I. PERIOD. The Chronology of the Scripture Patriarchs, in a continued line, from the creation of Adam, to the death of Moses; containing nearly 2553 complete years. Though the year of the world 1656, is generally reckoned to be the year of Noah's flood; yet taking the years of the patriarchs, for full years, or thereabouts, that is, either a little over or under, sometimes one and sometimes the other; and so complete in the whole, as Helvicus, Petavius, Usher, and most Chronologers seem to allow; I think it is very plain, that as Adam lived 130 years before Seth was born, and Adam was not 130 till the beginning of the year of the world 131, so Seth was born at the beginning of the same year; and so of the other patriarchs, which will, therefore, unavoidably bring the beginning of the flood to the beginning of the year of the world 1657. And to this agree the learned Funccius, Bucholzer, Scaliger, (a) Reusner, Calvisius, Bunting, Langius, Behmius, Frankenberger, Willet, Alsted, Drake, and Swan; who, therefore, seem in this computation to be most accurate. And though, from Gen. xi. 26, many moderns and all the ancient Chronologers, even down to Beroaldus a professor of Geneva, have set the birth of Abraham at the 70th year of Terah; and the Samaritan version in Gen. xi. 32, makes Terah to live no longer than 145, and so to have died when Abraham was but 75; yet, inasmuch as the Hebrew, with all the other ancient versions (b) and Josephus also, make Terah to live 205; and, as Abraham at 75 removed from Haran, Gen. xii. 4, and Stephen tells us that this was after his father's death, Acts vii. 4; therefore, Beroaldus seems rightly to have set the birth of Abraham at the 130th year of Terah; and has drawn the following train of celebrated writers after him. Calvinus, P. Martyr, Musculus, Junius, Pareus, Scharpius, Capelli Tres, Diodati, Rivetus, Langius, Ricciolius, Dupin, Broughton, More, Willet, Ainsworth, Raleigh, Drake, Lightfoot, Usher, Richardson, Swan, Allen, Marsham, Cary, Whiston, Lloyd, Marshal, Dr. Prideaux, and others; whom we choose to follow for further reasons, which our designed brevity will not allow us here to mention. a Scaliger says it is so certain that none has hitherto doubted it. (De Emend. Temp. Lib. V.) b See Bib. Polygot 15 Peleg 758 b 16 Reu 788 b Eber 34, Peleg born. Terah 130, Abraham born. Terah dies, aged 205. I m. Abib, 15 d. Abraham being 75, Abraham 100, Isaac born. Salah, dies, aged 433. 22 Jacob 158 e Shem Shem dies, aged 600. Isaac 60, Jacob born. a By Gen. vii. 6, 11; and viii. 13, 14, it seems that Noah was not born till the third month of this year. b According to the note above, and the preface to this period. Abraham dies, aged 175. Kohath 74, Amram born. (d) I m. Abib, 15 d. the 430th year of XII m. 1 d. Moses dies, aged 120, and Joshua of Ephraim succeeds him as ruler of Israel. c Helvicus out of Epiphanius. d Helvicus again out of Epiphanius. e Helvicus out of Nicephorus and Eusebius. II. PERIOD. The Chronology of the Judges of Israel, from the death of Moses, to the death of Samuel and Saul; containing about 396 complete years. By 1 Kings vi. 1, and 2 Chron. iii. 1, 2, compared with Numb. xxxiii. 3, it appears there were 479 years and seventeen days complete, from the coming out of Egypt, to the founding of Solomon's temple; whereof, thirty-nine years, ten months, and the odd seventeen days may be assigned to Moses; forty years to David, and three years two months, to Solomon; eighty-three years seventeen days in all. But the remaining 396 years being attended with many difficulties, there have been various schemes proposed by learned men for their solution; and perhaps the last, devised by sir John Marsham, and followed by Whiston, Lloyd, and Marshal, may be the best; who suppose the years of several, both, of the oppressions, and judges, to be contemporary. However, I shall here lay down the presidency of the several judges in the successive order, according to the years assigned them in the sacred records, inclusive of the several oppressions, as happening in their times; and as supposed by Scharpius, Alsted, Baylly, Stauchius, Broughton, Lightfoot, Swan, and Allen; as also Junius, Pantaleon, More, Perkins, Helvicus,* Isaacson and Tallents; only that the latter, supposing it to be 480 years complete, and seventeen days, from the coming out of Egypt to the founding of the temple, make Joshua's rule to be eighteen years; whereas the other more exactly make it about seventeen, as follows, * That is, one of two different schemes in Helvicus. a It is uncertain when Ebud died, and Shamgar began to rule. b That is, eighty years from the beginning of Ehud's rule. c It is uncertain when Barak began to rule, or who out-lived. d That is, forty years from the beginning of Deborah's rule. e Helvicus, out of Cedrenus, says that Saul was made king ten years before David. f Broughton, out of Sedar Olam, says, that Samuel and Saul died the same year, that is, Samuel at the beginning, and Saul at the end. |