that the Israelites some time before Christs birth by reason of disturbances from their enemies were disinabled to distinguish exactly their tribes He addes Sive igitur in posterum prospicere voluerint sive accepto jam malo succurrere puto simul omnes ad nomen ejus tribus se contulisse in qua religionis puritas diutius steterat in qua redemptor expectabatur proditurus siquidem hoc erat in rebus ultimis suffugium Messiae expectatione se consolari Josephus in the eleventh of his Antiquities conceives that the Israelites were called Jews from Judas Macchabeus But in his second book against Apion the Israelites who came out of Egypt are called Jews His 20. books which contain the history of jews and their Ancestours from the creation are entitled I know not by whom first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Talmudists hold that their doctrine concerning moneths to be inchoated by the phasis and years to be intercalated was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 traditio Mosaica è monte Sinai and was to be executed by the Sanhedrin in the holy land Maymon Halach Kiddush-hachodesh c. 5. I find in Seder olam Rabba c. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to Genebrards translation Hac illa hora Israelitae coeperunt obligari astringi ad praecepta de polenta de praeputio neomeniâ He speaketh of the houre next after the Israelites passage over Jordan But I conceive that by chodesch he meaneth the moneth Nisan to be observed as the beginning of the yeare rather then the phasis of the moon By challah he meaneth the feast of unleavened bread Who desire to be inform'd at what time the Talmudists left off their uncertain accompt may have recourse to M. Selden De Anno Civ vet Judaeorum c. 17. p. 80. The manuscript Karite used by M. Selden affirmeth that the Israelites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the time of the kingdome sanctified their moneths at the phasis of the moon This place I find praised in an elegant discourse composed by the owner of that manuscript authour What M. Selden de anno civili veterum Judaeorum cap. 4. quoteth out of the same Karite importeth that the Karites imagined their lunatick observations as ancient at least as the deluge Perhaps they thought they were for some time intermitted The 150. dayes mentioned Gen. 7.24 and chap. 8.3 they conceive to have for their Epocha the 17. day of the second moneth which they suppose to have been Jiar on which Noah entred into the Ark and to expire at the end of the seventeenth day of the seventh moneth on which the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat If Jiar and the foure moneths next following had all been solide the summe should have been 151. dayes Hence they conclude that about foure solide moneths ought not to be continuous Besides that * The authour of Bereshith Rabba Jarchi and others after Eliezer in Parasch Noah Seder Olam Rabba c. 4. some Jewish writers conceive that 150. dayes which the waters are said to have prevailed on the earth succeeded the 40. dayes of rain †According to Seder Olam Rabba c 4. the last day of the 150. in which the waters prevailed was the last of Jair and the ark began to rest upon the mountains of Ararat on the 17. of Siwan which was the 7. moneth to Casleu in which the 40. dayes of rain ended Nachmanid in Parasch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tells us that some reckoned the 150. dayes for the prevailing of the waters to reach to the 17. of Nisan and the 17. of the 7. moneth on which the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat to be the 17. of Jair the 7. to Marcheschvan in which the rain began to descend Some that space is to be allowed after the 150. dayes for the abaiting of the waters before the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat and though neither of these opinions should be true 't is not necessary that the 17. day of the second moneth and 17. of the seventh moneth should be included in the 150. dayes whence will they evince that there were not fewer then foure solide moneths continuous or if they will admit as many solide together as are possible by their suppositions concerning the 150. dayes in which the waters prevailed how will they prove that the seventh moneth was hollow viz. but of 29. dayes Another place in Eliah Ben Moseh quoted by my authour so oft already praised cap. 10. p. 54. clearly expresseth that Scripturary Jews esteem their way of computing years as ancient Noah Nullibi reperimus for this Latine well interpreteth the Originall in Scriptura praeceptam hoc de sanctificandis Neomeniis peculiare fuisse terrae Israeliticae Sed verò manavit â seculis vetussimis adeóque à tempore Noachi Abrahae Patris nostri quibus paex mos ille sanctificandi lunam quocunque locorum Some perhaps will object against Eliah Ben Moseh what Josephus saith of Apion lib. 2. against him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non animadvertit à seipso adductum quo coargueretur Karites who are wont to confine themselves rigourously to written truths are zealous beyond Pharisees for an orall tradition by which they may parcell out time into moneths and years They are easily reconciled to themselves It 's no unusuall thing that some one objection should hinder a rule from being generall If either sect of jews report truth 't was sometimes impossible to make before-hand a Calender for the year following neither are we