192 The Rev. E. Hincks on the Years and Cycles 



least changed, their cyclical character in relation to the revolutions of the moon. 

 I say "changed ;" for I am aware, that the period of 600 years of 365 days had 

 a cyclical character, as well as that of 600 tropical years. The difference be- 

 tween these two was, as we have seen, 146 days, which is nearly equal to five 

 lunations ; and thus, while 600 tropical years nearly equalled 7421 lunations, 600 

 Egyptian or Persian years nearly equalled 7416 lunations. The latter two num- 

 bers being each divisible by 24, we have 25 Egyptian years nearly equal to 309 

 lunations ; a cycle, which was, of course, well known to both Egyptians and Per- 

 sians, when they had been any length of time using the wandering year. It is 

 a remarkable result of what has been now ascertained that the years of the 

 Egyptians and of the Persians were connected in a uniform manner ; and that, 

 reckoning them from their respective epochs, there could never be above a year 

 difference in the date. The first day of the Egyptian year was the 276th of the 

 Persian year that bore the same number ; while the first day of the Persian year 

 was the 91st day of the Egyptian year, which was numbered one less.* 



But it occurred to me, that, if what I have stated be correct, there would be 

 an important verification attainable of the fact, that the year which began A. D. 

 1767 was the first of alunisolar cycle. It must have the astronomical characters 

 of such a year. These characters are not to be sought in the Persian year, which 

 began 6th February, 1767, nor yet in the Egyptian year, which began 8th 

 November, 1767 ; but evidently in the old year, such as existed in antediluvian 

 ages. This year is generally admitted to have begun at the autumnal equinox. 

 Now the point to be ascertained was this. Was the new moon, which occurred 



* I have derived my information respecting the Persian year from a comparison of what is stated 

 in the Encyclopedia Metropolitana ; Art. Calendar (where the authority quoted is Playfair's Chro- 

 nology) with Barret on the Zodiac, p. 7, who quotes Freret. I have endeavoured to separate the 

 facts stated by these writers on ancient authority from their own inferences from them. The former 

 I have retained ; the latter I have criticised, and in general rejected. 



The historic facts mentioned by these authors are the three following, viz. that the era of 

 Yezdegird commenced on the 16th June, A. D. 632 ; that the first year of it was the 961st of a 

 period of 1440 years, which had been preceded by another similar period ; and that after the time 

 of Yezdegird a month was to be intercalated at the end of every 120 years. The nature of the year 

 before Yezdegird is matter of hypothesis. Freret supposed it to have had intercalary months in the 

 same manner as afterwards. I cannot but regard this opinion as unfounded. If Yezdegird made 

 no change in the form of the year, there appears no reason for the Persians dating their years from 

 his reign. He was an unfortunate prince, with whom his dynasty ended. 



