2. PERIOD B.-CALL TO EXODE. 179. The periods which we shall have hereafter to consider will be distinguished from the preceding one, by their not presenting to us those wide differences between the authorities, or those systematic centennial additions which we have met with in the first. In consequence, the long and short chronologies (or those of Hales and Usher) henceforth agree in the main, with the exception of 157 years, a difference which arises from the diverse views taken of the time of the Judges. (1.) DURATION OF 430 YEARS: DIVISIONS A AND B. 180. This second period (which, like the first, is marked out by the computations, and is not of arbitrary selection) comprehends the interval between the Call and the Exode. The duration assigned to it by the common chronologies, on the ground of clear and definite statements found in all the authorities, is 430 years, and we shall accordingly, in the first place, consider it to have been of this length. It is divided into two equal periods of 215* years each, by the descent into Egypt, a circumstance which alone, one would have thought, might have sufficed to throw doubt on the historical character of the numbers. [1.] SUBDIVISIONS. 181. In the first instance, we shall shew how this duration of our period is subdivided, or what are its component items. For convenience of reference, we shall call the half-Period, to the Descent, Division A, and the other, Division B. 182. The first item in Division A is marked out by the interview of Abram with Melchizedec. This is an event the date of which we should have expected to find noted with great precision, because it is the starting point whence Josephus draws several of his longest chronometrical lines, two of which mark the time to a month. Yet this is not the case. Gen. (xv. 5.) fixes "They left Egypt in the month Zanthicus, on the 15th day of the lunar month; 430 years after our forefather Abraham came into Canaan, but 215 years after Jacob removed into Egypt. It was the 80th year of the age of Moses, and of that of Aaron, 3 more."—(Ant. II. xv. 2.) it to at least 14 years from the Call, if we are right in supposing the date of the Assyrian invasion to be contemporaneous with that event, though, according to it, the interview may have taken place, and most probably did, in the 15th year. But Josephus, from whom we should have looked for greater precision, not only for the reason just assigned, but also because he is so particular in noting the time that, in the very next paragraph, he mentions the number of days that Abram was pursuing the Assyrians-he leaves it more indefinite still, only shewing that the revolt from the Assyrians took place in the thirteenth year (Ant. I. ix. 1). We think there was a reason for this indefiniteness; and we suspect it was designed to leave the time open, so that either 14 or 15 years should be adopted according as one or the other should be required (with another similar number) to make up the complement necessary to complete the two durations (428 = 400 + 14 × 2, and 430 = 400 + 15 × 2), which, it will be seen, were assigned to this period. And this may further appear from other statements and computations, which render the exact time still more uncertain, and even considerably reduce it, insomuch that it is absolutely necessary to assign different dates to this event, in order to produce accordance with different statements. For example in the chapter but one (xvi. 3) following that which contains the account of the interview with Melchizedec, a relation is given of an occurrence which happened 10 years after Abram came into Canaan. This would seem to imply that the meeting with Melchizedec took place 8 or 9 years after the Call. 183. But let us see what will be the effect of placing Abram's interview with Melchizedec at 14 or 15 years after the Call. Sarah gave Hagar to Abram 10 years after the Call (xvi. 3). Ishmael was born 11 years (xvi. 6), circumcised 24 years (xvii. 25) and driven from his father's house at least 28 years after that event; for the last occurrence took place after the "great feast that Abram made when Isaac was weaned" (xxi. 8); and as Isaac was born in the 25th year after the Call, and it was the custom of Jewish matrons not to wean their children till 3 years after birth, that event may be computed to have happened not less than 28 years after the Call It is true we have not the specific authority of the text for this statement; and, we expect, for the same reason that we have it not in many similar cases,-namely, in those in which the computations required variations. In such cases, general and not specific statements are made; because made out of the time from the ich is the half of the time the expulsion of the bondswoman and her keep up the parallelism we may suppose that the turation was likes the half of one computation of sume peric the 3 was or