Gentle descent as to the time when
these ceremonies should be celebrated. Those
of Hebrew descent declared that the day of the
death of Jesus should be the date of the ending of
the paschal fast which in Hebrew rites, always
evening. Therefore the Easter festival, which
followed might fall any day of the week.
Those of Gentle descent, however, wanted the
first day of the week, Sunday, to be the
first day of the resurrection festival Thus the
Friday preceding would be observed as the date
Of the cruciixion without paying any attention
TO the day of the month, the fast continuing
until midnight of Saturday.
The dispute over this point was complicated
by the irregularities Of the time Of full moon
in relation to the year. The Hebrew sacred year
began at the instant of the vernal equinox, but
this time is subject to slight changes due to
the astronomical fact Of perturbation of the mo-
ton Of all bodies in the solar system. The
Hebrews based their years on lunar changes
whereas we now determine the exact length of
a year by the sun and stars, which is more ac-
curate It is notable that the ancient Hebrews
always had trouble with their chronology be-
cause they based the beginning Of each month
on the first sight of the new moon.
The trouble was principally due to the fact
that the moon revolves around the earth in q
days, hours, 43 minutes and liz seconds, and
the earth around the sun in 81, 55S 149 seconds.
Therefore the moon makes 1336S7 revolutions to
the earth's one Full-moon times also out of
harmony with the spring equinox, and this fact
caused trouble in determining time in ancient
times. The result Of all these complications was
that by applying the Jewish rules to Easter, the
dates Of the crucifxion and the resurrection two
days which were supposed to be fixed for all
time varied constantly.
For 1926 years the difficulty between the Chris
lions of Jewish descent and those Of Gentle
descent continued. Not being able to decide the
recurrence of Easter, the council Of the early
Christian church finally appealed to the astron-
omers in Alexandria, Egypt for aid. However,
the scientists not of much assistance, for
they had no lunar tables such as we now have,
Cd bv fhopo oft io mr.
tempted to make rules but the variations of the
full moon In reference to the year would not
cause Easter to fall on Sunday any more than
any other day. All wanted it to come on Sunday,
so each nation celebrated to suit itself so that
1t would come that day. Thus In A. D. 1877
the Gauls celebrated Easter on March p. in
Italy 1t fell on April is, and in Egypt it fell on
April 25.
Eventually the selection of a certain Sunday
was definitely fixed during the Sixth century A.
D. 1t was designated as the Sunday between the
fifteenth and twenty-frst days Of the moon in the
first month Of the Jewish lunar years 1t
directed that the computation should be made
according to the tables of victorius of Acqu..
taine, introduced in 457 A. D. Because of the
fact that Britain had ceased to be part of the
Roman empire, the Sixth century decree did not
affect the British church at first, and it
tnued to calculate Easter on a basis previously
approved at Rome. The matter was finally dis
posed of at synod held at Whitby in Yorkshire
in 664 A. D., after which the clergy of the British
Isles conformed to the general practice Of the
western church.
Accordingly Easter is observed BIZ both
the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches
the first Sunday after the full moon Tor four
teenth day of the moon) on or next after March
81 SO it cannot be earlier than March %
later than April %. Thus it is possible for the
astronomers and mathematicians to tell in adj
vance on what dates Easter will come each year.
and they are now known for more than century
in advance.
That of course, is based upon the assumption
that our calendar will continue unchanged. But
there is a possibility that time within the