tend to any new alterations in the Fulian Calendar which agrees much more with the Celestial Motions? For, what detriment is it to the Commonwealth, if the Equinox be fixed now on the 9th or 10th day of March, which, in the times of Julius Cafar ufed to fall out upon the 23d day of the fame Month? On the other hand, what a Confufion would it be, if by rejecting the Julian year we fhould be put under a neceffity of rendring ufelefs all the Aftronomical Tables and the Julian Period? For which reafon it is, that Johannes Keplerus, who was Mathematician to three Emperors, when he compiled his Tabula Rudolphina, did'not follow the method of Gregorius, but retained the Julian Computation: Neither need we (like Gregorius) be at the charge of many thousand Pounds to find out the Pafchal Plenilunes, the fame being without great difficulty to be gathered from the Aftronomical Tables, where the Equinoxes and Plenilunes have their exact appointed times. To be fhort, as the Church does not impair the Civil Power,fo the Feafts need not interfere with the Civil Records; efpecially at this time when we may make use of the Words of the Apoftle, Col. 2. v. 16, 17. Let no Man judge you in refpect of any Holy Day, or the New Moon, or of the Sabbath Days, which are a Shadow of the things to

come.

CHA P. XXXVI.

Of the Epocha of the time of Herod, and the Reigns of the Foreign Kings over the Jews.

RULES.

1. In adjusting this Epocha, we must mind the following Characters. 1. Herod,who was afterwards firnamed the Great, was by Antipater declared Prince of Galilea, when he was scarce 15 years of Age. Jofephus l. 14. c. 17. Antiq. 1. 1.c. 8. de Bell. Jud. 2. This was done after Julius Cæfar had put a hap py Period to the Alexandrian War, and had conferred great Honours upon Antipater the Father of He

1.

rod.

rod. Jof. 1. 14. c. 15. 17. 3. This fame Herod folliciting for Succours against the Parthians, was by Anthony and Auguftus, with confent of the Senate and People of Rome, declared King of Judæa in the 184th Olympiad, C. Domit. Calv. for the fecond time and C. Afin. Pollio being then Confuls of Rome, whofe Confulate happened in the 40th year before Chrift, according to the vulgar Epocha. Jol. 1. 19. c. 26. 4. The City of Jerufalem was besieged and taken by Herod and Sofius in the Sabbatick year,when M.Agrippa and Canid.Gallus were Confuls at Rome, in the 185th Olympiad, and the third Month, on the Day of their great and folemn Faft; on which day the faid City was likewife taken by Pompey 27 years before. Jofephus 1. 14. c. 18. Ant. Thefe Characters fhew the taking of this City to have hapned in the 37th year before Chrift. 5. The Battle betwixt Anthony and Auguftus was fought near the Promon tory of Actium in the 7th year after Herod had ta ken the City of Jerufalem, according to Jofephus 1. 15. c. 17. which Battle hapned in the 31st year before Chrift, and the 15th Julian year, as fhall be fhewn hereafter. 6. Herod was confirmed in the Kingdom and had the Crown, which he had laid down of his own accord, restored to him, when Auguftus marched inte Egypt, which was in the 2d year after the Battle of Actium, and the 30th year before Chrift. 7. Herod lived but eight days (Jofephus fays five) after he had caused his Son Antipater to be flain. He reigned in all forty years. Chron. Temp. Sec. 8. The 18th year of the Reign of Herod was the 15th year after his taking the City of Jerufalem, and in the fame year he began to rebuild the Temple which be bad caufed to be pulled down before. Jofephus 1. 17. c. 10. Ant. 9. The days that Herod reigned over all the Jews were 37 years, and Herod died; a Man who had been very profperous in his undertakings. Thefe are the Words of the Hebrew Text of Jofephus 1. 5. c. 41. tranflated by Sebaftianus Munfterus from the Constantinopolitan Copy, and pub Lifhed by Hen. Petrus in the year 1540 at Bafil. For the true time of the beginning of the Reign of Herod over all the Jews must be computed from his taking the City of Jerufalem. 10. When Herod's Recovery

Was

c. 8.

To defpaired of, Judas Sariphæus and Mattathias Mangalorhus made their attempt upon the Golden Eagle for which they and their Adherents were burnt ale: Ad in the fame Night there hapned a Lunar Eclipfe, and the King grew worse. Jofephus 1. 17. Another fuch Eclipfe hapned a year before the vulgar Epocha of Chrift. 11. The Tyrant died not many Months before the Feft of the Passover: For Archelaus, who, by the last Will of Herod was appointed his Succeffor in the Kingdom, did engage in a Battle at the time of the Feast of the Paffover with thofe that were rifen in Rebellion, to revenge the Death of Matthias and his Friends; and after he had flain feveral thousands of 'em, ordered that all fuch as by reafon of the Feaft were come to Jerufalem fhould return to their Homes. Jofephus 1. 17. c. 1I. 12. Our Saviours Birth, and the Murder of the Children of Bethlem under two years of Age, of which mention is made in Matthew 2. 16. hapned before the Death of Herod. 13. Archelaus, before he had reigned quite 9 years, was outed of the Kingdom and banish'd to France, after which Judæa fell from a King to an appendage of the Province of Syria, Jof. 1. 2. c. 6- de Bell. Jud. and Quirinus or Cyrenus was fent thither to tax the Inhabitants, and to difpofe of the private Estate of Archelaus. Quirinus took along with him Coponius a Commander of a Body of Horfe, to whom he left the Administration of Af fairs in Judæa Jof. 1. 18. c. 1. It was in the 37th year after the Battle of Actium, and the taking of Alexandria (Jof. 1.18.c.3. Ant.) that this Taxation was made, which is coincident with the 7th or 8th year of the vulgar Ara of Chrift.

