Chapter XXXV: Part II: of Mr. Cuninghame’s “Fulness of the Times,” pp. x, et seq (2)

Had we corrected these dates on grounds already stated, and which by many would have been deemed sufficient, we could have shown a much nearer coincidence between them and the true date; but our object was to show what the details of the different authors really are as exhibited in their works now extant. It is satisfactory, however, to observe that the difference between the latter and either of the former, is very small, and in the case of the greatest magnitude, is very easily accounted for on the principle of Rabbinical authority and influence.

The following remark of Mr. Clinton, p. 313, is much more in point than the former above cited; our only wonder is that he seems to think the extent of the period itself not sufficiently established: “This extended term of 612 years is inconsistent with the date in the Book of Kings (1 Kings vi. 1), which reckons the foundation of the Temple in the 4th year of _Solomon_ to be _in the 480th year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt_. But the computation of Paul, delivered in a solemn argument before a Jewish audience, and confirmed by the whole tenor of the history in the Book of Judges, outweighs the authority of that date; and we may agree with Jackson and Hales in rejecting it.” To this he might have added, and we ought rather to agree with the whole Christian Church in adopting the extended period, than with the Jews, the persecutors and vilifiers of that Church, in adopting the curtailed period, and thus giving countenance to their interpolations of Scripture.

5. Table VI. Containing the statements of the chronographers
relating to the _Fifth age_ of the world—The errors of Josephus
peculiar—His elongation of the reign of Solomon—Disagreement of
his titulary periods with the summation of the reigns in Books
Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth—Proof that the former is nearly
correct—Table VII. _Monarchal Periods_ of Josephus—Comparison
with the True Chronology—Evidence that these periods have been
manufactured—The true Chronology of this age detected in his
works—Table VIII. _True Flavian Periods_, showing the
Scriptural extent as originally held by Josephus—Proof that he
knew the true epoch of the Captivity—The errors of Theophilus
in this age few—He is also mistaken as to the epoch of the
Captivity—Africanus diminishes the true extent of this age—He
is misrepresented by Syncellus—The statements of Eusebius taken
from the Hieronymian and Armenian versions of his Canon—Those
of the author of the Paschal Chronicle from that work
itself—Their errors pointed out—The difference between their
Extent of this age and the true Extent only 3 years.

The following Table which exhibits the statements of the Chronographers regarding the _Fifth age_ of the World, should be compared with Table XII. in our _First Part_; as it contains the _Monarchal Eras_ and _Intervals_ according to each chronographer.

TABLE VI. MONARCHAL ERAS. JOSEPHUS. THEOPHILUS. AFRICANUS. EUSEBIUS. PASCH. CHRON. Intervals. Intervals. Intervals. Intervals. Intervals. Foundation of Solomon’s *77 37 37 *33 Temple Rehoboam 17 17 17 17 Abijah 3 *7 3 3 Asa 41 41 41 *44 Jehoshaphat 25 25 25 25 Jehoram *8 *8 *8 *10 Ahaziah 1 1 1 1 Athaliah 6 6 *7 6 Jehoash 40 40 40 40 Amaziah 29 *39 29 29 Interregnum *0 *0 *0 *0 Uzziah 52 52 52 52 Jotham 16 16 16 16 Ahaz 16 *17 16 16 Hezekiah 29 29 29 29 Manasseh 55 55 55 55 Amon 2 2 *12 *12 Josiah 31 31 31 31 Jehoahaz 0¼ 0¼ 0¼ 0¼ Jehoiakim 11 11 *12 *12 Jehoiachin 0¼ 0¼ 0¼ 0¼ Zedekiah *11 *11 420 *11 *11 ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— FIFTH AGE 470 445 420 442 442

The principal errors of Josephus in this age, are his addition of 40 years to the reign of Solomon, and his omission of the interregnum between Amaziah and Uzziah. The former error appears to have been peculiarly his own; the latter he seems to share in common with most, if not all, the ancient chronographers. In his Antiquities, Book x. 8, 5, he says, “the temple was burned 470 years 6 months and 10 days after its foundation;”[111] and this period is clearly made out from the summation of the years of the reigns of the kings of Judah as laid down by him, in Books Eighth, Ninth and Tenth. Moreover, these books contain the history of the Jews from the accession of Solomon to the end of the Babylonish captivity; but we find, by the summation of the titulary periods prefixed to them, that the whole amount of this period is only 502½ years; and, deducting from this amount, the first 3 years of Solomon’s reign and the 70 years of the Captivity, we have 429½ years for a remainder, which is a totally different result. In order to arrive at the proper explanation of the difference between this number and the former, we shall exhibit the comparison of the summation of his periods and his reigns in these Books with the true chronology in the form of a table; premising, that the history of the VIIIth Book extends from the accession of Solomon to the death of Ahab, in the 19th year of _Jehoshaphat’s_ reign; of the IXth Book, from the same year to the Captivity of the Ten Tribes of Israel, in the 6th year of _Hezekiah’s_ reign; and of the Xth Book, from this same year to the end of the Babylonish _Captivity_. In the following Table, the first column exhibits the _periods_ announced in the titles of the different books, the second the amount of the years of the different reigns they contain, and the third the amount of the same years according to the _true_ chronology:

TABLE VII.
MONARCHAL PERIODS. │ JOSEPHUS. │ TRUE
│ │CHRONOLOGY.
│ Periods. Reigns. │
The VIIIth Book comprehends │ 163 160│ 119
The IXth Book „ │ 157 180│ 190
The Xth Book „ │ 182½ 203½│ 185
│ ———— ————│ ————
Total, including Captivity │ 502½ 543½│ 494
Deduct the three years of Solomon │ 3 3│ 3
│ ———— ————│ ————
│ 499½ 540½│ 491
Deduct the years of the Captivity │ 70 70│ 52
│ ———— ————│ ————
Extent of the Fifth age │ 429½ 470½│ 439

Here the discrepancy between the amount of the _Periods_ and the amount of the _Reigns_ is manifest; and the cause of the discrepancy is plainly the 40 years surreptitiously added to Solomon’s reign; for if this number be subtracted from 470½ years, the result of the _reigns_, the remainder is 430½ years, which agrees with the result of the _periods_ to a single year, and this year may have been added for the 1st of Cyrus. The latter amount, however, still differs from the true period by 10 years; and this difference evidently arises from the omission of the interregnum of 12 years, and the addition of 2 years to the reign of Jehoram. The extraordinary want of agreement between the different _periods_ and the corresponding amount of the _reigns_, shows that the former must have been manufactured to serve some particular purpose, the most probable being the concealment of the error of 40 additional years in the reign of Solomon. This is so far ingeniously done, and might deceive a cursory reader; for the first period of 163 years is his exact interval from the _Foundation_ of the Temple to the end of _Jehoshaphat’s_ reign; the second period of 157 years is exactly 40 years less than his interval from the end of _Jehoshaphat’s_ reign to the end of _Hezekiah’s_ reign; and the third period of 182½ years is only 2 years more than his interval from the end of _Hezekiah’s_ reign to the end of the _captivity_.

