Sabbatic Year as the first Day of Creation was the first in the Hebdomadic Cycle For this Opinion seems not improbable when the Reason of this Cycle was not less universal than that of the Diurnal Hebdomadic Cycle Therefore the Opinion of Rob. Pontanus Cáledonius a Britain does not displease us when he asserts as much saying (p) De Sabbaticorum Annorum Period c. 2. p. 13. That the Reason of this sacred Observation preceeding by sevens has its Foundation in the Law of Nature as the Example of God himself which precedes all Laws from whence we may fairly gather that this Reason of reckoning by Sabbaths has respect to the Original of the Word and by a continual Series to be deduced from the first Sabbath That as God himself rested from the Work of Creation on the 7th Day so those Years of Rest Sabbaths and Jubile's came from the same exemplary Principle § 5. Some of the Jewish (q) Mâ—imonides c. 10. de Schemitha Jobel Rabbi's seem to The Sabbatic Cycle is a Character of certain and indubitable credit in respect of Time derogate from the Certainty of this Character when they tell us The Israelites had reckoned 17 Jubile's from the time they went into the Land of Canaan till the time they went out of it again And the Year in which they went out when the first Temple was destroyed was at the end of a seventh Year and the 36th of a Jubile For the first Temple stood 410 Years and after it was destroyed this Computation was also lost and abolished from thence the Land lay desart 70 Years and the 2 d Temple was built which stood 420 Years And in the 7th after it was rebuilt Esdras returned and restored this Aera the 2 d time And from that Year they began to reckon another Aera and made the 3 d Year of the 2 d Temple Sabbatic And they reckoned 7 Sabbatisms and consecrated the 50th Year altho' it was not Jubile yet they reckoned under the 2 d Temple so as that they did consecrate Sabbatisms Dionysius Petavius also follows Maimonides and is also of this Opinion (r) Lib. 9. de Doctrina Temp. c. 26. But as the Ignorance of the Jews in Chronological Affairs is very notorious so there 's nothing at all in this Discourse of Maimonides which would shake our Opinion that is not apparently false and argues the Author much mistaken about the Computation of Esdras at the end of 70 Years Restauration For Calvisius most truly (Å¿) Isag c. 26. says For who could suspect that the Jews in a Babylonian Captivity of 70 Years could forget their Sabbatic Years and afterwards institute others which should not be the same in order as those before the Captivity why should not the Jews as well have forgot their Sabbath Day and afterwards also institute another But this is impossible for God the Preserver of his own Institutions and Creatures would not have suffered such Set-times to have been disturbed from the Creation of the World So that the true Sabbatic Years were not changed but truly restored after the Babylonish Captivity For the Jews in that Captivity had Fields (t) Jer. 29. planted Vineyards mow'd and gather'd Grapes So that they were busied in those very things as were most proper to put 'em in mind of their Sabbatic Years Nor did their Exile endure beyond the Memory of any that were then alive At this Day where-ever they are dispersed they truly know and reckon up their Sabbatic Years How then could these forget them who had celebrated the Sabbatic Years in Judea and were returned back again into Judea to celebrate them after their Captivity But admitting they had forgot 'em yet after their Return they would have learn'd 'em again of the Samaritans who celebrated the Sabbatic Years with the Jews before the Captivity and had constantly retain'd 'em all that time for they were near Neighbours the distance betwixt Jerusalem and Samaria being not above 6 German Miles and the Nation of the Jews was very superstitious and tenacious of their Ceremonies as is well known 'T is therefore a vain thing for any one to suspect a Change in the Sabbatic Years § 6. A certain Author (u) Autor Solis Clavis Temp. itemque vindiciarum does not only conjecture Whether the Sabbatic and Jubilean Tears never had nor could have any other Form than such a mystical one wherein 343 Days are reckoned for a Tear but promises a Demonstration of the Affirmative but we deny both and our Reasons are 1. Because from the Author 's own Confession neither the Scripture nor any other ancienter Book makes mention of such a mystic Year 2. Because the six Years of Agriculture have without doubt sometimes coincided with the Solar Year For otherwise the times of Sowing and Harvest would have been uncertain 3. Because the (w) Lev 25. 9. Scripture attributes to the Jubilean and Sabbatic Years a fixt Beginning and State Thou shalt reckon says God seven Weeks of Years c. Then thou shalt cause the Trumpet to sound every where on the 7th Month on the 10th day of the same Month the Day of Expiations ye shall cause the Trumpet to be sounded throughout the whole Land From which Words Interpreters have hitherto inferr'd that the Jews ought to begin the Jubilean Years from the same 10th day of the Month Tisri whereas 't is immediately added That ye may sanctifie the 50th Year And although the Author of Mystical Computation of whom we shall speak in the next Section hath sought a Solution in the Ambiguity of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Proclamation or a Command of the Solemnity of the Jubilean Year indeed it was joined to a certain Day of the Civil Calendar whereas the Jubilean Year without any Relation to this Command took its Original elsewhere ..... How ill it becomes a Learned Man to trifle in a serious Affair For who knows not that a better Account may be given of the