Chapter XXXIV: Part II: of Mr. Cuninghame’s “Fulness of the Times,” pp. x, et seq (1)

whence the above extract is taken.

It is proper, however, to add the promised explanation, as abridged as possible. Mr. Cuninghame, in his “Fulness of the Times,” pp. 138, 139, shows that in curtailing the true chronology, the Jews preserved the _Jubilean Series_ from the birth of Enos to the departure of Jacob to Padan-aram; for, according to the Septuagint, this interval is 3136 years, or 64 Jubilees; but, according to the Hebrew text, and Usher, 2009 years, or 41 Jubilees; the difference, therefore, is 1127 years or 23 Jubilees. Now this difference consists of the following periods struck off in the Hebrew chronology:

Years.
From the birth of Enos to the Flood 406
From the Flood to the birth of Terah 720
Antedate of Jacob’s departure 1
————
Total 23 Jubilees, or 1127

Mr. Cuninghame argues from the cyclical nature of this period, that the Rabbis who curtailed the true chronology, “were well aware that from the birth of Enos to the departure of Jacob for Padan-aram, there was an exact series of Jubilees, and that in corrupting the Sacred text, they have, with profound artifice, contrived to preserve a series of complete Jubilees, by subtracting exactly 23 Jubilees, or 1127 years.” He adds the following proof regarding the _single_ year; in the true chronology, the birth of Abraham is B.C. 2145, and the departure of Jacob, B.C. 1908,—interval, 237 years; in the curtailed chronology these events are respectively dated B.C. 1996, and B.C. 1760,—interval, 236 years; hence, the antedate is one year. Now in the preceding interval from the birth of Enos to the flood, the period of 6 years which was subtracted from the _Antepaidogonian age_ of Lamech, is an essential element in the argument; otherwise that interval would be only 400 years instead of 406, and the whole of the argument would then fall to the ground. Another argument, in favour of the 6 years is, that if the longer chronology of Josephus be so far correct, which is proved from the Septuagint, it is surely proper to follow the authority of that version in regard to the 6 years, _as well as_ in regard to the 600 years; if we trust to its accuracy for the _greater_ number, we may also trust it for the _less_! It seems ridiculous and absurd to take the evidence of the highest authority at _second_ hand, and to reject a small part of that evidence, because it is not fairly brought forward by the _same_ hand; although it be pressed on our notice by many other witnesses! Surely in regard to these 6 years, the testimony of the Septuagint and the whole Christian Church, is before that of Josephus.

In reference to the tabulated statements of Theophilus, we find only the very singular and unaccountable error of 20 years in the _Antepaidogonian age_ of Methuselah, which the Vatican codex, if we may trust the editions of the Septuagint said to have been taken from it, appears to have retained. That this chronographer has evidently read 167 years instead of 187 years, can scarcely be doubted from his subsequent statements, and particularly from his statement respecting the extent of this age, that “all the years till the flood were 2242.”[72]

The statements of Africanus as to the Antediluvian period, entirely agree with those of the Septuagint, which shows that he had taken his numbers from a more correct copy of that version, and one that agreed in this respect with the celebrated Alexandrine codex now deposited in the British Museum. He confirms the truth of his particular statements by the following summary ones: _first_—“Therefore, from Adam till the birth of Enos all the years are 435;” _second_,—“Therefore, from Adam till Noah and the flood are 2262 years.”[73] As to the statements of Eusebius, and the author of the Paschal Chronicle, they are of a later age, and must therefore have been copied from one or other of the former authors, or from the copies of the Septuagint extant in their time. From the notes upon the Chronicon of Africanus, added by Routh,[74] it is evident that both Eusebius and Syncellus adopted the numbers in the preceding table which we have arranged under the name of the former; and that Epiphanius and the author of the _Paschal_ or _Alexandrine_ Chronicle adopted the correct numbers of the Septuagint, which we have placed under the title of that work. After stating that according to Africanus, “there were 3000 years from Adam to the death of Peleg;” Syncellus adds, “but according to Eusebius, 2980 years;” the difference between these numbers is 20 years, which is precisely the same as the difference between their dates of the year of the flood, viz: A.M. 2262, and A.M. 2242. Moreover, although Syncellus states that Africanus gives the former of these dates, as the true epoch of the deluge; he adds his own opinion, that “from Adam to the flood there were 2242 years,” and “contra Africanum pugnat,” _fights against Africanus_, in favour of the erroneous number. The author of the Paschal Chronicle says explicitly, that “in the 100th year of Shem, the 600th of Noah, and the 2262d year of the world, the flood was upon the earth; and this is the exact number which Africanus exhibits at this epoch since the correct copies of Genesis shew 187 years as the age of Methuselah when he begat Lamech.” Epiphanius, in his first book “against Heretics,” after narrating that Noah was saved in the ark, says “and thus the 10th generation extended to the 2262d year [of the world,] and the flood brought it to an end.” Thus it appears to have been the general opinion of the oldest and best writers that the _First age_ of the world was of the _precise length_ which we have assigned to it; and that the only difference among them was, whether it were not shorter by 20 years, in consequence of some foolish mistake committed by an early transcriber in the _Antepaidogonian age_ of Methuselah; for in this age, the correct copies of the Septuagint perfectly agree with the Hebrew text.

