His 7th year therefore began after midsummer _An. J.P._ 4256; and the Journey of _Ezra_ to _Jerusalem_ in the spring following fell on the beginning of _An. J.P._ 4257, as above. Notes to Chap. X. [1] Chap. ix. 24, 25, 26, 27. [2] _Cut upon_. A phrase in _Hebrew_, taken from the practise of numbring by cutting notches. [3] Heb. _to seal_, i.e. to finish or consummate: a metaphor taken from sealing what is finished. So the _Jews_ compute, _ad obsignatum Misna, ad obsignatum Talmud_, that is, _ad absolutum_. [4] Heb. _the Prophet_, not the Prophecy. [5] Heb. _the Messiah_, that is, in _Greek_, _the Christ_; in _English_, _the Anointed_. I use the _English_ word, that the relation of this clause to the former may appear. [6] _Jerusalem_. [7] See _Isa._ xxiii. 13. [8] Iren. l. 5. Haer. c. 25. [9] Apud Hieron. in h. l. [10] 1 Kings xi. 7. [11] The antient solar years of the eastern nations consisted of 12 months, and every month of 30 days: and hence came the division of a circle into 360 degrees. This year seems to be used by _Moses_ in his history of the Flood, and by _John_ in the _Apocalypse_, where a time, times and half a time, 42 months and 1260 days, are put equipollent. But in reckoning by many of these years together, an account is to be kept of the odd days which were added to the end of these years. For the _Egyptians_ added five days to the end of this year; and so did the _Chaldeans_ long before the times of _Daniel_, as appears by the _AEra_, of _Nabonassar_: and the _Persian_ 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.