Beginning than of the Proclamation of the Jubilean Years who is ignorant of the Emphasis of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or who shall perswade himself that a Year should be sanctified amongst the Jews some Months before it began Maimonides speaks much juster (x) In Halacha Schemidda Vejobel c. 10. on this Subject From the beginning of the Year to the Day of Expiations the Servants were neither dismiss'd nor did they serve their Masters nor were the Fields restored What then They did eat drink and were merry and every one put a Crown upon his Head But as soon as the Day of Expiations was come the Senators of the Sanhedrin sounded Trumpets and sent away their Servants free Fields were then also restored 4. From that mystic Form which is against the Laws of Sydereal Years it would follow that it might be possible that the Product of one should maintain the Jews for three Years together against Lev. 25.
Petavius spoken unwisely (d) Ration Temp. part 2. lib. 1. cap. 1. Historia rerum praeteritarum est narratio Chronologia verò rerum earundem certis ex indiciis ad sua tempora temporumque partes accommodatio Quare huic illa materiam copiamque suppeditat haec illi vicissim formam ac velut Regulam adhibet illa simplici rerum gestarum ordine contenta est nec annorum singulorum exactam rationem instituit haec annos ipsos quoad licet annorumque partes quibusdam notis ac vestigiis assequitur § IV. But Chronology and the Doctrine of times Difference of Chronology and doctrine of times according to Petavius (e) Proleg op Chronol c. 3. seem to differ in this Chronology says he is an Art of assigning the Memory of things past in their times distinguisht by proper Notes and Characters but the Doctrine of times is a Science which enquires the conditions and properties of time as useful for Mankind yet we can distinguish no difference between 'em but Physical and Natural for we see not how Petavius's Definitions agree with his promise who said Se velle de natura hujus Scientiae disserere secundum Philosophos maximéque Dialecticos § V. A Science is said to be Subalternate not Chronology subalternate or contain'd in Astronomy only because in the Universality of an Object it acknowledges a Superior In which Sense all Mathematical Sciences are Subalternate to Physicks and as it assumes a Subject contain'd in the subject of another Science yet so as that it may add some accidental difference to it but also as it assumes the Conclusions of some Subalternate Science in the room of Principles which conditions may be seen among the Schoolmen Whereas therefore Chronology has not only a Subject contain'd under the object of Astronomy and superadds to it some accidental difference as a distinction into certain Periods and such contemplations as are useful to History as also assumes many other principles out of Astronomy as that the Solar Tropical year is 365 d. 5 h. 49″ that the Lunar Month is 29 d. 12 h. 45′ and others of like Sort it may not unjustly be said that Chronology is Subalternate to Astronomy as Musick to Arithmetick Opticks to Geometry c. § VI. And as in other Sciences the Explication A Chronologers Business of a Scientifick Subject is requir'd what principles of Being and Knowing what affections and kinds so a Chronologer ought to take care that he explains the nature of time according to these Heads he must not confound Measure with Measuring whole Theories with Tables of Celestial Motions are not to be propos'd by him who promises an Artificial and Scientific Method in short he ought not to confound Heaven with Earth § VII Certain characters of Times and Epocha's are not to be admitted upon the Authority Rule of Chronological Controversies of any Man not Scaligers ipse dixit whose Errors Petavius has distributed into four Heads The 1st Prophesying without any proof The 2 d Collections from places of the Ancients ill understood 3 d False Reasonings 4th Self Contradictions which we would not repeat to Scaliger's discredit every Artificer deserves some praise though the Art may not be advantageously handled § VIII (f) Matth. Beroaldus David Paraeus c. Some have decry'd all Chronology Sacred Writ no exact Chronology except what may be drawn from Sacred Writ from whose sufficiency tho' we wou'd not detract yet 't is certain a perfect Chronology is not to be attained this way for the Bible leaves off at Cyrus and begins again at Darius which interval must be determin'd from profane History Hence Scaliger rightly Actum esset de Chronologia Sacra si absque exoticis monumentis foret quod cum Sapientissimi Scriptores Tatianus Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullianus Africanus Eusebius aliique animadvertissent omnino sine exotica Historia intervalla sacra deprehendi posse desperarunt Dicatur igitur tumidis Buccis elalo supercilio atrocem injuriam spiritui sancto fieri si Historia Sacra ab exotica subsidium petat Quasi magna illa ignominia sit si Historia exotica Sacrae ancilletur § IX Yet there 's a certain Author who as the Mystical Chronology of the N 7. Creation of the World was perform'd in 7 days is for concluding that the N. 7. carries in it great Mysteries but since there 's no reason either in Nature or History for such Surmizes we shall pass it by as a Dream of one that talkt at adventure See Chronologus Mysticus in sole temp p. 3. alibi § X. But in Ancient times the Clerks who Of Antient Chronologers were esteemed most Learned had the business of Chronology commended to 'em by the Magistrate it was not only to the Alexandrian Bishop that the Indiction of Easter was committed in the Nicene Synod but it was a most antient Institution The Hierophantae amongst the Aegyptians and Greeks the