That this tortuous chronologer and historian must have originally reckoned his periods in this age according to the true system of chronology, is manifest from the following passage in Book x. 4, 4; where, speaking of the fulfilment of the prophecy concerning the idolatrous altar at Bethel (1 Kings xiii. 1), he says, “and he [Josiah] burned the bones of the false prophets upon the altar which Jeroboam first built,” and “these things were fulfilled after a period of 361 years.”[112] Now, according to the testimony of Scripture (2 Chronicles xxxiv. 3), cited by Josephus (x. 4, 1),[113] we find that this fulfilment took place in the 12th year of the reign of Josiah; and from the 1st year of Jeroboam, when the altar was built, to the epoch in question, the interval, according to the chronology of Josephus in the preceding Table, is only 351 years; but, according to the true Chronology, it is exactly 361 years. It is plain, therefore, that Josephus in this passage, must have reckoned an interregnum of 10 years between Amaziah and Uzziah: and, if we reckon the reign of Jehoram only 6 years as in the true chronology, instead of 8 years as in that of our author, and add the surplus of 2 years to these 10 years, we shall have the correct Interregnum of 12 years, as stated at p. 74, under the head of the Septuagint; see 2 Kings xv. 1.[114] It is true that the 10 years which we have thus detected in the Antiquities, might have been added by Josephus, as by Theophilus and Clemens, to the reign of Amaziah, but this would not alter the _total amount_. Some chronologers, as Polyhistor cited by Eusebius,[115] have added 10 years to the reign of Amon instead of to that of Amaziah; but in either case the effect is still the same,—to make the _whole period_ more consistent with the true chronology. Thus we have expiscated the truth concerning this period even from the unwilling pages of Josephus; for the rest of the computation concerning the _Fifth age_ will be clearly seen from the following Table, which harmonizes with the previous result:

TABLE VIII.
TRUE FLAVIAN PERIODS.
Years.
From the 1st of Jeroboam to the 12th of Josiah 361
The rest of Josiah’s reign 19
The remaining Jewish reigns 22
————
From the 1st of Jeroboam to the 10th of Zedekiah 402
The previous years of the Reign of Solomon 37
————
Extent of the _Fifth Age_ 439

Although Josephus in his “Antiquities” has generally reckoned the 70 years of the Captivity from the Destruction of the Temple to the 1st year of Cyrus, which is contrary to the true chronology and to the Canon of Ptolemy, yet we have evidence in his “Jewish War” that he was perfectly acquainted with the correct period of 52 years, which we have shown in our _first Part_, at pp. 80, 81, to be the true interval. Thus, in Book vi. 4, 8, of the latter work, when speaking of the Destruction of the Temple, he says, “and from the _first_ foundation which King Solomon laid, till the present destruction, which happened in the 2d year of the Emperor Vespasian, are reckoned 1130 years 7 months and 15 days; but from the _second_, which Haggai effected in the 2d year of Cyrus the king, till the destruction under Vespasian, 639 years and 45 days.”[116] Not to dwell on the glaring anachronism of referring the _foundation_ of the temple in the 2nd year of Cyrus (Ezra iii. 8), to the _renewal_ of the work of building it in the 2nd year of Darius (Ezra iv. 24, and v. 1), it is plain that the difference between the two periods mentioned in this passage, viz. 491½ years, is the true interval from the destruction of Solomon’s temple to the foundation of the second Temple in the 2nd year of Cyrus; for omitting the half-year, as the 2nd year had just commenced at the latter epoch (Ezra iii. 8), and subtracting the 52 years above mentioned, from 491 years, we have the remainder 439 years, for the true Extent of the _Fifth age_ as before. The proof, however, that he was acquainted with the true interval, at least within a year or two, is manifest from a passage which occurs in his 1st Book _against Apion_, sect. 21; where he says, “For it is written in them [the Hebrew Scriptures] that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed our temple in the 18th year [the 19th year, 2 Kings xxv. 8] of his reign, and it was in ruins for 50 years; but in the 2nd year of the reign of Cyrus, the foundations were laid, and in the 2nd again of the reign of Darius they were finished.”[117] The difference of 2 years is easily accounted for by supposing that he took the reign of Cyrus in Babylon at 9 years, according to some copies of the Canon of Ptolemy, instead of 7 years, according to Scripture, that is, by supposing his reign to have begun 2 years earlier than the true period. He appears, however, to have tacked these two years to the true interval in question, in another chapter of the same book, viz. “Jewish War,” vi. 10; where, speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem, he says “David, King of the Jews, having expelled the people of the Canaanites, made his own inhabit it; and 477 years 6 months afterwards, it was destroyed by the Babylonians.”[118] Now as David reigned 33 years in Jerusalem, and the temple was founded in the 4th year of Solomon, if we subtract 36 years from the preceding number, we obtain 441½ years for the period from the foundation of the temple to its destruction, which is only 2½ years more than the true period, a surplus which appears to have arisen from his unwarrantable addition to the true period of the 10th Book of the Antiquities. The last passage which we shall adduce from this extraordinary historical production, so full of chronological errors, is from the 20th Book, where speaking of the High Priests, he says, Nebuchadnezzar “took Josedek the High Priest captive; and the time of their hierarchy was 466 years, 6 months, and 10 days, during the reigns of the Jewish kings.” Now Josedek was taken captive, not when the temple and city were burned, as Josephus erroneously says in the context, but when the “king of Babylon took Jehoiachin in _the 8th year of his reign_,” and “carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen, and all the smiths; none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land;” 2 Kings xxiv. 11–16, and 1 Chronicles vi. 15. But as Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem _in the 19th year of his reign_ (2 Kings xxv. 8), the difference of time between the _first_, or Jehoiachin’s captivity, and the _second_, or Zedekiah’s captivity, is evidently 11 years, which being added to the preceding period, makes a total of 477½ years as before. In these two passages, therefore, Josephus is consistent with himself, and he differs from the true chronology in this period only by the small interval of about 2 years; a difference which, as we before remarked, may be due to his mistake in reference to the Scriptural commencement of the reign of Cyrus, King of Babylon. For a more extensive inquiry into this period of the Chronology of Josephus, we refer to Mr. Cuninghame’s “Fulness of the Times,” pp. 27–60, to which we have been indebted for some suggestions in the preceding discussion.