2. Table II., Containing the statements of the ancient chronographers
relating to the _Second age_ of the world—Absurd errors of the
text of Josephus—The discrepancy between his detailed numbers and
his sum total, the work of an enemy to the truth—Proof that the
true sum was in his text originally—Errors of Theophilus and
Africanus in this age due to Jewish influence—Notion entertained
by the ancient chronographers regarding the bisection of the
Mundane period at the death of Peleg—The genealogy of Shem, like
that of Melchisedec, in the chronology—Reference to Mr.
Clinton—Error of Eusebius, rectified in the Hieronymian version
of his Chronicon—Accuracy of the Paschal Chronicle, with the
exception of the biennial period—Valuable Testimony of Eusebius
and Africanus, preserved by Syncellus in his Chronographia, on
the extent of the _first two ages_.

We now proceed to notice the errors of these chronographers, in their statements regarding the _Second age_ of the world. The following table, which should be compared with Table II. in our first Part, contains the _Antepaidogonian ages_ of the _Postdiluvian Patriarchs_, and the _Extent_ of the _Second age_, according to each chronographer.

TABLE II. POSTDILUVIAN JOSEPHUS. THEOPHILUS. AFRICANUS. EUSEBIUS. PASCH. PATRIARCHS. CHRON. A.P. ages. A.P. ages. A.P. ages. A.P. ages. A.P. ages. From the Flood *12 *0 *0 2 *0 Arphaxad 135 135 135 135 135 Cainan *0 *0 *0 *0 130 Salah 130 130 130 130 130 Heber 134 134 134 134 134 Peleg 130 130 130 130 130 Reu 130 132 132 132 132 Serug 132 130 130 130 130 Nahor *120 *75 79 79 79 Terah 70 70 70 70 70 To the Call of 75 75 75 75 75 Abraham ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— SECOND AGE 1068 1011 1015 1017 1145

In regard to the _Extent_ of this age, Josephus is made to say, in the present text, that Abraham “was born in the 292d year after the flood;”[75] while the summation of the _Antepaidogonian ages_ gives 993 years, to which adding the age of Abraham at the Call, we have 1068 years! As we can scarcely suppose Josephus to have been guilty of so extraordinary an absurdity as to commit an arithmetical error of this magnitude, we cannot only attribute the discrepancy to the evil design of his transcribers, and say “an enemy hath done this!” Moreover, the same wicked hand that dared to alter this and other numbers of our author, has no doubt, also dared to omit here the genealogy of the _Second Cainan_. Nor can we see what good purpose it could serve to make him say that “Arphaxad the son of Shem, was born 12 years after the flood,” instead of 2, as in the Sacred text; and that “Nahor when he was 120 years old begat Terah,”[76] instead of 79, as in the Septuagint. But since in these details, Josephus has in general adopted the numbers of the Septuagint, it is plain that he must have followed the same authority in their sum total, and that the sum of 292 years must have been inserted instead of the true sum of 1072 years, by some early advocate or supporter of the Hebrew chronology. Besides, we have shown in our preceding remarks on the _Extent_ of the _First age_, that Josephus has prefixed a number to his _first Book_, which in reality belongs to his _first and second Books_, and which includes the extent of the _first three ages_, all but 6 years. That number is 3833 years, a period wholly inexplicable on any other principle than that which Mr. Cuninghame has laid down. To him, we are therefore justly indebted for its true and satisfactory explication; and he has clearly shown that Josephus must have originally inserted in his Antiquities, the true number of 1072 years, from the Deluge to the birth of Abraham; although the text is now so vitiated that it cannot be made out from the place in question.

The errors of Theophilus in this age are both strange and unaccountable, except on the principle of Jewish influence, when we consider that his error in the first age, was only 20 years, while here it amounts to 132 years. He states that from the Creation “till Abraham, there are 3278 years,”[77] that is, to the birth of Isaac as appears by the context. If from this number we subtract his extent of the first age, viz. 2242 years, the remainder is 1036 years, or his period from the flood to the birth of Abraham; and from this period, deducting 25 years, the time which elapsed from the Call to the birth of Isaac, we obtain a remainder of 1011 years, which is the extent of the _Second age_, according to Theophilus. Hence, it is plain that he omits the _Second Cainan_, the 2 years after the flood previous to the birth of Arphaxad, and 4 years in the _Antepaidogonian age_ of Nahor. The second omission is manifest also from the context, where he says, “but _immediately_ (ἐυθέως) after the flood, Shem being 100 years old, begat Arphaxad.” We shall see that he endeavours to make up for these omissions, by a curious balance of some of these errors in the succeeding age. In addition to the tabular statements, Africanus says that, “Arphaxad begat Salah in A. M. 2397; Salah begat Heber in A. M. 2527; and Heber begat Peleg in A. M. 2661.” He says also that “Peleg at the age of 130 begat Reu, and having lived other 209 years, died;” so that “from Adam to the death of Peleg there were 3000 years.”[78] According to the true chronology, Peleg died in A. M. 3132; hence, from the dates of Africanus, if correctly reported, it appears that he omits the genealogy of the _Second Cainan_, and the two years after the flood previous to the birth of Arphaxad. The difference between the dates of Africanus and those derived from the Septuagint, is therefore 132 years; and this number must be added to the subsequent dates of Africanus, until other errors appear, in order to obtain the true dates. If this be done, we shall find that throughout the whole of this age, the dates of Africanus will perfectly agree with those of the true chronology. Connected with the tradition of the renovation of the world at the end of 6000 years, there appears to have been an idea current among the early chronographers, that the period from the Creation to the Advent of Christ was exactly _bisected_ at the death of Peleg; because the Scripture says that “in his days the earth was divided,” by which they seem to have understood the whole period of its existence! Hence, the apparent reason of the omission of the _Second Cainan’s_ generation, and the _Postdiluvian biennial_ period.[79] Africanus further states that “in A. M. 3277, Abraham entered the promised land;” consequently, an interval of 277 years had elapsed since the death of Peleg; but this corresponds exactly with the interval of the Septuagint, for 3409 − 3132 = 277; see Tables V. and VIII. of our _first Part_. Moreover, he states that “from the flood and Noah to the descent of Abraham into the promised land, were ten generations or 1015 years, and from Adam, twenty generations or 3277 years.”[80] We have sufficiently discussed the question of the _number_ of generations here mentioned, in our _first Part_, pp. 34–40; it is quite unnecessary therefore, to resume the subject; suffice it to say that _Shem_ was an _Antediluvian_, and therefore his generation could not be reckoned in the number of generations after the flood; neither was it reckoned in the number before the flood: for Noah was reckoned the _tenth_ from Adam, and Abraham the _tenth_ from the flood. In this respect, therefore, _Shem_ was like _Melchizedec_, as far as the generations or genealogies on which the Chronology depended, was concerned, viz., “Fatherless, motherless, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, being assimilated to the Son of God,” who “remains a priest for ever;” and who “hath made us [true believers in Christ] kings and priests unto God even his Father; to” whom “be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” Heb. vii. 3; and Rev. i. 6.

