Page images
PDF
EPUB

laus. By which, it seems, that Archelaus was accused and sent to Rome in the spring or end of his ninth year, and was got into his tenth before his trial there and exile. And Dio says, he was accused and banished to Vienna, and his estate confiscated in the year of Rome 759, Lepidus and Aruntius being consuls. (4) Josephus also tells us, that upon Archelaus's banishment, Augustus sent Cyrenius, who seized his estate in the thirty-seventh year after Antony was beat by Octavius at Actium; and the learned all agree that the thirty-seventh year from that event began on Sept. 2d in this very year of Rome, which Dio speaks of, namely, 759.

If, therefore, 714 ending with the last month Adar of the Jewish year, be reckoned by Josephus for the first of Herod's reign, and so his second year beginning with the first of Nisan, then the latter end of March 750 will be in his thirtyseventh year; then March 759 will be in the end of Archelaus's ninth, and the rest of the year will be his tenth; then his estate will be seized in the same year, sometime after Sept. 2d, and then the thirty-seventh of Philip will begin in March 786; and he must die between August 19th this same year, (when Tiberius enters on his twentieth,) and the Nisan of the next, when otherwise Philip would enter into his thirtyeighth.

But if we fix the decease of Herod to the spring of 751, then we slight the eclipse abovesaid, (which no astronomer will be free to) and cannot so easily make Josephus and Dio agree. And if we carry his death to the spring of 752, then we both slight the eclipse, and make Josephus interfere both with Dio and with himself also. Whereas, if we keep to the celestial character with the natural and easy supposition above, there is a perfect harmony in all their numbers.

Now the 750th year of Rome, is the 4710th of the Julian period; and in the spring of this year, I at present incline to place the decease of Herod; though, if a lunar eclipse at Jericho could be found by Mr. Flamsted's observations, and Sir Isaac Newton's theory, in the latter part of this year, or beginning of the next, I should then incline to think his death was in the spring ensuing. And by Matt. i. we know that Christ was born before Herod died; as by Luke i. the birth of John was about half a year before our Savior's.

[blocks in formation]

*

Aug 31, the first Egyptian new year day of his conquering Anthony and Egypt, and becoming sole military head of the Roman empire for forty-three years. (s. d. pt. &c.)

Jan. 7th, he receives the whole administration from the senate. Jan. 13th. t they name him Augustus, and the republic turned into a monarchy. (c. p. u. &c.)

Marc Agrippa‡ marries Julia, only child of Augustus. (c)

The blessed Virgin born. (n)

Virgil dies at Brundusium, aged 52. (c)
Herod begins to rebuild the temple. (j.
ll. m.)

Lepidus the high priest of Rome dies, and
Augustus succeeds him. (c)

March 19th, Marc Agrippa dies. (c)
Tiberius marries Julia. (c) §

Augustus begins to rectify the Julian year.
(c. u. pr.) ||

Horace, aged 57, and Mecenas die. (c) Dionysius Halicarnasseus begins to write. (u)

John the Baptist born in the former part of this year, and Christ in the latter. (p. u. sw. cr. ll. pr.)

Herod dies, aged 70. [j] ¶ and his son Archelaus governs in Judea nine years. (j. d. k. p. cr.)

The last year

tian era.

** before the vulgar Chris

I. CENTURY.

Jan. 1st. begins the first year, or the
Christian or Dionysian era, called
Anno Domini. tt

* By the mistake above this was called Aug. 29th, and hence the Egyptian era begins, by the consent of all Chronologers.

s. Suetonius. d. Dio. pt. Ptolemy. c. Calvisius.

So Ovid; but Censorinus on Jan. 17th. (c. u.)

p. Petavius. u. Usher.

By whom she had Agrippina and Agrippa-Posthumus, &c. (s)

n. Nicephorus. j. Josephus. ll. Lloyd. m. Marshal.

But had no issue by her; though he had a son by a former wife. (s) By omitting the three intercalations for the twelve years following. (c. u.pr.) pr. Prideaux. sw. Swan. cr. Cary. k. Kepler.

Between an eclipse of the moon on March 13th, and the passover on April 11th. (j. d. k. p. cr.)

**Cycle of the sun nine, year of Rome, according to Varro, Tacitus, and Dio 753, Julian year forty-five, and year of the Julian Period 4713; as all Chronologers agree.

First brought into use by Dionysius Exignus in the common year of Christ 527, who supposing Christ was born on December 25th, of the foregoing year, began the Christian era with this first of January.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

pa Paterculus

15

t Tacitus.

At the end of February the Julian year comes right, and so continues [cu &c.] Archelaus accused before Augustus, is banished to Vienna. [j d pu &c.] Between September 2, this year, and September 2, next, Judea made a Roman province and annexed to Syria. [i d c u &c.]

November, Ovid banished. [c u]

Tiberius made prince and colleague with Augustus in the provinces and armies. [pats d]

August 19, Augustus dies, aged 76, and his ' only grandson killed by

Who reigns 22 years 6 m. 27 d. †

Ovid dies in exile, aged 59. [cu]

Livy dies, aged 76, [c] and Strabo publishes his Geography. [pr]

Strabo dies. [h]

Valerius Maximus, and Vellieus Paterculus flourish. [h]

John begins his public ministry, and bap-
tizes Christ. ‡

The Passover, on Lord's day, April 17. [c]
The Passover, on Saturday, April 8. [c]
The Passover, on Tuesday, March 27. [c]
The Passover, on Tuesday, April 15. [c]
The Passover, on Friday, April 3, when
Christ was crucified. [c r us w cr will m
&c.] §

Lord's Day, April 5, he arises from the
dead [c rull &c.]
Thursday, May 14.

heaven. [c ru &c.]

