Forwarded message: > Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998 18:03:07 -0500 > Reply-To: History of Astronomy Discussion Group <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sender: History of Astronomy Discussion Group <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > From: "David J. Ross" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: AW: Orthodox Easter (fwd) > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Professor Lourie in St. Petersberg responded with the following remarks to the > cross post that I forwarded regarding the Easter computus, as it is known; it > seems his remarks and references may still be of interest. > > Rev. Dave Ross > > ________________ > From: > Basil Lourie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: > Christianity in Late Antiquity Discussion Group > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: > Multiple recipients of list ELENCHUS <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > There are, in our days, three forms of the Christian Easter computus. > > Gregorian calendar is adopted not only by the Western Christians, but also > by a diocese of the Patriarchate of Constantinople -- the Autonomous Church > of Finland (since 1924 or perhaps 1926 -- sorry for this inexactitude). > > Julian calendar (completely or only as regard to the Easter computus) is > retained by all other Oriental communities (not only Chalcedonian, but also > others) with unique exception of the Church of Ethiopia. > > The Easter computus of the Ethiopian Church is even more archaic: it > corresponds to the Alexandrian computus before the middle of IIIth century. > On this see: O. Neugebauer, _Ethiopic Astronomy and Computus_ Wien 1979 > (Oesterreichische Akademie der Wiss., Philos.-hist. Kl., Sitzungsberichte, > Bd. 347; Voroeffenlichungen der Komission fuer Geschichte der Mathematik, > Naturwissenschaften und Medizin, H. 22). > > Also very useful are (I limite to the modern authors where the most part of > the > references to the earlier literature are available): > > O. Neugebauer. _Abu Shaker's "Chronography". A Treatise of the 13th Century > on Chronological, Calendrical and Astronomical Matters, written by a Christian > Arab, presented in Ethiopian_ Wien 1988 (Oesterreichische Akademie der Wiss., > Philos.-hist. Kl., Sitzungsberichte, Bd. 498). > > M. Richard. Le comput pascal par octa/et/eris, _Le Mus/eon_ 87 (1974); repr. > in > Idem, _Opera minora_ I, Leuven 1976, # 21, p. 307-339. > > There are also some works on the particular systems, such as the history of > the > Eastern computus in Georgian or in Armenian Churches or on the calendars of > the Jewish world of the 2nd Temple period (based, first of all, on the > Qumranic > data). > > Basil Lourie > > St.Petersburg Society for > Byzantine and Slavic Studies > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > RUSSIA 194356 > St.Petersburg > pr.Engelsa 135-132 > B.Lourie > Fax 7(812) 559 7777 > > > > > Eugene F. Milone wrote: > > > Yes, I agree that the problem of Easter is solvable in the Gregorian context > > alone; that's why I thought the Julian Calendar issue was a 'red herring'. > > Sources indicate that only the Slavonic churches are on the 'Old (i.e., > > Julian) > > Calendar' at present. I have no information about when the other Orthodox > > churches moved to the 'New Calendar'. But the interesting thing is that > > all the Orthodox celebrate Easter on the same date -- unlike Christmas, > > which is rooted in the 13d difference between the Julian & Gregorian > > calendars. > > Cordially, > > - gene milone