The statements of Eusebius and the author of the Paschal Chronicle respecting this age are taken from Mr. Clinton’s “Fasti Hellenici,” vol. i. p. 287; he appears to have very carefully sifted these numbers, in order to arrive at the exact truth concerning the opinions of their authors. He gives the following extract from the Chronicon of Eusebius; “From the flood to the first year of Abraham are collected 942 years;” if to this number we add 75 years, the age of Abraham at the Call, we have 1017 years for the _Extent_ of the _Second age_ according to Eusebius. The author of the Paschal Chronicle appears to have omitted the two years after the flood; hence, the preceding 75 years being added to 1070 years, the period which he assigns between the flood and the birth of Abraham, we have 1145 years for the _Extent_ of the _Second age_ according to that work. Routh, however, justly remarks that “in the _Hieronymian version_ of the _Eusebian Chronicle_, the years of this [the _Second_] Cainan are still extant;” hence, even according to Eusebius, the true extent of the Second age appears originally to have been 1147 years. The following testimony collected by Syncellus in his Chronographia, from the works of Eusebius and Africanus, in support of the computation of the Septuagint before the flood, and of the Septuagint and Samaritan after the flood, we extract from Dr. Russell’s “Connection,” vol. i. pp. 96, 97, on account of its important bearing on the _Extent_ of the _first two ages_:—“Since, according to the most ancient Hebrew copy preserved among the Samaritans, and which agrees with the Septuagint translation, they who lived after the flood down to Abraham did not beget children till after the age of 100 years and more, what reason can be assigned that their predecessors before the flood, whose lives were longer by many years, should begin to beget children sooner, and not rather at the ages set down in the Septuagint? On mature consideration, we must incline to the latter computation, and necessarily conclude, that the Jewish-Hebrew reckoning of the times from Adam to Abraham is wrong in all the ages excepting three, Jared, Methuselah, and Lamech; and that the Samaritan-Hebrew computation is also wrong in the period from Adam to the flood; for in the years from the flood to Abraham it agrees entirely with the Septuagint. But the error of the Jewish-Hebrew text is evident from hence, that it makes Abraham and Noah contemporaries, which is inconsistent with all history: for since according to the Hebrew text, there are no more than 292 years from the flood to Abraham, and since, according to the same text, Noah lived 350 years after the flood, it is evident that he lived to the 58th year of Abraham!”

3. Table III., Containing the statements of the ancient chronographers
relating to the _Third age_ of the world—The testimony of
Josephus to the true chronology very explicit—Misinterpretation
of prophecy the cause of wavering in Josephus and blunder in
Theophilus—The testimony of Africanus correct—Eusebius,
Demetrius, and the author of the Paschal Chronicle
correct—Explanation of the period of 400 years.

The following table which contains the statements of the chronographers, regarding the _Third age_ of the World, ought to be compared with Table VIII. in our _first Part_; as it contains the Chief _Patriarchal Eras_ and _Intervals_ according to each chronographer:

TABLE III.
PATRIARCHAL JOSEPHUS. THEOPHILUS. AFRICANUS. EUSEBIUS. PASCH.
ERAS. CHRON.
Intervals. Intervals. Intervals. Intervals. Intervals.
From the Call
The Eisodus 215 215 215 215 215
To the Exodus 215 430 215 215 215
———— ———— ———— ———— ————
THIRD AGE 430 645 430 430 430

The testimony of Josephus to the Extent of this age is very explicit. He states that the Israelites “left Egypt in the 430th year after that our father Abraham came into Canaan, and in the 215th year after the Eisodus of Jacob into Egypt;”[81] and he mentions some of the minor intervals, in a very clear and distinct manner, in his 2nd Book. It is evident indeed that he rightly understood the testimony of Scripture as to the true intervals of this prophetic period; although he seems to waver from the truth in the 9th chapter of that Book, where he speaks of the afflictions of the Israelites in Egypt for a period of 400 years, according to Gen. xv. 13. The latter text, however, appears to have been the stumbling block of Theophilus in his chronology; for he agrees with the Scriptures, as regards the intervals from the call to the Eisodus; and then he says that “the sojourning of the Hebrews in Egypt was 430 years!”[82] He seems therefore to have confounded the period of 400 years with the period of 430 years, and to have applied the whole period to the sojourning of the Israelites in Egypt alone, exclusive of Canaan, contrary to the testimony of the Septuagint, Exodus xii. 40, Alexandrine edition, and that of St. Paul, Galatians iii. 17. By this means, he increases the Extent of the _Third age_ to 645 years, making it greater than the true Extent, by 215 years! It would almost seem, therefore, as if he had intended this error to compensate in some measure for those which he committed in the preceding ages; inasmuch as it is of an entirely opposite character. This excess of 215 years makes up not only for the omission of the 20 years in the _Antepaidogonian age_ of Methuselah before the flood, of the 130 years of the generation of the _Second Cainan_, of the 2 years after the flood, and of the 4 years in the _Antepaidogonian age_ of Nahor; but gives a surplus of 59 years at the end of the _Third age_ in his chronology. For, adding the 40 years wandering in the Wilderness to his amount of the _first three ages_, he says that “all the years are 3938,”[83] from the Creation of the world to the entrance of the Israelites into the promised Land. By a reference to Table X. of our _first Part_, it will be seen that the true date of this entrance is A.M. 3880, and making allowance for the single year we have added to this date, on the ground specified at p. 65, it follows that the date of Theophilus is erroneous in excess by 58 years.