enabled by any histories to reduce dayes of such uncertain years as have been mentioned to their due positures in any equable accompt Joseph Scaliger as also many other writers before and since affirmeth two things from either of which granted it necessarily followeth that moneths and years such as I have described according to the opinions of Talmudists and Karites were not used in our Saviours age 1. * De emendat temp l. 2. pag. 105. Lansbergius compendiously shews how the Jewish and Grecian years in his opinion differed Chron. saâ—r l. 1. c. 11. He contendeth that Jews from what time the Syro-Macedonians became Lords over them till after the destruction of Jerusalem used a cyclicall accompt viz. Calippus his period which consisted of 76. years 27759. dayes 940. Lunations contained foure metonicall cycles one day subducted I shall not need to explain how the Jews according to Scaliger varied from Calippus in the disposition of full and hollow moneths sith it sufficeth to my purpose to shew that Scaliger thought they used a cyclicall accompt and what were the reasons of his opinion 2. That translatio feriarum was in use throughout the same segment of time The first assertion he endeavoureth to confirm by the testimonies of Josephus and R. Adda This Doctour assigneth to the Jewish yeare 365. dayes 5. houres scrupl 997 1080. moment 48 76. Quid aliud vult saith Scaliger quà m periodum Judaicam fuisse annorum 76. R. Adda's period of
fourty years under his government Then the children of Israel again committed wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab aginst Israel because they had committed wickednesse before the Lord. And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek and went and smote Israel and they possessed the city of palm-trees So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen yearâ— vers 12 13 14. But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord the Lord stirred them up a saviour Ehud in the verse following The children of Israel cried unto the Lord when they had been vexed 18. years Ehud saved them not till after they cried unto the Lord. The 80. years mentioned in the 30. verse cannot contain all the time from Othniels death to the end of Ehuds affairs 'T is said that the land had rest 80. years They wanted rest which seemes to be clear from what hath been quoted 18. years immediately succeeding the death of Othneil Rest here cannot be conceived to be any other thing then freedome from vexation by enemies As great a difficulty is suggested by the 8. of the 10. of Judges 18. years of affliction there mentioned cannot well be conceiv'd if we consider the context to have preceded the death of Jair who judged Israel 22. years nor can possibly be reckoned to have fallen out in the time of Jephta the succeeding Judge who ruled but six years and delivered Israel from these afflictions S. Pauls words taken in that sense which is most plain and simple may well consist with what we find in 1. Kings 6.1 The holy Ghost pleased to register the time of the building of the Temple takes for an Epoche the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt a type of deliverances in which Christ to be figured by the Temple should be the Ante signanus from spirituall Egypts the power of Satan in Heathens and in Antichrist That Epocha also was very accommodate in that the Temple was to Gods people a pledge of temporall deliverances If in the lands of their enemies they should pray toward it God would heare in heaven and answer upon earth would upon their repentance restore them to their countrey Times of afflictions which they had suffered are conveniently omitted in the accompt as which would have eclipsed and obscured the lustre the pomp and glory of present happinesse Tears are wiped from their eyes and the times of their adversity not remembred Times in which the building of the second Temple was hindred as Empereur believes upon the ninth of Daniel are neither part of the 7. nor yet of the 70. weeks mentioned by the Angel Gabriel * See also Rasâ— upon Ezech. 4.5 Josephus much countenanceth my conjecture in his Jewish Antiquities lib. 8. cap. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solomon began the building of the Temple in the fourth yeare of his reigne in the second moneth which the Macedonians term Artemisius the Hebrews Jair 492. years after the Israelites exodus from Egypt He makes no mention of years for offenders in the book of Judges doubled viz. comprehended in the years for defenders moreover superadded He admitteth into his accompt the yeare immediately preceding the 40. of Moses leading the Israelites into the wildernesse in the end of which the Israelites came out of Egypt also the fourth of Solomons kingdome in the beginning of which the temple began to be builded No one will condemn his judgement who hath seen Emperour upon Dan. 1.1 He there approveth this way of computing upon another occasion Plùs minùs may venially be understood though not expressed for years current and parts of years completely past I am lesse willing to believe that Josephus erred as adding two years above those due for the space between the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and the building of the Temple in that he substracteth two years due for time between Adams creation and the said period 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He alloweth onely 3102. years for time between