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The oldest calendar in Egypt consisted of twelve months each containing thirty days refered to as the "lunar" calendar. Very early they saw that this calendar which consisted of 360 days was to short so Immhotep (the Vizier of Djoser) added five days called the "days over the year". This is known as the "vague" year and shorter then the "solar" year of 365.2422 mean days.
Though it would require a period of 1461 years for the seasons to recede all the way through the twelve months it would have been obvious after a few years that an alteration had taken place to the seasons. Within 120 years 30 days would have deviated from the calendar and the time of innundation. It was therefore necessary to add a quarter day to remedy this defect making every fourth year to consist of 366 days. This new calendar was called the "Sothic" year and fixed in the year 1322 BC based on the raising of siris. As the dates of their kings and other events they continued to use the "vague" year of 365 days. The "vague" calendar consisted of three seasons (Akhet, Pert, and Shemu) each divided into four months of thirty days. The three periods in each month was divided further into three weeks consisting of ten days per week. The five "days over the year" were added at the end of Mesore and used to celebrate the birthdays of Osiris, Horus the Elder, Seth, Isis, and Nephthys. |
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Season Of Akhet (Innundation) (120 days) Netjer Of The Season - Hapi |
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| Month | Date | Netjer of The Month |
|---|---|---|
| Thoth | July 19 - Aug 17 (30 days) | Thoth |
| Paopi | Aug 18 - Sept 16 (30 days) | Ptah |
| Het-Hert | Sept 17 - Oct 16 (30 days) | Hathor |
| Choeak | Oct 17 - Nov 15 (30 days) | Sekhmet |
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Season Of Pert (Growing) (120 days) Netjer Of The Season - Khepera |
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| Month | Date | Netjer of The Month |
|---|---|---|
| Tybi | Nov 16 - Dec 15 (30 days) | Min |
| Mechir | Dec 16 - Jan 14 (30 days) | Rekhur |
| Phamenoth | Jan 15 - Feb 13 (30 days) | Rekh Sherua |
| Pharmuthi | Feb 14 - March 15 (30 days) | Rennutet |
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Season Of Shemu (Harvest) (120 days) Netjer Of The Season - Khonsu-Ra |
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| Month | Date | Netjer of The Month |
|---|---|---|
| Pachons | March 16 - April 14 (30 days) | Khonsu |
| Payni | April 15 - May 14 (30 days) | Horus |
| Epep | May 15 - June 13 (30 days) | Peteti |
| Mesore | June 14 - July 13 (30 days) | Horemakhet |
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Five Days Over The Year (Birth Of The Netjers) |
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| Birth Of Netjer | Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Osiris | July 14 | |
| Horus The Elder | July 15 | |
| Seth | July 16 | |
| Isis | July 17 | |
| Nephthys | July 18 | |