He ascends to

Lord's Day, May 24, the day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost poured out. [c rull &c.]

Stephen the first Christian Martyr stoned. [11]

Saul converted, and called Paul. [pu ll] and Tiberius proposes in the Senate to deify Christ. [u]

March 16, || Tiberius dies, aged 78, [t s d cpu] and his only grandson killed by his brother's grandson.

h Helvicus.

He was of the Claudian family, and but son-in-law to Augustus. [8]
So Tacitus and Suetonius, though Dio 10 days more

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius; which begins August 19, this year, [Luke. iii. pt c sw w m] though archbishop Usher, and Dr. Prideaux place the beginning of the Baptist's ministry two years sooner, viz. in the fifteenth of Tiberius's principality. [see Luke iii. p. Ir pa t s d]

w Whiston.

tr Lardner.

r Bishop Richardson.

In the nineteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, which ends Aug. 19. [s d]
So Tacitus and Suetonius; though Dio ten days after.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Who reigns 3 years, 10 m. 8 d. [cp u] † Josephus born between September this year and March next. [j] June 13, Agricola the Roman general born. [1)

Philo Judeus goes embassador to Rome, [c] and the blessed Virgin dies, aged 60 [n]

January 24, Caligula killed, aged 30, [s] and his uncle

Reigns 13 years, 8 m. 20 days. [ts d c
pu]
Plautius and Vespasian sail to Britain,
fight successfully, and Claudius follows
them [u]

Claudius returns to Rome, triumphs, and
calls his son Britannicus. [t c]
Apollonius Tyaneus flourishes. [u]
Quintus Curtius flourishes. [c]

The first famous Council at Jerusalem.
[u ll]

October 13, Claudius poisoned, aged 64,
[ts d&c.] and his only son killed by
Who reigns 13 years, 7 m. 28 d. [t s c
u]

Paul seized at Jerusalem. [u ll]
Boadicia a British queen, kills 70 [t] or 80
thousand Romans with their associates.
[d] But Paulinus in one battle slays as
many Britons, and Boadicia kills her-
self. [t d e]

Persius the poet dies, aged 29. [c]
Nero first persecutes the Christians at
Rome. [c u]

Seneca and Lucan put to death by Nero.
[tcp]

In May, Gessius Florus begins the Jewish war. [je u]

June 29, Paul beheaded, and Peter crucified at Rome. [pull]

In March, the army in Spain set up Galba. [t cu]

June 8, Nero kills himself, aged 31, [t d] 32. ¶ [s] And

Comes to Rome and reigns. [tsdcu)

*Son to Agrippina by Germanicus, the son of Drusus, younger brother of Tiberius. s

+ So Tacitus and Suetonius; though Dio ten days less.

Younger brother to Germanicus, and both sons of Drusus by Antonia minor, daughter of Mark Antony by Octavia sister of Augustus. [3]

§ Son of Domitius by Agrippina, junior daughter of Germanicus by Agrippina senior. [s]

And thus the Julian, Octavian, Claudian and Domitian families expire.

[blocks in formation]

January 3, the army in Gaul set up Vitellius. t cu

January 15, Galba killed at Rome, aged 73. i sdu by

Who reigns there, 94 days. t cu

April 19, Otho kills himself, aged 37, tde
38. s And

Comes to Rome and reigns. t s dc u
July 1, the army in Egypt proclaim Ves-
pasian. t s cu

December 20, t m Vitellius killed at Rome,
aged 55, d 57. t s *

Reigns (from July 1,) 10 years, wanting 6 days. sdc

April 14, the Passover begins, and Titus
lays siege to Jerusalem. jc pu

July 17, the daily Sacrifice ceases. · jcum
August 10, the Temple burnt, and the
Roman ensigns set on the eastern gate.
jum

September 8, Titus takes and destroys the
whole city. j cum

Judea entirely subdued, laid waste and
quieted. j cu

Pliny dedicates his Natural History to
Titus. c

June 24, Vespasian dies, aged 70. sd cp
and his eldest son

Reigns 2 years, 2 m. 20 d. s dc p.
Agricola goes into Britain, and conquers
the Isle of Man, &c. tc

November 2, Pliny dies by the eruption of
Vesuvius. cp

September 13, Titus dies, aged 41, s e p

and his younger brother

Reigns 15 years, 5 d. s d c.

Agricola discovers and conquers new na

tions in Britain. t c

Juvenal and Martial flourish. c

Agricola first discovers Britain to be an

island,

and

conquers the Orcades

[merged small][merged small][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][merged small]

te

Having conquered Britain, he goes into
Ireland. t c

Stratius the poet flourishes. c

Agricola returns to Rome. c

The Apostle John banished into Patmos. c Clemens Romanus writes to the Corinthians. c

August 23. Agricola dies, aged 56. t c

Josephus finishes his Antiquities, aged 56. jet

* Galba, Otho and Vitellius were of several families; and their reigns being short and interfering, Ptolemy omits them, and sets Vespasian next to Nero. + Between Sept. last year, and March this, in the 13th year of Domitian. j

« PreviousContinue »