Page:The chronology of ancient nations (IA chronologyofanci00biru).djvu/324
frequently in our discourse, we shall use the term Great Jijal (i.e. Great Cycle).
The difference regarding the cycles has this origin: According to the Jews the first year of the Æra Alexandri is the tenth year of the Cycle (Enneadecateris), whilst according to the Christians it is the 13th year. For some of them count the interval between Adam and Alexander as 5069 years, others as 5180 years. The majority uses the latter number; it is also well known among scholars (of other nations). It occurs e.g. in the following verses of Khâlid b. Yazîd b. Mu'âwiya b. 'Abî-Sufyân, who was the first philosopher in Islam; people say even that the source of his wisdom was that learning which Daniel had derived from the Treasure-Cave, the same one where Adam the father of mankind had deposited his knowledge.
And further 100 single years, which were joined in right order to 6 times 1000,
He manifested the religion of his lord, Islâm, and it was consolidated and established by the Flight (Hijra); " i.e. Anno Adami 6113.
The Hijra occurred A. Alexandri 933. If you subtract this from the just mentioned 6113 years of the Æra Mundi, you get as remainder
5180 years
(as the interval between Adam and Alexander). Now they converted this number of years into Small Cycles, and got as remainder
12 years,
i.e. at the beginning of the Æra Alexandri 12 years of the current Enneadecateris had already elapsed.
Further they arranged the years of the Enneadecateris according to the Ordo Intercalationis בהזיגוח (i.e. 2. 5. 7. 10. 13. 16. 18.), because this arrangement stands by itself, as not requiring you to subtract anything from the years of the era.
In the first year of the cycle they fixed Passover on the 25th of Adhâr, because in the year when Christ was crucified it must have fallen on this date. Starting from this point they arranged the Passovers of all the other years. Its earliest date is the 21st Adhâr, its latest date the 18th Nîsân. So the Terminus Paschalis extends over 28 days.
Therefore the earliest date of Passover falls always by two days later than the vernal equinox as observed by eye-sight (i.e. the 19th Adhâr). And this is to serve as a help and precaution against that which is mentioned in the 7th Canon of the Canones Apostolorum: " Whatever bishop, or presbyter, or diaconus celebrates the feast of Passover before the equinox together with the Jews, shall be deposed from his rank."