The errors of Theophilus in the intervals of the _Fourth age_ are few, and chiefly of a compensating nature; and his error in its extent amounts only to about 6 years. He states the reign of Abijah at 7 years instead of 3; of Jehoram at 8 years instead of 6; and of Amaziah at 39 years instead of 29; but the two latter errors make up for his omission of the interregnum of 12 years. He next reckons the reigns of Ahaz and Zedekiah, each a year too much, which, with the error in the reign of Abijah, makes the whole period erroneous in excess by about 6 years, its _Extent_ being 445 years, according to the Table. This Extent is confirmed by the following statement in his general summary: “from the death of David, till the [end of the] sojourning of the people in the land of Babylon, were 518 years, 6 months, 10 days.”[119] Now, if from this period, we subtract the first 3 years of Solomon, and the 70 years of the captivity, we shall have for the remainder 445 years, the period from the foundation to the destruction of the Temple, according to Theophilus. Again, he says, all the time, from the beginning of the world till the end “of the sojourning in the land of Babylon, is 4954 years, 6 months, 10 days.”[120] Now, if we add together his different ages up to this epoch, including the 70 years of the captivity, we shall have this precise amount; thus, 2242 + 1011 + 645 + 541 + 445 + 70 = 4954 years. This confirmatory statement, therefore, shows the accuracy of our estimate of the chronology of Theophilus; and thus we see that like other chronographers, he has, contrary to Scripture, reckoned the period of the 70 years’ captivity from the destruction of Jerusalem to the 1st year of the reign of Cyrus. The errors of Africanus in the _intervals_ of the _Fourth age_ cannot be detected, owing to the loss of this part of his Chronicon; we can only decide upon the inaccuracy of his statement regarding its _Extent_ from the extract already cited at p. 265, where he assigns 490 years as the whole period of the Jewish Kings. We have seen at p. 266, that 70 years of this period belong to the former age, according to Africanus; it follows, therefore, that 420 years must be his _Extent_ of the _Monarchal age_, which we have accordingly inserted in the Table. We have scarcely any means of confirming the correctness of this result, until we show, from his remaining fragments concerning the succeeding age, that it is quite consistent with his great Mundane period from Adam to Christ. It is necessary, however, to make one remark on this subject, namely, that Syncellus has committed an error in stating that “Africanus reckoned the 70 years of the captivity from the 1st year of Zedekiah,”[121] as we shall see in the sequel.

The statements of Eusebius, in the preceding Table, are taken from the Hieronymian[122] and Armenian[123] versions of his Canon; those of the author of the Paschal Chronicle from that work itself.[124] The former places the foundation of the temple in the 4th year of Solomon; the latter erroneously in his 8th year. Both authors in several places of their works, state the extent of the _Fifth age_ at 442 years, and in order to preserve this number entire they appear to have manufactured two or three of the reigns. Thus, Eusebius reckons the reign of Jehoram at 8 complete years instead of 6, that of Athaliah at 7 instead of 6, and that of Amon at 12 instead of 2. In the Armenian version the reign of Jehoiakim is reckoned at 12 years instead of 11, which seems necessary to make up the total 442 years. In the Paschal Chronicle, the reign of Asa is reckoned at 44 years instead of 41, that of Jehoram at 10 instead of 6, that of Jehoiakim at 12 instead of 11, and that of Amon at 12 instead of 2. Abating the errors thus pointed out, and admitting the interregnum, both authors testify to the true length of this period, which, notwithstanding the former, they have only overrated by 3 years.

6. Table IX. _Ethnocratic Eras_ and _Intervals_ according to
Ptolemy’s Canon and the ancient Chronographers—Accuracy of
the Canon—Josephus erroneous but consistent in the _Sixth
age_—His remarkable coincidence with the true Chronology in
the Mundane period—Theophilus follows the Roman Chronology in
this age—Africanus the prophetic—Both erroneous—Errors of
Eusebius, and accuracy of his Extent of this age—Errors of
the Paschal Chronicle considerable and unaccountable—Table X.
Summation of the _Six ages_ of the world according to the
Septuagint and the ancient chronographers—Table XI. Summation
of the Periods of the Christian Chronographers, adopted by
themselves—_Chronological Table_ of the Principal Epochs and
Events from the Creation to the Advent of Christ.

The following Table exhibits the errors of the chronographers in regard to the _Sixth age_ of the world. In our _first Part_, we have denominated the _Eras_ of this age _Hierarchal_, Table XIV. p. 80, to indicate the internal form of Government which prevailed among the Jews during the period from their return to their own land to the Advent of the Messiah; here we style them _Ethnocratic_, to indicate the _Iron rule_ which the _Heathen Kings_ exercised over the remnant of the ancient people of God, till “_in the days of these kings_ the God of Heaven set up a kingdom which should never be destroyed,” but “should break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and _stand for ever_.” In this table, we have introduced an additional column, showing the periods of the _Four Great Monarchies_ or _Empires_ foretold in the book of Daniel, in as far as they relate to the _Sixth age_, according to the Canon of Ptolemy, which is accounted by chronologers as one of the most valuable and precious relics of Antiquity.

TABLE IX.
ETHNOCRATIC PTOLEMY. JOSEPHUS. THEOPHILUS. AFRICANUS. EUSEBIUS. PASCH.
ERAS.
Intervals. Intervals. Intervals. Intervals. Intervals. Intervals.
From
Solomon’s
Temple.
THE ASSYRIAN 52
EMPIRE.
Jewish 70 70 70 70 70
Captivity.
Roman 54
Regifugium
PERSIAN 205 230 190 206
EMPIRE
Jewish 414
Hierarchy
The
Asamonean 125
Dynasty.
GRECIAN 302 298 301 296
EMPIRE
Roman 453
Republic
TO THE ROMAN
EMPIRE. 28 33 46 30 27 29
Birth of
Christ
———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ————
THE SIXTH 587 642 623 628 588 601
AGE

In this Table the extent of the _Ethnocratic age_ is 587 years according to the Canon of Ptolemy;[125] this is 2 years more than we assigned at p. 80, owing to the reign of Cyrus being estimated at 9 years instead of 7, which brings the _Sixth age_ up to the vulgar era of the Birth of our Saviour. The Canon assigns 43 years respectively to the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar and Augustus Cæsar; hence the former reigned 25 years after the taking of Jerusalem,[126] and the latter 28 before the Christian era;[127] thus the extreme intervals of the first column of the table were obtained. The intervals of Josephus were determined from the following passages:—Book XI. 1, 1, “In the first year of the reign of Cyrus, and this was the 70th from the day that it befell our people to remove from home to Babylon;”—Book XX. 10, 1, “After the period of the 70 years’ captivity, &c. Joshua the Son of Josedek, took the office of High Priest; and his posterity, in all 15, held the democratic form of government for 414 years, till the reign of Antiochus Eupator;”—Book XIV. 16, 4, “Thus ceased the government of the Asamonean [race] after 126 years;”—Book XVII. 6, 3, “for 125 years during which they [the Asamoneans] reigned;”—and, Book XVII. 8, 1, “Having reigned, after he [Herod] caused the death of Antigonus, 34 years, and after he was appointed by the Romans, 37 years.”[128] Now, taking the period of the Asamonean dynasty at 125 years, and the years of the reign of Herod before Christ was born, at 33, we have, from the preceding extracts, the intervals in the Table, and the extent of the whole period 642 years, according to Josephus. This result receives a striking confirmation from the summation of the periods contained in the Titles of the different Books of the Antiquities which relate the History from the 1st year of Cyrus to the death of Herod. Thus,

