sian_ Magi used the same year of 365 days, till the Empire of the
_Arabians_. The antient _Greeks_ also used the same solar year of 12 equal
months, or 360 days; but every other year added an intercalary month,
consisting of 10 and 11 days alternately.

The year of the _Jews_, even from their coming out of _Egypt_, was
Luni-solar. It was solar, for the harvest always followed the Passover, and
the fruits of the land were always gathered before the feast of
Tabernacles, _Levit._ xxiii. But the months were lunar, for the people were
commanded by _Moses_ in the beginning of every month to blow with trumpets,
and offer burnt offerings with their drink offerings, _Num._ x. 10. xxviii.
11, 14. and this solemnity was kept on the new moons, _Psal._ lxxxi. 3,4,5.
1 _Chron._ xxiii. 31. These months were called by _Moses_ the first,
second, third, fourth month, _&c._ and the first month was also called
_Abib_, the second _Zif_, the seventh _Ethanim_, the eighth _Bull_, _Exod._
xiii. 4. 1 _Kings_ vi. 37, 38. viii. 2. But in the _Babylonian_ captivity
the _Jews_ used the names of the _Chaldean_ months, and by those names
understood the months of their own year; so that the _Jewish_ months then
lost their old names, and are now called by those of the _Chaldeans_.

The _Jews_ began their civil year from the autumnal Equinox, and their
sacred year from the vernal: and the first day of the first month was on
the visible new moon, which was nearest the Equinox.

Whether _Daniel_ used the _Chaldaick_ or _Jewish_ year, is not very
material; the difference being but six hours in a year, and 4 months in 480
years. But I take his months to be _Jewish_: first, because _Daniel_ was a
_Jew_, and the _Jews_ even by the names of the _Chaldean_ months understood
the months of their own year: secondly, because this Prophecy is grounded
on _Jeremiah_'s concerning the 70 years captivity, and therefore must be
understood of the same sort of years with the seventy; and those are
_Jewish_, since that Prophecy was given in _Judea_ before the captivity:
and lastly, because _Daniel_ reckons by weeks of years, which is a way of
reckoning peculiar to the _Jewish_ years. For as their days ran by sevens,
and the last day of every seven was a sabbath; so their years ran by
sevens, and the last year of every seven was a sabbatical year, and seven
such weeks of years made a _Jubilee_.

* * * * *

CHAP. XI.

_Of the Times of the