The statements of Africanus respecting this age have not been preserved in a perfect state; but from the following fragments, it will appear that he took the correct and Scriptural view of its _Extent_ and _Intervals_. Syncellus says that according to Africanus, “Joseph was 40 years old in the 130th year of Jacob; consequently, Joseph lived 70 years after the arrival of Jacob in Egypt;” and that “from Adam to the death of Joseph, were 23 generations, and 3563 years.[84]” Now, if to the latter number, we add 132 years, for reasons already mentioned p. 244, we shall have 3695 years for the correct number according to the true Chronology; see Table VIII. of our _first Part_. Again, he says, “it has been shown that there were 1020 years from Moses and Ogyges to the first Olympiad, that is, from the Passover or first year of the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, when the flood of Ogyges happened in Attica.”[85] Here, if we take the last year of the first Olympiad as that to which Africanus refers, namely B.C. 773, and add to it the preceding number, we shall have B.C. 1793, for his date of the Exodus; but as this chronographer constantly reckons the period from Creation to the Birth of Christ as 5500 years,[86] it is evident by subtraction, that his Mundane date of the Exodus is A.M. 3708; to which, adding the constant number 132 as before, we shall obtain A.M. 3840, or B.C. 1639, for the date of the Exodus according to the true system of chronology. Again, if we take the difference between either the dates of Africanus, or the true dates of the death of Joseph and the Exodus, which we have deduced from his by the addition of a constant quantity, we shall obtain the interval of 145 years, which, added to the period of 70 years above mentioned, makes 215 years as his interval between the Eisodus and the Exodus; consequently, his interval between the Call and the Eisodus must have been the same amount, and his whole extent of this age 430 years.

Mr. Clinton has given a very full extract from the Chronicon of Eusebius, in which he states that from the first year of Abraham to the Exodus were 505 years; that Abraham left Charran in the 75th year of his age; and consequently, from that year to the Exodus were 430 years. He then states the Scriptural intervals from the Call to the birth of Jacob, and traces through his genealogy, the intervals from thence to the birth of Moses and the Exodus; but since, as Mr. Clinton remarks, his “distribution of the last 215 years is more correct than in the account of Demetrius, but still erroneous,” we need not repeat his enumeration in this place; suffice it to say, that his estimate of the whole period is correct. Mr. Clinton also cites the following passage from the Paschal Chronicle, which shows that its author’s estimate of the Extent of this age was likewise correct: “Joshua, the son of Nun, 27 years;—Chushanrishathaim, 8 years; in all, 3912 years.” For, adding to the latter number, the two years which he omits after the flood, we shall have 3914 years; and from this, subtracting the 35 years just cited, we shall have 3839 years, and consequently, A.M. 3839 for his date of the Exodus, which is within a year of the true date for reasons already alluded to; he, therefore, must have reckoned the period of 430 years from the ingress of Abraham into Canaan, to the egress of Israel out of Egypt.

The adjustment of the period mentioned in Gen. xv. 13, can occasion no difficulty to the careful reader of Scripture, for it is evident that the commencement of this period must be reckoned from the day that Isaac was weaned, or perhaps a year or two after; inasmuch it related specifically to _the seed_ of Abraham which were to be strangers in “a land not theirs,” and to be “evil entreated 400 years;” Acts vii. 6. This evil treatment began when Isaac was a child, and was able to play, say at 5 years old, with the son of Hagar, the Egyptian, the son of the bondwoman, who was not to be heir with the son of promise and of _laughter_. _Isaac_ was his name; but Sarah saw Ishmael _Isaaking_ or _laughing_ at her son, and mocking him, and accordingly, she demanded that the “bondwoman and her son” should be cast out,—a striking emblem of the punishment that shall befal all the mockers of and laughers at the people of God; for the Apostle truly says “but as then he that was born after the flesh _persecuted_ him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now:” Galatians iv. 22; yea, and the term “_Saints_,” or “_Holy ones_” of God, is become a term of mockery, of scorn, and of reproach, in this very age in which we now live; although it be written that “without _Holiness_ no man shall see the Lord!” Precisely then, for the space of 400 years did this affliction and persecution continue against the seed of Abraham, till God brought them out of the land of Egypt “with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm;” and precisely in the same manner shall all the true Israel of God be rescued from their enemies, and be in due time delivered from the land of darkness and of death.

4. Table IV., Containing the statements of the ancient chronographers
relating to the _Fourth age_ of the world—The testimony of
Josephus to the extent of this age highly satisfactory—Proof that
it was 612 years—Strange errors of Theophilus—Method of
rectifying them—Compensating errors of Africanus—His date of the
foundation of Solomon’s Temple correct—Errors of Eusebius—His
_Præparatio_ correct in amount, his _Chronicon_ wrong—He confutes
himself and adopts the Hebrew chronology—Comparison between him
and Usher—Errors of the Paschal Chronicle—The author coincides
with Josephus—Hesitancy of Mr. Clinton—Table V., _The first four
ages_ of the world, and date of Solomon’s Temple according to the
different chronographers.

