difference between this and the true Solar year: for the year of 360 days
was the year, to the end of which they added five days.

That the _Israelites_ used the Luni-solar year is beyond question. Their
months began with their new Moons. Their first month was called _Abib_,
from the earing of Corn in that month. Their Passover was kept upon the
fourteenth day of the first month, the Moon being then in the full: and if
the Corn was not then ripe enough for offering the first Fruits, the
Festival was put off, by adding an intercalary month to the end of the
year; and the harvest was got in before the Pentecost, and the other Fruits
gathered before the Feast of the seventh month.

_Simplicius_ in his commentary [60] on the first of _Aristotle_'s _Physical
Acroasis_, tells us, that _some begin the year upon the Summer Solstice, as
the People of _Attica_; or upon the Autumnal Equinox, as the People of
_Asia_; or in Winter, as the _Romans_; or about the Vernal Equinox, as the
_Arabians_ and People of _Damascus_: and the month began, according to
some, upon the Full Moon, or upon the New._ The years of all these Nations
were therefore Luni-solar, and kept to the four Seasons: and the _Roman_
year began at first in Spring, as I seem to gather from the Names of their
Months, _Quintilis_, _Sextilis_, _September_, _October_, _November_,
_December_: and the beginning was afterwards removed to Winter. The ancient
civil year of the _Assyrians_ and _Babylonians_ was also Luni-solar: for
this year was also used by the _Samaritans_, who came from several parts of
the _Assyrian_ Empire; and the _Jews_ who came from _Babylon_ called the
months of their Luni-solar year after the Names of the months of the
_Babylonian_ year: and _Berosus_ [61] tells us that the _Babylonians_
celebrated the Feast _Sacæa_ upon the 16th day of the month _Lous_, which
was a Lunar month of the _Macedonians_, and kept to one and the same Season
of the year: and the _Arabians_, a Nation who peopled _Babylon_, use Lunar