Years. The Captivity continued 70 The XIth Book comprehends 253 The XIIth Book „ 170 The XIIIth Book „ 82 The XIVth Book „ 32 The XVth Book „ 18 The XVIth Book „ 12 The XVIIth Book to the year before the death of Herod, 5[129] comprehends ———— Total 642

Thus it appears that Josephus, or his corrupter, conscious that by the omission of the Second Cainan, he had curtailed the length of the true age of the world, has compensated for this generation, by enlarging the Postdiluvian _biennial period_, the Antepaidogonian age of Nahor, the reign of Solomon, and the extent of the Hierarchal age; for, we shall see that by the summation of the different ages as we have now determined them from the Antiquities, we obtain the true period from the Creation to the Christian Era, viz. 5478 years!

The extent of the _Sixth age_ according to Theophilus, is obtained from the following extracts: “The 70 years being finished, Cyrus king of the Persians, in the 2d year of his reign,” proclaimed the return of the Jews; “then, Cyrus having reigned 29 years died,” U. C. 220; “at which time Tarquin surnamed Superbus began to reign” at Rome, “who reigned 25 years. After whom, the Consuls and Tribunes reigned 453 years.” To these, succeeded the Emperors, “First Caius Julius, 3 years, 4 months, 6 days; then Augustus, 56 years, 4 months, 1 day.”[130] From these extracts, it is evident that Theophilus reckoned 54 years from the end of the Jewish captivity to the Regifugium at Rome; and 46 years from the beginning of the Roman Empire to the Christian Era.[131] Thus, according to Theophilus, the whole extent of this period is 623 years; and consequently, the period from Creation to the Christian era, 5507 years. We obtain the extent of the _Sixth age_ according to Africanus, from the following fragments of his work:—“For after the 70th year of the captivity, Cyrus having sent” the Jews to rebuild the temple, “we find the kingdom of the Persians extending to 230 years, and that of the Macedonians to 300 years; and thence to the 16th year of Tiberius Cæsar, 60 years.” Again, “the whole time of the Macedonian empire, was 300 years wanting 2,” from its commencement till its termination with Cleopatra, the last of the Ptolemies, in the 14th year of the Roman monarchy;—“all the years from Adam being 5472.”[132] Here, Africanus appears to have forgotten himself, and after saying that the period of the Grecian Empire was 298 years, he still reckons it 300, and thus obtains the number of 5472 years from the Creation. Taking 298 years for the correct period of that Empire, and 30 years as the true interval from its termination to the Christian era, we have 628 years for the extent of the _Sixth age_, according to this chronographer; and consequently, the whole period from the Creation to the Christian era, 5500 years.

The extent and intervals of the _Sixth age_ according to Eusebius in his Chronicon, were obtained from the same sources as before, see p. 286. He dates the proclamation of Cyrus in the 30th year of the Captivity, and his death in the 60th year. He next dates the 70th year of the Captivity in the 2nd of Darius Hystaspes, and thus annihilates 40 years of the Persian Empire before that epoch; consequently, only 190 years remained after it, as he reckons the whole period 230 years. He next reckons 6 years of the reign of Alexander the Great, independently of the Grecian Empire, which he estimates at 295 years under the Ptolemies; thus making the whole period of the Macedo-Grecian empire 301 years. Lastly, he dates the Birth of Christ in the 42d year of Augustus Cæsar, his 15th year being reckoned coincident with the 22d of Cleopatra, the last of the Ptolemies; hence, the period from the end of the Grecian Empire to the Christian era, is 27 years, and the extent of the whole period under discussion, 588 years. Thus Eusebius, by an admixture of the Hebrew and Septuagint Chronologies in his Canon, makes the period from Creation to the Christian era, 5199 years. The intervals and extent of the _Sixth age_, according to the author of the Paschal Chronicle, were obtained from his work, see p. 286. He follows Eusebius in his epochs of the 1st of Cyrus and the end of the Captivity; but he reckons the whole period of the Persian Empire at 246 years, and thus makes the remainder 206 years after the Captivity. He estimates the period of the Grecian Empire at 296 years, including Alexander; and the reign of Augustus Cæsar as sole Emperor, at 44 years; thus making the period from the end of the Grecian empire to the birth of Christ 29 years, and the extent of the whole period in question, 601 years. According to this author, therefore, by the summation of his periods the number of years from the Creation to the Christian era, is 5512; but he states it himself at 5507 years. He seems to have obtained this period, by annihilating 2 years in the extent of the 4th age and 3 years in that of the 5th age, in order to make it coincide with that of Theophilus.

The following table exhibits the summation of the _Six ages_ of the world, according to their extent, as determined in the preceding pages, from the works of the ancient chronographers; including those of the Septuagint, with the _Sixth age_ as determined by the Canon of Ptolemy.

TABLE X. MUNDANE SEPTUAGINT. JOSEPHUS. THEOPHILUS. AFRICANUS. EUSEBIUS. PASCH. AGES. CHRON. Years. Years. Years. Years. Years. Years. First 2262 2256 2242 2262 2242 2262 Second 1147 1068 1011 1015 1017 1145 Third 431 430 645 430 430 430 Fourth 612 612 541 745 480 632 Fifth 439 470 445 420 442 442 Sixth 587 642 623 628 588 601 ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ———— Total 5478 5478 5507 5500 5199 5512

The following table exhibits the summation of the different periods into which the four Christian chronographers subdivide the Great Mundane period, from Creation to the Era of Redemption.

TABLE XI.