The following table, which exhibits the statements of the chronographers regarding the _Fourth age_ of the world, should be compared with Table X. in our _first Part_; as it contains the _Critarchal Eras_, and _Intervals_ according to each chronographer. With regard to this period, we omitted to observe that the reading in most of the MSS. and editions of the Septuagint, in 1 Kings vi. 1, is 440 years instead of 480 years.

TABLE IV. CRITARCHAL JOSEPHUS. THEOPHILUS. AFRICANUS.│ EUSEBIUS. │ PASCH. ERAS. │ │ CHRON. Intervals. Intervals. Intervals.│Intervals. │Intervals. From the 40 40 40│ 40 40│ 40 Exodus │ │ Joshua and 27 27 *55│ *30 27│ 27 Elders │ │ 1st SERVITUDE 8 8 │ 8 *0│ 8 Critarchate of 40 40 │ *50 40│ *32 Othniel │ │ 2nd SERVITUDE 18 18 │ 18 *0│ 18 Cr. of Ehud 80 *8 │ 80 80│ 80 and Shamgar │ │ 3rd SERVITUDE 20 20 │ 20 *0│ 20 Cr. of Deborah 40 40 │ 40 40│ 40 and Barak │ │ 4th SERVITUDE 7 7 │ 7 *0│ 7 Cr. of Gideon 40 40 │ 40 40│ 40 Of Abimelech, │ │ Tolah, and 48 48 │ 48 47│ 48 Jair │ │ 5th SERVITUDE 18 18 │ 18 *0│ 18 Cr. of 6 6 │ 6 6│ 6 Jephthah │ │ Of Ibzan, Elon 25 25 │ 25 *15│ 25 and Abdon │ │ 6th SERVITUDE, 40 40 490│ *60 *20│ *60 (Samson) │ │ Critarchate of 40 *81 │ 40 40│ *80 Eli │ │ 7th SERVITUDE 20 *0 │ *0 *0│ *0 Cr. of Samuel 12 12 90│ *0 *0│ *20 Reign of Saul 40 *20 │ 40 40│ *20 Reign of David 40 40 │ 40 40│ 40 To the │ │ Foundation 3 3 70│ 3 4│ 3 of Solomon’s │ │ Temple │ │ ———— ———— ————│ ———— ————│ ———— 612 541 745│ 613 479│ 632

With regard to this much disputed period, the testimony of Josephus is, in several places of his works, highly satisfactory. _First_—In the title of the fifth book of his Antiquities, which records the history of the interval from the death of Moses to that of Eli, he states that it contains a period of 476 years; and in the title of the 6th book, which records the history of the interval from the death of Eli to that of Saul, he states that it contains a period of 32 years. These intervals taken together make a period of 508 years; to which, if we add the 40 years in the wilderness, the 40 years of David, and the three years of Solomon, we have 591 years; this period wants only about 20 years to make it correspond with the true chronology, and these 20 years appear to have been omitted in the Seventh Servitude; for the short period of 32 years is manifestly erroneous. The truth is, that the longer interval should be only 456 or 457 years, in order to correspond exactly with Acts xiii. 19, 20; and the shorter interval 72 years, in order to correspond with Acts xiii. 21, and 1 Samuel vii. 2.[87] These intervals would then make together 529 years; to which, if the numbers above mentioned be added, the true amount is 612 years, as in the Table. _Second_,—That 612 years is the true _Flavian Extent_ of the _Fourth age_ of the world is evident from the 20th book of the Antiquities x. 1, where the author says “but the number of the years which the thirteen [high priests] ruled, from the day our fathers left Egypt, Moses being leader, until the foundation of the temple which Solomon the king built in Jerusalem, was 612 years.”[88] From this distinct statement of the true extent of the _Critarchal age_, it is evident that the text of Josephus, in books 5th and 6th of the Antiquities, must have originally contained the true Scriptural numbers, although now we find the following errors have supervened. The first error is in Book vii. 5, 4, where, speaking of the form of the Hebrew Government under Moses and Joshua, he says, “but after his [or their] death, for _the whole_ 18 years, anarchy ruled their people.”[89] The words τοῖς πᾶσι, _the whole_, seem plainly to indicate that a connecting sentence has been omitted here; and that _these 18 years_ must have been part of the government of Joshua and the Elders, which appears to have been so mild and _Patriarchal_, after the division of the land, when “the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about,” that humanly speaking, they were _without government_, although they were living under the best of all governments—_a Theocracy_. After the death of Joshua and the Elders, indeed, there must have been a short period of anarchy, perhaps about two years,[90] when the children of Israel “forsook the Lord and served Baal and Ashtaroth,” and when “an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim” to reprove them for their Idolatry, (Judges ii. 1–5,) previous to their being “sold into the hand of the King of Mesopotamia;” (iii. 8.) This _anarchal period of two years_, with the _18 years of rest under Joshua_, and the _7 years of his active government_ during the war and the allotment of the land, will clearly make up the number of 27 years, a period to which all the ancient chronographers bear the most distinct and unequivocal testimony;—“Frequens tamen opinio est 27 annis eum [Jesum] Hebræis præfuisse.”[91] A further proof of the opinion we have here advanced respecting the 18 years, is that Josephus does not make the slightest mention of them at the proper place in the history, where he speaks of the death of Joshua, and the accession of Judah to power according to the Divine word, Judges i. 2; but incidentally introduces them into a reflection which he makes on the different forms of the Hebrew government, on the occasion of the renewal of the Kingdom to Saul at Gilgal; 1 Samuel xi. 14.