Priests among the Jews the Chaldaean South-sayers amongst the Babylonians the Brachmanes amongst the Indians the Pontifices amongst the Romans the Druids amongst the Gauls c. presided over the popular Calendars § XI And altho' we are not willing with Scaliger Chronology a difficult Science to frighten any one with this passage Nemo nisi liberalibus disciplinis omnigenis Artibus initiatus accedat Yet 't is certain Chronology has some difficulties before 't is attain'd because the Knowledge of all Sciences is requir'd and 't is even immers'd in the Ocean of Mathematicks and History § XII The Division of Chronology into a General and Special part seems just both from Of the division of Chronology the condition of the Object to be known which 1st appears to the Humane Mind in general afterwards in particular as also from the Analogy of other Sciences for whereas all Sciences may be divided into General and Special there seems a true reason why in delivering the Doctrine of Times we should not depart from this Method § XIII The following Division is attributed According to others to Elias not the Thisbite but a more Modern Master of the Jews Duo millia inane duo millia Lex duo millia Messias Which Tradition is divers ways and almost in every Interval erroneous (b) Lib. 12. contra Faustum Augustine divides it thus into six Ages the First from Adam to Noah the Second from Noah to Abraham the Third from Abraham to David the Fourth from David to the Babylonish Captivity the Fifth from the Captivity to Christ the Sixth from the Coming of Christ to the End of the World which the Seventh shall receive comprehending Eternal Life And this Division is followed by Beda and Isidore According to others these Six Ages are expressed as in the following Verses Primus Adam Justusque Noe magnus Pater Abram Et posthaec Moses David Natusque Redemptor Septima fine caret locat requieque beatos Breviarium Chronologicum Of
observe Wednesday which they call Dio Fetissos and abstain from their accustomed Labours on that Day The Turks every Year observe Friday either from the Command of Mahomet or from an ancient idolatrous Custom brought from the Indians to the Arabians on which those Worship their chief Deity called Venerem CHOBAR of which Worship Jerome takes notice in the Life of Hilarius in these Words He came to Elusa says he by chance on that Day where the Anniversary had occasioned a Concourse of the People of the Town in the Temple of Venus For they worship her before Lucifer to whose Worship the whole Nation of Saracens is devoted § 11. A Common Year for Example being The Reason why all Julian Years begin not on the same Day ended which begins upon one Day the second Year begins not upon the same but the next Day after And if that should happen to be a Bissextile the second Year would have begun on the third Day after the reason of which from the Quantity of our Year is evident For the Common Year having 365 Days in it or 52 Weeks and one Day over and the Bissextile 2 Days over and above the 52 Weeks divide either 365 or 366 by 7 the Days in one Week so that if the Year begins on a Monday the last Day in the Year will be on a Monday and then the first Day of the next Year must be Tuesday § 12. Whoever will give himself the Trouble What 't is we understand by Roman Nundinae of inspecting fully into this matter may peruse (y) Lib. Saturn Cap. 16. Vide etiam Fred. Tâ—â—â—â—annum Macrob. which in short is this That upon the 8th Day not the 7th they met in the Fields to sacrifice for the Dead and consult the Country-Affairs and promulgate Laws that were establish'd and afterwards upon the ninth Day they consulted about Trade and City-Affairs and these Concourses of People were called Nundinae Some say they were instituted by Romulus Others by Servius Tullius § 13. Among other Praises of Constantine the Of the time the Roman Nundinae were abrogated and the Feriae primae substituted in their room Great this is not the least That on the Lord's Days or Sundays he commanded the Gentile Legions to pray For thus (z) Lib. 4. de Vita Constant M. Cap. 19. Eusebius When he had taught all his Soldiers to sanctifie this Day of Salvation which we call the Day of Light or Sunday he gave leisure to those who by Divine Instinct believed that they should freely frequent the Church of God and pray unto him without Molestation And others who had not yet been sensible of the Divine Doctrine he commanded by another Law That on Sundays they should go out into the Fields of the Suburbs and there use all together the same Form of Prayer upon a Signal given CHAP. III. Of the lesser Sacred Annual Character or the Sabbatic Cycle 1. The Sabbatic Cycle is a System of 7 Lunae-solar Years continually recurring instituted by God for this reason That the Earth and Men might have their Vicissitudes § 1. THE Sabbatic Years are of Divine Institution as may be seen at large Lev. 25. 2. where the Earth and the Vines were to be plough'd and gathered for 6 Years and the 7th Year to rest and not be cultivated See also Exod. 23. 11. The beginning of the Sabbatic Cycle was the 7th inclusive from the time when the Division of the Land into which the Israelites were then about to enter was to be made by (a) Exod. 46. Lot If this be observed all the Sabbatic Years will doubtless be rightly fixed and no Errors about it can happen if not we have no certain Character can be assigned us to proceed upon § 2. Calvisius (b) Isâ—g Chron. c. 25. when other Authors disagree Of those Years that are certainly Sabbatic among themselves has fixt these The 15th Year of the Reign of Hezekiah (c) 2 Kings 19. 29. King of Juda was Sabbatic The Year in which Antiochus Eupater (d) Mâ—c 6. 