1. _Eras and Intervals according to Theophilus._[133]

Years. From Creation to the Flood 2242 From the Flood to Abraham 1036 From Abraham to Moses 660 From Moses to David 498 From David to the Captivity 518 From the Captivity to Aurelius 744 ———— From Creation to Aurelius 5698 From the Christian Era to Aurelius 191 ———— From Creation to the Christian Era 5507

2. _Eras and Intervals according to Africanus._[134]

Years. From Adam to the Flood 2262 From the Flood to Abraham 1015 From Abraham to Joseph 286 From Joseph to Eli 729 From Eli to the Captivity of the Ten Tribes 458 From the Captivity to the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ 781 ———— 5531 From the Birth to the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ 31 ———— From Adam to the Christian Era 5500

3. _Eras and Intervals according to Eusebius._[135]

Years. From Adam to the Flood 2242 From the Flood to Abraham and Ninus 942 From Ninus to Moses and Cecrops 505 From Cecrops to the Fall of Troy 329 From the Fall of Troy to the 1st Olympiad 406 From the 1st Olympiad to Darius 256 From Darius to the 15th of Tiberius 548 ———— From Adam to the 15th of Tiberius 5228 From the Nativity to the 15th of Tiberius 29 ———— From Adam to the Christian Era 5199

4. _Eras and Intervals according to the Paschal Chronicle._[136]

Years. From Adam to the Flood 2262 From the Flood to the Exodus 1575 From the Exodus to the Temple 614 From the Temple to Cyrus 480 From Cyrus to Alexander 249 From Alexander to the 15th of Tiberius 356 ———— From Adam to the 15th of Tiberius 5536 From the Nativity to the 15th of Tiberius 29 ———— From Adam to the Christian Era 5507

We shall now conclude this work, with a Chronological Table of the principal epochs and events from the Creation of the World to the Advent of our Saviour. The epochs of Sacred History determined according to the true Chronology, are printed in Roman letters, and the epochs of Profane History in _Italics_. In the former, Cuninghame is our best authority; in the latter, Clinton, with occasional reference to Russell, or Hales. Some dates that seem to be well founded, are taken from Julius Africanus. The epochs marked with a Star are either traditional or conjectural. The Critarchates, Reigns, Missions, Commissions, &c., are all dated at their respective commencements; and the extent of each of the two former may be determined from the table, by taking the difference of the dates of any two consecutive Critarchates or Reigns.

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.

FIRST AGE OF THE WORLD.

A.M. B.C.
−21 _Traditional Epoch of the Creation_ 5500
−21 *_Higher Astronomical Epoch of the Brahmins_ 5500
1 True Epoch of the Creation 5478
100 *Death of Abel 5379
230 Birth of Seth 5249
435 Birth of Enos 5044
625 Birth of Cainan I. 4854
765 _Chronological Epoch of the Julian Period_ 4714
795 Birth of Mahalaleel 4684
931 Death of Adam 4548
960 Birth of Jared 4519
1070 *Apostacy of the Sons of God 4409
1086 _Samaritan Epoch of the Creation_ 4393
1122 Birth of Enoch 4357
1142 Death of Seth 4337
1179 _Lower Astronomical Epoch of the Brahmins_ 4300
1286 *Astronomical Revelations of Uriel 4193
1287 Birth of Methuseleh 4192
1340 Death of Enos 4139
1406 _Astronomical Epoch of Laplace_ 4073
1474 Birth of Lamech 4005
1475 _Hebrew-Usher Epoch of Creation_ 4004
1487 Translation of Enoch 3992
1535 Death of Cainan I. 3944
1662 Birth of Noah 3817
1690 Death of Mahalaleel 3789
1719 _Modern Jewish Epoch of Creation_ 3760
1922 Death of Jared 3557
2142 Prediction of the Flood 3337
2162 Birth of Japhet or _Iapetus_ 3317
2164 Birth of Shem 3315
2165 Birth of Ham 3314
2227 Death of Lamech 3252
2256 Death of Methuselah 3223
2256 _Flavian Epoch of the Flood_ 3223
2262 True Epoch of the Flood 3217

SECOND AGE OF THE WORLD.

2263 Descent of Noah from the Ark 3216
2263 First appearance of the Rainbow 3216
2264 Birth of Arphaxad 3215
2377 _Hindoo Epoch of the Calyougham_ 3102
2399 Birth of Cainan II. 3080
2401 First Jubilee of Jubilees from Creation 3078
2526 _Chinese Epoch of Fohi_ 2953
2529 Birth of Salah 2950
2579 _Foundation of Egypt by Mizraim_ 2900
2612 Death of Noah 2867
2659 Birth of Eber 2820
2764 Death of Shem 2715
2793 Birth of Peleg or Phalec 2686
2802 Death of Arphaxad 2677
2859 Death of Cainan II. 2620
2923 Birth of Reu or Ragau 2556
2962 Death of Salah 2517
3018 _Chinese Epoch of Tchouen-Hiu_ 2461
3055 Birth of Serug 2424
3063 Death of Eber 2416
3079 *Foundation of Babel 2400
3081 *Confusion of Tongues 2398
3081 *Division of the Earth 2398
3122 _Chinese Epoch of Yao_ 2357
3132 Death of Peleg 2347
3152 _Foundation of Memphis by Menes_ 2327
3185 Birth of Nahor 2294
3249 *Birth of Job 2236
3246 _Babylon taken by the Medes_ 2233
3246 _Chaldean Astronomical Epoch_ 2233
3262 Death of Reu 2217
3264 Birth of Terah 2215
3297 _Foundation of the Assyrian Monarchy_ 2182
3334 Birth of Abraham 2145
3343 *Trial of Job 2136
3385 Death of Serug 2094
3406 *Abraham arrives in Haran 2073
3409 Death of Terah 2070
3409 True Epoch of the Call of Abraham 2070

THIRD AGE OF THE WORLD.

3410 Descent of Abraham to Egypt 2069
3418 Canaan promised to Abraham 2061
3420 Birth of Ishmael 2059
3433 Covenant of Circumcision 2046
3433 Destruction of Sodom 2046
3434 Birth of Isaac 2045
3471 Death of Sarah 2008
3474 Marriage of Isaac 2005
3483 *Death of Job 1996
3494 Birth of Jacob and Esau 1985
3509 Death of Abraham 1970
3522 _Foundation of Sicyon_ 1957
3534 Marriage of Esau 1935
3557 Death of Ishmael 1922
3571 Jacob goes to Padan-aram 1908
3571 Marriage of Jacob 1908
3572 Birth of Reuben 1907
3574 Birth of Simeon 1905
3575 Birth of Levi 1904
3576 Birth of Judah 1903
3587 _Foundation of the Assyrian Empire_ 1892
3591 Jacob returns to Canaan 1888
3598 Birth of Benjamin 1881
3602 Joseph carried into Egypt 1877
3614 Death of Isaac 1865
3615 Joseph made Regent of Egypt 1864
3616 First Year of Plenty 1863
3622 Birth of Kohath 1857
3624 Eisodus of Jacob into Egypt 1855
3641 Death of Jacob 1838
3684 Birth of Amram 1795
3695 Death of Joseph 1784
3712 Death of Levi 1767
3726 _Descent of Phoroneus_ 1753
3755 Death of Kohath 1724
3756 Birth of Aaron 1723
3759 Birth of Moses 1720
3787 _Foundation of Argos_ 1692
3799 Moses flies to Midian 1680
3837 _Flood of Ogyges_ 1642
3840 True Epoch of the Exodus 1639

FOURTH AGE OF THE WORLD.

