Sender: Rare book and manuscripts <EXLIBRIS-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU>
At 01:51 AM 12/22/2006, you wrote:
for jews or for muslims, less than 365..because they have lunar and
not solar calendars.
This is true for the Muslim calendar, but only partially true for the
Hebrew calendar. A lunar calendar would "short" the year from the
about eleven days from the solar calendar, which would mean that
calendared religious commemorations would rotate through the
seasons. However, the Hebrew calendar is mathematically adjusted to
the solar year as the Hebrew calendars compensate for the days missed
by setting up 19 year cycles in which there are seven "leap months,"
meaning that during each of the seven "leap years" in the cycle has
extra lunar month inserted into the calendar. I believe that this
feature was instituted to keep agriculturally-based holidays in the
seasons appropriate to them. This ritual necessity probably was not
a factor in establishing the Muslim calendar; I am not aware that
Islam has agriculturally-based commemorations so the commemorations
cycle can through the seasons without creating any anomalies.
However, when the fast-month of Ramadan occurs in mid-summer, the
inability to drink water makes Ramadan a much more severe fast than
when it occurs during the rainy season (winter).
Jerry Blaz/mybookiejoint.com
Jerry Blaz mybookiejoint.com
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