49. besieged Jerusalem was Sabbatic The Year in which Simon Maccabaeus was slain by (e) Josephus l. 4. c. 28. Ptolemy was Sabbatic The Year of the Captivity of Jerusalem by Herod (f) Ibid. was Sabbatic The Year before the Destruction of Jerusalem (g) Ibid. by Titus Vespasian was Sabbatic The Year of Christ 1189 was (h) Mâ—t. Pâ—tis Sabbatic The Year of Christ 1602 was (i) Jâ—daecrum Calend. Sabbatic Besides these of Calvisius others might doubtless be fixt § 3. There are (k) Lauren. Codomont l. 2. Câ—ron Quaest 40. temp l. 3. Chron. Dem. p. 103. Chronol myst in sole temp p. 22. some who tell us that the Their Opinion must be false wâ—â— assert that by the Divine Command the Sabbatic Cycle was in use among the Jews before the distrâ—bâ—tion of tâ—eir Land by Lot first Sabbatic Year of the Law was that in which the Israelites being brought by Moses to the Borders of Jewry and Land of Canaan a little after the Death of Moses began to enter and possess it under their Captain Joshua So that they will have this Cycle to begin 7 before what is assigned by Scaliger Calvisius and before these Eusebius But this agrees not with the Divine Precept For the Jews at that time did not enter into the Land of Canaan For altho' the Tribes of Reiâ—ben Gad and ½ of Menasses received the Kingdom of Sihon and Bashan from Moses yet it was not to these only but the whole People that the Divine Command was given Nor was the Land on this side Jordan properly called (l) Nunb 32. 29 30. 31 and 32. also 33. 51. also 35. 14. Canaan Nor did the Tribes inhabit it to whom it was assigned For these ought with the rest of the (m) Ibid. Tribes to pass over Jordan from whence after many Years they (n) Josh 22. 3 and 4. returned again Add to these things That Moses in Deuteronomy which Book he proposed to the People only one (o) Cap. 1. 3. Month before his Death speaks of the Land of Promise not as yet possest but to be possest Deut. 6. 10. But when the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the Land c. Therefore it can't be said Israel was entred into the Promised Land to wit Canaan before the Death of Moses § 4. Although by what precedes it is certain Whether we are to think that the Sabbatic Cycle was analogous to the Hebdomadic and consequently whether it can be of the same use in determining the first Year of the World that the Historical Beginning of the Sabbatic Cycle is to be derived from the Distribution of the Land by Lot yet we shall not reject their Opinion who think that God in ordaining this Cycle had respect to the Sabbath of Days and that therefore the first Day of the World was also the first in the
15 19 16 CHAP. V. Of the Julian Period 1. The Julian Period is a System of 7980 Years whose first Year had 1 for the Character of the Solar Cycle also of the Lunar Cycle and also of the Indiction all reckoned according to the manner of the Latines from Noon upon the Calends of January 2. This Period arises from the continual Multiplication of 28 19 and 15 the Cycles of the Sun Moon and Indiction 3. In respect of its Vse this Period contains in it the Reason of all other Epocha's so that we are chiefly to reduce all other Aera's to it § 1. THIS Period was not called the Julian because it was invented by Julius Of the reason why this is called the Julian Period Caesar since 't was not received till the Year 4669 but because this System consists of Julian Years § 2. This Epocha is not Historical but Artificial Of its Author since 't was invented only for the Use of true Epocha's For Scaliger considering that the Calculation was very intricate since if we consider the Years of the Creation the year of Christ or any other Epocha whatever another Person could not understand what Year this or that Writer meant therefore to remove such Doubts about reckoning upon the times he thought of this Period and when he saw that there was no other Epocha whose Beginning was incontestable among Chronologers he fixed this For he continually multiplied the three Cycles of the Sun Moon and Indiction together and the Product resulting he called the Julian Period By this means avoiding those Inconveniencies which were wont to arise from the different Computation of Years but no one can doubt who has considered the 2 Periods viz. the Constantinopolitan and the Julian but that the former was the occasion of the latter For they agree in Quantity and in Principles since as Scaliger has taught both arise from the Multiplication of the Cycles but they disagree in respect of the Terminus à quo since the Beginning of the Const Period is supposed to precede the other Period by 795 years Nor have the Years of the Julian Period the same Beginning as the Const have since we begin those from Noon upon the Calends of January but these partly from the Autumn partly from the Spring But what Praise Scaliger has deserved even from his Enemy because of the Use of this Julian Period is evident from the following Words of (a) Lib. 9. Cap. 1. Petavius where he says Truly there is scarce any thing in all Scaliger 's Chronological Books which is of any Moment or may avoid Reprehension besides his Explication of the Julian Period And as we have deservedly condemn'd the rest and because of their intolerable Errors and have rejected them from all Vse in History so we ought much to esteem this Artificial Cycle of Year and its Vse Which is sufficient from an Enemy and constant Adversary § 3. The first Use of the Julian Period Of the most remarkable Vses of the Julian Period is this that we can explain our Minds to one another For every Year of this Period has its Cycles all of which no other Year in the whole Period has And on the contrary the Year of the Creation being stated we may first enquire how