3840 The Law proclaimed at Sinai 1639
3879 Death of Aaron and Moses 1600
3880 Passage of the Jordan 1599
3886 Division of Canaan by Lot 1593
3896 Death of Joshua 1583
3894 _Foundation of Athens_ 1585
3907 First Servitude of Israel 1572
3915 Critarchate of Othniel 1564
3955 Second Servitude 1524
3973 Critarchate of Ehud 1506
3988 _Indian Astronomical Epoch_ 1491
4013 _Descent of Danaus and Pelasgus_ 1466
4043 _Flood of Deucalion_ 1436
4043 Third Servitude 1426
4073 Critarchate of Deborah and Barak 1406
4096 _Reign of Dardanus and Erectheus_ 1383
4113 Fourth Servitude 1366
4119 _The Sphere of Chiron or Musæus_ 1360
4120 Critarchate of Gideon 1359
4146 _Azan, Aphidas and Elatus, in Arcadia_ 1333
4160 Critarchate of Abimelech 1319
4163 Critarchate of Tolah 1316
4166 _Descent of Cadmus_ 1313
4186 Critarchate of Jair 1293
4196 _Descent of Pelops_ 1283
4208 Fifth Servitude 1271
4218 _Birth of Hercules_ 1261
4226 Critarchate of Jephthah 1253
4232 Critarchate of Ibzan 1247
4239 Critarchate of Elon 1240
4249 Critarchate of Abdon 1230
4254 _Argonautic Expedition_ 1225
4257 Sixth Servitude 1222
4266 _First Theban War_ 1213
4292 _Destruction of Troy_ 1184
4297 Critarchate of Eli 1182
4303 _Reign of Orestes at Argos_ 1176
4337 Seventh Servitude 1142
4355 _Æolic Migration_ 1124
4357 Critarchate of Samuel 1122
4369 Reign of Saul 1110
4375 _Return of the Heraclidæ_ 1104
2227 Death of Lamech 3252
4379 Birth of David 1100
4405 _Reign of Aletes at Corinth_ 1074
4409 Reign of David 1070
4417 Capture of Jerusalem 1062
4435 _Ionic Migration_ 1044
4449 Reign of Solomon 1030
4452 Foundation of Solomon’s Temple 1027

FIFTH AGE OF THE WORLD.

4459 Completion of Solomon’s Temple 1020
4464 _Foundation of Smyrna_ 1015
4489 Revolt of the Ten Tribes of Israel 990
4489 Reign of Jeroboam and Rehoboam 990
4492 Lapse of the Twelve Tribes into Idolatry 987
4494 Invasion of Shishak 985
4506 Reign of Abijah 973
4509 Reign of Asa 970
4511 Reign of Nadab 968
4512 Reign of Baasha 967
4517 _Acme of Homer_ 962
4520 Asa defeats the Ethiopians 959
4535 Reign of Ela 944
4536 Reigns of Zimri and Omri 943
4537 _Acme of Hesiod_ 942
4540 Foundation of Samaria 939
4546 Reign of Ahab 933
4550 Reign of Jehoshaphat 929
4553 Jehoshaphat appoints Judges 926
4555 Mission of Elijah 924
4558 Destruction of the Prophets of Baal 921
4568 Reign of Ahaziah 911
4569 Translation of Elijah 910
4569 Mission of Elisha 910
4570 Reign of Joram 909
4575 Reign of Jehoram 904
4581 Reign of Ahaziah 898
4582 Reigns of Athaliah and Jehu 897
4588 Reign of Jehoash 891
4595 _Olympiad of Iphitus_ 884
4604 Mission of Jonah 875
4610 Reign of Jehoahaz 869
4627 Death of Elisha 852
4627 Reign of Joash 852
4628 Reign of Amaziah 851
4633 Reign of Jeroboam II. 836
4657 Interregnum in Judah 822
4669 Reign of Uzziah 810
4684 Interregnum in Israel 795
4684 Missions of Hosea and Amos 795
4703 _Era of the Olympiads_ 776
4706 Reigns of Zechariah and Shallum 773
4708 Invasion of Pul 771
4718 Reign of Pekahiah 761
4719 Mission of Isaiah 760
4720 Reign of Pekah 759
4721 Reign of Jotham 758
4726 _Foundation of Rome_ 753
4729 Mission of Micah 750
4732 _Era of Nabonassar_ 747
4737 Reign of Ahaz 742
4739 Captivity of the Transjordanic Tribes 740
4740 Interregnum in Israel 739
4745 _Foundation of Syracuse_ 734
4750 Reign of Hoshea 729
4752 Mission of Nahum 727
4753 Reign of Hezekiah 726
4758 Captivity of the Ten Tribes 721
4766 Invasion of Sennacherib 713
4767 Destruction of the Assyrian Army 712
4768 _Revolt of the Medes_ 711
4782 Reign of Manasseh 697
4792 _Foundation of the Median Empire_ 687
4796 _Creon First Annual Archon at Athens_ 683
4802 Captivity of Manasseh 677
4802 Second Jubilee of Jubilees from Creation 677
4802 Captivity of the Remnant of Israel 677
4822 _Foundation of Byzantium_ 657
4837 Reign of Amon 642
4839 Reign of Josiah 640
4840 _Birth of Thales_ 639
4850 Josiah reforms the Land 629
4851 Mission of Jeremiah 628
4856 The Book of the Law found 623
4856 Mission of Zephaniah 623
4858 _Legislation of Draco_ 621
4859 Missions of Joel and Habakkuk 620
4863 Reign of Pharaoh Necho 616
4867 Destruction of Nineveh 612
4868 _The acme of Sappho_ 611
4869 Reign of Jehoahaz 610
4869 _Birth of Anaximander_ 610
4870 Reign of Jehoiakim 609
4873 Reign of Nebuchadnezzar 606
4873 Era of the Babylonish Captivity 606
4874 First Vision of Nebuchadnezzar 605
4876 Rebellion of Jehoiakim 603
4876 _Epoch of the Eclipse of Thales_ 603
4880 Reign of Jehoiachin 599
4881 1st year of Jehoiachin’s Captivity 598
4881 Reign of Zedekiah 598
4884 _Birth of Crœsus_ 595
4885 Mission of Ezekiel 594
4885 _Legislation of Solon_ 594
4889 Siege of Jerusalem 590
4891 Destruction of Solomon’s Temple 588

SIXTH AGE OF THE WORLD.

