REMARKS

ON

THE APOCRYPHA.

THUS have we arrived at the conclusion of the Old Testament Canon, indais Moses and the Prophets, with the Hagiographa; all which have passed before 1 the order of the English Bible. These are still existing in the Hebrew language, a very general tradition prevails among both Jews and Christians, that they w lected and arranged by Ezra and his contemporaries into twenty-two books, or sponding with the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. They are enumerates Josephus, the Jewish historian (who survived the destruction of Jerusalem), and c into the ecclesiastical history of Eusebius (who wrote about the end of the third tury), arranged as follows:-The five books of Moses, commonly called the Pents thirteen books of the Prophets [viz. 1, Joshua; 2, Judges (including Ruth); 3, Sam 4, Kings; 5, Isaiah; 6, Jeremiah (with his Lamentations); 7, Ezekiel; S, The we (minor) Prophets; 9, Daniel; 10, Job; 11, Ezra and Nehemiah; 12, Esther; 13, nicles]; and four other books, containing hymns to God, and precepts for the c of human life [namely, the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Solomon's S These were all written, and still remain, in the Hebrew (or Chaldee) laugu. there are various other Apocryphalt books, or fragments, in Greek or Latin, which Council of Trent, in the 16th century, admitted into the canon of the Church of B though with little or no authority from the Christian Fathers. The Church of Eng doth indeed allow these to be read "for the example of life, and instruction of maur but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine," as not considering t canonical, or of divine authority. Lessons from some of them are indeed ad into the week-day service of the Church, but no Sunday lessons are taken from then.

As a painful controversy has been lately raised, as to the lawfulness of Protesta any way countenancing the circulation of these Apocryphal books, it may be acceptate to many of our readers to see a characteristic list of them, chiefly extracted from Hartwell Horne's Introduction to the Critical Study of the Scriptures (New Ed. vol.

These Apocryphal books, when admitted into our English Bibles, are always place together between the Old and New Testament; but in Roman Catholic editions et t Scriptures they are commonly interspersed among the sacred books, without any ma of distinction. The books referred to are as follows:

Esdras I. is in Greek, and in the Alexandrian Manuscript is placed before the canenical book of Ezra, because the events occurred prior to the captivity. But in th Latin Vulgate, this and the following book are called the third and fourth books Esdras; those of Ezra and Nehemiah being reckoned the first and second. The auther is unknown; it is a compilation from the Canonical books, which, in some places, however, it contradicts, and is of no authority.

Esdras II. is still worse. The original is supposed to have been written in Greek but is lost, and a Latin version supplies its place. The author personates Ezra, bur

relates some strange visions, and ridiculous Rabbinical fables. allusions, supposed to have been written after the New Testament.

Josephus cont. Apion, lib. i. 8. Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. lib. iii. c. 9, 10. It should be observed, that the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chroni cles, were formerly reckoned each as one book only, as above enumerated. All the books, beside Moses and the prophets, are commonly comprehended under the general term Hagiographa, or Holy Writings.

+ The term Apocryphal, scure authority.

It is, from various

means doubtful, er Thirty-nine Articles, Art. vi.

These books are not named in any list of the sacred canon, during the first four centuries. See Cosins's History of the Canon, chap. iii.

ON THE APOCRYPHA.

The Book of Tobit contains "so many Rabbinical fables and allusions to the Babylonian demonology, that many learned men consider it as (only) an ingenious and amusing fiction." It is supposed to have been written about 200 years before Christ.

Judith was originally written in Chaldee, which is lost, but there are translations in Greek, and Latin, and Syriac. Grotius considers it as a parabolic fiction, relating to Antiochus Epiphanes, under the name of Holofernes. Prideaux thinks it may have had some foundation in history, but the facts are no where else mentioned, nor is the book alluded to by either Philo or Josephus.

The Rest of Esther is of no authority, but was probably written to supply an apparent defect, which we have mentioned above, vol. i. p. 908. The additional facts are supposed to be borrowed from the History of Josephus.

The Wisdom of Solomon* appears to be an attempt of some Hellenistic Jew, to palm on the king of Israel maxims of wisdom (many of them confessedly very good); but they could not all be written before the establishment of the Greek games, to which (in chap. iv. and x.) there are several allusions. It has been generally attributed to Philo. Ecclesiasticus, or, "The Wisdom of Jesus, the Son of Sirach," has been also attributed to Solomon; and it appears to us not improbable that both in this book and the preceding, there may be many of Solomon's remarks, which were carried away by the learned strangers who "came to hear his wisdom." This book betrays its date, by speaking of Jeroboam and the captivity; chap. xlvii.23-25. The work is said to have been written in the vulgar Hebrew of the captivity, and translated into the Greek language, for the use of the Alexandrian Jews, about two centuries before Christ; but has no pretensions to higher antiquity, or canonical authority.

Baruck is not extant in Hebrew, and perhaps never was. Grotius considers it as a forgery, under the name of Baruch. It was never considered as canonical, either by the Jews or early Christians.

The Song of the Three Children * in the fiery furnace, is placed between the 23d and 24th verses of the third chapter of Daniel, where we have noticed it. It has, however, no pretension to inspiration; nor is it altogether true. See ver. 15.

The Story of Susanna* is prefixed to the Book of Daniel in the Septuagint, and appended to it in the Vulgate. Julius Africanus and Origen consider it both spurious and fabulous. So Father Lamy, and the modern critics.

Bel and the Dragon:* Jerom calls this a fuble, and it was never admitted as canonical, either by the Jewish Church, or by the Christian, before the Council of Trent. Yet this also is foisted into both the Greek and Vulgate versions.