many years any Author reckons from the Creation to the Year of Christ which Multiplex Inquisition Experience will teach any one who doubts of it is troublesome and full of Difficulties according to the Method of other Periods The 2d Use is that the 3 Cycles are found in this Period The 3d Use is this that if it can be found how the Chronological Characters can be found and that the Years of any other Epocha can be connected with the years of the Julian Period the same Characters also with little Labour may be applied to the years of all other Epocha's which also is the Cause why we shall explain in certain Sections the Invention of the Chronological Characters in the Julian Period and afterwards in particular the Connexion of Historical Years with the Julian Period For whereas in all other Chapters we have particularly spoken how those Characters might peculiarly be applied to Aera's So it shall be sufficient that we have mentioned how they may be compared together in the Julian Account so that it only remains that in the mention of Epocha's we only shew how all the Years reckoned from any Period agree with some certain year in the Julian Period § 4. The first Year of Dionysius's Christian Of the Principle that Scaliger followed in instituting the Years of the Julian Period Epocha by the consent of all the Latines had for its Characters 10 the Solar Cycle 2. the Lunar 4. the Roman Indiction which three Cycles being found in no other year of the whole Julian Period besides 4714 the first of the Christian Aera Therefore this Dionysian Epocha must rightly agree with that year of the Julian Period and each with each as Scaliger noted and as Petavius truly wrote The Beginning of the Years of Christ which Men call the Christian Aera is as it were the Limit and Hinge of Chronology and the common Term in which the Reasoning of all Chronologers meet as if they are drawn through many Turnings and Windings into the same Computation § 5. Whereas the first year of the Julian Period reckoning back from the true beginning An Enquiry whether the System of the Julian Period is sufficient to assign all the Epocha's of the World of all Chronologers of the World is 764 it easily appears that the disagreeing Opinions for many years may commodiously be referred to the Julian Period Nor is it found amongst those Writers who reckon from the Hebrew and Latin Codices of Bibles that ascends the assigned Epocha of the Creation ascends beyond the beginning of the Julian Period But if we examine the Reasons of profane History and first of all of the Aegyptian and other Authors who follow the Numbers of the 70 Interpreters we cannot deny this Period to be insufficient to reconcile all the Disagreements that happen about the Epocha of all the World's Creation till Abraham the Computation of the Greeks exceeds that of the Latines by more than a thousand years as shall be shew'd in its Place for which reason besides that we now mentioned we call the Julian Period Postulatitious by means whereof we can commodiously explain those Opinions which differ so much from the Hebrew Truth § 6. Let the given Number of years be The Cycle of the Sun Moon and Iudiction of any Year in the Julian Period being given to find the Dominical Letter the 1st Fâ—â—â—a and the Quantity of the Year divided by 28 19 and by 15 look at the Remainders not at the Quotients and we have the Character of the Cycle sought If nothing remains 't is the last of the Cycle sought Afterwards the Solar Cycle being known the Dominical Letter the first Day of
Pythagoras Plato and some of Aristotle's Followers acknowledged neither Beginning nor End of the World but also some of the Christian Philosophers have ridiculed the Chronologers for attempting to determine any certain Season of the Year for the Creation of the World looking upon it as a frivolous Question and not worth the Enquiry of the Learned it being say they evident that the Times of the Seasons vary in the World according to the different Climates But whilst these Gentlemen pretend to ridicule the Chronologers they make themselves ridiculous to all the World For tho' it be undeniable that pursuant to the Spherical Disposition of the Terrestrial and Celestial Globes there must needs be observed at one and the same time a great Variety of Seasons in different Climates yet does not that in the least affect the Chronologers who without the least respect to the Season determine their Times by the Ingress of the Sun into the Cardinal Points of the Zodiack § 2. The Gentiles were as little sollicitous It is not impossible to find out the time of the Creation of the World about the Year it self as the time of the year when the World was created According to Censorinus (a) De D. N. c. 21. Varro did contribute three several Intervals of time the first from the beginning of the World to the Deluge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second to the Olympiad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Ptolemy (b) Lib. 3. magr Construct himself reprehends those who pretend to determine the true Epocha of the World But the Gentiles are not the people only that exclaim against the Presumption of the Chronologers in pretending to remedy an Evil which they look upon as incurable There are also not a few among the Christians who consider this Aera no otherwise than the Gordian Knots not to be dissolved by Human Art Of this Opinion are Gabriel Rollenhagius Gerard John Vossius Nicolaus Mullerus and Dionysius Petavius (c) Ratio temp part 2. c. p. But among all the rest no body inveighs so much against the Chronologers upon this score as Isaac Pierius in his Treatise concerning the Prae-Adamites I cannot altogether agree in my