II. According to thefe Characters we conclude that the time of Herod is to be adjusted in the following manner. 1. He was made Prince of Galilee about the year of the Julian Period 4667. 2. He was declared King at Rome in the year of the Julian Period 4674. 3. He conquered Jerufalem in the year of the Julian Period 4677. 4. Auguftus confirmed his Reign in the year of the Julian Period 4684. 5. He rebuilt the Temple of Jerufalem about the year of the Julian Period 4691. 6. He died in the year of the Julian Period 4713 before the Feast of the Paffover. 7.His

Suc

Succeffor was bani(hed about the year of the Julian Pe

riod 4721. III. If therefore any certain year of the Julian Period be given, fubtract from that year for the beginning of the Princely Dignity of Herod 4666 years; for the beginning of his Reign 4673 years; for the Conqueft of Jerufalem 4676 years; for his being confirmed in the Kingdom by Auguftus 4683 years; for the rebuilding of the Temple 4690 years; for his Death 4712 years; for the Banishment of Archelaus 4720 years: And if the fame Numbers to be thus fubtracted, be added to the known years of the respective Periods,the Products will be correfpondent to the years of the Julian Period.

§. 1. Nich. Damafcenus who was a familiar Friend of the Fa

of Herod's, traces his Origin from the mily of Babylonian Jews; which, tho' contradicted by fofe-Herod. phus, is embraced by the Author of the Hebrew Hiftory cited by Drufius ad Sulp. Sever. p. 250. and among the Chriftians by Torniellus. Africanus, En febius, Baronius, Serrarius, and others, deduce his Origin from the Philistines of Afcalon; but Jofephus makes Herod an Idumaan; and confequently a Demi. Few; the Idumaans having embraced the Jewish Religion, after they were conquered by Job. Hircanus. This being the most probable Opinion, is likewife confirmed by the Teftimony of the Author of the Chronicle of the 2d Temple.

§. 2. If. Caufab. Scaliger, Keplerus, Torniellus, Herod wis Spanhemius, Langius, and almost all the modern Chromade Gonologers charge Jofephus with a notorious Error in vernour of faying that Herod was made Prince of Galilee by his Galilee in Father Antipater in the 15th year of his Age; in lieu the 15th of which they would have it the 25 or 26 year. But year of his the circumftances of the whole Hiftory fufficiently e- Age. vince that Jofephus committed no mistake in putting 15 instead of 25. The only Objection is, that according to fofephus himself, Herod was but 15 years old at the time of the Alexandrian War, and the beginning of the Fulian Epocha; and in the 45th year of the Julian Epocha, when he died, he is faid to have been 70 years old. To which it is to be answer

When He

ed, That the Word oxedor, made use of by Jofephus, may be taken here for one of above 60 years old; or elle, that the Text is adulterated in this paffage. We had better content our felves with this folution, than contradict fo many unquestionable circumstances relating to this Hiftory.

§. 3. The true time of the Death of Herod is inrod died. volved in no finall difficulties. Joh. Keplerus, Dionyfius Petavius,and Fred. Spanhemius refer his Death to the 42d Julian year, which comes three years fooner than we have made it: But Herod having received the Royal Diadem in the 6th Julian year after the Feaft of the Paffover, from thence to the 42d Fulian year cannot be computed more than 35 years; whereas Jofephus exprefly mentions 37 years. Furthermore, if Herod be fuppofed to have died in the 42d Julian year, it must follow, that our Saviour was born in the 41ft Fulian year; from whence, to the 74th FuLian year, or the 15th year of the Reign of Tiberius, are about 33 years; which, according to this Hypothefis, must have been the Age of our Saviour, contrary to St. Luke c. 3. v. 1, 23 And, to affirm, that Herod died before the Birth of Chrift, is contrary to the Evangelical History.

What rea

9. 4. The above-mentioned Authors, who anticifons are pate the Death of Herod three years before us,alledge alledged a-the Text of Jofephus, which mentions not only 37 gainst our years for the Reign of Herod, but alfo attributes Opinion. compleat 9 years for Archelaus after the Death of

Herod. If, fay they, the Coronation of Herod hapned in the 6th Julian year, from thence to the 42d Julian year when Herod died,are 36 years. And, if from the 51ft Fulian year, in which Æmilins Lepidus and C. Arun. Nepos were Confuls at Rome; and in which according to Dionyfius Caffius l. 5. Archelaus was banished, the 9 years of his Reign be fubtracted, the Refidue makes the 42d Fulian year, in which Archelaus fucceeded his Father. This, they fay, ap: pears further out of the Computation of the years of Philip the younger Son of Herod. The 37th year of Philip, which was his laft, is by Fofephus l. 18. c. 6. made coincident with the 20th year of the Reign of berius; but the 20th year of the Reign of Tiberi n began in September in the 78th Julian year; from