Happy Belated Bris of Christ!

[peristaltor]

Ever wonder why New Year's Day always falls a week after Xmas Day? Blame Dennis the Short:

Dennis began his career working in Constantinople for Pope Gelasius, translating works in the papal archives from Greek into Latin. Later, under Pope John I, he was still translating - this time working on Easter tables drawn up by Saint Theophilus. The problem was that under the dating system of the time, Easter was difficult to calculate because the calendars weren't correct. Dennis decided to correct the dating system which was then using Anno Diocletani - years since the Roman emperor Diocletian. Diocletian was infamous for persecuting Christians. Dennis wanted to glorify Christ, so he worked on a dating system based on the life of Jesus. . . .

The actual date of Jesus' birth had long been lost or forgotten by the time he started his quest, so Dennis, in his efforts to simplify the convoluted 19-year and 84-year Easter cycles, turned to the only sources he could find - Roman ones. He used them to try and backtrack. Good idea, but his sources were not accurate. Nor was his grasp of mathematics.

How bad were Dennis' sources and math? Herod, the king before which Jesus was presented the king who ordered the census that caused Mary and Joseph to trek to Bethlehem, died in 4 BC. Ah, but I digress. Back to New Year's Day:

Dennis also decided the eighth day after Jesus' birth (traditionally the date of his circumcision, based on Jewish custom) should be the official New Year - the start of year 1 - as his marker. (Emphasis mine.)

It turns out Jesus wouldn't have been named before this ceremony, and for good reason:

The kabbalistic writings teach us that seven days represent the physical world of creation. Thus, when a child has lived for eight days, he has transcended the physical to the metaphysical. The covenant joining body and soul, physical and spiritual, can now take place. A bris has no meaning when performed before the eighth day.

Who knew?

Happy (snip) New Year!


X-Posted to antitheism.


Addendum, later that day: My biblical ignorance corrected by vox_diabolica.