the first man born of God by creation and the Temple begun to be builded Between the Creation and the Temple if we take in besides the years for those who judged Israel 111. years for intervals in which the Israelites were oppressed by their enemies and the yeare in which the Temple began to be builded interceded 3104. years He alloweth for the time between Terahs death the building of the Temple 1020. years between the floud and the temple 1440. For the first one yeare for the other if he mean from the beginning of the rain which caused the deluge six years short It necessarily followeth that he must have reckoned 4. years too much between the creation and the floud I may not here omit how Josephus in his second book against Apion is inconsistent with what I have quoted out of his 8. book of antiquities concerning distance of the building of the Temple from the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solomon builded the Temple 612. years after the Jews came out of Egypt Sulpitius Histor sacr lib. 1. starteth another difficulty about the times of Judges He objecteth an interregnum between Samson and Heli. Ambigit that I may propound his scruple as represented by Sigonius quot anni intercesserint inter Samsonis exitum Heli Pontificatum ac judicatum quòd id scriptura non prodiderit ac post Samsonem â—er Israel sine regibus fuisse adjecerit Sigonius subscribeth this answer Cum Heli 40. annos judicasse dicitur primo Samnelis cap. 4. intelligendum est illos annos complecti interregnum ante Heli pontificatum ejus Atque ità Eusebius caeteri observarunt That interregnum as Sigonius judgeth was comprehended within the 40. years attributed to Samuel Lastly The authour of Seder Olam Rabba cap. 12. substracteth one yeare from 23. and 22. attributed to Tolah and Jair Judges 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it was given to each of them viz. reckoned the last of Tola's 23 and the first of Jair's 22. He substracteth a yeare likewise from those given to Jephthah and Ibzan conceiving the last yeare of Jephthah was the first of Ibzan The Temple began to be builded according to Master Broughtons accompt in the 2993. yeare of the world Solomon reigned 40. years 1. Kings 11.42 The kingdome was divided immediately after his death 1. Kings 12. verses 1 2 16 17 19 20. so we have 37. years from the foundation of the Temple to the division of the Kingdome The Temple was founded in the beginning of the fourth yeare of Solomons reigne To these 37. years adde 390. Ezech. 4.5 * Beroaldus is of the same judgement as computing 408. years for that article of time between the foundation of the Temple and 70. years of the Babylonian captivity which he reckoneth from the first yeare of Nebuchad-nezzar Lansberg also consenteth Chronol sac l. 2. c. 6 and Capell Historiae sacrae
feriam Caussa in promptu est 18. horae Computi Judaici sunt 24. horae astronomicè hoc est à meridie Nam primum novilunium uti diximus †De Computo Judaeorum novitio loquitur Judaicè est ‖ Novilunium Tobu fer 2. h. 5. scr 204. hor. 5. 204. ab occasu solis astronomicè 11. 204. à meridie Hoc ne doctiores quidem Judaei adverterunt cujus rei ignoratione illud oraculum sciverunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Viginti quatuor horis luna latet id est silet Sex novella fit decem octo fit vetus The Authour of the book quoted De inventione neomeniarum tecupharum reckoneth as I have said for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the moon 24. houres and the Neomenia in the beginning of the nineteenth According to this authour the civill yeare used by the Israelites in Canaan and their forefathers from the creation consisted of 12. lunary moneths but in the third or second a full moneth was intercalated In ordinary years that is such as were * Triplex est genus anni ordinaerius cavus sive defectivus plenus vel abundans Horum quisque communis est vel embolismaeus Annum fecit abundantem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Marchescbuan deficientemâ— seu cavum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Cisteu neither abundant nor deficient the 1 3. 5. 7. 9. 11. moneths were full the rest hollow An houre contained 1080. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parts a day 24. houres and began à sexta hora post meridiem a moneth d. 29. h. 12. scrup †Epilogismus Syzygiae Judaicae dierum 29. horaruÌ„ 12. moment 793. quae quidâ—m 793. momenta sunt scrupula sexagenaria 44′ 3″ 20‴ At verus Epilogismus astronomicus hor. 12. 44′ 3″ 11‴ Differentia scrup 0′ 0″ 9‴ quae quidem tertia in Syzygias unius cycli solidi ducta fiunt scrup 0′ 35″ 15‴ Scalig. de Emendat temp pag. 640. 793. a yeare which had neither moneth nor day inserted d. 354. h. 8. scrup 876. For the extent of this moneth he appealeth to R. Simeon the sonne of Gamaliel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dixit princeps ‖ Abarbinel in Parasch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attributeth to Gamaliel what here is given to Simeon deriveth from him this kabbala Simeon filius Gamalielis Sic accepi à domo patris patris mei quod non renovatur Luna spatio minori 29. diebus dimidio duabus horae partibus 73. chelakim The Solar yeare exceedeth the common ordinary Lunar yeare by d. 10. h. 21. scrup 204. had 365. dayes 6. houres That the motions of the sunne and moon might be reconcil'd seven years in the enneadecaeteris or cycle of 19. years were embolismaei viz. the 3. 