The second error relates to the critarchate of Shamgar, which is usually reckoned at _one_ year by those who undertake to expound the chronology of Josephus; but there is no warrant for this either in the Scriptures, or in Josephus; for he merely says, in v. 4, 3, that “Shamgar died _in the first year_ of his government,” which might have been at the very commencement of it, and perhaps in the 80th year of Ehud. The next error of Josephus is the _total omission_, in the present text of the Critarchate of Tolah, who succeeded Abimelech, and preceded Jair; this omission amounts to 23 years; but it must have been reckoned by Josephus, otherwise he could not have recorded such numbers as he has done in every place for the whole length of the period. Again, the name and progeny of Abdon are mentioned in v. 7, 15; but the years of his critarchate are omitted, in the present text, evidently by mistake or oversight. Lastly, an error has been attributed to Josephus by some chronologers,[92] in making Saul reign only 20 years; but this is a mistake on their part; for he distinctly states in vi. 14, 9, that “he reigned 18 years while Samuel was alive, and 22 years after his death,” which clearly makes 40 years in all. Further, he states in vi. 13, 5, that “after the death of Eli, the high priest Samuel alone ruled the people 12 years; and after Saul was king, 18 years;” thus plainly, as in the present text, omitting the _Seventh Servitude_, when the ark was at Kirjathjearim for the space of 20 years; 1 Samuel vii. 2. _Third_,—in his 2d Book _against Apion_, Sect. 2, Josephus says, “But Solomon himself built the Temple, 612 years after the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt.”[93] This is a very important testimony, occurring as it does in an argumentative treatise concerning the “Antiquity of the Jewish Nation,” in opposition to the pretensions of the Greeks, Egyptians, and Chaldeans, to a vastly more remote origin than the Hebrews. Here, Josephus, or his transcribers, having no particular end to serve in reference to dates, has allowed the simple fact concerning the true length of the period to remain on record. Most likely it has escaped their notice, otherwise it might have shared the fate of the dates and periods of his Antiquities, which have been by wilful alteration, thrown into such inextricable confusion.

Having thus shown that Josephus originally held the true chronology of this period, we may select some other instances of the manner in which it has been misstated either by himself or others in the present text of his works, the error being in general a period of about 20 years, either above or below the truth. In the Antiquities vii. 3, 2, he says “But all the time from Joshua being commander of the expedition against the Canaanites, until David expelled them from Jerusalem, was 515 years.”[94] Now adding to this number the 40 years in the Wilderness, the 33 years which David reigned in Jerusalem (2 Sam. v. 5, 6, 7), and the 3 years of Solomon, we have 591 years as before, a period which is deficient by about 20 years. Again, in viii. 3, 1, he says, “But Solomon began the building of the Temple in the 4th year of his reign, 592 years after the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt;” but according to _Tostatus_, cited by Hudson, the number found in some copies was 612 years.[95] Next, in ix. 14, 1, he says, “Therefore the Ten Tribes of Israel migrated from Judea 947 years after the time when their forefathers, having left Egypt, possessed the land; but after the time when, having rebelled against Rehoboam, the grandson of David, they transferred the kingdom to Jeroboam, 240 years, 7 months, 7 days;”[96] now, if we reckon the captivity of the Ten Tribes from the Foundation of the Temple, by allowing, according to Josephus, viii. 7, 8, for the reign of Solomon 80 years, taking off 3 years, and adding the remaining 77 years to the latter interval above mentioned, neglecting the months and days, we have 317 years for the amount; and if we subtract this amount from the former interval, we have 630 years for the remainder, which is evidently the period here reckoned between the Exodus and the Foundation of the Temple, and it errs in excess by 18 years. Lastly, in x. 8, 5, he says, “But the temple was burned 470 years, 6 months, and 10 days after it was founded; and 1062 years, 6 months, and 10 days after the Exodus of the people from Egypt;[97] hence it follows, that the period from the Exodus to the Foundation of the Temple is here reckoned 592 years, which is deficient as above by 20 years. The object of the author, or of his corrupters, appears to have been to make the chronology square as much as possible with the extended reign of Solomon, and to throw back upon this period a moiety of the surplus years which he has thought fit to add to the length of this reign; but we shall see more evidence on this point in the next section.

The intervals of Theophilus, according to the text extant, must have been strangely corrupted, when we find that they make the extent of this age only 541 years. If we restore to the Critarchate of Ehud the period of 80 years instead of 8, a mistake which might easily occur in the Greek, by the writing of Η for Π, and omit the _single year_ allotted to _Samira_,[98] out of place, and void of authority, we shall at once have the true number 612 years. We can scarcely, however, attribute the corruption of the text of Theophilus to simple mistake in this manner; for we find that he reckons from the entrance of Israel into the promised land “till the [end of the] reign of David, all the years were 498:” now if to this interval, we add the 40 years in the Wilderness, and the 3 years of Solomon, we shall have the precise period inserted in the preceding Table, as his extent of the _Fourth age_. Theophilus has committed other errors, which however balance each other, and produce no effect on the whole period. After stating that “the Philistines ruled” the Israelites “40 years,” he says that “Samson judged them 20 years;” thus forgetting the Scriptures which says, that “he judged Israel _in the days of the Philistines_ 20 years;” Judges xv. 20. He then says that “there was peace among them for 40 years,” an assertion wholly unauthorized by Scripture, and by the whole crowd of chronographers.[99] These errors are compensated for by allotting to Eli only “20 years” instead of 40 years, by omitting the _seventh servitude_ of 20 years, and by putting only “20 years” instead of 40 years, for the reign of Saul.[100] Dr. Russell, in his “Connection,” vol. i. pp. 128, 129, gives a view of the chronology of this period according to Theophilus, where he strangely misdates the age in which he lived, and contrary to the copy of his work to which Mr. Clinton or ourselves have referred, makes out that his Extent of the Critarchal age is 612 years! He makes no remark whatever about the error of Theophilus in regard to the years of Ehud, but assumes them at once at 80; he retains the one year of Shamgar, and puts him in his proper place; and he makes the years of Tolah 22 instead of 23; thus he easily obtains the correct number, but by no means in a satisfactory manner, when compared with the text of the author. Indeed, trusting to the view which Dr. Russell has given in the passage referred to, we have at p. 71 stated, and at p. 92 considered, that the extent of this period is, according to Theophilus, 612 years; but we now have some doubts whether this was his genuine number, seeing that he has included the erroneous number of 541 years in his subsequent dates and intervals, as will be shown in another section.