The Prayer of Manasses, king of Judah, when in captivity, though excellent and pious, has no claim to divine authority, but is rejected as spurious, even by the Church of Rome. See 2 Chron. xxxiii. 12, 13. It is not mentioned by any writer before the fourth century.

The First Book of Maccabees is considered as "a most valuable historical document," and preferred, for accuracy, even to Josephus, who is supposed to have borrowed from it. It was probably written by John Hyrcanus, or under his direction, in the SyroChaldaic language; and is preserved in Greek and Latin translations.

The Second book of Maccabees is much inferior to the first, and should be read with caution. It contains the history of the Jews for 15 years, from 3828 to 3843. But the two Epistles at the beginning are considered as spurious. The book is preserved in Syriac, Latin, and Greek; from the last of which was made the translation in our Bibles.

There are two other books, called the Third and Fourth of Maccabees; but of so little credit or authority, that they could not gain admission even into the Roman Canon.

The books thus marked, (*) are admitted, in whole or in part, into the week-day service of the Church of England.

TABLES

OF

JEWISH MONIES, WEIGHTS, AND MEASURES.
Chiefly from Mr. Horne's Critical Introduction, Vol. III. p. 554.

Carefully distinguish between an Omer and a Homer, which contains 100 Omers.

CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX

TO THE

OLD TESTAMENT.

Chiefly copied from the Index affixed to our Quarto Bibles, by authority, according to
the Chronology of Archbishop USHER, with some Additions and Corrections from
other Authorities, particularly those of Dr. A. CLARKE, Dr. W. HALES, and the
Rev. T. H. HORNE,

Of all the studies connected with Scripture, Chronology
is the most perplexing; and one chief difficulty arises from
the uncertain length of years, whether solar or lunar, and
from the arbitrary manner in which the ancients sometimes
introduced intercalary days or months, to make their Calen-
dars agree with the course of Nature. The author has deeply
felt this, in going through the history of the Old Testament,
the prophetic writings, and particularly the book of the
Apocalypse. The Chronology of our authorised Bibles, as
already remarked, is founded upon the system of Archbi-
shop Usher, which was considered as the best then extant,
and was founded on the Hebrew Bible. The Septuagint
Version and Josephus differ so widely from that account,
that learned men have studied various methods to reconcile
them, but with very partial and dubious success.

In our Introduction to the Book of Genesis, we have remarked
the great difference which exists between the chronological reckon-
ings of the Jews, the Samaritans, and the Septuagint Version. Dr.
Kennicott charges the former with deducting 100 years from the
lives of six Patriarchs before the flood, and seven after, making a
difference of 1300 years. (See his Gen. Dissert. pp. 32-46; or
Remarks on Select Passages, 20, 21.) That such a difference does
subsist, cannot be denied; and those who do not admit this deduc-
tion, accuse the translators of the Septuagint, with having added the
like number of years which the others are charged with subtract-
ing. The difference cannot be accidental. Those who wish to pursue
the subject critically, and have time so to do, will do well to con-
sult the learned Commentary of Dr. A. Clarke; or the "New Ana-
lysis of Chronology," by Dr. W. Hales, in 3 vols. 4to. We feel it
our duty to name the facts, because their concealment might have

CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX.

the appearance of disingenuity, and prejudice our cause; but
having no opportunity to enter into such abstruse inquiries, we
are happy to know, that such questions do not affect any one fact,
or doctrine, or precept, of Christianity.

In the Chronological Index which follows, the Reader is re-
quested to remark, that the years in the first margin of our Chro-
nology refer to the time before Christ was born-not, indeed,
the exact year of his birth, but that called commonly Anno Do-
mini 1-when he was four years old. See our Chronological Index
the New Testament.

Though this Index is taken chiefly from the Bible Index, it
is in some cases abridged, in others enlarged, and in many in-
stances re-written. Both the dates and texts have been examined,
and in many instances corrected. They have also been compared
with the chronological notes which we have prefixed to several of
the historical books.

As we may have occasion to refer to what is called the Julian
Period, it may be here proper to apprize our readers, that this
period (which is formed from a coincidence of astronomical cycles)
is always supposed to have taken place 710 years before the creation
of our globe. The first year of creation, or Anno Mundi 1, here
marked 4004, before A.D., was, therefore, the year 711 of the
Julian Period.

B.C.

4004

§ I. FROM THE CREATION TO THE FLOOD.
The Creation of the world, and of mankind.
The institution of the Sabbath-the planting of paradise,
and the formation of Eve.

Gen.

Gen.

The fall of man-bis sentence, and a promise of his re-
covery by "the seed of the woman."

Gen..

4003

3875

3874

3769

The birth of Cain, the first-born of Adam and Eve; his
brother Abel being also born, either in the same or following
year.

About this time, Cain and Abel [being nearly 130 years
of age] offer sacrifice, and Abel is murdered by his brother.

This date seems wholly conjectural: the event may have
occurred many years before. The estimate proceeds upon the
slow progress of human nature at first. All the Chronologies, ex-
cept the Hebrew, make Adam 100 years old before he had a son!

Grea..

Adam, at the age of 130, and subsequent to the death of Gen.ic
Abel, has another son, whom he names Seth; and after
him, other sons and daughters.

Seth, at the age of 105, has Enos; and after him other
sons and daughters: and about this time men begin to "call
on the name of the Lord."

Enos, at the age of 90, begat Cainan, and subsequently Gen. r.i
various sons and daughters.

Enoch, the seventh from Adam (in lineal succession),

At the age of 65, is born to him Methuselah.

To Methuselah, at the age of 187, is born Lamech, the
father of Noah.

3679

3382

born.

3317

3130

3074

Adam died, aged 930.

3017

2948

Enoch translated without seeing death, aged 365.
Noah born, the patriarch of the new world.

2469

Noah begins to preach repentance, and prepare his ark.