Read Ebook: Our Calendar The Julian calendar and its errors. How corrected by the Gregorian. Rules for finding the dominical letter and the day of the week of any event from the days of Julius Caesar 46 B.C. to the year of our Lord four thousand; a new and easy metho by Packer George Nichols

Font size: 10 px 15 px 20 px 25 px 30 px 35 px

Background color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Text color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Apply/Save settings

Ebook has 115 lines and 41671 words, and 3 pages

completed, then the paschal moons again occur in the same order, on the same day of the month as they did nineteen years before. Now this cycle is six times repeated in a period of 114 years, when the intercalary day being suppressed in 1700, causes the first paschal moon of the cycle to fall on the 13th of April instead of the 12th, and all the moons of the cycle to fall one day later than they would had the correction not been made. The cycle is now repeated ten times without

correction, that is, till the year 1900, a period of 190 years, when the intercalation being again suppressed, causes the first paschal moon of the cycle to fall on the 14th of April, and, of course, all the other moons of the cycle to fall one day later. The reason the correction is not made the first year of the century is, the lunar cycle must first be completed, and that did not occur until 1710. As 100 is not a multiple of 19, the number of years in the cycle, and, as the corrections

cannot be made only at the beginning of the cycle, so they cannot be made the first year of the century only once in 1900 years. It may be seen from one of the above tables that the correction is made in the year 1900, for the reason that that is the first century which is a multiple of 19. The next centurial year that is exactly divisible by 19, is 3800. Therefore, none of the corrections for the next 1900 years, will occur on the first year of the century. It may also be seen from

the above tables, that, though the intercalary day was suppressed in the year 1800, no change is made in the date of the paschal moon. The reason is, the lunar equation also occurred; while the former correction would cause the paschal moon to fall one day later, that is on the 14th day of April, the latter would make it fall one day earlier, that is on the 12th; so they compensate each other, and there is no correction to be made until the year 1900, when the solar equation

again occurs, and the first paschal moon of the cycle falls on the 14th; which cycle is repeated sixteen times in a period of 304 years, after which, in 2204, the date of the first paschal moon is the 15th of April. The reason there is no correction to make in this long period is, first, the year 2000 is a common year in the Gregorian calendar; second, in the year 2100 both the solar and the lunar equations again occur, and occurring together, they compensate each other; consequently

the cycle is continued until 2204, after which, as has already been stated, the date of the first paschal moon is the 15th of April. This cycle is repeated six times in a period of 114 years, when in 2318, for reasons already given, the date of the first paschal moon of the next cycle falls on the 16th, and is repeated five times in a period of 95 years, when, in 2413, the lunar equation occurs alone, and the date of the first paschal moon for the next 95 years, that is till the year 2508,

falls back to the 15th of April. After which the 16th, on account of the solar equation, is again the date of the first paschal moon of the cycle for another period of 95 years; that is till the year 2603, when the solar equation causes the first paschal moon to fall on the 17th, which cycle is repeated sixteen times during another period of 304 years, after which, in 2907, the correction makes the date of the first paschal moon of the

again in the year 3000 and compensate each other, is the reason there is no correction to make from 2907 to 3116, after which the first paschal moon falls on the 19th, and is repeated fifteen times in a period of 285 years, that is till the year 3401, when the correction makes the 20th of April, the date of the full moon, but that cannot be the paschal moon, which cannot happen later than the 19th; consequently the

moon that precedes it by thirty days, and which falls on the 21st of March, is the date of the first paschal moon of the cycle which commences with the year 3401. The day of the month on which Easter Sunday has fallen or will fall, from the year 1596 to 2013, is already determined, and may be seen by reference to the above tables. From 2013 to 3401, the date of Easter is determined for one lunar cycle only, at the

beginning of each period; for the reason that it was deemed unnecessary, because the paschal moons, the epacts, and the Golden Numbers are the same for every cycle in the period. Therefore, all that remains to be done is to find the day of the month on which the first Sunday, after the paschal moon, falls. The dominical letters for any period may very easily be found by counting backwards one letter each year for every common

to these tables, that Easter occurs less frequently on the 22d of March, its earliest possible date, and the 25th of April, which has hitherto been considered its latest possible date, than any of the days intervening. It cannot happen on the 22d, only when the paschal moon falls on the 21st, and that day must be Saturday. It fell on the 22d, first, after the reformation of the calendar by Gregory in 1598; again in 1693, 1761,

and in 1818. It has not occurred since, nor will not again till 2285, a period of 467 years. The reason that it does not occur on the 22d of March in this long period is, the paschal moon does not fall on the 21st, from the year 1900 to 2204, a period of 304 years. We refer to the tabular moon, not to the true or astronomical moon, which may occur on the 21st more than once in this long period.

