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A Chronological TABLE of the Years of the Patriarchs, ac

cording to the Computation of the Septuagint.

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A Chronological TABLE of the Years of the Patriarchs, according to the Computation of the Samaritan Pentateuch.

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To the varieties exhibited in the two laft tables, others might be added, by admitting the various readings of fome. numbers in the Samaritan and Septuagint: for as to the Hebrew copies, there is here a conftant agreement among them (I).

The manufcript from which the Samaritan Pentateuch was published (K), agrees exactly with the Samaritan

(I) It is obfervable, that the Hebrew numbers were exactly the fame when the two Talmuds were compofed; and that the Chaldee paraphrafe of Onkelos, which is allowed to have been written about the time of

our Saviour, does alfo agree
with the Hebrew chronology.

(K) This MS. was written
A. D. 1404. Vid. Joan. Ma-
rin. in præf. ed. Septuag. Gr.
Lat. Parif. 1618.

numbers

A. M.

1.

Ante Chr.

4004.

numbers given by Eufebius'. But St. Jerom tells us ", that, in his time, there were fome Samaritan copies which make Methuselah 187 years old at the birth of Lamech, and Lamech 182 at the birth of Noah, juft as the Hebrew does. Now if thefe numbers be approved as the true original numbers, the interval from the creation to the flood will be 1556 years (L); differing from the Hebrew computation but 100 years in the age of Jared at the birth of Enoch: and if this laft be allowed to be a miftake of the transcriber, by his dropping a number, and writing 62 instead of 162, as has been fufpected, the Samaritan will be perfectly reconciled with the Hebrew, and all difference between them vanifh (M).

Scaliger, on the authority of an old Samaritan chronicle, having at the end a table of the years of the patriarchs to the time of Mofes, would correct two of the Samaritan numbers in Eufebius; viz. inftead of 65, the age of Mahalaleel when he begat Jared, he thinks it should be 75; and instead of 67, the age of Methuselah when he begat Lamech, he would have it 77. By which alterations he reckons 20 years more to the flood than Eusebius and the manufcript; that is, 1327 (N). But as he acknowleges the table, whereon he grounds these corrections, contains fome great abfurdities, it seems unreafonable to oppose it to the joint authority of Eufebius and the Samaritan manufcript.

As to the Septuagint, in the commen editions of that verfion, the age of Methuselah at the birth of Lamech is 167; and confequently the fum of this period, according to them, is no more than 2242. But in this cafe Methufelah will outlive the flood 14 years; and we may well

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A. M.

1.

4004.

wonder, with Eufebius, where he was preferved. To obviate this objection, we are told, that, in fome copies, Ante Chr. Methufelah is faid to have lived but 782 (not 802) years after the birth of Lamech, and no more than 949 in all. But the Alexandrian manuscript entirely takes away the difficulty, by giving the fame number in this place with the Hebrew.

Pezron is of opinion, that the age of Lamech at the birth of Noah fhould be but 182, as it is both in the Hebrew and in Jofephus, fuppofing, with St. Austin, that the present number is the error of the scribe, who first copied the original Septuagint manuscript in Ptolemy's library. So that he computes 2256 years to the flood. And, if this correction be admitted, and one more mentioned alfo by St. Austin, viz. that Lamech lived 595 years after the birth of Noah, and not 565, as in the prefent copies, there will then remain no other difference between the Septuagint and the Hebrew than 600 years added to the ages of the fix patriarchs when they begat their fons P, and Methuselah will, conformably to the Hebrew and Samaritan, die in the year of the flood.

As we have chofen to follow, in this edition, the chronology of the learned Ufher, grounded on the Hebrew whole numbers, after the flood, we have done the fame in our calculations in this period; which may, with very little trouble, be reduced to the chronology of the Samaritan or Septuagint, by those who prefer the accounts of thofe copies.

SECT. V.

The Hiftory of the Antediluvian Patriarchs.

WHERE Adam dwelt after his expulfion from Para

dife is uncertain; but it is likely he did not remove far off. He now confummated his marriage with Eve, which, as the words of Mofes seem to imply, he had not done before the falls. The eldeft fon of Adam, named Cain, was born probably in the first year of the world; and his fecond, Abel, the year following (O). When they

P Vid. Pezron. l'Anti

Auguftin. de Civit. Dei, lib. xv. quité de Tems retablie, p. 57, & Capelli Chron. Sacr. 9 Genef. iii. 24. iv. 1.

(O) The name Cain fignifies an acquifition, or poffeffion,

being derived (though not very
regularly) from the verb kana,

to

A. M.

129

they were grown up, they betook themselves to distinct employments; the former to hufbandry, and the latter to Ante Chr. the keeping of fheep. Their inward difpofitions were ftill more different, Cain being wicked and avaritious, but Abel juft and virtuous'.

3875.

Cain and

Abel, their offerings.

In procefs of time the two brothers brought their respective offerings to God. Cain of the fruit of the ground, and Abel of the firftlings of his flock; but they met with very different fuccefs: for God accepted the offering of Abel, but Cain's he did not accept (P). At this preference, Cain was fo enraged, and tranfported with envy against his brother, that he could not help fhewing it by his countenance. God, however, condefcended to expoftulate the matter with him, and afked him what reafon he had to be angry; fince, if he did well, he should be accepted; and he could blame none but himself for what was the confequence of his own ill behaviour: in particular, he obferved, that he could not justly be angry with Abel, who had no defign to fupplant him; but would always pay him the respect due to an elder brother. This admonition had fo little effect on Cain, that, with the first convenient opportunity, when they were together in the field, he rofe up against Abel his brother,

Jofephus Ant. lib. i. cap. 2.

to acquire. Abel, or rather He-
bel, fignifies vanity, and not
mourning, as Jofephus and Eu-
febius fuppofe.

(P) Though the difference
put by God between the two
offerings can be attributed to
nothing but the wickednefs and
1 difpofition of Cain, and the
righteoufnefs and faith of A-
bel; yet it has been imagined,
that Cain's ill fuccefs was ow-
ing to fome defect in his offer-
ing, or his prefenting the worst
part of it to God, and referv-
ing the best to himfelf. The
reafon given by Jofephus is
very frivolous: he fays, that
God was more delighted with
Abel's offering, as being the
fpontaneous production of na-
Cure; and difpleafed with

and

Cain's, becaufe it was forced by the art and industry of a co

vetous man.

In what vifible manner God declared his acceptance of Abel's offering, is not expreffed by Mofes. The common opinion is, that fire from heaven defcended on the facrifice, and confumed it, but did not touch Cain's. This is fup

ported by the version of Theodotion, who tranflates the word, which we render had respect unto, into veπúgios, be fet on fire; the ufual fign whereby God has been pleased to testify his approbation in other inftances. The Moham medans likewife affirm the fame thing. And the Heathens themfelves boafted of the like extra

ordinary

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