the 12 tribes and 70 elders of Israel (Ex. xxiv. 1), of the 12 bowls, "each bowl weighing 70 shekels" (Num. vii. 85), - of the "70 elders," 6 out of each of the 12 tribes (sic in Ant. XII. ii. 4, 6, 7) sent by Eleazar at the request of Philadelphus to translate the Hebrew Scriptures, — of the 12 apostles and 70 missionaries, (Luke x. 1).

777. We shall not here prosecute the inquiry, How far these several numbers may be supposed to approximate to accuracy. Neither shall we institute a comparison between the numbers of the several divisions of High Priests and the years assigned to each division; because this will be more conveniently done in another place (Genealogies, 2), to which the reader is referred for the means of forming an opinion how far these numbers may be regarded as historical. But we will rather turn to shew what results may be obtained from combining the sum-total of the Sacerdotal series with the best-accredited dates A. M. of the Exode. One, authorised by Josephus and received by Usher, Calmet, Clinton, and others, is 2513. 2513+1792-4305. Another derived from Josephus is 2453. 2453+1792-4245. Another 3813. 3813+1792-5605. Another 3113. 3113+ 1792=4905. Another from his Title-numbers is 4053. 4053 +1792=5845. Another 4213. 4213 +1792=6005. Another 3513. 3513 + 1792 = 5305. Hales dates the Exode 3763 A.M. And 3763+1792=4555. Now, in the first place, we observe that it appears singular that in all these combinations the figure in the units' place should be 5. And when we notice that by removing or changing it a cyclical number will in every instance be formed, we can scarcely doubt that it is a moveable quantity: nay, we may fairly surmise that the intercalations of Shem and Terah compose it. In the seven first instances there will remain, when the 5 is taken away, 4300 (430 × 10), 4240 (424 × 10), 5600 (560 × 10), 4900 (490 × 10), 5840 (1460 × 4), 6000 600 × 10), 5300 (530 × 10). In the last, if 7 be substituted for 5, (and it may be conjectured that Hales has fallen short of the cyclical number by 2), the sum will be 4557,=217 x 21. In reference to the number 4555 we may note by the way a singular correspondence with a number received from Manetho. Syncellus states that he computed from Menes to Nectanebus, (that is, from the first to the last of the Egyptian kings) 3555 years. Can the millennial difference, and the coincidence between 3 of the figures, be altogether accidental? Or has a mystical preference for 5's accidentally given rise to the correspondence?

779. (1). This sum-total=12,000 Sacerdotal Cycles; or, to speak more accurately 12,000 cycles would exceed this number of years by about 7 months. And it is worthy of

remark that 7m. 15d. stand attached to item No. 4. We take this to be another indication that an accuracy extending to days has been observed, at least in some cases. (2). If in No. 1 the reading 2642 be substituted, the sum-total will become 5920 (=592 x 10). The computation, No. 2, exceeds 217 x 26 by 3 only: and there are 3 years, deemed intercalary, included in No. 2.

18. MULTIPLES OF 70.

780. On an hypothesis advanced in ¶ 474, No. 13, the following system may be formed.

781. If the sum of the centenary additions in the 2nd Genealogical Table (¶ 25, Col. 17) be added, the total will become 5600, (Comp. ¶¶ 663, 695). On the other hand, if those in the LXX. of the 1st Table be withdrawn, there will remain 4300 and if those in the Heb. be also subtracted, the remainder will be 4000.

782. A computation, shewing a sum-total of 5600 (70 × 80), having a series of 490's, making 2160 years from the birth of Abram, and containing besides a multitude of cyclical combinations, we must omit on account of its length and complicated construction.

783. Origen made out 4900 years from the Creation to the 2nd destruction on the theory that each week of Daniel's 70 meant 70 years.

19. COMPUTATIONS TO THE FINAL DESOLATION.

784. It has been incidentally shewn that the final desolation of Judæa after Simon Bar-Cochab's insurrection was made a terminus of some periods. Other grounds for concluding that this event was included in these computations may here be adduced.

785. A bisection at the Call of the period preceding the 2nd destruction, each half containing 2087 years, is shewn in ¶ 663. Hence there may be computed from the Call to the final desolation 2150 years, (430 × 5).

