n,' when the year from the new year's day was called the
first year, and the following ones were brought successively from
it. Notwithstanding, in the dates of several Assyrian and Babylonian
sovereigns there are cases of the year of accession being considered
as the first year, thus giving two reckonings for the reigns of various
monarchs, among others, Shalmaneser, Sennacherib, Nebuchadrezzar."(9)
This uncertainty as to the years of reckoning again emphasizes the fact
that the solar year did not have for the Assyrian chronology quite the
same significance that it has for us.

The Assyrian month commenced on the evening when the new moon was first
observed, or, in case the moon was not visible, the new month started
thirty days after the last month. Since the actual lunar period is
about twenty-nine and one-half days, a practical adjustment was required
between the months themselves, and this was probably effected by
counting alternate months as Only 29 days in length. Mr. R. Campbell
Thompson(10) is led by his studies of the astrological tablets to
emphasize this fact. He believes that "the object of the astrological
reports which related to the appearance of the moon and sun was to help
determine and foretell the length of the lunar month." Mr. Thompson
believes also that there is evidence to show that the interculary month
was added at a period less than six years. In point of fact, it does
not appear to be quite clearly established as to precisely how the
adjustment of days with the lunar months, and lunar months with the
solar year, was effected. It is clear, however, according to Smith,
"that the first 28 days of every month were divided into four weeks of
seven days each; the seventh, fourteenth, twenty-first, twenty-eighth
days respectively being Sabbaths, and that there was a general
prohibition of work on these days." Here, of course, is the foundation
of the Hebrew system of Sabbatical days which we have inherited. The
sacredness of the number seven itself--the belief in which has not
been quite shaken off even to this day--was deduced by the Assyrian
astronomer from his observation of the seven planetary bodies--namely,
Sin (the moon), Samas (the sun), Umunpawddu (Jupiter), Dilbat (Venus),
Kaimanu (Saturn), Gudud (Mercury), Mustabarru-mutanu (Mars).(11) Twelve
lunar periods, making up approximately the solar year, gave peculiar
importance to the number twelve also. Thus the zodiac was divided into
twelve si