6. 8. 11. 14. 17. 19. For the combination of moneths to be intercalated he quoteth R. Gamaliel in the Talmudicall Tractate Concerning the beginning of the yeare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et tradiderunt in Massecheth de principio ani annos embolismaeos inquit R. Gamaliel tres tres duo tres tres duo The authour of the book de Neomeniis Tecuphis now quoted observeth that at the end of the cycle there remained 1. houre 485. chelakim of the excesse of solar years In years which have a moneth inserted Adar is doubled The first hath 30. the other 29. dayes I cannot but take occasion here to correct an errour which hath been propagated by this authour He concludeth that no moneth but the last could be doubled in anno embolismaeo without violation of the Scripture because the moneths there have their order assigned them he maketh particular mention of Adar viz. it is said to be the twelfth moneth yet acknowledgeth that the first Adar is the moneth intercalated The last Adar hath been mistaken by some late Writers for the moneth intercalated Neither may I omit that the Authour praised is inconsistent with himself as in severall places defining the extent of the intercalated moneth to be 29. dayes 12. houres 795. scruples which is the quantity of common moneths yet elswhere making it 30. dayes This perplexity is not peculiar to this authour It 's agreed that the intercalated Adar had 30. dayes yet 29. dayes and 12. houres substracted seven times from the excesse of the Solar enneadecaeteris compared with the Lunar leaveth but one houre and 485. scruples What more was requisite to the filling up of 7. intercalated moneths was subducted I conjecture from the houres and parts of houres by which lunary years exceeded 354. dayes The 12. houres of each lunary moneth above 29. dayes multiplied by 12. make 6. dayes which are disposed of each yeare * The 30. day of a full moneth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The beginning of an hollow moneth hath two dayes the 30. of the moneth preceding and the day following Abarbinel upon Exod 12. saith of the moneth mentioned 1. Sam. 20.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fuerunt in illo mense dies bini capitis mensis secundùm consuetudinem nostram id est hodiernam I cannot doubt comparing this sentence with Jonathan Ben Uziels paraphrase and R. Isaiah's marginal Comment upon the 1. Sam. 20.27 but that Abarbinels two dayes of the Beginning of the moneth were the last of a full moneth and the first of an hollow moneth in 6. full moneths The scruples of a moneth besides complete dayes and houres viz. 793. multiplied by 12. make 9516. that is 8. houres 876. scruples Some tell us that dayes were intercalated severally in second moneths of years viz. Marcheschvans accordingly as 8. houres 876. scruples by which ordinary lunar years exceed each of them 354. dayes to be digested into severall years required But part of them as I said seem to have completed intercalated moneths According to the authour before quoted Marcheschvan which is naturally an hollow moneth is sometimes made full and Cisleu which is naturally a full moneth is sometimes made hollow by reason of translation of feasts What some other writers deliver about the Epocha of the Jewish moneth by it self much perplexed is extricated from difficulty by what I have produced out of the book de Neomeniis Tecuphis Among severall Hebrew and Latine authours who expresse themselves in this point alike I shall make choice of Abarbinel for an instance but shall explain likewise what he thought concerning times before the Exodus He affirmeth in Parasch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that each nation before the Exodus determined the beginnings of their moneths by computation not by the phasis 2. That the Israelites and their forefathers before the Exodus used the civil moneths and years of the nations amongst whom they conversed 3. That God on mount Sinai determined what moneths and years and neomenia's the Israelites should afterward observe 4. He seemeth to conceive that neither they nor any nation had exactly the same in any times preceding 5. That the Israelites were determined to a set computation
qui dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—tem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod intervallum minus est quam viginti octo dierum majus quà m viginti septem Secundum genus est ejusdem syderis à sole profecti ad eundem reditus Haec dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tertii generis mensis est secundus dies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scalig. de emendat temporum lib. 1. pag. 9. any kind of naturall moneth then doth the derivation of the word moneth that our moneths now used are such About moneths there are as I have shewed three opinions into which the Hebrew Doctours are parted one of the Karites and two of the Talmudists The Karites who would obtrude upon the times before the Exodus their uncertain accompt are overpowred and born down by the authority of the Talmudists This other sect of Jews hold part of them that moneths were alternatively full and hollow other of them that each moneth had 30 dayes Among those who embraced the former opinion the authour of Seder Olam Rabba and jarchi reckon the 17. day of Marcheschvan the first and the 27. of Casleu the last day of the fourtie in which the rain