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This
webpage is part of www.alexandriancomputus.net,
which supports the new book on early Alexandrian Paschal reckoning
[Jan Zuidhoek (2023) Reconstructing Alexandrian Lunar Cycles (on the basis of Espenak’s Six Millennium Catalog
of Phases of the Moon): Zwolle], and displays the table of contents of this new book,
which is available via this website. |
The table we show here is
a reproduction of the table of contents of the book in question. It is followed
by a reproduction of the full text of its section "Three post-Nicene Alexandrian Metonic lunar cycles".
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Contents |
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Introduction
Three ante-Nicene Alexandrian Metonic lunar cycles
(1) Anatolius’ lunar cycle
Reconstructing
Anatolius’ lunar cycle
(0)
The proto-Alexandrian lunar
cycle
Anatolian lunar cycles
Searching for Anatolius’ lunar cycle
Dating the spring equinox
(2)
The archetypal Alexandrian lunar cycle
Reconstructing the archetypal
Alexandrian lunar cycle
Three post-Nicene Alexandrian Metonic lunar cycles
(3) The Festal Index lunar cycle
(4) Theophilus’ lunar cycle
(5) The classical Alexandrian lunar cycle
The Alexandrian 2-day gap
More evidence
Summary
Epilogue
Bibliography
Index
Appendix I (Anatolius’ Paschal table)
Appendix II (Dionysius Exiguus’
Paschal table)
Appendix III (Beda Venerabilis’
Easter table)
Appendix IV (Christian Era and Universal Time)
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Contrary to
the three (lost) ante-Nicene Alexandrian Metonic lunar cycles, the three (well-known)
post-Nicene Alexandrian Metonic lunar cycles were not constructed at all, but
one by one obtained by trying to find again or by adapting some earlier
Alexandrian Metonic lunar cycle. They relate
respectively to three important bishops of Alexandria:
1) bishop Athanasius (AD 328-373),
famous because of his contribution to the compilation of the New Testament and
his twice a year Festal Letters containing his own Paschal dates;93
2) bishop Theophilus (AD 385-412), notorious
for his persecution of non-Christians and dissident Christians,94 but also important because of Theophilus’ Paschal table of 100 years, which began
with the Alexandrian calendar year AD 379/380 and was dedicated to emperor
Theodosius I (379-395);95
3) bishop Cyril (AD 412-444), also
notorious for his persecution of non-Christians and dissident Christians,96 but also important because of
Cyril’s Paschal table of 114 years, which began
with the Alexandrian calendar year AD 398/399 and was dedicated to emperor
Theodosius II (408-450).97
Some time after Athanasius’ death in
AD 373, Athanasius’ Festal Letters were brought together by an Alexandrian
anonymous, who the compilation of letters of Athanasius in question provided
with a (not completely consistent) collection of computistical
details we refer to as the ‘Athanasian Index’, and for that purpose must have
used some improvised Paschal table containing some Metonic lunar cycle we refer
to as the ‘Festal Index lunar cycle’.98 In about AD 390, in order to structure his Paschal table of
100 years, bishop Theophilus introduced his own Metonic lunar cycle.99 In his turn, in order to structure
his chronological system, the Alexandrian monk and great computist
Annianus introduced his own Metonic lunar cycle; this
happened in about AD 412, the year Theophilus died.100 Some years later, bishop Cyril must
have adopted Annianus’ lunar cycle for the benefit of his Paschal table of 114
years.
The question arises to which extent the
three (well-known) post-Nicene
Alexandrian Metonic lunar cycles differ from their ante-Nicene common
archetype. Neither the Festal Index lunar cycle nor Theophilus’ lunar cycle is
generally considered to be completely known: in each of both cases there is
some doubt about some of its dates of PFM. But Annianus’ lunar cycle, also
referred to as the ‘classical Alexandrian lunar cycle’ because of the prominent
role it ultimately would play in the genesis of the Christian Era, is fully known:
it has dates of PFM 5 April and 25 March exactly where the archetypal
Alexandrian lunar cycle has 6 April and 26 March.
© Jan Zuidhoek 2023‑2026