(a.) As to the period from Adam to Noah, the general concurrence of Josephus—an independent and reliable witness as to the state of all the Jewish authorities of his time. In regard to the period after the flood, the corresponding concurrence of the Samaritan text in all vital points.
(b.) The fact that there is no known reason for intentional corruption; while over against this it has been supposed (with how much probability it is difficult to say) that the Jews during their controversies with the Christians on the great question of the Messiah (A. D. 150–400) found it for their interest to shorten the period from the creation to the Christian era in order to prove that the Messiah had not yet come. This presupposes it admitted on both sides that he was to come within some given number of years after the creation—perhaps 4500 or 5000. We have already seen reason to suppose that the Hebrew text of 1 Kings 6: 1 is in error—perhaps corrupted. It is manifestly less than the truth by the difference between 480 and 591.
(c.) The accuracy of the Septuagint chronology on these contested points does not appear to have been called in question until at least 400 years after the translation was made—never before A. D. 150, about thedate when the controversy arose respecting the Christian Messiah.
(d.) It was in use and fully accredited before the Christian era.
(e.) It was used and its authority fully admitted by the fathers of the Christian church.——This fact and the next preceding render it at least probable that the Hebrew text at that time was in harmony with the Septuagint.
(f.) The Chaldean and Egyptian annals seem to demand more time back to the flood or to the creation than the present Hebrew text admits, and therefore lend their influence (to be taken for what it is worth) in favor of the Septuagint rather than the Hebrew because of its longer periods.
(g.) In table A it will be readily seen, comparing the figures of the first column in the Hebrew with the corresponding figures in the Septuagint, that the latter are very uniform while in the Hebrew there is a wide diversity between the highest and the lowest, four standing considerably below 100 and two above 180. The probability seems to be somewhat against so wide diversity.——In table B the Hebrew figures in the first column are sufficiently near each other. Out of seven in succession the extremes are 29 and 35. We have an equal uniformity in the first column of the Septuagint and of the Samaritan, six of these figures being the same as in the Hebrew with only the addition of 100. The Hebrew figures seem low relatively to the total years; and on the other hand the Septuagint figures seem too high. Especially is this objection formidable when we remember Abram’s surprise that God should promise him a son when 100 years old (Gen. 17: 17). “Shall a child be born to him that is 100 years old?”—as if it were a thing unknown in then recent history. But if all Abram’s ancestors back to the flood begat their respective sons in this line at ages ranging from 135 to 130 (or all but Terah) it is somewhat difficult to account for his surprise. The best we could say would be that the average human life was fast lessening. I regard this as the most serious objection of internal character against the integrity of the Septuagint text.——On the whole the chronological questions at issue between the Hebrew text and the Septuagint, turningupon the authority of their respective texts, are very much complicated and not a little doubtful. I have laid before the reader what I regard as the main arguments, and rest the case here, hopeful that greater light may yet arise, leaning, however, toward accepting the authority of the Septuagint.
Reviewing the points made in this examination of Hebrew chronology, it will be seen that we extend the time beyond Usher’s system, (a.) In the period of the Judges at least 111 years; (b.) In the sojourn in Egypt 215 years; and (omitting the interval between Terah and Abram as uncertain), (c.) In the interval from the flood to the call of Abram (if the Septuagint be followed) at least 650 years, and perhaps 750; and (d.) In the period from the creation to the flood, 606 years—a total of 1582 or 1682 years.——Or, to put the case in another form, we put the Exodus in the year (B. C.) 1603; Jacob’s going into Egypt, B. C. 2033; the call of Abram, B. C. 2248; and by the Septuagint the flood, 3265 or 3365; and finally, by the Septuagint, the creation, B. C. 5527 or 5627.
This approximates toward harmony with the reported results of the Indian chronology which locates the creation B. C. 6174; also the Babylonian, B. C. 6158, and the Chinese, B. C. 6157—the excess of the latter above the longest sacred chronology being only 530 years. The approach toward harmony in these three not sacred chronologies—the Indian, the Babylonian and the Chinese—the extreme difference being only 17 years—is certainly a remarkable fact.