286 On the Cosmogony of Moses 4 



and the independent coal formation with which they are con-' 

 nected, occDpv in the flcetz series; and the conclusion at which 

 I arrived vvah, that they succeed the old red sandstone. 



Having been induced to take up the pen, in order to remove 

 a misconstruction of rny meaning, I am unwilling to 1 y it dow-n 

 again without adding a few observations on a subject alluded 

 to in your last number, by a correspondent who subscribes him- 

 self " Homo," viz the comparison of the epochs of creation as 

 unfolded by geological researches, with that series of events which 

 is recorded in the Genesis. In the preface which Professor 

 Jameson has condescended to prefix to Cuvier's Preliminary 

 Essay, he has mentioned that the inquiries of naturalists have 

 established many coincidences between these successions ; and 

 this has always appeared to me so manifest and striking, that 

 I w-onder at the misconception which appears to prevail on the 

 subject. The desire of removing this, and setting in a clear 

 point of view the relations in question, is the motive which in- 

 duces me to trouble you with the following remarks, which, if 

 you think fit, I beg you will insert in your excellent Journal. 



The whole of these relations depend upon the sense affixed to 

 the word dni/, as used in the Mosaic Cosmogony. It has often 

 been conjectured, that in this place it designates an indefinite 

 portion of time, and is synonymous with our expression period. 

 But it appears to me that something more than conjecture may 

 be oifered in favour of this interpretation. 



The Hebrew being the language of a nomadic people, who 

 possessed few arts and still less of science, cannot be supposed to 

 contain many abstract or general terms, nor does it in point of 

 fact : consequently, when the Hebrew writers are in want of ge- 

 neral expressions, they always adopt particular terms in a tro- 

 pical sense. And this is the way in which general expressions 

 were originally formed in all languages. The word period itr- 

 self, in its first application to time, signified a single circuit of the 

 sun. Therefore, if the author of the Cosmogony had intended 

 to describe a succession of periods of indefinite length, he would 

 necessarily have proceeded in this manner, and would have used 

 some word which properly indicated a limited duration in a tro- 

 pical acceptation. The question which remains is. What par- 

 ticular expression the Hebrews (and especially Moses himself) were 

 in the habit of applying in this indefinite way; and the fact is, 

 that the word cv indicating day, is the very one of which they 

 made choice. It is used indisputably in that sense in chap. ii. 

 ver. 4. " These are the generations of the heaven and earth when 

 they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth 

 and the heavens." This passage has already been quoted by 

 Mr. Parkinson. 



It 



