ter Salah, which moved Theodatus and Cartwrightus, to leave him out; the firft in his Italian, and the laft in his Latin Tranflation: And Uher cites above twelve of the Fathers and Ecclefiaftical Writers, who know nothing of this Cainan. 4. There are alfo fome who are of Opinion that Salah had a double Name, his fecond Name being Cainan, and that there ought to have been no diftinction in St. Luke betwixt thefe two Names. 5. Others will have it, that the LXX Interpreters have inferted this Cainan on purpofe to make Mofes agree with the Ægyptian Hiftory. But be it as it will, my Opinion is, that the Computation of Mofes cannot be erroneous. Ger. Fo. Voffius Ifag. Chron. Difs. 4. c. 2. has made this ufeful Obfervation that fince neither Epiphanius Haref. 55. contra Melchif. nor St. Hierom in Trad. Ebraic, make the leaft mention of Cainan, and fince the faid Cainan is not to be found in the best Roman Edition of the Septuagint, published by the care of Caraffa, it is very probable that in the Original Manufcript of the LXX Interpreters no mention was likewife made of Cainan. S. 4- The Words of Mofes concerning the Nativity Whether of Abraham are as follows: Gen. 11. v. 26. And Tha- the Birth ra lived 70 years and begat Abraham, Nachor and of AbraHaran. From which Words the Chronologers con- ham was, clude that Abraham was not above 70 years younger coincident than his Father Thara. 1. Becaufe Mofes having been with the fo exact in mentioning the 75th year of the Age of A-70th year. braham Gen. 12.4. alfo the 86th Gen. 16. v. 16, and of Thara. the 99th Gen. 17. v. 24. it feems very improbable he thould have neglected that of his Nativity. 2. Becaufe in the Catalogue of the Children of Thara, he gives the preference to Abraham. Indeed in 1 Chron. 1. v. 18. Ifrael is put before Ifmael his elder Brother, but what wonder if he had the preference given him before the Son of his Fathers Maid. Otherwife it is obfervable that the Scripture always relates the Ge nealogy of thofe born in Wedlock in the fame Order as they were born. This is manifeft in the Children of Rachel, who,though unequally beloved by their Father, yet are inferted according to the time of their Nativities. And even; he who had fold the Prerogative of his Birth-right, is mentioned as the eld 0 2 ran. Book IV. eft in the facred Hiftory. 3. Because Abraham feemed to be startled at the Promife made him, looking upon it as an Example without a Parallel, to be blef fed with a Son when he was 100 years old Gen. 17. v. 17. But it is not probable that Abraham would have confidered it as a miraculous thing, if he himself had been born according to the Opinion of our Adverfaries in the 130th year of his Father Thara's Age. In fine, if the Mofaick Account of Abraham's Nativity be difputed, all Sacred Chronology muft tumble to the Ground, and the fubfequent Epocha's calculated from his Nativity, as from a Standard, muft fink in course, of the time §. 5. There arifes another difficulty in Sacred Chroof the De- nology concerning the time of the Departure of Aparture of braham out of Haran, it being faid by Mofes Gen. Abraham 12. v. 4. that Abraham was 75 years old when he deout of Haparted out of Haran; and by St. Stephen Acts 7. v. 4. that he removed from thence when his Father was dead: From whence it is evident, that if 70 years of Thara, when he begat Abraham, be added to 75, the Age of Abraham when he removed out of Haran, the Product will be 145 years, whereas Mofes Gen. 11. v. 32. fays of Thara, that his Days were 205, and that he died in Haran: Which has moved St. Hicrom and Scaliger to lock upon this Queftion as the Gordian Knot. Others, among whom are Nicholas de Lyra, Calvinus, Cajetanus, Martyr, Torniellus, Mufculus, Beroaldus, Salianus, Pareus, Jusus, Henricus Philippi, Jacobus Capelius, Ludovicus Capellus, Temporarius, Ufserius, Ifaacus Voffius, and feveral more, pretend to refolve this Knotty Quftion, by afferting that Abraham was begot by Thara when he was 130 years old, and that the Words in Genefis, Thara lived 70 years and begat Abraham, Nahor and Haran, are to be understood thus: That Thara was 7 years old when he began to beget Children, anong whom was Abraham, (who had the Preference, as being the Father of the Believers) Naher (the Firit-born) and Haran (the Second ;) but the folution of this Gordian Knot is owing to St. An fin, who is of Cpinion, that Abraham did at least depart twice out of Haran, but did not fix his Habitation in Canaan till the fecond time. With St. Afton agree in this Point Brentius, Gefnerus, Pere rius, Cornelius à Lapide, Alphonfus Toftatus, Lorinus, Robertus Bailius, Dionyfius Petavius, and others. §. 6. Eufebius in his Computation of the years of of theerroAbraham is fallen into an Error, when he affirms neousComthe Interval of time betwixt the beginning of the Fu-putation of lian Period and the Nativity of Abraham to have been Eufebius. 