A dissertation on the true age of the world : $b in which is determined the chronology of the period from creation to the Christian eraWallace, R. (Robert)
Religion
A dissertation on the true age of the world : $b in which is determined the chronology of the period from creation to the Christian era
Wallace, R. (Robert)
Bible; Chronology; Chronology, Historical
Thus it appears that Josephus, or his corrupter, conscious that by the
omission of the Second Cainan, he had curtailed the length of the true
age of the world, has compensated for this generation, by enlarging the
Postdiluvian _biennial period_, the Antepaidogonian age of Nahor, the
reign of Solomon, and the extent of the Hierarchal age; for, we shall
see that by the summation of the different ages as we have now
determined them from the Antiquities, we obtain the true period from the
Creation to the Christian Era, viz. 5478 years!
The extent of the _Sixth age_ according to Theophilus, is obtained from
the following extracts: “The 70 years being finished, Cyrus king of the
Persians, in the 2d year of his reign,” proclaimed the return of the
Jews; “then, Cyrus having reigned 29 years died,” U. C. 220; “at which
time Tarquin surnamed Superbus began to reign” at Rome, “who reigned 25
years. After whom, the Consuls and Tribunes reigned 453 years.” To
these, succeeded the Emperors, “First Caius Julius, 3 years, 4 months, 6
days; then Augustus, 56 years, 4 months, 1 day.”[130] From these
extracts, it is evident that Theophilus reckoned 54 years from the end
of the Jewish captivity to the Regifugium at Rome; and 46 years from the
beginning of the Roman Empire to the Christian Era.[131] Thus, according
to Theophilus, the whole extent of this period is 623 years; and
consequently, the period from Creation to the Christian era, 5507 years.
We obtain the extent of the _Sixth age_ according to Africanus, from the
following fragments of his work:—“For after the 70th year of the
captivity, Cyrus having sent” the Jews to rebuild the temple, “we find
the kingdom of the Persians extending to 230 years, and that of the
Macedonians to 300 years; and thence to the 16th year of Tiberius Cæsar,
60 years.” Again, “the whole time of the Macedonian empire, was 300
years wanting 2,” from its commencement till its termination with
Cleopatra, the last of the Ptolemies, in the 14th year of the Roman
monarchy;—“all the years from Adam being 5472.”[132] Here, Africanus
appears to have forgotten himself, and after saying that the period of
the Grecian Empire was 298 years, he still reckons it 300, and thus
obtains the number of 5472 years from the Creation. Taking 298 years for
the correct period of that Empire, and 30 years as the true interval
from its termination to the Christian era, we have 628 years for the
extent of the _Sixth age_, according to this chronographer; and
consequently, the whole period from the Creation to the Christian era,
5500 years.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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