Egyptian calendar

The Egyptian calendar had 12 months, like the lunar one, but each month was 30 days long.

The original Egyptian calendar, consisting of 360 days, begins its New Year festivals when Sirius, the Dog Star, rises.

The paper explains the complexities stem from differences between the ancient Egyptian calendar, based on the sun, and the ancient Hebrew calendar, based on the Moon.

Its creator, the late Oglethorpe President Thornwell Jacobs, chose 8113 as the year for the capsule to be opened because it was as far in the future from 1936—the year he declared his plan—as 4241 B.C.—the date that he believed the Egyptian calendar was established—was in the past.

The rising of the star denoted the new year; which therefore must have begun on the 20th July, the first of Thoth in the Egyptian calendar.