CHURCH FEASTS AND FASTS WHOSE DATE DEPEND ON THE DATE OF EASTER.

Feasts, or Festivals, are days set apart by the church, either for the grateful memorial of the most remarkable events connected with the plan of redemption, or upon which to commemorate the actions and sufferings of such persons as have been most instrumental in carrying forward the designs of God for the salvation of mankind.

The ecclesiastical year is divided into eight seasons, namely: Advent-tide, Christmas-tide, Epiphany-tide, Lenten-tide, Easter-tide, Ascension-tide, Whitsun-tide, and Trinity-tide. The first day of each of these seasons has been, and is now observed by the church in commemoration of some of the most remarkable events connected with the plan of redemption. All these will be noticed in the order in which they occur in the ecclesiastical year, while many other days intervening, which are observed as feasts or fasts, will be given a passing notice.

Advent signifies the coming of our Saviour, the period of the approach of the nativity. As Advent-tide lasts from Advent Sunday to Christmas, the length of the season depends upon the day of the month on which Advent Sunday falls. As it may happen as early as the 27th of November or as late as the 3d of December, so Advent-tide will contain no more than twenty-eight days nor less than twenty-two. It should be borne in mind that, though this festival is classed among the movable feasts, it does not depend upon the date of Easter, but upon the day of the month on which Advent Sunday falls. The four Sundays before Christmas were made preparation days for the festival of Christmas, and were called the first, second, third, and fourth Sundays in Advent.

Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima. There being exactly fifty days between the Sunday next before Lent and Easter Day, inclusive, that Sunday was termed Quinquagesima, i. e., the fiftieth; and the two immediately preceding Sundays were called from the next round numbers Sexagesima, the sixtieth; and Septuagesima, the seventieth.

The Paschal Season extends from Septuagesima Sunday to Low Sunday, a period of seventy days. It takes its name from the Paschal festival or Easter, whose services end with Low Sunday, the octave, or eighth day, of Easter. It begins with Septuagesima Sunday because the church services then begin to prepare the minds of the faithful for the services of Lent, which are themselves the preparation for Easter. May not Septuagesima Sunday be so called because there are just seventy days in the Paschal Season?

Shrove-tide literally means confession-time, and is the name given to the days immediately preceding Ash Wednesday. These days were so called because on them, and especially on the last of them people were accustomed to confess their sins as a preparation for Lent. In most Roman Catholic countries it begins with Quinquagesima Sunday, the Sunday before Lent.

Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, , was so called because it was customary on that day for penitents to appear in sackcloth, upon which occasion ashes were sprinkled upon them.

The six Sundays in the Lenten-tide of forty-six days are not counted in the fast, as all Sundays in the year are reckoned as feast days, because our Saviour arose from the dead on the first day of the week.

Quadragesima Sunday, the first Sunday in Lent, is so called by analogy with the three Sundays which precede Lent, and which are called respectively Septuagesima, seventieth; Sexagesima, sixtieth; Quinquagesima, fiftieth; and then Quadragesima, fortieth; in round numbers forty days before Easter.

Holy Week, the last week in Lent, called also Passion Week, because within it is commemorated our Lord's sufferings. The days specially solemnized are Palm Sunday, Spy Wednesday, Holy, or Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.

Palm Sunday is the name usually given the Sunday before Easter; a day celebrated in commemoration of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, so called because the people who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming, took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him, and cried, "Hosanna; blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord."

Spy Wednesday, so called in allusion to the betrayal of Christ by Judas, or the day on which he made the bargain to deliver him into the hands of his enemies for thirty pieces of silver.

Maundy Thursday , so called either from the command given his disciples to love one another, or to commemorate the sacrament of His supper.

Good Friday, so called in acknowledgment of the benefit derived from the death of Christ.

