The following coincidences seem significant. At any rate, they are curious if fortuitous. When Isaac spoke as above, he had just attained the age at which his brother, Ishmael, died. Now, to the ages of the two brothers add the time which elapsed between the flight of Jacob from his brother, Esau, and his meeting with him again on his return, and the sum will be that number on which almost all the divisions of the first Table are based; for 137 136 +20 293. Again, the years of life of Ishmael, Isaac, and Jacob amount to 464 (= 24 × 33). And the years of Joseph being added to these give a number on the septenary scale. 574-7 × 2 × 41. Let it be noticed further, that Jacob's son Levi died at 137 (Ex. vi., 16). Consequently, the ages of Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and Levi, amount (within 1 year) to a Great Year, according to the Hebrew, but according to Josephus' age of Isaac, to 606 years.

191**. We know not whether any one competent to form an opinion will be found, after candid consideration of the numbers we have hitherto exhibited in this period, to maintain that they do really represent the actual dates at which the several events happened, and can be thought consistent with the natural and fortuitous course of things; but we venture to think that few will deny that they have a meaning, and have not been set down at random, or without the guidance of a system.

192. When we come to dissect the second half of this period, we find that a great chasm has been left in the middle of it. The only events having dates attached to them, which appear to be of any consequence in this connexion, are the death of Joseph 70 years after the descent (as shewn in the foregoing Table), and the birth of Moses 80 years before the Exode. The 65 years which must have intervened between these two events afford us no note of time. It is true that the death of Levi is conjecturally placed about 20 years after that of Joseph; and the birth of Miriam 10 years, and the death of Kohath 3 years, before the birth of Moses—the last of the two events being supposed to have happened in the same year as the birth of Aaron, Kohath's grandson. But these are not derived from direct statements or fixed with accuracy, nor does it seem likely from the way in which they are obtained, that they have any bearing on the point before us. It seems proper, however, to take notice that the death of Levi and the birth of Miriam (taken as above) mark off 90 years each at the beginning and end of this period. Now it may well excite surprise that we should find no fixed date in the intermediate 65 years, especially as the rise of a new

dynasty in Egypt hostile to the Hebrews, and more particularly the commencement of the cruel bondage, foretold by Jehovah to endure for a specified time, would seem to have called for it. There is, therefore, an a priori presumption that the omission of all chronometrical divisions under such circumstances was not accidental or without a reason. That reason we shall be able to shew in the proper place was the same that operated to produce a similar phenomenon in previous instances, namely, the wish to avoid tying up the time by such stringent statements as would preclude the introduction of additional years indicated by other passages, and necessary to the formation of other calculations.

193. Having now sufficiently for our present purpose laid before the reader the particulars of what we may call the primary computation of this Period, we proceed to shew how far it accords with our theory of commutations of years.

(2.) COMMUTATIONS.

194. We begin with the first half 215 years. Regarding it by itself, we have found the following commutations: 200 × 355 330 × 215 and 200 × 360 = 336 × 215. But the principal commutation, it will appear, has been made in reference to the Period as a whole.

195. Next we proceed to try the effect of adding in succession to this half-period the several durations of the previous Period as given in the 3 recensions of Genesis and in Josephus, premising that we shall give only a selection of examples. 196. And, first, we take the Samaritan.

197. Our Table, No. 1, after deducting Josephus's 10 years and Terah's 2, shews

From Adam to the Call

The present Division from the Call to

the Descent

2455 lunar years.

Also 2700 × 360 = 356

× 2730 and 36472730.

198. We have heretofore noticed the neglect to determine any of the dates of the events during the first 130 years of Jacob's life, which is particularly remarkable in reference to the births of his sons. The present appears to be the proper occasion for assigning the reason for the omission. In the table annexed (which was drawn out without any reference to our present theory, having indeed been made for another purpose years before that theory was thought of), it is shewn that, on the lowest and most moderate calculation, the statements of the history require at least 29 years more for the birth of Jacob's children and great-grandchildren than the numbers allow, and that the former make Jacob to have been 38 or 40 years older at his death than the figures affirm. Now our former estimate (as shewn in this Table), and our present theory, both made without the slightest reference to each other, prove to be in perfect harmony. The former has supplied that which the latter requires. They therefore afford the most satisfactory testimony to one another, as well as to our view of the system of intercalating and of the method adopted to indicate where an intercalation must be introduced, and what is its amount. We have now occasion to adduce an instance (and it is not the only one), in which a recension has completed one of its periods by the introduction of the very number of years which we had long before reckoned that the narrative implied in apparent contradiction to the figures.

But

199. The 29 years which we estimated ought to be added to the interval between the flight and the descent of Jacob, it is obvious from the manner in which it was obtained cannot be considered accurate to a year. The true number might be 28, or it might be 30, or more. immediately that we had observed how often 28 and 30 occurred, interchangeably as a complimental or intercalary quantity, it struck us as singular that we should previously have fixed upon a number intermediate between the two as necessary to be introduced at this epoch, and it naturally occurred that it might be introducible in a similar capacity. On making the trial in the several recensions our expectations were fully verified, as will appear in the sequel. At present, we have only to exemplify it in the case of the one now under consideration. We have obtained above

30 × 30 × 3,

33 × 100. 2700

2760

=

And 2760360 × 73 60 × 46 (100 Sacerdotal Cycles).