Egyptian Chronology. 4C9 



gradual change, that we have a right to infer took place, in. 

 the growth and longevity of the human species, under the new 

 circumstances in which they were placed. 



The next reason is to be found in collateral evidence. Be- 

 sides the Hebrew Text and the Greek translation, a na- 

 tion, equally hostile to the Christian religion and Jewish 

 people, has existed from the date of the captivity to the pre- 

 sent time, and a small remnant still remains in their original 

 seats in Palestine. This is the Samaritan, who, receiving no 

 others of the sacred books but those that compose the Penta- 

 teuch, have, with scrupulous care, preserved ancient copies of 

 them. The dates and genealogies of this text are identical 

 with those of the Septuagint, if the postdiluvian Cainan be 

 withdrawn. 



Josephus was himself a Jewish priest of the highest class, 

 and had access to the sacred writings in the very last year of 

 their preservation in the temple. His chronology may, there- 

 fore, be considered as founded upon his best recollection of 

 the numbers he had there seen. The sum of his numbers is 

 993, which exceeds the computation of the Samaritan and 

 Septuagint ; and therefore confirms their deviation from the 

 Hebrew. It has been recently attempted to amend his text, 

 by conjectural criticism, and make it correspond to the Sama- 

 ritan. This, however, is unnecessary, for the present argu- 

 ment ; it is sufficient to shew that he confirms the general 

 truth of the longer computation, even if not identical with it in 

 his numbers. A third reason might be found in the calling of 

 Abraham, which, according to the computation of Usher, must 

 have taken place during the life of Shem ; for he lived 502 

 years after the flood, and the death of Terah, according to the 

 Hebrew text, took place no more than 427 years after that 

 important event. Although we might not presume to scruti- 

 nize the acts of infinite wisdom, still it may be permitted to 

 state, that the necessity for a renewal of the promise could 

 hardly have occurred, while there was a living witness of that 

 made to Noah, upon the earth, and in the very family of him 

 with whom the new covenant was to be made. 



Another text of the Septuagint carries the flood back one 

 hundred years further, or to 3098 B.C. 



VOL. I. ' MAY, 1831. 2 I 



