4i 6 Mr, Marsden on the Era of 
concur with the fovereign authority. The date of the Hejera 
was thenceforth expreffed in all the public ads and letters. 
It mud; be underftood, that although the account of the 
years, collectively confidered, was vague, that of the months 
was certain, and their fucceftion at all times fcrupuloufly 
attended to. Omar did not think it expedient to attempt any 
innovation as to the time of beginning the year, againft which 
the ideas of the people would have revolted ; and therefore, 
although the efcape of Mahomet from the indignation of his 
fellow-citizens was effected, according to their records, on the 
firft day of the third month, or Rabee prior (on the twelfth 
day of which he reached Medina), yet the Hejera takes date 
from a period two months antecedent to this flight, namely, 
from the firft day of Moharram, being the day on which im- 
memorial cuftom had eftablilhed the celebration of the feftival 
of the new year (c). 
The Arabian and Syrian Chriftians, and the Mahometan 
aftronorners in general, appear to have fixed this day to 
Thurfday the fifteenth of the Syro-Macedonian month Ta- 
mooz, anfwering to our July ; but fome among the latter, and 
moft of their hiftorical writers, refer it to the next day, Fri- 
day the fixteenth, and this latter date has, in modern times, 
obtained almoft univerfal acceptance {d'). A religious pre- 
ference which Friday claims above the reft of the week, feems 
to have given effect to the arguments in its favour [e). The 
difference of opinion on this fubjeCt has arifen, in the firft 
place, from the uncertainty unavoidably attending a date, to 
be aicertained, at a diftant period of time, from the phafe of 
the moon, which is retarded or advanced by fo complicated a 
variety of circumftances ffj : and the ambiguity appears, in 
the fecond place, to have been promoted by the cuftom of the 
Arabs 
