Indeed, Without

into the chronology in the descending than in the ascending line. And it has been made evident that there is an exact parallelism in respect of the mode of insertion between the prophetical half-week and the period of Captivity. this may be carried (conjecturally) yet further. pretending to enter into the minutiae of days, with regard to which we have not sufficient data, it may be observed that, in round numbers, from B.c. 168 to 161 and from 165 to 172 are 7 years respectively. The period included in both (from 168 to 165) is the 3 years of desolation. Bisect each 7 years; and then to each end of the 3 years, a year will be attached, making 3 years either way, which may be "the time, times, and a half" or 1260 days, whose extremities were doubtless marked by notable events of which we have no precise information. Thus the double dovetailing would appear to have been carried out to the most minute particulars.

543. In bringing to a conclusion our inquiry into the chronological numbers of this Division we observe that the Antiochian oppression may be computed to have lasted 7 years, and that this 7 years stands between two periods of 162 years each.-From the profanation of the Temple in B.C. 168 to the death of A. Eupator in 162 was 6 years, and prior to this there is "a time" spoken of in Daniel (xi. 24), during which A. Epiphanes was "forecasting his devices against the strongholds." So that it may be said that

From the commencement of the Syro-Grecian rule to the Antiochian oppression was

The Antiochian oppression and persecution lasted

From the assertion of independence to the birth of Christ was

Y. Or thus.

162 162

168

7 6

168

162 162

331 330

If the full establishment of Alexander's empire be reckoned to have been 330 years complete B.C., then the second item may be taken as measuring 6 years from the profanation. It may well be so computed, seeing that the death of the last monarch of the preceding empire of prophecy took place in B.C. 330; and the combinations resulting are so striking as scarcely to leave room to doubt that it ought to be. The sum-total is the half of one of those 660 periods which we have so often had brought before us, and it is also=30 × 11. Two cycles of years corresponding to the sacerdotal are formed, (168=24 × 7), and each 162=2 × 3.-In B.c. 330,

it may be observed, the first Calippic period of 76 years began.

[4]. MISCELLANEOUS PERIODS.

544. We now proceed to notice some periodic coincidences and combinations connected with this Division for which a place has not been found elsewhere.—(1). The commonlyreceived dates of the deaths of Moses and Samson are 1450 and 1120 B.C. respectively, difference 330 years. So that the duration from the entrance into the promised land till the commencement of the sacerdotal rule exactly corresponded to that from the beginning of the Grecian Empire (the 3rd or 4th of the prophetic kingdoms) to the coming of the Messiah.-(2). In connexion with the 371 Julian years, into which we have commuted the 70 sevens of Daniel, it may be noticed that if we understand Ant. IX. xiv. 1, to place 147 years between the Exode and the death of Joshua, we may make the following computation. From Exode to Joshua's death 147 years, the Judges (Ant. XI. iv. 8) 500 years,+Samuel, Saul, and David 92 years, + to first building Temple 3 years=742 years (=371 × 2).—(3). Again, we have had (474) From the Exode to the Return 1070 years. Adding for our present Division 414 years, will make 1484 years (=371 x 4).—(4). To the foregoing 1484 years prefix 860 years from the Deluge to the Exode. The sum is 2344 years (=293 x 8).—(5). 2344+ 1656 to the Creation will make 4000 years from the Creation to the æra of independence. (6). But adding the Josephean duration of 2256 years would make 4600 years (=10,000 Sac. Cycles). (7). From the Exode to the Profanation (474)=1428 years, from Call to Exode 428=1856 (=232 × 8). — (8). From Call to Profanation 1856, + Deluge to Call 1128+ Creation to Deluge 1656-4640 (=232 x 20).-(9). Substituting 2256 for the latter item=5240 (= 40 x 131). — (10). Or 2656-5640 (=40 x 141).- (11). The Seder Olam Chron. states that Jeshua was High Priest for 53 years after the Return. Hence, the Captivity, plus his High-Priesthood, must have been reckoned either at 105 (=420), or at 106 (=424).—(12). From the 1st Destruction to the Profanation according to the received chronology, were (B.c. 588-168=) 420 years. (13). From Exode to 1st building of Temple (Ant. XX. x. 1). 612 years:-(also (VIII. iii. 1). 592 years) - + Solomon 36+ Kingdom of Judah 392+to Profanation 420, gives from Exode to Profanation 1460, (and

1440,=360 × 4= from Flood to the 1st building of Temple). The numbers then will run and combine thus:

(14). The following shews a bisection at the Call of the period between the Creation and the Profanation.

1. Creation to Deluge (Ant. X. viii. 5)

1556

1923

2. Deluge to Call (¶ 25. Heb.)

3. Call to Exode (Ant. VIII. iii. 1)

428

4. Exode to 1st destruction (¶ 328)

5. 1st destruction to A. Epiphanes's profanation, 20 (446)+408 (Ant. XII. viii. 6)

1923

428

The duration from the Deluge to the Profanation in this series, it will be found, agrees with that in the preceding within 2y.-(15). The date assigned by Scott to the book of Malachi the last of the Prophetic Writings, and the final book of the Canonical Scriptures of the Old Testament—is B.C. 420. So that the Spirit of Prophecy was withdrawn exactly 6 Septuagintal Periods before the birth of the Messiah! And, in conjunction with the above 420, the numbers stand thus ; The mention of Malachi leads us to advert to the dates of the other prophetic books.