The closing scenes in the life of Christ, the events of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Holy Week, are events of much more importance than were ever before crowded into any one week in the history of the world. The betrayal on Wednesday, the institution of the sacrament on Thursday night, also the words of our Saviour as recorded in John's gospel, from the 14th to the 17th chapters inclusive, the agony and the bloody sweat in the garden, the arrest and trial during Thursday night and Friday morning, the crucifixion at the third hour, the darkness that was over all the land from the sixth to the ninth hour, and the last words of the blessed Jesus, "It is finished," ; these we say, are events of more importance to man than were ever before crowded into any one week in the world's history.

The prophets who prophesied of these things, inquired and searched diligently, "searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow." And about an hour before this prophecy began to be fulfilled our Saviour uttered these words: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy." It was probably not more than an hour from the time these words fell from the Saviour's lips, that he was arrested and led away to undergo a trial; cruel mocking and scourging, crucifixion and death upon the cross.

Then cometh Joseph of Arimathea, bringing fine linen, and Nicodemus with his hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes, and they two took the body of the Lord Jesus and wrapped it in the linen with the spices, and laid it in Joseph's own new tomb, which he had hewn out in a rock, wherein never man before was laid, and rolled a great stone against the door of the sepulcher and departed. Thus endeth Passion Week. While the body of Jesus is in the sepulcher the world is rejoicing, and the disciples are weeping and lamenting, according to the words of the Saviour, "Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice."

He dies! the friend of sinners dies! Lo! Salem's daughters weep around; A solemn darkness veils the skies, A sudden trembling shakes the ground.

The subject for conversation for the past two days had been Jesus and the crucifixion, but now Jesus and the resurrection. Some believed, but some doubted. Others ran to the sepulcher and found it even as the women had said. While the chief priests and elders hired the soldiers to say that the disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept. But how should they know what had become of Him if they were sleeping? The truth was they were so overcome with fear by the brightness of the angels' countenance that they became as dead men, not knowing what was transpiring around them. But it was truly good tidings and great joy to the disciples of Christ on that Easter morning.

The rising God forsakes the tomb; In vain the tomb forbids His rise; Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Christ has burst the gates of hell; Death in vain forbids His rise; Christ hath opened Paradise.

Rogation Days, are the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after Rogation Sunday and before Ascension Day, About the middle of the fifth century Mamertus, bishop of Vienna, upon the prospect of a great fire that threatened his diocese, appointed that extraordinary prayer and supplication should be offered up to God, with fasting, for averting the impending evils upon the above mentioned days; from which supplications these days have ever since been called Rogation Days. As retained in our present calendar, they are simply private fasts.

Expectation Week is the whole of the interval between Ascension Day and Whitsun Day, so called because at this time the apostles, according to the command of our Saviour, continued at Jerusalem, in earnest prayer and expectation of the Holy Comforter which was to abide with them forever. The Sunday between Ascension Day and Whitsun Day is called Expectation Sunday.

"Waft, Waft, ye winds his story, And you, ye waters, roll, Till like a sea of glory, It spreads from pole to pole."

All-Souls' Day, a festival held by Roman Catholics on the 2d of November, for special prayer in behalf of all the faithful dead. It was first introduced in 998, by Odilon, Abbot of Clugni, who enjoined it on his own order. It was soon after adopted by neighboring churches. It is the day on which, in the Romish church, extraordinary masses are repeated for the relief of souls said to be in purgatory. Formerly on this day persons dressed in black perambulated the towns and cities, each provided with a bell of dismal tone, which was rung in public places by way of exhortation to the people to remember the souls in purgatory. In some parts of the west of England it is still the custom for the village children to go around to all their neighbors souling, as they call it, collecting small contributions, and singing the following verses, taken down from two of the children themselves:

Soul! Soul! for a soul-cake, Pray good mistress, for a soul-cake, One for Peter, two for Paul, Three for Him that made us all.

Soul! soul! for an apple or two; If you've got no apples, pears will do, Up with your kettle, and down with your pan, Give me a good big one and I'll be gone.

The soul cake referred to in the verses is a sort of bun which the people used to make, and to give to one another on the 2d of November.

In the following tables there is presented at one view the day of the month on which the principal feasts and fasts fall in the ecclesiastical year 1817-18 and 1885-86. In the former Easter happens at its earliest possible date, in the latter at its latest date in this century:

HEBREW CALENDAR.

To the Bible student a knowledge of the Hebrew calendar is indispensable, if he would know how the date of events recorded in the Bible are made to correspond with our present English calendar. From the exodus downward, the Hebrew month was lunar, and commenced invariably with the new moon.