Opinion with those who would persuade us that Scaliger's Epocha of the World is so demonstratively proved as to be past all Contradiction Nevertheless I could on the other hand never find any Satisfaction in Scepticism It is therefore my Opinion 1. That all the Characters alledged as such by Scaliger are not equally Authentick some of them being certain others uncertain 2. Among the Characters that of the Interval which we have said to be betwixt the time of the Epocha of the World and the Dionysian Aera of Christ ought to be preferred before the rest 3. That tho all the Characters of Scaliger are not infallible yet are they more certain than those introduced or made use of by his Adversaries 4. To conclude of the Validity of these Characters they ought to be all taken together no Judgment being to be given of all from the Uncertainty of one in particular § 3. There has been as much Dispute among Of the particular Intervals betwixt the Epocha of the World and the Dionysian Aera of Christ the Chronologers concerning the true Method and Order of the particular Intervals as about the whole Interval it self betwixt the Epocha of the World and the Dionysian Aera of Christ I agree with these who range them in the following Order  Years From the Creation of the World to the Deluge are (d) Gen. 5. 3. seq 7. 6. 1656. From thence to the Birth of Abraham (e) Gen. 11. 11. seq 292 From thence to the Vocation of Abraham (f) Gen. 12. 4. 75 From thence to the departure of the Jews out of Aegypt (g) Ex. 12. 40. Gal. 3. 17. 430 From thence to the 4th year of the Reign of Solomon or the Building of the Temple (h) 1 Reg. 6. 1. 480 From thence to the Reign of Jeroboam (i) 1 Reg. 11. 42. 36 From thence to the End of the years of the Sins of the House of Israel (k) Ezec. 4. 5. 390 From thence to their Return out of their Captivity 11 years subtracted from 20 so many being to be counted betwixt the Captivity of Jechoniah and Zedekiah (l) Jer. 39 13. 59 From Cyrus to the second year of Darius Nothus according to the Monuments of prophane History 110 From thence to the Destruction of the second Temple (m) Dan. 9. 490 Therefore from the Creation of the World to the Destruction of the 2d Temple must be counted 4018 And whereas the second Destruction of Jerusalem hapned in the year of the Aera of Christ 69 The whole Interval betwixt the Creation of the World and the vulgar Aera of Christ remains 3949 § 4. It being evident that this Account is Reasons for the maintaining of any Hypothesis founded upon the Testimony of the Holy Writ till the time of the Destruction of the second Temple and that we have but once call'd to our Aid the ancient and true Monuments of prophane History I see no reason why the same should not carry along with it at least a great Probability For granted what is objected by some that a Difference ought to be allowed betwixt the Years and Days at the time of the Patriarchs and ours this does not destroy the whole Certainty of these Intervals of Years it being by the Consent of the Learned put long ago beyond all Question that the Years mentioned by Moses in the first Book of his History were either Solar or Luna-Solar Years or at least not much different from the Solar and consequently from the Julian Year of which we shall have occasion to say more hereafter in the Epocha of the Deluge § 5. After many Contests arisen concerning The Objection of Isaacus Vossius examined the Difference of some Years Isaacus Vossius has some time ago declared open War against the whole Body of Chronologers in his Dissertation published in the Year 1658 under the following Title A Dissertation concerning the true Age of the World where it is demonstrated that betwixt the time of the Creation of the World and the Birth of Abraham there are at least 1440 years wanting Not long after this Dissertation he published his Chronologia Sacra as he calls it where he begins the 32d Chapter with these following Words Sometime ago we have made it appear that according to the vulgar Calculation there is a Defect of no less than 1440 years from the Beginning of the World till the time of Moses Besides which it is now our Opinion which appeared doubtful to us before that 60 years more ought to be added to the said Sum Thara the Father of Abraham being born so many years later There is therefore a Defect of Fifteen whole Ages in the vulgar Calculation the time from
8 Months the Sum will be equivalent to the Year of the Julian Period and if you subtract the said 952 Years and 8 Months from the Year and Month of the Julian Period the Residue shews the Year of the Jewish Epocha § 1. THIS Epocha is called the Jewish Epocha The Origin of this Epocha because the Jews commonly make use of it in their Records and Writings sometimes expressing the whole Number of Years sometimes by leaving out the Thousands of which more hereafter § 2. The Jews do as little agree in this Epocha Different Opinions among the Jews concerning this Epocha as the Christians in theirs concerning the Creation of the World as is manifestly apparent out of their Chronologies But as we Christians make use of our vulgar Aera of Christ notwithstanding the same is looked upon as erroneous by the Learned so the Jews use this Epocha of the Beginning of the World in all their Records § 3. The Jews express this Epocha sometimes How the Jews write the years of this Epocha by Letters sometimes by Numbers and very frequently abbreviated by leaving out the millennary Number As for Instance The Learned Jew Menasseh Ben Israel when he published the Hebrew Bible in our time at Amsterdam affixed to it the Year 395. Whereas if he had express'd the whole Number of Years he must have writ in the year 5395. § 4. Both