half-week" of nursing being expanded then we shall have two durations of this periods been made or marked out the 30 years. In this way may have complements to the 400 solar 4450 years as might be war this complemental character wears requisite to mise then in the serme. Well tales, to direct numbers, he death of Abraham, which would bring their birth to, at east, the 75th year of Isaac. If Josephus meant this date, it would be a remarkable coincidence with Abram's age at his Call, and that he did so, see infra, p. 226. When we look at this 60 years in connection with the 400 which has evidently formed the original of this period, and call to mind the 400 which was found to be the Original of the last Division of the first Period, together with its complemental 60 years, we are led to ask ourselves-Can any parallelism have been made between the two, or are the coincidences fortuitous? We are unable to solve the question. 186. For the long space of 130 years of Jacob's life we are left without any relative dates; not that there were no events to give occasion for them. On the contrary, they were unprecedentedly numerous. In particular, we should have expected to find Jacob's age at his flight to Haran stated; or at the end of the 7, 14, or 20 years' servitude, or at the birth of some one of his many children, or at his meeting with Esau, or his residence at Shalem, or at the death of Rachel or of Isaac, or at the sale of Joseph, or when the famine came upon them. But it is only at the time when he was presented to Pharoah that we are told his age. And only by comparing it with Joseph's age 9 years previously are we enabled to trace back the time, and thus assign dates to some of the previous events. Now, why was this? Why were not the dates marked out in order as in most other places? We doubt not that they were left out designedly, and for the same reason as we have just assigned in another instance. And we feel confident that we shall be able to shew in due course that the object was to leave more scope for the introduction of an intercalation which was required for the purposes of the computations. and a 187. In the way intimated above, the age of Jacob at his flight may be ascertained. He was 130 when he stood before Pharoah (Gen. xlvii. 9). Joseph was "30 years old when he stood before Pharoah "(Gen. xli. 46) 9 or 10 years previously. We say "9 or 10 years;" for 7 years of plenty had passed (Gen. xli. 53.), and 2 years of famine (Gen. xlv. 6), year it would seem must be allowed for Joseph's arrange. ments previous to the years of plenty (Gen. xli. 46). Consequently Jacob was 90 or 91 years older than Joseph. Now it would appear from Gen. xxx 25, that Joseph was born at the end of the 14 years of Jacob's servitude, though Josephus places it at the end of the 20 years (Ant. I. xix. 7, 9). Fol when the latter are to be reduced to the former by estimate, they will admit, by means of the latitude which general statements give, of such a difference as may produce adaptation to different calculations. This is the case here, it being necessary that the 3 years should be capable of enlargement to 5. We have already intimated how we think this expansion was effected, and as we proceed we shall find confirmations of the hypothesis. At present we must be content to take the matter upon trust, and view the dates given above in this way: Years Call to Ishmael's birth 11 Call to Melchiz, say 15 -add 4 say 14-add difference 4 Thus, as 2 durations may be made out of the time from the Call to Melchizedec, the one of which is the half of the time from the Call to the expulsion of "the bondswoman and her son," so (to keep up the parallelism) we may suppose that the other duration was likewise the half of one computation of the same period; the 3 years or "half-week" of nursing being expanded to 5. And then we shall have two durations of this period,-28 years and 30 years. In this way may have been made or marked out the complements to the 400 solar years requisite to raise them to 428 or 430 years as might be required. That they do bear this complemental character will be seen in the sequel. 184. We shall take occasion here, by the way, to direct attention to the following coincidences with sacred numbers, which occur at this part of the narrative : From Hagar's conception to her son's circumcision 14 years. From the birth of Ishmael to the birth of Isaac 14 185. We shall now consider Abram's interview with Melchizedec to be rightly placed at 15 years from the Call-10 years will then remain to the birth of Isaac. Isaac is said to have married when he was two score years old, but not to have had his children (Esau and Jacob) until another score of years had passed (Gen., xxv. 20, 26). But here there is a discrepancy between Genesis and Josephus, for the latter (Ant. I., xviii. 1) makes the twins not to have been born until after |