4891 The BABYLONIAN or ASSYRIAN EMPIRE 588
4893 _Celebration of the Pythian games_ 586
4893 _Era of the Seven Sages of Greece_ 586
4907 _Acme of Esop_ 572
4918 Reign of Evil Merodach 561
4937 Release of Jehoiachin 562
4920 _Reign of Neriglissar_ 559
4920 _Reign of Cyrus in Persia_ 559
4924 Reign of Nabonadius or Belshazzar 555
4924 The First Vision of Daniel 555
4924 The Second Vision of Daniel 557
4931 _Anaximenes flourished_ 548
4931 Cyrus takes Sardis 548
4939 _Pythagoras flourished_ 540
4941 Cyrus takes Babylon 538
4941 _Xenophanes flourished_ 538
4941 Reign of Darius the Mede 538
4941 The Third Vision of Daniel 538
4943 MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE 536
4943 1st year of Cyrus the Persian 536
4943 Commission of Zerubbabel and Joshua 536
4944 Foundation of the Second Temple 535
4945 The Fourth Vision of Daniel 534
4948 _Anacreon flourished_ 531
4950 Reign of Cambyses or Ahasuerus 529
4954 _Cambyses conquers Egypt_ 525
4954 _Birth of Æschylus_ 525
4957 _Usurpation of the Persian Throne_ 522
4958 Reign of Darius Hystaspes 521
4959 Missions of Haggai and Zechariah 520
4959 The Second Temple re-founded 520
4961 _Birth of Pindar_ 518
4963 The Destruction of Babylon 516
4963 The Second Temple completed 516
4970 _The Roman Regifugium_ 509
4971 _Expulsion of the Pisistratidæ_ 510
4979 _Birth of Anaxagoras_ 508
4984 _Birth of Sophocles_ 495
4989 _The Battle of Marathon_ 490
4994 Reign of Xerxes the Great 485
4995 _Birth of Herodotus_ 484
4996 _Ostracism of Aristides_ 483
4999 _Battle of Salamis_ 480
4999 _Birth of Euripides_ 480
5008 _Birth of Thucydides_ 471
5011 _Birth of Socrates_ 468
5015 Reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus 464
5015 _Zeno flourished_ 464
5019 _Births of Democritus and Hippocrates_ 460
5021 The Commission of Ezra 458
5021 The 1st Week of Daniel begins 458
5024 _Empedocles flourished_ 455
5028 _The Roman Decemviri_ 451
5030 _Restoration of the Consuls_ 449
5034 The Commission of Nehemiah 445
5035 _Military Tribunes at Rome_ 444
5046 Nehemiah returns to Artaxerxes 433
5047 _Meton flourished_ 432
5048 _The Peloponnessian War_ 431
5049 Mission of Malachi 430
5050 _Birth of Plato_ 429
5051 _Aristophanes flourished_ 428
5055 Close of the Old Testament Canon 424
5056 Reign of Darius Nothus 423
5070 The 7th Week of Daniel ends 409
5075 Reign of Artaxerxes Mnemon 404
5075 _Lysander takes Athens_ 404
5078 _The Anabasis of Xenophon_ 401
5081 _Ctesias flourished_ 398
5089 _Rome burnt by the Gauls_ 390
5095 _Birth of Aristotle_ 384
5108 _Battle of Leuctra_ 371
5111 _Eudoxus flourished_ 368
5113 _Consuls restored at Rome_ 366
5119 The 14th Week of Daniel ends 360
5120 _The accession of Philip_ 359
5121 Reign of Ochus 358
5123 _Birth of Alexander the Great_ 356
5138 _Birth of Epicurus_ 341
5139 _Demosthenes flourished_ 340
5141 _Battle of Chæronea_ 338
5142 Reign of Arses 337
5143 _Reign of Alexander in Macedon_ 336
5144 Reign of Darius Codomannus 335
5145 _Alexander crosses the Hellespont_ 334
5147 Tyre taken by Alexander 332
5147 _Alexandria founded_ 332
5148 _Battle of Arbela_ 331
5150 MACEDO-GRECIAN EMPIRE 329
5156 Death of Alexander 323
5159 Ptolemy takes Jerusalem 320
5168 The 21st Week of Daniel ends 311
5167 Era of the Seleucidæ or Contracts 312
5174 _Reign of Ptolemy Lagus_ 305
5180 _Arcesilaus flourished_ 299
5194 _Reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus_ 285
5199 Reign of Antiochus Soter 280
5200 _Irruption of the Gauls into Greece_ 279
5202 Epoch of the Septuagint Version 277
5215 _First Punic War_ 264
5217 The 28th Week of Daniel ends 262
5218 Reign of Antiochus Theus 261
5232 _Reign of Ptolemy Evergetes_ 247
5233 Reign of Seleucus Callinicius 246
5238 _Sicily ceded to Rome_ 241
5254 Reign of Seleucus Ceraunus 225
5256 Reign of Antiochus the Great 223
5257 _Reign of Ptolemy Philopator_ 222
5261 _Second Punic War_ 218
5263 _Battle of Cannæ_ 216
5266 The 35th Week of Daniel ends 213
5274 _Reign of Ptolemy Epiphanes_ 205
5289 _The Romans cross the Hellespont_ 190
5292 Reign of Seleucus Philopator 187
5298 _Reign of Ptolemy Philometor_ 181
5304 Reign of Antiochus Epiphanes 175
5304 Antiochus persecutes the Jews 10 years 175
5304 End of the Jewish Hierarchy 175
5309 Antiochus sacks Jerusalem 170
5311 _Macedon subdued by the Romans_ 168
5312 Martyrdom of the Maccabees 167
5313 The Asamonean Dynasty 166
5313 Reign of Judas Maccabeus 166
5315 Reign of Antiochus Eupator 164
5315 The 42d Week of Daniel ends 164
5317 Reign of Demetrius Soter 162
5318 The Jews allied with the Romans 161
5329 Reign of Alexander Balas 150
5330 _Third Punic War_ 149
5333 Reign of Demetrius Nicator 146
5333 _Reign of Ptolemy Physcon_ 146
5333 _Destruction of Carthage_ 146
5336 Reign of Antiochus VI. Epiphanes 143
5337 Reign of Trypho 142
5341 Reign of Antiochus Sidetes 138
5351 2d Reign of Demetrius Nicator 128
5354 Reign of Alexander Zebina 125
5356 Reign of Antiochus Grypus 123
5362 _Reign of Ptolemy Soter_ 117
5364 The 49th Week of Daniel ends 115
5374 _Africa made a Roman Province_ 105
5384 Reign of Seleucus Nicator 95
5387 Reign of Philip 92
5389 _Cicero flourished_ 90
5396 Reign of Tigranes 83
5397 _Sylla made Perpetual Dictator_ 82
5398 _Reign of Ptolemy Auletes_ 81
5410 _Birth of Virgil_ 69
5410 Reign of Antiochus Asiaticus 69
5413 The 56th Week of Daniel ends 66
5414 _Birth of Horace_ 65
5414 Syria made a Roman Province 65
5416 Jerusalem taken by Pompey 63
5419 _First Roman Triumvirate_ 60
5421 _Birth of Livy_ 58
5421 _Julius Cæsar invades Gaul_ 58
5425 _Julius Cæsar reduces Britain_ 54
5428 _Reign of Cleopatra_ 51
5431 _Battle of Pharsalia_ 48
5434 The 59th Week of Daniel ends 45
5434 _The Julian Era_ 45
5435 _Death of Julius Cæsar_ 44
5436 _Second Roman Triumvirate_ 43
5437 _The Battle of Philippi_ 42
5441 The 60th Week of Daniel ends 38
5441 _The Spanish Era_ 38
5442 Reign of Herod 37
5442 End of the Asamoneans 37
5448 The 61st Week of Daniel ends 31
5448 _The Battle of Actium_ 31
5449 _Egypt made a Roman Province_ 33
5449 THE ROMAN EMPIRE 30
5449 Reign of Augustus Cæsar 30
5452 _The Augustan Era_ 27
5455 The 62d Week of Daniel ends 24
5455 THE TEMPLE OF JANUS SHUT 24
5462 The 63d Week of Daniel ends 17
5462 The Temple at Jerusalem rebuilt by Herod 17
5476 The 65th Week of Daniel ends 3