the Time and Author of this Epocha Of the Author of this Epocha is unknown as well among the Jews as Christians Scaliger refers the Origin of this Epocha to the time of the Seleucides Christomannus is of Opinion that the Jews did not introduce this Epocha till after their Babylonian Thalmud There are also others who believe this Epocha to have been received among them in latter Ages as may be seen in (a) Eclog. l. 1. c. 1. Samuel Petit and (b) de Doct. Temp. l. 7. c. 17. Petavius It is our Opinion that the Jews cannot shew any sufficient Authority for the Antiquity of this Epocha § 5. We told in the preceding Chapter that the Concerning the difference betwixt the Christians and Jews in this Epocha World was created in the year 764 of the Julian Period And whereas the Jews according to their Hypothesis refer it to the year 953 of the Julian Period it is manifest that betwixt the true Epocha of Scaliger and the Jewish there is a difference of 189 years Josephus Scaliger Henricus Wolffius Robertus Pontanus and several others are of Opinion that this was only an artificial Epocha among the Jews not intended to determine the true time of the Creation of the World But I cannot find any Reason sufficient to induce me to agree with them because it has always been entituled as such and the Jews were so careful in maintaining or at least palliating this Computation of their Epocha of the World that they have industriously contracted several Intervals into a less Number of Years especially in what relates to the second Monarchy and the Interval betwixt the Destruction of the first and the rebuilding of the last Temple contrary to the ancient and undoubted Monuments of both the Sacred and Prophane History as is most evident out of the lesser Chronicle of the Jews in the Intervals set down from the Creation of the World to the Destruction of the second Temple  Years From Adam to the Deluge 1656 From the Deluge till the Division of Tongues 340 From thence till the Nativity of Isaac 52 From thence to the time of their going out of Aegypt 400 From thence till their Arrival in the Land of Canaan 40 From thence to the Babylonian Captivity 850 From thence to the rebuilding of the Temple 70 From thence to the Destruction of the second Temple 420 The total Sum from the Creation till the Destruction of the 2d Temple being 3828 From whence it is apparent that they would not have their Epocha pass for an Invention but the true Aera of the Creation of the World But there are not a few among whom is (c) Chron p. 237. Isaacus Vossius who imputes to the Jews that they did thus mutilate their Computations not till after the Destruction of Jerusalem out of a Hatred to the Christian Name when besides many other lesser Intervals they cutt off 1440 years from the true Computation extant in their most ancient Manuscrâ—pâ—s that thus by introducing a Defect of two thousand Years they might render the Coming of Christ dubious to Posterity § 6. And the Jews did not settle their Annual Of the Jewish Years Computations upon imaginary or fictitious Notions but for many Ages past were guided by the Motions of the great Luminaries Thus Maimonides says the Months of the Year are the Months of the Moon Our Years are computed by the Years of the Sun § 7. Yet Scaliger has been very anxious in finding According to which Hypothesis the Jews regulated their Years out which of the Astronomical Hypotheses the Jews have followed in their Lunae-Solar Year But in my Opinion he might have saved himself much Labour and Time if he would but haâ—e considered that the Jews had followed the Footsteps of Ptolemy as is sufficiently demonstrated by Nicholaus Mullerus in his Preface to a Treatise concerning the Lunae-Solar Years of the Jews § 8. The Names Order and Number of Days The Names and Order of the Jewish Months of the Jewish Months according to their Political Year for the Ecclesiastical Year begins with the Month Nisan are expressed in the following Table   Days I. The Autumnal Quarter consisting of   1. The Month Tisri containing 30  2. The Month Marchesvan containing 29  3. The Month Casleu containing 30 II. The Winter Quarter consisting of   4. The Month Tabeth containing 29  5. The Month Schebhat containing 30  6. The Month Adar containing 29 III. The Spring Quarter consisting of   7. The Month Nisan containing 30  8. The Month Jiar containing 29  9. The Month Sivan containing 30 IV. The Summer Quarter consisting of   10. The Month Tamuz containing 29  11. The Month Ab consisting 30  12. The Month Elul 29 § 9. And because the Jews made use of Solar years but Lunar Months they must of necessity besides the 12 ordinary Months interpose at certain Several sorts of the Jewish Years times an extraordinary one From whence it comes that they divided their Years in the common Years of 12 Months and the Embolismaean Years And whereas their Months consisted by turns of 30 and again of 29 Days the first are called the compleat the last the defective Months And to prevent any Confusion which might arise from this alternative Change in the Translation of the Feria's they were obliged either to augment or diminish the Number of Days of certain Months so that the Years of the Jews were divided into six several sorts For The
