(6) And they -placed them on the heavenly tables, each had thirteen weeks ; from one to another (passed) their memorial, from the first to the second, and from the second to the third, and from the third to the fourth.

(6) And command thou the children of Israel that they observe the years according to this reckoning — three hundred and sixty-four days, and (these) will constitute a complete year, and they will not disturb its time from its days and from its feasts ; for everything will fall out in them according to their testimony, and they will not leave out any day nor disturb any feasts.

(1) On matters of religion it says in revelation thus: 'The creatures of the world were created by me complete in three hundred and sixty-five days,' that is, the six periods of the Gâhanbârs which are completed in a year.

(2) It is always necessary first to count the day and afterwards the night, for first the day goes off, and then the night comes on. And from the season (gâs) of Mêdôk-shêm, which is the auspicious day Khûr of the month Tîr, to the season of Mêdîyârêm, which is the auspicious day Vâhrâm of the month Dîn—the shortest day—the night increases; and from the season of Mêdîyârêm to the season of Mêdôk-shêm the night decreases and the day increases. 4. The summer day is as much as two of the shortest winter days, and the winter night is as much as two of the shortest summer nights. 5. The summer day is twelve Hâsars, the night six Hâsars; the winter night is twelve Hâsars, the day six; a Hâsar being a measure of time and, in like manner, of land. 6. In the season of Hamêspamadâyêm, that is, the five supplementary days at the end of the month Spendarmad, the day and night are again equal. 7. As from the auspicious day Aûharmazd of the month Fravardîn to the auspicious day Anîrân of the month Mitrô is the summer of seven months, so from the auspicious day Aûharmazd of the month Âvân to the auspicious month Spendarmad, on to the end of the five supplementary days, is winter of five months. 8. The priest fulfils the regulation (vakar) about a corpse and other things, by this calculation as to summer and winter. 9. In those seven months of summer the periods (gâs) of the days and nights are five—since one celebrates the Rapîtvîn—namely, the period of daybreak is Hâvan, the period of midday is Rapîtvîn, the period of afternoon is Aûzêrîn, when the appearance of the stars has come into the sky until midnight is the period of Aîbisrûtêm, from midnight until the stars become imperceptible is the period of Aûshahîn. 10. In winter are four periods, for from daybreak till Aûshahîn is all Hâvan, and the rest as I have said; and the reason of it is this, that the appearance of winter is in the direction of the north, where the regions Vôrûbarst and Vôrûgarst are; the original dwelling of summer, too, is in the south, where the regions Fradadafsh and Vîdadafsh are; on the day Aûharmazd of the auspicious month Âvân the winter acquires strength and enters into the world, and the spirit of Rapîtvîn goes from above-ground to below-ground, where the spring (khânî) of waters is, and diffuses warmth and moisture in the water, and so many roots of trees do not wither with cold and drought. 11. And on the auspicious day Âtarô of the month Dîn the winter arrives, with much cold, at Aîrân-vêg; and until the end, in the auspicious month Spendarmad, winter advances through the whole world; on this account they kindle a fire everywhere on the day Âtarô of the month Dîn, and it forms an indication that winter has come. 12. In those five months the water of springs and conduits is all warm, for Rapîtvîn keeps warmth and moisture there, and one does not celebrate the period of Rapîtvîn. 13. As the day Aûharmazd of the month Fravardîn advances it diminishes the strength which winter possesses, and summer comes in from its own original dwelling, and receives strength and dominion. 14. Rapîtvîn comes up from below-ground, and ripens the fruit of the trees; on this account the water of springs is cold in summer, for Rapîtvîn is not there; and those seven months one celebrates the Rapîtvîn, and summer advances through the whole earth. 15. And yet in the direction of Hindûstân, there where the original dwelling of summer is nearer, it is always neither cold nor hot; for in the season which is the dominion of summer, the rain always dispels most of the heat, and it does not become perceptible; in the winter rain does not fall, and the cold does not become very perceptible. 16. In the northern direction, where the preparation of winter is, it is always cold; for in the summer mostly, on account of the more oppressive winter there, it is not possible so to dispel the cold that one might make it quite warm. 17. In the middle localities the cold of winter and heat of summer both come on vehemently. 18. Again, the year dependent on the revolving moon is not equal to the computed year on this account, for the moon returns one time in twenty-nine, and one time in thirty days, and there are four hours (zamân) more than such a one of its years; as it says, that every one deceives where they speak about the moon (or month), except when they say that it comes twice in sixty days. 19. Whoever keeps the year by the revolution of the moon mingles summer with winter and winter with summer. 20. This, too, it says, that the auspicious month Fravardîn, the month Ardavahist, and the month Horvadad are spring; the month Tîr, the month Amerôdad, and the month Shatvaîrô are summer; the month Mitrô, the month Âvân, and the month Âtarô are autumn; the month Dîn, the month Vohûman, and the month Spendarmad are winter. 21. And the sun comes from the sign (khûrdak) of Aries, into which it proceeded in the beginning, back to that same place in three hundred and sixty-five days and six short times (hours), which are one year. 22. As every three months it (the sun) advances through three constellations, more or less, the moon comes, in a hundred and eighty days, back to the place out of which it travelled in the beginning.

