It seems, at this time, the major part of the world, thro’ ignorance or negligence, knew not the true length of a year, making it of 360 days only. But _Abraham_ taught the _Egyptians_ better; for now we may understand that remark in _Syncellus_, that under _Assis_ or _Hercules_, the last of the pastor kings, the 5 additional days were placed in their year. And then a solar year of 365 days first began among the _Egyptians_. ’Tis somewhat odd, that the _Egyptians_ should call these 5 additional days by the word _Nesi_, which signifies a _snake_. I suppose they meant by it _sacred days_, _holy days_. They were placed at the end of the year, and reckon’d birth-days of the gods, I suppose from some fore-notices they had of the birth of Messiah at that time of the year; for I find all antiquity had such notice. But _Syncellus_ does not tell us the whole of the truth: _Abraham_ taught _Assis_ likewise the intercalation of the quarter-day, and the leap-day every fourth year. For, according to what I have been able to see concerning this matter, the _Mosaic_ or patriarchal year was solar, and strictly _Julian_. But when the world was o’erwhelm’d with idolatry, providence judg’d proper to alter the year too, in order to dislocate their heathenish and superstitious festivals. Therefore to _Moses_ God communicated the form of the lunæ-solar year, which the _Jews_ use to this day. But toward the advent of Messiah, providence took care to restore the ancient patriarchal year, in the _Julian_ form. Hence we may account for what _Herodotus_ tells us of the _Thebans_, a people in upper _Egypt_, who intercalate the quarter-day every fourth year: from the earliest times, no doubt from the time of _Hercules_. Let us mention this remark. In the sacred account of _Abraham_’s sojourning here in _Egypt_, we meet with no distaste of the _Egyptians_ to shepherds, which in his grandson _Jacob_’s time was an abomination to them. This shews that the pastor kings now reign’d here, with whom _Abraham_ convers’d; and it shews the reason of that abomination, when they were expell’d; it confirms this history of _Manethon_’s dynasty, and illustrates the scriptures. _Jacob_’s family being _Canaanites_ and shepherds, were taken to be of those that held the _Egyptians_ in so long a war. They were pretended to be spies by _Joseph_, _Gen._ xlii. 9. [Illustration: TAB. XXXVII. KIST VAEN _In Cornwal_ _In Cornwal_ _In Monkton field by Abury_ _Stukeley delin._ _E. Kirkall sculp._]