descended the 28. of Casleu the first and the 29. or last day of Jiar the last day of the 150. in which the waters prevailed upon the earth and the 17. of Siwan which is the seventh moneth to Casleu in which the rain ceased the day on which the ark began to rest on the mountains of Ararat and the tenth moneth on the first day of which the mountains appeared to be Ab the tenth to Marcheschvan in which the rain began to descend The first of Siwan on which the waters began to decrease is computed the first of the fourty dayes after which Noah opened the window of the ark Some writers who believe that the moneths in Noahs time were one full and another hollow throughout the yeare conceive that the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat on the 17. of Nisan and least there should want room for the 150. dayes affirm that the yeare of the floud was embolismaeus Those who hold that in the yeare of the deluge Casleu Tebat Sebat and Adar were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had each of them 30. dayes and at least seem all of them to have thought each moneth in the age of the floud and times adjoyning to have been of the same measure entertain'd severall opinions concerning the time of the resting of the ark * Augustine and Bede and many other Christians affirm that the moneth in which he ark rested was the seventh of the deluge not of the yeare and that hereby an eternall sabbath is shadowed out unto us The ark with S. Peter is a type of the Church which according to an ancient Cabbala whether derived from some divine revelation or onely from some private spirit I know not shall about the beginning of the 7. chiliade be completely received into eternall rest Nachmanides and Abarbinel affirm that it rested upon the mountains of Ararat on the seventeenth of Nisan Some quoted by Nachmanides preferre the 17. of Jiar They allow a moneth for the abating of the waters after the end of 150. dayes in which the waters prevailed upon the earth There 's yet place for another opinion viz. that there was a double Adar in the time of the deluge and the 150. dayes expired the space of a full moneth before the 17. of Nisan Those who held that moneths then in the age of the floud were throughout common years one full and the next hollow cannot unlesse they intercalate a moneth between Marcheschvan and Nisan with any face of reason affirm that the ark rested on the 17. of Nisan upon the mountains of Ararat The space between the beginning of the rain and the resting of the ark unlesse a moneth extraordinary intercede cannot possibly according to their supposition amount to so much as 148. dayes Casleu should contain 30. dayes Tebat 29 Sebat 30. Adar 29. to which must be added should the rain have begun together with the 17. of the second moneth * Some Jews affirm that the rain begun in the day time which some deny 13. dayes of Marcheschvan The summe is 131. 16 dayes of Nisan added produce 147. Former ages have not sufficiently inform'd us whether or no any dayes or moneths were intercalated before the beginning of the yeare was altered much lesse that this or that kind of embolisation was then used I should believe were it clear'd that there was intercalation in those times that there was a Weelul rather then a Weadar The authour of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus reasoneth that when Nisan was the first moneth of the yeare no moneth but Adar ought to be doubled by intercalation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Non autem embolisant nisi Adar cujus rationem inveni quod scilicet impossibile sit alium mensem in anno superaddere praeter Adar quem faciunt Adar secundum Nam Nisan est caput anni a quo computamus menses cùm scriptum sit Primus ille est vobis de Sivan dicitur In mense tertio de Tisri dicitur In mense septimo de Tebat dicitur In mense decimo de Adar dicitur in mense duodecimo qui est mensis Adar Quod si duplicarent mensem alium non satisfieret Scripturae The Hebrew authour de neomeniis tecuphis translated into Latine by Munster sub titulo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translationes sanctiones hath this sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dicimus autem à diebus Ezrae deinceps non inveniri Elul embolisatum But he meaneth I conceive a day was not inserted in Elul but in Marcheschvan when an accession of a day was made to the ordinary yeare by reason of translations of feasts which being granted his sentence implyeth not that Elul was doubled in times more ancient The Chaldeans as Scaliger affirmeth De Emend Temp. l. 2. after they had received the calippicall period as oft as a moneth was to be inserted had Elul alterum in the end of their yeare Scaliger in the book now praised speaking of the yeare of the ancient Hebrews which began in Autumne saith Fine anni ut solet intercalabatur mensis Other arguments are obvious against those who hold that an Adar was intercalated in the yeare of the deluge 1. Their opinion hath no foundation in sacred history nor yet in humane of any antiquity 2. Were it granted that the ordinary civill yeare in Noahs time consisted of 354. dayes no one can attain by mere conjectures whether or no they conform'd their civil years to solar years much lesse what kind of intercalation if any was then used The excesse of the solar yeare might severall wayes be digested into their civill accompt Those who repute the moneth in which the