(6) Thus it is en- graven and ordained on the heavenly tables. And there is no neglecting (this commandment) for a single year or from year to year.

(3) "And the Fate and the sphere over which they rule, I have changed and brought it to pass that they spend six months turned to the left and accomplish their influences, and that six months they face to the right and accomplish their influences. For by command of the First Commandment and by command of the First Mystery Yew, the Overseer of the Light, had set them facing the left at every time and accomplishing their influences and their deeds.

(6) For I know and from henceforth shall I declare it unto thee, and it is not of my own devising ; for the book (lieth) written before me, and on the heavenly tables the division of days is ordained, lest they forget the feasts of the covenant and walk according to the feasts of the Gentiles after their error and after their ignorance.

(23) And they called eight a cube, counting the fixed sphere along with the seven revolving ones, by which is produced "the great year," as a kind of period of recompense of what has been promised.

(6) And on the new moon of the first month, and on the new moon of the fourth 8 " Of a double nature " in that (?) it commemorates the covenant with Noah, and also ha3 an agricultural character. •i.e. the Pentateuch. 7 Or "the .first day" (of the week) = Sunday. Con- sequently, Pentecost would always fall on the same day of the week, Sunday. This accords with the Sadducean view. f> THE, BOOK OF JUBILEES [chap, vi month, and on the new moon of the seventh month, and on the new moon of the tenth month are the days of remembrance, and the days of the seasons in the four divisions of the year. These are written and ordained as a testimony for ever.

(3) He ordained the year and into sections he divided it

(7) So that when it comes back to Varak, in three hundred and sixty days and the five Gâtha days, it goes in and comes out through one and the same aperture; the aperture is not mentioned, for if it had been mentioned the demons would have known the secret, and been able to introduce disaster.

(6) And all the days of the commandment will be two and fifty weeks of days, and (these will make) the entire year complete.

(6) For this reason the years will come upon them when they will disturb (the order), ' A lunar year consists of 354 days. Our author wages a polemic against the use of the moon for determining the seasons and feasts. But a lunar year was accepted by the Pharisees. and make an abominable (day) the day of testimony, and an unclean day a feast day, and they will con- found all the days, the holy with the unclean, and the unclean day with the holy; for they will go wrong as to the months and sabbaths and feasts and jubilees.

(5) For there are a hundred and eighty apertures (rôgîn) in the east, and a hundred and eighty in the west, through Albûrz; and the sun, every day, comes in through an aperture, and goes out through an aperture; and the whole connection and motion of the moon and constellations and planets is with it: every day it always illumines (or warms) three regions (kêshvar) and a half, as is evident to the eyesight.