HISTORY

The Oxford Dictionary defines the word History as " The continuous methodical record of important or public events" I recall History as a subject that I excelled in, in Secondary School, actually I was so good that during my Junior Certificate exams at Chichiri Secondary School the subject never appeared on my certificate, it was wrongly adjudged by Maneb that my mark was so good maybe I had cheated on the exam, well I was finally exonerated by being the best student of my class in English and... yes, you guessed correct... History! in my final secondary school year (after we had done our 'Mock'), great stuff! The RECOGNITION!!! walking all the way to the podium in the front of the school hall to receive the award and presents. At least that ensured I would not only be remembered for my imperfections, my being a School Prefect, captaining the Basketball team, or my break dance team 'FREAKOWIZARDS' that performed during the drama festivals breaks etc.

Anyways coming back to History: Today I will post and share below and on a few separate posts issues of interest even to the reader that I have managed to come across as I continue my History habit with a focus on religions, the crusades, the post Jesus Christ era and the Middle East inclusive of North Africa, arguably the most active region in the world since time immemorial and custodian region of the two main religions. Ready?

THE BOOK OF JUBILEES

Well you will not find it in the Canonical Bible as approved by Emperor Constantine's Council of Nicaea of 325 AD however this book was wholly related to time, in this book the truly Ascetic Jews admonished the Pharisees and Sadducee's of the Jerusalem Temple for having a 354 day year! the Ascetic Jews insisted on a 364 day year with 52 weeks and a 7 days week. The one we currently use came courtesy of the Romans with 365 days but I am sure you can tell who influenced it.

NUMBER OF DAYS IN THE YEAR

The Julian calendar was actually based on a year of 365 days, 6 hours whereas true tropical solar time has 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 46 seconds. This gave rise to an extra day being lost every 128 years by the Julian reckoning. By the sixteenth century the discrepancy amounted to ten full days, and so in 1582 Pope Gregory XII made an adjustment by way of his new Gregorian calendar. This was adopted by the Catholic nations, but the Protestant countries made their adjustment later, with Britain falling in line after 1751, by which time the accumulated error resulted in 11 days.

It was announced in advance that 2nd September, 1752 would be followed immediately by 14th September: which prompted public demonstrations because people thought their lives would be shortened by 11 days. Ha ha ha!

At present to avoid a further build up of extra days during the 128 year periods, leap years have been restricted to century years divisible by 400 and to any other year divisible by 4. This reduces the average length of the annual calendar to a far more acceptable 365.2425 days.

BIBLE

What does it mean?

The word comes from a Greek plural noun Biblia which means " a collection of books".

Well now you have it, check my other posts and my take on Iraq.

Mass Sacrament

Was introduced into the Christian church by Pope Gelasius I (AD 492-96) and consisted of bread and wine, he denounced all who did not take alcohol, proclaiming them to be heretics!

CIRCUMCISION

Josephus F., Against Apion (1:22), in The Works of Flavius Josephus. It is recorded that Herodotus credited Ethiopians and Colchians with early circumcision, while claiming that the Phoenicians and Syrians in Palestine learned about it from the Egyptians.

MAL-LAWI (Malleui)

A modern city that lies across the Amarna river. A likeness of the name of the nation I come from which literally means ‘City of the Levites’. But of course my country’s name means ‘flames’ or does it? Who decided on the name Malawi anyway?