In this age also, we have to regret the deficiency of the intervals of Africanus, owing to the fragmentary state in which his works have reached us. The testimony of Eusebius, both in his Chronicon and his Præparatio Evangelica, as well as that of Syncellus, enables us to exhibit the chief _Intervals_ and the whole _Extent_ of the _Critarchal age_ according to this Chronographer. In the extracts of his third book, which have been preserved, he says “From the Exodus of Moses to Cyrus, who reigned after the Captivity, were 1237 years; for the remaining years of Moses were 40; the years of Joshua, who succeeded him as leader, 25; the years of the Elders, the Judges after Joshua, 30; the years of those contained in the book of Judges, 490; the years of the High Priests Eli and Samuel, 90; then, the years of the Kings of the Hebrews, 490; [and the years of the captivity, 70;] the last year of which was the first year of the reign of Cyrus, as we have before said.”[101] The sum of these numbers is only 1235 years, instead of 1237 years, which shows that he must have originally written 27 years for Joshua instead of 25 years.[102] From this passage we learn that the interval from the Exodus to the accession of Saul is, according to Africanus, 675 years. From Syncellus, we learn that “according to Africanus, the years from Adam till the last of the Judges and the first of Eli the High Priest, were 4292;” and that “from Adam till his [Solomon’s] 8th year, there were, according to Africanus, 4457 years.”[103] Taking 5 years from the latter number, we have A.M. 4452 for the date of the Foundation of the Temple, being the 4th year of Solomon. The difference, therefore, between this date and the first year of Eli, is according to Africanus, 160 years; and the difference between the latter number, and the 90 years allotted by him to Eli and Samuel, is 70 years; hence, if we add this difference to the interval of 675 years above mentioned, we have 745 years for the _Extent_ of the _Critarchal age_, according to Africanus. Eusebius in his Chronicon, cited by Mr. Clinton, p. 308, makes this period 744 years, the difference being “only a single year,” which may have arisen from a slight difference in the mode of computation, and accounts for its elongation by the addition of 100 years, which are wholly unauthorised by Scripture: viz.—the 30 years ascribed to the Elders who outlived Joshua, the 40 years of supposed anarchy after the death of Samson, and the 30 years of imaginary peace which succeeded the anarchy. The grand object of Africanus in the chronology of this age, appears to have been to make up at once for the deficiency of the generation of the _Junior Cainan_, and the two years after the flood, by the enlargement of the period from its true length 612 years, to his surreptitious length of 744 years; for the difference between these numbers is just 132 years, the precise difference between the dates of Africanus and the true dates of the epochs in the two former ages. By the manufacture of the intervals of the _Fourth age_, therefore, he has contrived to bring about the true date of the Foundation of Solomon’s Temple in his Chronology, and to compensate for his former errors in such a manner as to restore the ancient computation of Scripture at this important and well-known epoch.

