TIME

noonday or midday, and evening; and, by analogy, there would be a midnight. The only other expression we meet with is 'between the two evenings' (Ex 12=), used most probably for the time between sunset and dark, though others take it as equivalent to 'the time of the going down of the sun,' i.e. any time in the after-noon: any shorter subdivisions of time were not known to the Jews till they were brought into contact with Western civilization and the Roman military arrange-ments. The only exception to this is the 'steps' on the dial of Ahaz (2 K 20'-"). In the passages in Daniel where the word hour occurs in the EV, the term is quite an indefinite one, the 'one hour' of Dn i'' in AV becoming 'a while' in RV. The Aram, word used in that book was used in the New Hebrew for the word "hour." In the Apocrypha the word 'hour' is quite Indefinite. But in the NT we find the Western division of the day into twelve hours, reckoning from sunrise to sunset, quite established. 'Are there not twelve hours in the day?' said our Lord, in an appeal to the Jews (Jn 11'). Westcott holds that in St. John's Gospel (1*' 4:'- '2 1911) the modern mode of reckoning the hours from midnight to midnight is followed. The strongest passage in support of this view is 19'*. These twelve hours were divided Into the four military watches of three hours each (of. Mt 14^= 'the fourth watch of the night'), as distinguished from the three watches which seem to have prevailed among the Jews (' if he shall come In the second watch, and If In the third,' Lk 12''). The only other measure of time, quite in-definite and infinitesimal, is the 'moment,' common to OT, Apocr., and NT ('we shall all be changed. In a moment. In the twinkling of an eye,' 1 Co 15'^). To-morrow (Ex 8") and yesterday (Ex 5"), and even yesternight (Gn 31"), would soon take their place on either side of to-day. The Hebrew word meaning literally 'the day before yesterday,' is generally used vaguely of previous time, ' heretofore.'

The next obvious division of time would be the month. The phases of the moon would be watched, and It would soon be noticed that these recurred at regular Intervals. Each appearance of the new moon would be noted as the beginning of a new period. The first mention of the new moon in Biblical history Is in 1 S 20', though 'the beginnings of the months' are mentioned in the ritual laws of Nu 10'" 28". Of the two Heb. words for 'month,' one is identical with the word for 'moon,' the other means 'newness.' Though the actual period of each moon is rather more than 29 days, the actual time of its visibility could scarcely be more than 28 days. The first appearance of the new moon would be eagerly watched for and made a matter of rejoicing. We find, in fact, that a keen lookout was kept for it, and the 'new moon' feast was kept with great rejoicings, as well as, apparently In later times, a 'full moon' feast ('Blow up the trumpet in the new moon. At the full moon, on our solemn feast day,' Ps 81') .

Given this period of 28 days, together with the re-current phases of the moon. It would naturally be subdivided, like the day itself. Into four divisions or weeks of seven days each. The first occurrence of a week is in Gn 29", though the Creation is represented as having been completed, including the rest of the Almighty, in a period of seven days, and periods of seven days occur in the history of the Flood. Of the two Heb. names for 'week' one is derived from the number seven, and the other is Identical with ' Sabbath,' the day which completes the Jewish week. The NT takes over the latter word, and makes a Greek noun of it, whilst to the Christian and to the Christian Church, the first day of the week becomes the important day. Instead of the seventh, and is for Christians the day of gathering together 'to break bread' (Ac 20'), and of making collections for the needs of the faithful (1 Co 16'), andalso wins for Itself the name of 'the Lord's day '(Rev 1'"). The word 'week' was given other applications.

TIME

The seventh year completed a week of years and was a sabbath; seven times seven years formed seven sabbaths of years, i.e. forty-nine years, and was followed by the jubilee. From the constant occurrence of the tenth day of the month in the dating of events, it has been supposed that the month of 30 days was also subdivided into periods of ten days each (see, e.g.. Ex 12», Lv 16", Jos 4", 2 K 251 etc.).

There are no names in the OT for the days of the week except for the seventh — the Sabbath. In the Apocrypha (Jth 8') there is a name for Friday which is translated 'the eve of the Sabbath'; so in Mk 15'2 'the day before the Sabbath.' This day Is also called the Preparation (Mt 27«2, Mk 15«, Lk 23'«, Jn 19'i). In Roman Catholic service-books Good Friday is still called 'Feria Sexta In Parasceue' (i.e. the Preparation), and the following Saturday 'Sabbatum Sanctum."

Whilst these various divisions of time were being arrived at, there would be, concurrently with them, the obvious recurrence of the|seasons in their due order. One of the promises represented as having been made by God to Noah immediately after the Flood was that seedtime (i.e. spring), summer, harvest (i.e. autumn), and winter should not cease (Gn 8^2). This is the earliest time in the world's history to which a knowledge of the seasons is attributed in the Bible. Afterwards summer and winter are frequently mentioned. In AV the word 'spring,' to mean that season, occurs only in Wis 2', and ' autumn ' not at all, though the word translated ' winter' In Am 3", Jer 36", might equally be rendered 'autumn,' as the time referred to is the border time between autumn and winter. It would in due course be noticed that the seasons recurred practically after a series of twelve moons or months; hence would come in the division of time into years of twelve lunar months. A year of 360 days is implied In the history of the Flood (Gn 6-8), but no satisfactory explanation has yet been given of the scheme of years and chronology in the genealogical account of antediluvian times (Gn 5).

The twelve months of the year would be given names. The Biblical names we find for them are:

1. Abib (Ex 13'), the month of the green ears of com, about the same aa our April, called in post-exilic times, in correspondence with its Bab. name, Nisan (Neh 2*). 'This was the month in which the Passover came.

2. Ziv (1 K 6'), seemingly the bright month, called later lyyar.

3. Sivan (Est 8'), another Bab. name, occurring only in this one passage in the OT.

4. This month has no Biblical name, but was called in later times Tammuz, after the god of that name, in whose honour a fast was kept during the month,which is mentioned in Zee 8^' as ' the fast of the fourth month.'

5. This month also has no Biblical name, but was called later Ab.

6. Klul (Neh 6", 1 Mao 14"). The etymology of this name is unknown: it occuis in Assyrian.

7. Ethanim (1 K 8'), the month of constant Sowings, in later times called Tishri. This was the first month of the civil year.

8. Bui (1 K 6"), a word of doubtful etymology, called later Marcheshvan.

9. Chlslev (Neh 1>, Zee 7', 1 Mao 1" etc.), a Bab. word of uncertain derivation.

10. Tebeth (Est 2i'), taken over from the Assyrian. It has been conjectured to mean 'the month of sinking in,* i.e. the muddy month.

11. Shebat(Zeo 1', IMac 16»),taken from the Babylonian; of doubtful meaning, but, according to some, the month of destroying rain.

12. Adar (Ezr 6", Est 3' etc.), aBab. word, perhaps mean-ing darkened. In 2 Mao 15" we are informed that the twelfth month 'is called Adar in the Syrian tongue.'

The names given are, it will be seen, of rare occurrence, and only four of them are pre-exilic. Biblical writers are generally content to give the number of the month. Some of the months were notable for their ecclesiastical feasts. In the first came the Passover, on the 14th day; In the third, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost); in the seventh, the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of

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