168 252

168

}

420.

4.20.

(16). It is remarkable that, of the two prophets who last preceded Malachi; viz. Haggai and Zechariah, the first is said to have prophesied B.c. 520, and the second from B.C. 520 to 500. Thus, just a century intervened between these two and Malachi. The former prophesied in the reign of Darius I., the latter in that of Darius II.-(17). Joel's predictions were delivered just as long again B.c. (800) as those of Malachi, assuming the latest date assigned to the latter to be the true one. And, on this assumption there would be 360 years between the commencement of Isaiah's prophesying and Malachi's, according to those who date Isaiah's from B.C. 760.-(18). Micah's predictions are sup

posed to have extended over 40 years, from 740 to 700 B.C. Consequently, the medium date is 720 B.C., or 2 old Egyptian Cycles before the Christian æra.

[5]. NON-CHRONOMETRICAL NUMBERS.

545. In this Division an important difference as compared with the preceding should be borne in mind. Having passed the epoch of termination of the Canonical Scriptures, the main source of information fails us. Indeed, with a few exceptions, it may be said that we have during this Division no information derived from strictly Jewish sources, and certainly none of a contemporaneous date. This may be expected to have an effect on the supply of numbers generally, and of the non-chronometrical numbers specially. Moreover, an obvious reason arises hence for our being in future more sparing in our citation of the latter, particularly as we think that we have adduced a sufficiency to establish the point of primary importance. Henceforth then we shall advert only to a few of the most significant numbers, or those to which some peculiarity attaches. -(1). The golden image which Nebuchadnezzar set up (Dan. iii.) was 60 cubits (105ft.) high, and 6 cubits (101ft.) broad: — that is, it was as high as the Temple at Jerusalem was long, and half as high as the porch of the Temple, which was a few feet higher than the monument of London.-(2). Ptolemy Phil. ordered 120 drachmæ or 60 shekels each, (but Aristaas says 20 drachmæ,) to be paid for the liberation of the Jews who were slaves in his dominions. The sum-total was estimated to be 400, but actually amounted to 460 (but in Aristmas to 670) talents; and "what the King decreed was done in no more than 7 days." 120 drachmæ at 10d. would give 57. for each slave and 400 talents of silver would about 157,390., which would make the number of the slaves to have been 31,478. But it is said to have been "more than 100,000" and "120,000." 100,000 at 57. 500,000l.; whereas even Aristmas's amount only gives about 229,2401. 100,000 at 20 drachmæ would give 83,3331. The price of a slave, we know (Ex. xxi. 32. Macc. xxvii. 9), was 30 shekels.-(3). 6 elders out of each of the 12 tribes are said to amount to 70. -(4). The LXXII. translated " the Law" in 72 days-and it is said that the rest of the Old Testament was translated by 70 Jews.-(5). In an Epistle of Antiochus to Ptolemy he orders to be paid to the Jews for sacrificial purposes "20,000 pieces of silver, 6 artabæ of flour, 1460 medimni of wheat,

and 375 of salt." (6). In another he decrees that any foreigner who entered the Temple or any one that brought unclean animals into the City should pay a fine of 3000 drachmæ of silver to the Priests. Compare this with the price of a slave, 20 or 120 drachmæ!-(7). Joseph, son of Tobias, raises 20,000 drachmæ to go on an embassy to Ptolemy, and bids 16,000 talents for the taxes of Syria.-(8). A. Eupator sent against Judæa "an army of 100,000 footmen and 20,000 horsemen, and 32 elephants which they provoked to fight by shewing them the blood of grapes and mulberries. Upon the beasts were strong towers of wood, and upon every elephant 32 strong men that fought, besides the Indian that ruled him." (1 Macc. vi. 30, 37). Judas met the enemy, and slew 600 of the first ranks. (Ánt. XII. ix. 4).—(9). În a curious passage (Chap. 8) in the first book of Maccabees, (which contains, if we are not mistaken, some indications that a later date belongs to these books than is commonly assigned to them,) there occurs a statement (v. 15) that Judas M. had heard that the Romans "had made for themselves a Senate-house, wherein 320 men sat in council daily, consulting alway for the people." It does not appear that any other authority for believing that the Roman Senate consisted of this number can be adduced; and it adds nothing to the trustworthiness of the statement to observe that this number is framed on a favourite Jewish scale; for 320=40 × 8 or 32 x 10. There may have been 300 members in the Senate at this time: or perhaps 600: but not 320. This looks like another example of that conversion of a decimal number which we have repeatedly had occasion to notice; (30+2) x 10.-(10). It may be as proper and convenient here as elsewhere to advert to a parallelism which, we conjecture, has been intended between the conditions of the Jewish people at different periods of their history. In Egypt under the Pharaohs, they were in a state of hard bondage, strangers in a land not theirs, -dispersed, and without civil rulers or ecclesiastical guides: - in the wilderness, and in Canaan under their Judges and until the times of their kings, they were in a sort of intermediate state, alternating between foreign oppressions and Judicial deliverances :-under their Kings, they attained their highest degree of power and prosperity. Similarly, in Babylonia under the Chaldæans, they were scattered slaves, with no civil rulers of their own, -deprived of the Urim and Thummim (Ezra ii. 63, Neh. vii. 65), and even of a High Priest: in Judæa again, perhaps with a territory co-extensive with

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