786. The following is a complete computation from the Creation to A.D. 135.

1. Creation to Deluge (Jos. and LXX. com

Years.

bined)

2662

2. Deluge to Abram (¶ 25, Col. 15. less Cai

nan)

3. To Call, 75. To taking of Jebus, (¶ 712) 1461. To 1st destruction (Wars VI. x. 1) 477

4. To Vulgar Era, 588. To A.D. 135

Creation to final devastation of Judæa

2013

723*

6600(=660 × 10).

787. This place will not be unsuitable for the introduction of a short series of combinations to the same terminus.

Accession of Hyrcanus to final desolation - 270

788. (1). The passage in which Josephus speaks of the capture by Herod as appearing to be the return of a periodical

Hence, from the Captivity to the beginning of the War of devastation were 720 y. 360 x 2.

135

72

99

36

27

}

63

revolution of calamities has been noticed (¶ 564).-From the above Table it would appear that a period was formed, which began and terminated with such a cycle; and each item of which was formed of the minor cycles (of 9 years) which composed" the calamitous Cycle," each being divisible by 9. (2). Discordant statements render it doubtful whether the capture by Pompey actually took place in B. C. 64 or 63. The discrepancy may have arisen from the fact being due to the former date, while the combinations required the latter. The parallelism of two extremes containing 7 cycles (7 × 9=63) with a mean of 8 cycles, is strong evidence that B.C. 63 was adopted as the computation-date, whether the actual (3). No. 4. The interval between the Crucifixion and the act of opening the gates of Christ's Church to all nations by the baptism of Cornelius was about 3 years. If the Crucifixion is rightly placed in A. D. 33, then the rejection of the Jews, as "the peculiar people" of God took place in A.D. 36; and this is the point of equal bisection between the first and last Roman desolations. (4). On the whole, we find here a period of 270 years, equally bisected at the Christian Æra.

one or not.

less another sum of two items 50 years less; and the actual duration according to the received chronology was 230 years less. There are indeed two Various Readings of 100 years each in the High-Priest series, which would reduce its amount by 200 years. But the adoption of these would by no means suit the received chronology of the periods to which they relate, and the reading of the text is corroborated in the strongest manner by parallel chronometrical lines.

773. Restricting our attention at present to the 2000 y. and 1792 y. the question arises, How is the occurrence of these two widely-differing numbers to be accounted for?The frequent repetitions preclude the supposition that the "2000 years was introduced by inadvertence of the Author or mistakes of transcribers. The extent of the difference forbids the supposition that the Author spoke in round numbers. If the true time was 1560 years, as the received Chronology makes it, no writer would call it 2000:-if he believed it to be 1792 years, he would surely not take more latitude than to call it 1800.-No other hypothesis, then, being tenable, we venture to suggest that an explanation may be found in the wholly-arbitrary and periodic formation of the numbers. We shall proceed to assign reasons for thinking that the "1792 years" has been fabricated on the mystical system. And this number having been obtained, it was raised to the amount of 2 millennia, because this was a sacred or mystical number, (=40 Jubilee-periods), and because it was obtained by the addition of a number (208) in itself one of a sacred series, and being besides of mystical formation; for 208-52 × 4 or 13 x 42.

774. Adverting, first, to the sum-total. The number 1792 itself has every appearance of being a mystical number arbitrarily formed. For 1792 = 56 × 32=7 × 44. (Comp. ¶274). Deducting 592y. from Exode to 1st building, (VIII. iii. 1) there remains 1200y. Subtracting 1000y. from Exode to 1st destruction (674) there remains 792y., being doubtless 720 to Vulgar Æra and 72 thence.

--

775. Looking, next, to the several component items, we find in them several indications of the same character. The first is from the Exode to the building of the Temple, 612 years. This number is remarkable for being 4th of that duration (*4284) from the Creation to the 2nd destruction, which is nearly to that which gives 428 × 10 (¶717, note to No. 6). The sum of the two next items is exactly

=

= to that

The difference between 4284 and 1792, viz. 2492, seems significant.