Of the Extent of the _Critarchal age_, and the length of its _Intervals_, as Mr. Clinton remarks, Eusebius has three accounts. For the account taken from his _Præparatio Evangelica_, Lib. x. c. 14, and the account taken from his “Chronicon,” which we have placed side by side in the preceding table, we are partly indebted to Russell and partly to Clinton.[104] As Dr. Russell has endeavoured to make the former account, by the correction of some of its intervals, speak the language of the “Chronicon” in a passage, for the citation of which we are indebted to Mr. Clinton;[105] we have thought it right to restore the original numbers, in order to show what was the real opinion of Eusebius, respecting this age, on the occasion of writing his “Gospel Preparation.” According to his opinion, therefore, the Extent of the _Fourth age_ was 613 years, the difference between this number and the Scriptural one, being only a single year! The author, however, commits a number of errors in detail, which balance each other, and in their summation, bring out almost exactly the true period. The chief errors are, the omission of the _Seventh Servitude_, 20 years; and of the Critarchate of Samuel, 12 years. In order to compensate for these omissions, he reckons the Critarchate of Samson, apart from the _6th Servitude_, 20 years; he adds 10 years to the Critarchate of Othniel; and gladly seizes upon the 30 years for Joshua and the Elders instead of 27 years; in order to bring out the correct number for the whole period, as nearly as possible, as he well knew that it was 612 years. That this was his real opinion, is also evident from the following passage in his “Chronicon” already referred to: “The amount of the time during which the judges bore rule until Samuel, was altogether 450 years, our apostle himself testifying it by his declaration, [Acts xiii. 20]. There are, however, besides this reckoning, the periods of Moses and Joshua his successor, as well as of Samuel and Saul. But let us pass, in the meantime, the periods of Samuel, and Saul, and Joshua. Now from the testimony of the Apostle, the 40 years of Saul must be added to the 450 years of the judges, to which number the 40 years of David and the 4 years of Solomon being added, the sum of the years amounts to 534; which is, in fact, the apostolical tradition. Then, the 40 years which Moses led in the desert, and again the 27 years of Joshua the son of Nun, to which the Jews themselves agree, being added, the years amount to 600.” This is a very important and clear statement of the truth, _with the exception of the 12 years of Samuel_, “which,” Mr. Clinton says, “he supposed to be included in the years of _Saul_.” We do not agree with Mr. Clinton in this point; we think the passage bears evident marks that he had the separate period of Samuel in his mind; particularly, from his cunning “interim seponamus,”—“_let us pass in the mean time_.” In fact, he only pretends to forget it; for he knew that if he had added it, along with the periods of Joshua and Saul, he would have had the correct number at once, namely, 612 years! His accommodation to the spirit of the age in which he lived, by the insertion of the Hebrew chronology of this period in his Tables, instead of the Septuagint or ancient chronology which he has so clearly established by Apostolical tradition, exhibits a degree of vacillation and imbecility wholly unworthy the character of an able historian and chronographer, and quite unbecoming an ardent advocate of the Truth. We have sufficiently refuted this chronology in our _first Part_; and it is unnecessary to go over the same arguments, or attempt to strengthen them by the admissions of our opponents. Suffice it to remark that the Hebrew intervals of Eusebius amount only to 479 years, instead of 480 years, which it ought to reach according to 1 Kings vi. 1, and that even the Hebrew intervals of Usher amount only to 478½ years, p. 68; and although these amounts differ only by half a year, the details of their intervals exhibit a very surprising difference. Thus, Eusebius allows 27 years to Joshua and the Elders, Usher _none_, with the exception of 6⅓ years for the war and the division of the land; Eusebius reckons the Critarchate of Gideon at 40 years, Usher at 49⅙ years; Eusebius reckons the Critarchate of Tolah at 22 years, Usher at 23 years;[106] Eusebius omits the Critarchate of Ibzan 10 years, and of Samuel 12 years; Usher admits the former, and reckons the latter 21 years; Eusebius reckons the Critarchate of Samson 20 years, and Usher omits it altogether. Eusebius and Usher are indeed very fit authors to be classed together: both no doubt pious men and exemplary Christians; but both too much given to yield to the pressure of the times as historiographers and chronographers; and too much influenced by the bold assertions of the Jews respecting the immaculate purity of the Hebrew Text.

The Extent of the _Fourth age_ and the lengths of the _Intervals_, according to the Paschal Chronicle, are given by Mr. Clinton, but in such a rambling manner that we have had some difficulty to expiscate them from his extracts. As to the extent, the author of the Chronicle says “the whole time, from the 81st year of Moses, in which the Exodus from Egypt took place, to Solomon and the Foundation of the Temple amounts to 630 years.”[107] We have seen that this is the number collected from Josephus Book viii. 7, 8; but the intervals given by the author of the Chronicle, amount to 632 years. The first error he commits is making the Critarchate of Othniel only 32 years; or, which is the same thing, including the _1st Servitude_ in the 40 years of that judge;[108] the next is reckoning the years of Samson distinct from those of the _6th Servitude_, and interposing an unauthorised period of 40 years peace between Samson and Eli;[109] and the last is omitting the _7th Servitude_, reckoning the critarchate of Samuel 20 years, and reducing the reign of Saul to 20 years.[110] The author probably reckoned only 39 years of Moses and 2 of Solomon, when he calculated the whole period at 630 years. But from the Chronicon itself, the number of 632 years is clearly made out; for the 81st year of Moses is reckoned A.M. 3837, and the 3rd of Solomon A.M. 4469. The coincidence between its author and Josephus, which we have remarked above, is very singular, and seems to indicate that this error of putting 630 years for 612, on the part of both, had a common origin. Mr. Clinton also particularly investigates the statements of Clemens Alexandrinus, and Syncellus, regarding this period; but as we do not attach so much importance to their statements as to those we have already discussed, we have thought proper to omit them; suffice it to remark in general, that they strengthen and confirm the lengthened chronology of the older chronographers. The concluding observations of Mr. Clinton, p. 312, appear to us surprising, considering the mass of evidence he has brought forward in favour of the true period of 612 years. He says that “it fluctuates between the 600 years of Eusebius, and the 628 years arising out of the corrected numbers of Josephus. The truth lies somewhere between these points. We may assume 612 years as the most probable.” There appears to us to be no probability in the case; we have seen that the statements of Josephus, Theophilus, Eusebius, and the author of the Paschal Chronicle, _when corrected for obvious errors_, according to the authority of Scripture, all speak the same language and announce the invariable period of 612 years. The details of the period assigned by Africanus are lost; but his case is peculiar; he was evidently desirous to make this period compensate for former errors; and he has effected his purpose to a single year. His date, therefore, of the Foundation of the Temple is correct; and this appears to have been his chief aim. According to their estimate of the extent of the different ages of the world up to this epoch, their respective dates, according to the preceding Tables will stand thus:—

TABLE V.
AGES OF THE JOSEPHUS. THEOPHILUS. AFRICANUS. EUSEBIUS. PASCH.
WORLD. CHRON.
Years. Years. Years. Years. Years.
1st Age 2256 2242 2262 2242 2262
2nd Age 1068 1011 1015 1017 1145
3rd Age 430 645 430 430 430
4th Age 612 541 745 480 632
———— ———— ———— ———— ————
TO SOLOMON’S 4366 4439 4452 4169 4469
TEMPLE