CALENDAR.

Long before the creation of man, The biblical God provided the basis for such measuring of time. Gen.1:14-15. Tells us that one of the purposes of the "luminaries in the expanse of the heavens" is that they might serve for "seasons and for days and years." The solar day, and the solar year, and the lunar months are the natural division of time.

For those who are believers the time of Adam and Eve's banishment from the Garden of Eden, time has been measured in terms of years. Thus Adam was " A hundred and thirty years" of age when he became the father of Seth. See Genesis. 5:3.

In Roman chronology, the era of the Foundation of Rome (ab urbe condita, or auc) dates from April 22, 753 b.c.e. and the Julian era dates from the reform of the calendar by Julius Caeser in 45 b.c.e. He then issued a decree, changing the Roman calendar from a lunar to a solar year, so he had his astronomer Sosigenes invent what is known as the Julian calendar. In 44 b.c.e. Julius Caeser changed the name of the month Quintilis to Julius (July) after himself. The month of Sextilis was renamed to Augustus (August) in honour of Roman emperor Caeser Augustus who succeeded Julius Caeser.

The Romans were a dominating force of power when the supposed Jesus was said to have been born, and in 525 c.e. (a.d.) The Julian calendar was replaced by a new calendar which the 6^th century Pope had prepared, when he commissioned a Christian monk Dionysius Exiguus who fixed the date of the birth of Jesus in the year of Rome 753, or 0 b.c.e. Jesus first birthday for example would be 1 Anno Domini (year of our Lord) usually shown as 1 c.e. (a.d.) The calendar, when finished, was gradually adopted throughout Christendom.

In the 14^th century Pope Gregory X111 on advice from his astronomers issued the Gregorian calendar which is almost universally adopted today throughout the world. This Gregorian calendar has months named after the gods of Janus, and Mars and the goddess of Juno and continues to be used by Chrisendom to this very day.

In recent times, modern scholars have found that some of the dates of Roman history, near the beginning of the Christian era, cannot be reconciled with what has been recorded in New Testament writings. Such as, when Herod the Great (73 - 4 b.c.e.) reigned as King of Judea (37 - 4 b.c.e.) ordered the "Massacre of the Innocents." Death of all infant boys under the age of two, in Bethlehem, and in all it's districts, so as to make sure that the infant Jesus was killed. See Matt.2:16.

No other gospel writer makes mention of this massacre, and it is now generally regarded as being false. Herod the Great had already been dead four years before the birth of Jesus, as calculated by Dionysius Exiguus. This created a serious problem with New testament writings, and the easiest way to resolve this predicament was for modern scholars to move the Birth date of Jesus back to 4 or 5 b.c.e. Just prior to Herod's death. At this point of time I am trying to establish at what time in modern history was this date changed, [At the moment it points to James Ussher 1581-1656, Irish church dignitary, Anglican scholar. Ussher had numerous writings the most important being "Annals of the World." 1650-1654 translated 1658. These writings establish his biblical chronology with the creation being fixed at 4004 b.c.e. This date is widely accepted by the church and is included in the page margins of many edition of Authorised or King James versions of the bible.]

Both of these dates are in contradiction to the Gospel of Luke. When Mary (who was about to give birth) and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem the Census was being taken according to New Testament writings but no dates are given. According to the historian of the day, Josephus, it can be calculated out that the Census took place in 6 c.e. Is this the true date of the supposed Jesus birth?

We also know at this point in time, that Calendars throughout the world are being modified to show Monday as being the first day of the week, instead of the biblical Sunday. Perhaps we should ask why? Maybe another 100 years down the track Monday will be recognised as the first day of the week and then Sunday will appear to be the true Sabbath.

Jim Lee.

From an article in "The Sunday Mail" in Australia 26/12/99. Page 91

In the 6^th century a monk Dionysius Exiguus or Dennis the Short was asked by Pope John 1^st to draw up a Christian chronology of human history based on the day of Christ's coming. Dennis was accustomed to dating events from the foundation of Rome.(ab urbe condita) AU C . So that was the basis on which he fixed the date of Christ's birth as December 25, 753 AUC. The date of the circumcision of Christ, who was then 1 week old.

The first of January was also - and this was no coincidence -New year's Day in the Roman calendar. When time began again on January 1, 754 AUC that day became January 1 in the year 1 c.e.

Harvard's professor Stephen Jay Gould.

This article came from "Conversations about the end of time" edited by Catherine David, Frederic Lenoir and Jean Philippe de Tomnac.