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CHAPTER 10: The Chronology of the Early History of the Bible -
Commencement of the History of God's Dealings with Abraham and his
Seed
BEFORE further proceeding with our history some brief explanation may be
desirable of the chronological table given in this volume, and in general of the early
chronology of the Bible. It will be noticed, first, that the years are counted from
"B.C.," that is, from "before Christ;" the numbers, of course, becoming smaller the
farther we come down from the creation of the world, and the nearer we approach the
birth of our Savior. Thus, if the year of creation be computed at 4004 before Christ,
the deluge, which happened 1656 years later, would fall in the year 2348 B.C.
Further, it will be observed that we have given two chronological tables of the same
events, which differ by many hundreds of years - the one "according to Hales," the
other "according to Ussher," which latter is that of "the dates in the margin of English
Bibles," and, we may add, corresponds with the Hebrew text of the Old Testament.
The explanation of the difference between them is that our calculations of Biblical
dates may be derived from one of three sources. We have, in fact, the five books of
Moses in three different forms before us. First, we have the original Hebrew text of
the Old Testament; next, there exists a translation of it in Greek, completed long
before the time of our Lord, which was commonly used by the Jews at the time of
Christ, for which reason also it is generally quoted in the New Testament. This
version is known as that of the "LXX," or "Seventy," from the supposed number of
translators. Finally, we have the Samaritan Pentateuch, or that in use among the
Samaritans. Now, as the genealogies differ in these three in regard to the ages of the
patriarchs, the question arises which of them should be adopted? Each in turn has had
its defenders, but the most learned critics are now almost unanimous in concluding,
as indeed we might have expected, that the Hebrew text contains the true chronology.
Of the other two, the Samaritan is so untrustworthy that for practical purposes we
may leave it entirely out of view. The Septuagint chronology differs from that of the
Hebrew text in prolonging the ages of the patriarchs, partially before the deluge, but
chiefly between the deluge and the calling of Abraham, - the result being that the
flood is thrown five hundred and eighty-six years later than in the Hebrew text; and
the birth of Abraham yet other eight hundred and seventy-eight years - the total
difference amounting to no less than one thousand two hundred and forty-five years!
It is not difficult to guess the reason why the Greek translators had thus altered the
original numbers. It was evidently their wish to throw the birth of Abraham as late as
possible after the flood. Of these two chronologies, that of the Hebrew text may, for
convenience sake, be designated as the short, and that of the "LXX" as the long
chronology; and, in a general way, it may be said that (with certain modifications
which it would take too long to explain) Hales has adopted the long, or Greek, and
Ussher the short, or Hebrew chronology.
(^)