To illustrate, let us suppose that the new moon of Nisan, which is the first month in the Sacred year, should on any given year fall on the 10th of April, then the following year it would fall on the 30th of March, which is eleven days earlier; the second year it would fall on the 19th of March or twenty-two days earlier; the third year the new moon would fall on the 8th of March or thirty-three days earlier, but that would not be the new moon of Nisan, which cannot happen earlier than the 11th, so the following moon which happens thirty days later on the 7th of April is the new moon of Nisan. Hence it may be seen that by intercalating a full month every three years, or which comes nearer to accuracy seven times in nineteen years, restores the coincidence of the solar and the lunar year, and consequently the moons to the same day of the month on which they fell nineteen years before.

The method of designating the months previous to the exodus, was by their numerical order, as the ancient Hebrews had no particular name to express their month. They said the first, second and third month, and so on. No names of months appear in the Bible until about the time of the institution of the passover, when the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying this month, shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.

The names of the months appear to belong to two distinct periods. In the first place we have those peculiar to the Jews previous to the captivity, viz: Abib, the first month in commemoration of the exodus; Zif, the second, Ethanim, the seventh, and Bul, the eighth. These names are of Hebrew origin, and have reference to the characteristics of the seasons, a circumstance which clearly shows that the months, by intercalation, were made to return at the same period of the year. Thus, Abib was the month of the ears of corn, that is the month in which the ears of corn became full, or ripe on the 16th day, that is the 2d day of the feast of unleavened bread. Zif, the month of blossoms or the bloom of flowers. Ethanim, the month of gifts, that is of fruits, and Bul, the month of rain. These were superceded after the captivity, by Nisan, Iyar, Tisri and Hesvan, or Marchesvan.

Marchesvan, coinciding as it does with the rainy season in Palestine, is considered a pure Hebrew term. The modern Jews consider it a compound word, from mar, drop, and Chesvan; the former betokening that it was wet, and the latter being the proper name of the month. Hence the name indicates the wet month. In the second place we have the names of six others which appear in the Bible subsequently to the Babylonian captivity, viz.: Sivan, the third; Elul, the sixth; Kislev, the ninth; Tebet, the tenth; Sebat, the eleventh, and Adar, the twelfth. There are two other months whose names do not appear in the Bible, viz.: Tamuz, the fourth, and Ab, the fifth. The name of the intercalary month is called Ve-Adar, or 2d Adar because placed in the calendar after Adar and before Nisan.

Dr. Smith says these names are probably borrowed from the Syrians in whose regular calendar we find names answering to most of them. He also says it was the opinion of the Talmudists, that these names were introduced by the Jews who returned from the Babylonish captivity, and also that they are certainly used exclusively by writers of the post-Babylonian period.

Inasmuch as the Hebrew months coincided with the seasons, as we have already shown, it follows as a matter of course, that an additional month must have been inserted every third year, which would bring the number up to thirteen. No notice, however, is taken of this month in the Bible, neither have we reason to think that it was inserted according to any exact rule, but it was added whenever it was discovered that the barley harvest did not coincide with the ordinary return of the month Abib. It has already been shown that in the modern Jewish calendar the intercalary month is introduced seven times in nineteen years, according to the Metonic, or lunar cycle which was adopted by the Jews about 360 A. D.

In the modern Jewish calendar the New Year commences with the new moon of Tisri, which may happen as early as the 5th of September or as late as the 5th of October. The new moon of Nisan, which is the first month in the Sacred year, may happen as early as the 11th of March or as late as the 11th of April. It should be borne in mind that the names of the months Abib, Zif, Ethanim and Bul were superceded after the captivity, by Nisan, Iyar, Tisri and Hesvan or Marchesvan; also the name of the third month in the civil year, Chisleu in the Bible, Kislev in the modern Jewish calendar. In table No. 1 we have the names of the months in numerical order, also the number of days in each month. Though the months consist of 30 and 29 days alternately, yet, in the embolismic year, Adar, which in common years has 29 days, is given 30 days, and 2d Adar 29; so that two months of 30 days come together. Table No. 2 shows the earliest and the latest possible date of the new moons of each of the months respectively.

TABLE 1. HEBREW MONTHS.

Share on: WhatsApp @Hash Facebook Tweet