Time

The history of the development of various measurements for time, and the making of instruments for determining them, is an interesting one. Before the days of [[Abraham]], the [[Chaldeans]] had set up a system of days and seasons and had divided the periods of darkness and light into parts. Their seven-day week had been accepted by [[Egyptians]] before the time of [[Moses]]. Day and night were determined by the sun. The week, no doubt, was determined by the phases of the [[moon]]. The month was based on the recurrence of the new moon. In order to provide in the calendar for the extra days of the solar year over the twelve lunar months, the [[Jews]] added an [[intercalary month]]. They had no way of determining an absolute solar year, so the extra month was added every third year, with adjustments to provide seven extra months each nineteen years. It was added after the spring equinox, hence was called a [[second Adar]] (the preceding month being [[Adar]]). This method of keeping the