Part 1 — CHAPTER V. EXTENT OF THE FOURTH AGE OF THE WORLD.
Reading edition
Palpable Forgery of this period in 1 Kings vi. 1.—Table X. Critarchal Eras and Intervals, from Usher and Cuninghame—Object of Usher in determining this period—Testimony of Paul and the Book of Judges as to its true extent—Testimony of Origen—Table XI. Extent of the first four ages of the world—Verification of the true extent of the fourth age by Chronographers—Agreement on this point between Mr. Clinton and Mr. Cuninghame.
The extent of the Fourth, or Critarchal age, is ascertained from the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, and confirmed by Acts iii. 17–22. Many disputes have arisen as to the true length of this period, in consequence of the interpolation of a passage in 1 Kings vi. 1,—both in the Hebrew and Septuagint,—which is now very generally admitted to be a palpable forgery! The following table, partly from Mr. Cuninghame, “Synopsis of Chronology,” p. 15, and partly from Usher, “Chronologia Sacra,” p. 203, both of whom distinctly enumerate all the texts of Scripture on which their determination depends, exhibits the intervals of the Critarchal eras, and the corresponding years of the world, according to the two systems:—
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TABLE X.
Critarchal Hebrew. Septuagint.
Eras. Intervals. A.M. Intervals. A.M.
From the Exodus 0 2513 0 3840
Passage of Jordan 40 2553 40 3880
Division of the Land 6⅓ 2559 7 3887
1st Servitude 0 28 3915
Critarchate of Othniel 40 2599 40 3955
2nd Servitude 0 18 3973
Cr. of Ehud and Shamgar 80 2679 80 4053
3rd Servitude 0 20 4073
Cr. of Deborah and Barak 40 2719 40 4113
4th Servitude 0 7 4120
Critarchate of Gideon *49⅙ 2769 *40 4160
Of Abimelech, Tolah and Jair 48 2817 48 4208
5th Servitude 0 18 4226
Critarchate of Jephthah 6 2823 6 4232
Of Ibzan, Elon and Abdon 25 2848 25 4257
6th Servitude (Samson) 0 40 4297
Critarchate of Eli 40 2888 40 4337
7th Servitude 0 20 4357
Critarchate of Samuel *21 2909 *12 4369
Reign of Saul 40 2949 40 4409
Reign of David 40 2989 40 4449
To the Foundation of Solomon’s Temple 3 2992 3 4452
Fourth Age 479 years. 612 years.
The object of Usher in determining the Hebrew computation of this period, as given above, was evidently to square or fashion the intervals so that their sum should not exceed the interpolated period of 480 years! This he has effected by the 69omission of the intervals of all the Servitudes, which are expressly recorded in Scripture, the interpolation of 9⅙ years between the critarchates of Gideon and Abimelech, and the addition of nine years to the critarchate of Samuel. The remark, therefore, of Mr. Cuninghame, in treating of the distinguishing marks of the true and false systems of chronology, “Fulness of the Times,” p. 141, is no less just than severe:—“it is plain that had Usher given to this part of his chronology the title of An attempt to pervert the testimony of the Book of Judges, it would have been a just description of it!” Moreover, Paul, when he addressed the Jews at Antioch in Pisidia, with the book of the Law and the Prophets in his hand, must have been perfectly well acquainted with the period in question, and his summary of the intervals completely confirms the reckoning of the Septuagint, which was followed by all the ancient chronographers, notwithstanding the interpolated passage, which is manifestly the work of a later age. In this summary, he marks out the intervals of “forty years in the wilderness,” of the judges “about 450 years” from the division of the land, “until Samuel the prophet,” and of the reign of Saul “forty years,”—the amount of which is 530 years. If to this be added the intervals of the five years’ war (Joshua xiv. 10), of the two years for the completion of the conquest of Canaan and the division of the land, of 70the twenty years’ abode of the ark at Kirjathjearim, of twelve years for the critarchate of Samuel, of the forty years’ reign of David, and of the first three years of Solomon’s reign, making in all eighty-two years,—the whole amount is exactly 612 years. The only one of these intervals not now mentioned in Scripture, is the critarchate of Samuel at Mizpeh, which has fortunately been preserved by Josephus and Theophilus, both of whom, without doubt, had more perfect copies of the Hebrew and Septuagint texts, and who state its length at twelve years. Independently, however, of this interval, the Book of Judges clearly establishes the true period as far as 600 years, and completely overthrows the forged period of 480 years. It is worthy also of remark, that Origen cites the immediate context of the interpolated passage, giving the sentences both before and after it, but making no mention whatever of the number itself;[23] which clearly shows that it was not in the Hebrew text in his time. The following 71table exhibits, according to the two systems, the extent of the first four ages of the world:—
TABLE XI.
Ages of the World. Hebrew. Years. Septuagint. Years.
First three Ages 2513 3840
Fourth Age 479 612
First Four Ages 2992 4452
In the learned works of Russell, Clinton, and Cuninghame, will be found numerous and important verifications of the true extent of the fourth period, from different authors, ancient and modern, of which the following are the most important. Josephus makes it 612 years in two different places of his works, and 592 in another, where he omits the 7th Servitude;—Dr. Russell, 592 years, following Josephus in the latter number;—Theophilus, 612 years, some of his intervals being inaccurate, but the errors balancing each other;—Eusebius, 613 years in his “Preparatio,” and 600 in his “Chronicon,” where he omits the critarchate of Samuel;—Jackson, 579 years, by the omission of both; and Hales, 621 years, by the interpolation of an interregnum of ten years;—lastly, Mr. Clinton, 612 years, his intervals being very nearly the same as those of Mr. Cuninghame. Thus, by the double testimony of Scripture, and by the admission of the ablest defender of the Hebrew verity in modern times, it is manifest that the forged period of 480 years current, or 479 complete, 72falls short of the truth by 133 years! Hence, Mr. Clinton places the creation of the world in the year B. C. 4138, instead of the Usherian year B. C. 4004.[24]
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