reason of the Sabbath 23 XXIV 1 They come in Raphidim 24 XXV 2  25 XXVI 3 Moses strikes Water out of the Rock 26 XXVII 4 The Jews vanquish the Amalekites 27 XXVIII 5 Jethro comes to Moses 28 XXIX 6 Election of the LXX Elders 29 XXX VII  D. of the Mon. Siv Days of the Mon. of June The Feriae  1 XXXI 1 They come into the Wildern of Sinai Exod. 19. v. 1. 2 I June 2  3 II 3  4 III 4  5 IV 5  6 V 6  7 VI VII Beginning of the 40 days Moses staid 8 VII 1 upon the Mount the End of which falls in the Month of Tamuz which is observed as a Fast-day by the Jews to this day 9 VIII 2  10 IX 3  11 X 4  12 XI 5  13 XII 6  14 XIII VII  15 XIV 1  16 XV 2  17 XVI 3  18 XVII 4  19 XVIII 5  20 XIX 6  21 XX VII  22 XXI 1  23 XXII 2  24 XXIII 3  25 XXIV 4  26 XXV 5  27 XXVI 6  28 XXVII VII  29 â—XVIII 1  3â— XXIX 2  § 6. The Words in (a) Cap. 12. v. 6. Exodus and the whole Of the time when they killed the Lamb for the Passover Assembly of the Congregation of Israel shall kill it betwixt the two Evenings have met with various Interpretations Aben Ezra understands by it the Interval betwixt Sun-set and the Beginning of the Night of which Opinion is also Rabbi David Kimchi But since according to (b) L. 7. c. 17. de Bel. Judaic Josephus at the Feast of one Passover there were slain 255600 Lambs we also agree with the same Author in Opinion who asserts that the Jews used to begin at nine a-clock about three in the Afternoon with us to kill these Beasts and leave off again at eleven about five with us CHAP. X. Of the two Epocha's of the Division of the Land of Canaan among the Tribes of Israel and of their first beginning to cultivate the Ground 1. They first began from that time after they Israelites had passed the River of Jordan and made themselves Masters of the Land of Canaan (a) Numb 33. v. 51. seq 2. At which time all the Tribes had their particular inheritance assigned them (b) Numb 34. v 1. seque 3. The year of this Distribution was the 45th after the second from the time of their going out of Aegypt as is evident from the Words of (c) Jos 14. 7. 16 Caleb Forty Years was I when Moses the Servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-Barnea to espy out the Land and I brought him word again as it was in mine Heart And now behold the Lord hath kept me alive as he said the 45 years ever since the Lord spake this Word unto Moses while the Children of Israel wandred in the Wilderness and now I am this day eighty five years old (d) Vid. Num. 1. and 13. 4. The year of the Distribution of the Land was the last Sabbatick Year in the Proleptick Cycle and the following was the first in the Sabbatick Cycle according to God's Institution (e) Lev. 25. v. 2. When you come into the Land which I give you then shall the Land keep a Sabbath Rest unto the Lord Six years thou shalt sow thy Field and six years thou shalt prune thy Vineyard and gather in the Fruit thereof But in the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of Rest unto the Land a Sabbath for the Lord thou shalt neither sow thy Field neither prune thy Vineyard (f) Vid. Ex. 23. v. 10 11. and Deut 15. v. 1 c. 31. v. 9. 5. From these Characters we conclude that the year of the Division of the Land was coincident with the 3261st year of the Julian Period Cycl ☉ 15. ☽ 14. And that the first year of cultivating the Ground began in the Month Tisri or first Autumnal Month of the same year of the Julian Period 6. If therefore 3261 years and 9 Months be subtracted Any year given of the Julian Period to investigate the year since the beginning of this Epochâ— from any certain year of the Julian Period the Residue shews the Year since the beginning of the Epocha of the Division of the Land of Canaan and if 3262 Years and 9 Months be subtracted from the same year of the Julian Period the Residue shews that since the beginning of the Epocha of the cultivating of the Land And if these several 3261 and 3262 years be added to the years of the before-named Epocha's the Product will be correspondent to the year of the Julian Period § 1. (g) L. 9. c. â—5 de doct temp Dionysius Petavius in Opposition to Whâ—ther the beginning of the Sabba tick Year may be gathered from the Words of Caleb Scaliger maintains that from the Words of Caleb no exact Computation can be made as to the year of the cultivating of the Land it being dubious whether the same ought to be accounted from the Beginning or End of the forty sixth year after the Departure of the Israelites out of Aegypt But besides that the Perspicuity of the Words of Caleb is an undeniable Argument against Petavius it is evident that the year of the Distribution of the Land was a Sabbatick Year and that of the cultivating of the Land the first of both the Sabbatick and Jubilean Cycles § 2. (h) L. 2. Chron. Laurentius Codomannus (i) L. 3. Johannes Different Opinions concerning the Epocha of cultivating the Ground Temporarius in his Chronological Demonstrations Jacobus Capellus and several other modern Chronologers are of Opinion that the first year of the cultivating of the Land was the fortieth after the Departure of the Israclites out of Aegypt at which time Joshua being declared Successor to Moses they passed Jordan and the Manna ceased But it seems very improbable to me that the Jews should immediately after their passing that River have begun to cultivate the Ground before they were in possession of any considerable part of it and that in a fertile Country where without question they found the Cities and Country stored with all manner of Necessaries for their Sustenance § 3. In Seder Olam or the Hebrew Chronicle published by Genebrardus which is of great Authority The Opinion of the Jews concerning it among the Jews the Author pretends to evince that the Division of the Land was not made till seven years after the six and fortieth year after the going out of Aegypt but they are mere Jewish Trifles not deserving a Place here as may be seen in (k) In Jos c. 13. quaest 14. Serrarius CHAP. XI Of the Epocha of the Destruction of TROY 1. This Epocha being much involved in Fables and Poetical Fictions the same must be carefully distinguished from the true Historical Relâ—tions so that not all that