CALENDAR. An almanac—a method of marking exactly the division of the years, starting from some great epoch. Thus Christian nations reckon their time from the birth of Christ, while those of the Mohammedan faith reckon theirs from the hegira, or, the flight of Mohammed from Mecca. The Masonic era commences with the creation of the world (Anno Mundi), or, asonically expressed, Anne Lucis, year of light, or year of the Lodge. Between the creation of the world and the advent of Christ 4000 years intervene; thus A. D. 1866 added to 4000 gives the Masonic year, 5866. The Rite of Misraim adopts the chronology of Archbishop Usher, which adds 4 years to the common era, and makes 5870 the Masonic year. The Scotch rite employs the Jewish chronology; thus the Hebrew year 5826 is the A. L. of Scotch Masonry. • This rite also adopts the Hebrew manner of dividing the year into months, and closes the year Sept. 17, and begins the new on the 17th (Tisri, 1st). The York rite commences the year with Jan. 1; the French with March 1. The Royal Arch degrees begin their computation with the year in which Zerubbabel began to build the second temple, which was 530 years before Christ. So that 530+1866=2396,
the Masonic year of the Royal Arch. The Royal and Select Master's degree reckons time from the year in which Solo mon's Temple was completed, viz: 1000 years before Christ. Thus, 1000 + 1866=2866, the year of the Royal and Select Master. The Knights Templar compute time from the founding of the Order, A. D. 1118; so that A. D. 1866-1118.= 748 the year of the Order of the Temple. Others (Strict Observance`, commence their reckoning from the destruc tion of the Templars, in 1314; therefore, A. D. 1866-1314= 552. The following will place these Masonic years directly before the eye: A. D. 1866=A. L. 5866, the common Masonic year; A. D. 1866=A. L. 5870 of the Rite of Misraim; A. D. 1866= A. n. 5826 of the Scottish rite; A. D. 1866=A. I. 2396 of the Royal Arch; A. D. 1866=A. D. 2866 of the Royal and Select {aster; A. D. 1866=A. O. 748 of the Templars; A. D. 1866= a. o. 552 of the Strict Observance.