5476 BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST 3

5478 Reign of Archelaus 1

A.D.
5478 VULGAR ERA OF CHRISTIANITY 1
5486 Judea made a Roman Province 8
5492 Reign of Tiberius Cesar 14
5504 The 69th Week of Daniel ends 26
5505 Pontius Pilate procurator of Judea 27
5506 BAPTISM OF CHRIST 28
5511 The 70th Week of Daniel ends 33

5511 THE CRUCIFIXION AND ASCENSION 33

5511 THE FIFTH EMPIRE 33

-----

Footnote 1:

‘Ο πᾶs χρόνος καὶ τὰ ἔτη δείκνυται, τοντοῖς βονλομένοῖς πείθεσθαι τῇ
ἄληθείᾳ.—Theoph. ad Autol. Lib. III. p. 273, Oxon. 1684.

Footnote 2:

See his “Syntagma de Septuaginta,” p. 13, Lond. 1655, and his
“Chronologia Sacra,” p. 46, Oxon. 1660. In our subsequent citations,
these editions are followed; the latter is denominated “Opus Posthumum
hucusque ἀνέκδοτον.”

Footnote 3:

This translation, which is from the Septuagint, may be considered as
too free by some; but we conceive that it expresses the true meaning
of the passage, which is not conveyed in our common version; for the
earth abideth _not_ for ever!

Footnote 4:

The reader will find an explanation of Mr. Cuninghame’s argument in
the second part of this Dissertation.

Footnote 5:

Revelation xiii. 17.

Footnote 6:

Ibid. xxii. 19.

Footnote 7:

Dr. Hales says, “The Targum of Jonathan Ben Uzziel, of the highest
authority among the Jews, thus paraphrases Gen. iv. 25: ‘And Adam knew
his wife when 130 years were completed after Abel was killed.’ And the
same account is furnished by the Bereshith Rabba, More Nevochim,
Midrash Tanchuma, Solomon Jarchi, Elias, and others of their principal
writers.”—See his “Analysis of Chronology,” vol. i. p. 80. Indeed, the
whole of the second article of the second section of his Introduction,
is well worth perusal, being full of very curious and interesting
matter, all tending powerfully to prove that the longer computation of
the Septuagint was the true and original computation of the Hebrew
text. His comparison of the Masorete and Samaritan texts in regard to
Genesis xi. 10–32, is very valuable; see p. 82.

Footnote 8:

“Syntagma,” cap. iv. p. 34.

Footnote 9:

We refer here to the date of the division of the earth as determined
by Mr. Cuninghame; see the Preface to his “Synopsis of Chronology,”
pp. 18–22, and his “Fulness of the Times,” p. 44. In these works, he
makes out that the division commenced in A. M. 3081 or B. C. 2398;
that it continued during a jubilean period, or forty-nine years; and,
of course, that it terminated in A. M. 3130, or B. C. 2349. We confess
that we do not see the necessity of allowing so long a period for the
division of the earth; and we think it more likely to have been
finished than to have been begun at the former date.

Footnote 10:

This name is marked in this and the two following Tables, on account
of its omission in the Hebrew and Samaritan texts.

Footnote 11:

Usher’s “Chronologia Sacra,” cap. vi. p. 87.

Footnote 12:

The citations from Dr. Hales’ work are referred to the 4to. edition,
Lond. 1800–1812.

Footnote 13:

Collatio Codicis Cottoniani Gen seos, &c. Lond. 1778, p. xiii.

Footnote 14:

“Analysis of Chronology,” vol. i. p. 84.

Footnote 15:

“Chronologia Sacra,” cap. vii. p. 120.

Footnote 16:

It is remarkable that both Hales and Russell, notwithstanding their
acknowledged veneration for the Holy Scriptures, have chosen to follow
the testimony of Josephus, in regard to the extent of the first two
ages of the world; but “their witness agrees not together;” for the
former makes it 3333 years, and the latter 3403 years!

Footnote 17:

See the Prefaces to the “Synopsis of Chronology;” the “Chronology of
Israel;” the “Hebrew and Septuagint Chronologies Tried;” the
“Scientific Chronology of the year 1839,” and its Supplement; and the
“Season of the End.”

Footnote 18:

“History of the World,” pp. 228, 277.

Footnote 19:

The Eulerian ratio here referred to, is that the numbers of mankind
are doubled every 12⅘ years. Now, in 90 years, the doubling would
occur about 7 times, which would occasion the original number to be
increased 128 times; because the 7th power of 2 is 128. Hence, 50,000
multiplied by 128, gives 6,400,000, which is nearly 6½ millions. If
the calculation be performed with the greatest mathematical nicety,
the result will only be 6,540,256, which is rather more than 6½
millions.

Footnote 20:

The pretensions of any nation to a remote antiquity could only arise
from ignorance of the sacred records, and of the true traditions of
its ancestors, or from a bold disbelief of both. The Jews cannot be
charged with either of these, their character being remarkably the
reverse until Christ came. Hence we cannot suppose that the Seventy
Interpreters would wilfully shut their eyes to the glaring facts, that
the true age of the world was well known to their countrymen, that
many of them were then living in the hope of the fulfilment of the
prophecies concerning the Messiah, and that they were then accustomed
“to calculate the times.” Any attempt on their part, therefore, to
increase that age by 1500 years, would have been looked upon with
abhorrence; nor could they hope to escape detection and severe
reprobation; unless, indeed, we can suppose that they had assembled
all the Jews “from every nation under heaven,” and made them privy to
the transaction! Before the advent, therefore, such an alteration in
the sacred text was impossible; but after that event it was not only
possible, but actually took place, not in the _Greek_ but in the
_Hebrew_, the former being read all over the world, but the latter
being confined to the Jewish synagogue.

Footnote 21:

Chronologia Sacra, pp. 162 and 171.

Footnote 22: