296 



Turin, nor is any that follows it; but all the preceding^ dynasties, 

 which the Papyrus recognised as real and distinct, have their kings re- 

 corded in it. The Papyrus, however, has only ten of the sixteen 

 dynasties of Manetho — narnely, the first, the second ; the third and 

 fourth, thrown into one ; the fifth, the sixth, the eighth, the eleventh, 

 the twelfth, the thirteenth, and the Shepherds. Dr. Hincks^ believes 

 that the whole of the second, and the greater part of the firsthand fifth 

 dynasties of Manetho, were contemporary with the third and fourth ; 

 and has great doubts whether the eighth and eleventh, and again the 

 thirteenth and the Shepherds, were not to some extent contem- 

 poraneous. 



The Sothic, or sacred year, is then considered; and it is shown 

 that it began on the 21st July in the two years before the Augustan 

 bissextile, and on the 20th in the bissextile year and that which next 

 followed it. It began on the same day with the civil year in the four 

 years, A. D. 134, 135, 136, and 137, deviating from it in A. D. 138, when 

 the civil year began on the sixth of the epagomense. This was counted as 

 the first year of the 3rd canicular cycle, the other two having commenced 

 on the 20th July, B. C. 2783, and 1323. The Sothic year must have su- 

 perseded the still older year which began at the summer solstice, or at 

 the beginning of the inundation, when this event occurred at the 

 heliacal rising of Sothis — that is, as very roughly calculated, about 

 3200 B. C. 



The Egyptians had also, it is next observed, a lunar year, beginning 

 at the new moon which next followed the summer solstice. This year 

 was of very great antiquity, and was in use at the same time with the 

 better known, fixed, and moveable years already spoken of. Dr. 

 Hincks thinks that there was also a wandering lunar year, like that 

 now used by the Mahometans, in use in Egypt. It seems to be referred 

 to in some very ancient inscriptions, and also in the Calendar of Esneh, 

 in which three days are mentioned as new year's days, and on that ac- 

 count observed as festivals. M. Brugsch only attempts to explain one 

 of these ; M. Mariette differs as to this from M. Brugsch, but attempts to 

 explain a second. Dr. Hincks maintains that MM. Brugsch and Ma- 

 riette have not only failed to explain all the commencements of years, 

 but have given false explanations where they gave any. He explains 

 all the dates as follows : — Supposing that the calendar belongs to the 

 Sothic year which began 21st July, A. D. 103, the first day of this 

 was a double festival, being the commencement both of the Sothic year 

 and the regular lunar year. The ninth day of the year, 29th July, 

 A. D. 103, was the first Thoth of the civil year ; and the 296th day of 

 the year, ten lunations after the first, was the commencement of the 

 wandering lunar year, 11th May, A. D. 104. The 21st July, A. D. 103, 

 was the neomenia, according to the Egyptians, the conjunction of the 

 sun and moon occurring that evening. A Karnac inscription of the 

 Ptolemaic period speaks of the moon god being conceived on the first 

 day of the month, born on the second, and attaining his maturity, or 



