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7-2. Possibly, I think, we should regard 39 as a consequence of changing from the old method of waiting for the return of a star to visibility after its close encounter with the Sun.

Sirrah

Sheratan

Bharani

Hyadum I

Heka

0h

*27.4

*41.4

*63.4

*83.4

80

107

121

143

163

March 21

April 17

May 1

May 23

June 12

*41.4 (Bharani) + *16 = *57.4 → MARCH 14 → 3-14 (π). Here was the culmination of Porrima and *185 days later was the culmination of Schedir (the Breast of Cassiopeia).

FEBR 26 (57 = 121 - 64)

Bharani (*41.4)

May 1 (121)

 

MARCH 14 (73 = 57 + 16)

Porrima (*57)

May 17 (137)

AUG 28 (240 = 224 + 16)

Zuben Elgenubi (*224.2)

Oct 31 (304)

SEPT 15 (258 = 242 + 16)

Schedir (*242)

Nov 18 (322)

The ancient perspective would consequently have had Aldebaran (*68) positioned *16 right ascension days later, viz. at *84 (→ the Julian spring equinox).

Number 64 (→ 364 - 300) would thus correspond to the ancient 64 + 16 = 80 (→ the Gregorian spring equinox). Shifting from the ancient view to the modern view would imply not only the figure 16 but also the figure 4.

... Ecclesiastically, the equinox is reckoned to be on 21 March (even though the equinox occurs, astronomically speaking, on 20 March [*364] in most years) ...

We could say that there had been a fundamental shift from observing the stars in the early mornings in order to determine when they would return to visibility to observing the stars as they culminated.in the middle of the night (at 24h).

In the diurnal view 24h was in the middle of the night, but 24h on the star maps was a year after Sirrah (respectively a year after Bharani (*0.5 + *41.4) / 365¼ * 26000 = ca 2983 years earlier than 1842 AD → ca 1141 BC.

On Hawaii they thought the cycle of Lono should begin in November 28, i.e. 23 days before the December solstice (355, *275), and we can guess the ancient view would imply moving ahead not with 23 days but with 23 + 16 = 39 days, corresponding to day *275 + *16 = *291:

 

*39

 

Ea6-20 (198)

(291 - 54 = 237)

SEPT 25 (*188)

*227

*188 + *64 = *252

*291

In a way the ancient number for indicating π (22 / 7 → *227) corresponded to glyph number 237 → 8 * 29½ + 1. Or we could say that half a cycle had changed from π to 10 days more.