YEAR OF DELUGE AND SACRED AND CIVIL YEARS. 171. An examination of the foregoing Table will, it is presumed, incline the reader to think that the disposition of the Jewish Festivals, and of the events of the Deluge, has been governed by the adaptation of their places to throw them into the greatest variety of mystical numbers, and to produce the largest amount of periodic combinations. In particular, the year of Deluge seems to have been disposed, in reference to the Civil and Sacred years, with a view to this end. In relation to the former, Col. 10 shews that there was an interval of (407) 47 days between the beginnings of the Civil and Diluvian years. An interval of 10 days is then marked out. Thence to the end of the first 6 months of the Civil year, or the end of the first Sacred year, is 120 days (= 40 × 3). Then, after another 10 days, comes a second 120, making from the beginning of the Deluge to the end of Noah's second 40 days (when he sent forth his first winged messenger) 260 days, and leaving another 47 (7 +40) to the end of the first Civil year. A third 10+ a third 47 bring us down to the end of the year of Deluge, whence a third 120 completes the 2nd Civil year. We suspect there is some mystery connected with these numbers which we are not able to penetrate; but it is evident enough that contrivance runs through the whole, and that the year of Deluge has been portioned out with a reference to the remainders of the two Civil years into which it enters. The threefold repetition and orderly arrangement of the same 3 numbers shews that the three parts are connected together, and it seems to be a confirmation of this that the sum total 531 = 3 × 3 × 59. Again, if to the number of days the Deluge lasted (364) be added the days in the Sacred year which preceded the Deluge (224) their sum will be 588, which is 14 × 42 or 7 × 7 × 12. This indicates a connexion between the Diluvian and Sacred years. The number of days in the Sacred year preceding the Advent of the Deluge is 224 (= 56 × 4). The number subsequent to the 2nd 40 days, i.e., to the sending forth of the Raven, is also 224 (120 + 104 = 13 × 8). And there are 260 years (= 13 ×20) between the two 224's. Consequently, the mean and either of the extremes 484 (= 112 × 22 or 22 × 22), and from the beginning of the Deluge to the end of the 2nd Sacred year into which it enters were 484 days. 172. Attention may be specially directed to a few of the other results. Although it has been the practice of the Jews in later times to effect the equation of the lunar with the solar years, by the intercalation of an additional month once in 3, or sometimes in 2 years, it may be conjectured from the instance of the Diluvian year, that an annual equalization with the year of 52 weeks, if not with that of 365 days, at least temporarily, or for the purpose of computations, was not unknown in earlier times. From the divisions at the beginning of the Sacred year, it would also seem that it has been portioned out with a reference to years of different lengths. At the commencement 10 days are separated. Consequently, from the beginning of one Sacred year to the selection of the Paschal Lamb in the following would be 364 days, or a period corresponding to the Diluvian year; or, if an extra day was added to one of the months, the lunar year being made to contain 355 days, this interval would correspond to the vague Egyptian year of 365 days. The place in which the single "day of Pentecost" stands, indicates provision for this twofold adaptation. If the lunar year be supposed to have consisted of 354 days, then there would be a solar year between the 1st Nisan of one year and the 10th of the next, divided at the beginning of the day of Pentecost into periods of 64 and 300 days. If, again, it consisted of 355 days, the Solar year would be divided at the close of this Festival into 65 and 300 days. The years of 354 and 364 days are also divided at the Passover into 14 and 340 (= 17 x 20) and 14 and 350 (= 50 × 7 or 70 × 5) days respectively. And the year of 364 days might be reduced to the year of 354 days by exclusion of the 10 at either of its extremities. Also the 2 sacred years are divided thus; 340 + 14 + 14 + 340. 173. The interval between the Feast of Pentecost and that for the dedication by Nehemiah, is 89 days, which number corresponds with that of the years so singularly intercalated into the Total Ages (¶ 129). From 1st Nisan to 1st Tisri inclusive are 178 days 89 × 2, and being the total amount of the intercalations in the ages, as will appear hereafter. 174. The interval between the LXX. commencement of the Deluge and the end of the 150 days is half an old Egyptian year, and is subdivided into 30+ 90 + 60 days. The grand total, 708 = 12 × 59. [4.] GENERAL REMARKS. 175. One or two general remarks may here be offered. * Enoch at procreation was 65, lived after 300 = 365. 176. On the supposition of the strictly historical reality of the narrative and numbers, according to the vulgar interpretation, the operations allotted to the several periods would accord as ill as could well be contrived with the time allowed them. It may not be far from the truth to say that, according to the best opinion we can form, the work that has the shortest time allowed to it would require the longest, and vice versa. (The detention of all the living creatures in the Ark for 83 days, or more than 2-7ths of the whole time, after "the face of the ground was dry" is very remarkable.) To plead miracle is out of the question as to this point. The numbers as they now stand make the narrative represent the progress of retrogression at least to proceed according to ordinary laws. 177. The results given by the several Tables in respect of periodic combinations, &c., lead to the opinion that no one year exclusively has been used, but that the object has been so to arrange the distribution of the events as that they might form the greatest possible amount of periodic numbers, when computed in months of different durations. The two modes adopted of indicating the time, sometimes by stating the length of an interval, and sometimes by naming the day of the month, appear to be a provision for the attainment of this end. THE YEAR OF DELUGE AND SHEM'S INTERCALATION OF 2 YEARS. = 178. With regard to the year inserted in our Table for the Deluge, it may be argued that, since the Flood terminated with the year 1656 A.M., and since Arphaxad is said to have been born "2 years after the Flood" 1658, no space is given for this year. But the expression "after the Flood" may intend"after the year of the Flood," or even after the 2nd Civil year into which the year of Flood entered. And, if so, as there would be in that case more than 2 years, the time might be called, either inclusively 3 years, or exclusively 2 years. Perhaps, to allow of the choice of either mode of reckoning was one reason of the selection of the peculiar epoch of the commencement of the Deluge. 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. 10 From Call to Melchiz, Years Call to Ishmael's birth 11 Call to Melchiz, say 15 -add 4 From the Call to Hagar's 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 were 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 186. For the are t qace of 150 years of There's ALT relative dates; mit thus theme > events to pre cecas.c for them. Ch the cELT. they were unprecedentedy zumerous. Iz paroman. we should bare expected to ini Jurce's ag to Him stated; or at the end of the T. 14. or 2) TELS servitude, or at the birth of some one if is zu 2: or at his meeting with Ëan, or is residence at Studien, te at the death of Rae or at Isme, te at the sale of Joseph, a when the famine came upon them. Buttsing at the time when he was presented to And only by comparing it with sett's are & pears pre DOKT are we entitled to truce back the mua 1113 Biz tits to some of the previous events. NOT, TI Tats! T War were not the dates marked out in view a post other places We doubt not that they were left out fedgedy, and for the same reason as we have just wired in another instance. And we feel confident that we shall be able to sew in the course that the object was to leave more scope for the Strodantic of an intercalation which was required for the purposes of the computations. 187. in the way intimated above, the age of Janch at his fight may be ascertained. He was 151 det he stood before Pharoah Gen. xlvii. 9. Joseph was "30 years old when be stood before Pharoah Gen XL 46 9 cars previously. We say 9 or 10 years; for 7 years of plenty had passed (Gen. xi. 53., and 2 years of famine Gen. in. 6, and a year it would seen must be allowed for Josipa's arrange ments previous to the years of plenty (Gen. x. 46. Consequently Jacib was 90 or 91 yals older than Joseph Nor it would appear from Gen. xix 25, that Josept 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. 1. xx. 7,9. FA |