2696 years and 9 Months; whereas according to the Calculation of the Hebrew Text, the fame hapned in the year 2712; which is the true Reafon that fome who were not fenfible of this erroneous Computation of Eufebius have been mif guided in many of the following Epocha's. Abraham is mention. S. There are fome who are of Opinion that not the leaft Footsteps of this Epocha of Abraham are to be found in prophane Hiftory: But thefe may be ed in Proconvinced of their Miftake by Jofephus l. 1. c.8. Ant. phane Hiwho quotes the Words of the true and ancient (not story. the fuppofititious) Berofus: In the tenth Generation after the Deluge there lived a just and great Man among the Chaldæans, who, among other things, was well versed in Aftronomy, And in Fuftin l. 36. c. 2. we find the Teftimony of Trogus Pompeius: The Jews, fays he, derive their Origin from Damafcus, a famous City of Syria: their Kings were Abraham and Ifrael. See alfo Clemens Alexandrinus Strom, V, and Eufebius l. 13. C. 12, CHA P. VI. Of the Epocha of the CCCCXXX Years that the Jews fojourned in Ægypt; of which mention is made in Exodus 12. Verfe 40, RULES. 1. The beginning of this Epocha must coincide with the time of that folemn Promife made to Abraham, and mentioned Gen. c. 12. v. 3. c. 15. 0 3 2. Dus the Julian Period to find the year of this Epocha. 2. Due regard ought to be had to the Age of the Forefathers of Mofes, as defcribed in Exodus c. 6. V. 19, 20. 3. The end of it must be coincident with the time of their leaving Egypt. 4. The number of the Generations of the Levitical Families recited in the above-mentioned Places ought carefully to be obferved. 5. The fame refpect must be had to the other Inter vals. 6. Care must be taken, that not any thing be in-ferred contradictory to the Teftimony of Jofephus in his 2d Book of Antiquities, Chap. 5. They left, fays he, Egypt in the Month of Xanthicus, in the 430th year after the coming of our Father Abraham into Canaan; and in the 215th year after the Migration of Facob into Egypt. Mofes was then in the 80th year of his Age,and his Brother Aaron was three years older than he. 7. Accordingly we affirm, that the first year of this Epocha was coincident with the 76th year of the Age of Abraham, which was the 2787th year of the Julian Period, Cycle O. 15. ). 13. and its End with the year 3217 of the Julian. Period. Any year 8. If therefore 2786 years be fubtracted from any given of certain year of the Julian Period, the Refidue will fhew the year of this Epocha: But if the fame be added to any certain year of this Epocha, the Product will be correfpondent to the year of the Julian Period. There is no Certainty concerning the Months, they being not mentioned in the Holy Scripture: for the Tradition of Rabbi Solomon, who afferts, that God made his Covenant with Abraham in the Month of Nifan, is no more Authentick than the rest of the Jewish Traditions. §. 1. Mo §. 1. Morinus Exerc. Bibl. and Ifaacus Voffius Chron. Whether facr. c. 2. p. 3. are of Opinion, that the the HeHebrew Text concerning the 430 years of the fojourn- brew Text ing of the Ifraelites in Agypt has been adulterated, be corrupt with refe and therefore prefer the Samaritan Code. In the lat rence to ter it is faid thus; The fojourning of the Children of If thefe 430 rael and their Forefathers who dwelt in the Land of years. Canaan and Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years: From whence they conclude that the 430 years includes not only their Pilgrimage in Agypt, but likewife the time of their abode in Canaan. Whereas in the Hebrew Text it is thus expreffed by Mofes, The fojourning of the Children of Ifrael, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. But befides the divine Teftimony of the unquestionable and most authentick Authority of the Hebrew Text, delivered by St. Matthew c. 5. v. 18. and St. Luke c. 16. v. 17. and in other places, the Chaldean, vulgar Latin and Arabick Tranflations are fufficient to atteft the Genuine Lection of the Hebrew Text in this place, as well as the frequent Allegations of many of the most ancient Authors. ing into Ægypt. §. 2. There are not a few who pretend to begin This Epɔthis Epocha from the time of Jacob's going into E- cha has nos gypt, of which we read in Genefis c. 46. But accord- its begining to this Hypothefis, it is impoffible to compleat the ning from number of 430 years of the Ifraelites fojourning in the time of Jacob's goEgypt; for it being faid Gen, 46. v. 11. that facob came into Egypt with Kohath the Son of Levi; if the whole Age of Kohath be computed as well as that of his Son Amram (the first being 133, the latter 137 years Exod. 6. 19, 20.) and the 80 years of Mofes when he fpoke to Pharoah Exod. 7. v. 7. be added to them both, the whole does not exceed 350 years, which is 80 years lefs than 430 years; notwithitanding our conceffions in fuppofing Kohath to beget Amram in the last year of his Age, and Mofes to be but born when Amram died; from whence it's evident that our preceeding Computation is to be preferred before this, it being especially confirmed by the Authority of the Jewish Rabbi's and most of the Greek 0 4 and |