Greece, and Epirus ;-Lyfimachus over Thrace and Bithynia ;-Ptolemy over Egypt, Arabia, Cælefyria, and Palestine; and Seleucus over Syria *." SHORT was the duration of the monarchy; fhorter fill that of the four kingdoms. Each of the self-created fovereigns vainly affected to be Alexander; and, not content to preside over a part of his dominions, ftrove to acquire the whole. Confederacies, ratified without fincerity, and fufpicions which artifice could not conceal, prompted the antagonists to hoftile measures. Hence a collifion of contrary forces, fatal to all the parties, of whom none could be fatisfied with any thing lefs than univerfal dominion. After a fhort space of about 19 years from the fubverfion of the Perfian Empire, the refult of difcordant counfels, and of arms polluted with the blood of millions, was the formation of two independent principalities: Syria, where Seleucus erected his throne ;-and Egypt, of which Ptolemy Soter retained poffeffion. IN the Books of the Maccabees these two principalities have one common title, The KINGDOM of the GREEKS: Its name is, from one of the fovereigns, called the era of the Seleucidæ. By it both these authors compute, the one from the 12th, the other from the 13th, after the demife of Alexander t. Sir I. Newton on the Prophecies, p. 29. + Dr. Prideaux explains the reason of this variation in reckoning by the era of Seleucus, and exemplifies it in different dates affigned by the two authors for the fame event. See Connex. Ann, 312. IN IN the fubfequent schemes of hiftorical transactions, with their dates, of coexiftent magiftracies, and of chronological numbers, it was found, that the page was too narrow to admit the titles of feveral articles; much less the triple column of numerical notations in reckoning. The years of the Jul. Period, and those before the Dionyfian era, are, for these reasons, unavoidably fuperfeded, though they are expreffed for the first and last years of each scheme. Scheme 1. HISTORICAL events from the RISE of the GREEK EMPIRE, A. P. J. 4383. Before A. D. 330, and A. M. 3678. Alexander dies in the 18th of Jaddua's pontificate 3685 Jaddua dies in the 2d of Philip Aridæus 3687 Aridæus dies in the 5th of Onias the H. Prieft 3692 Its walls repaired Herod again takes the city Egypt a Roman province, and the Greek Em-3978 pire unhinged 3965 3972 THIS Compendious felection of notable incidents, taken promiscuously from the history of the Jews, Carthaginians, Greeks, and Romans, is a fpecimen of the various materials whence the times of events may be defined by a diversity of national eras. The computation is thus brought down to A. P. J. 4683, or the 30th before the Dionyfian era of our Lord's nativity. Or this third prophetical monarchy Ptolemy's Aftronomical Canon furnishes the inquifitive student with an authentic chronicle. Even Ptolemy's exquifite collection betrays fome instances of fingularity in reckoning, though they seldom involve error. Alexander Ægus was dethroned in the fourth of his reign, and flain in the feventh; yet the canon continues his government to the eighth year of the Seleucidan era, and defers to the ninth the acceffion of Ptolemy Soter, to whom is affigned a reign of 20 years. Evident is the impropriety of extending the duration and honours of royalty, after the term of a fovereign's degradation; much more, beyond the period of natural life. This over Its beft edition in English is that by Prideaux, in his Chronological tables, where the years of Nabonnaffar are connected with the numbers of the Julian period. With refpect to the names of the kings, the series of fucceffion, and the length of reigns, extremely inaccurate are the arrangements of the Abbé Dufrenoy; a writer, who has the merit of comprifing, in a very narrow compass, an immense repofitory of erudition in chronological antiquities: This is not the only period which exemplifies his negligence or credulity. But it may seem invidious to cenfure an individual, in a matter which affects many. fight is effectually rectified by affigning to Soter a reign of 28 years, commencing from the date of the era. IT has already been obferved, that Jofephus, the only author whofe works, ftill extant, contain a full history of the Jewish nation, is much more accurate in his account of the high priests fince the return from Chaldea, than in former times. His regifters are not always complete, or his notations perfectly exact. In fuch cafes, however, his deficiencies may be fupplied, and his mistakes corrected, from genuine fources of information, here and there difperfed in other fragments of facred antiquity, or in partial catalogues, among the writings of the Chriftian fathers. "THE high priests of Jofadac's pofterity were 15, under a popular government, during the space of 414 years *." As to the number of pontiffs, the author is exact. But the period of their administration did not exceed 370. IN the fame paffage, the author enumerates, by name, nine pontifis from Menelaus to Antigonus, all (except Menelaus) of the Afmonean family. The real number is ten; but perhaps Alexandra, as a queen, was, on account of her fex, excluded from the priesthood; for, in this period, the chief magiftracy was fometimes united with the facred character, and sometimes kept diftin&t. THE duration of the Afmonean period was about 130 years. Jofephus is peculiarly attentive to mark the years of vacancy in the pontificate, the length of incumbencies, and what high priests retained their dignities for life, were fuperfeded, or held the office as colleagues -notations of fignal use in reckoning which, without the leaft danger of fallacy, exhibit every defirable criterion of truth. Under the direction of guides, uninfpired indeed, yet almoft infallible, a candid and docile spirit needs no extraordinary degree, either of fagacity or labour, to combine the feveral links in this part of the great chronological chain. THE report of Ptolemy, Jofephus, the two writers of the Maccabees, &c. is but human teflimony; but it is teftimony strongly confirmed by the evidence both of prophecy and history;-prophecy emitted, and history written, by divine infpiration. This portion of the facred chronology is comprehended in the 70 weeks, of which the termination is fixed by an infallible character of time. To this fure word of prophecy, the preachers and disciples of the gospel, at its first publication, giving good heed, as unto a light fhining in a dark place, acquired the full affurance, that the first coming of Chrift, in the manner, and at the time foretold, was then paft. Hence the apoftle, reafoning with equal light and force of argument, concludes the infallible certainty of his fecond coming. The particular inference deducible from thefe principles, and applied to the present subject, is, that if the whole period of the 70 weeks be clearly elucidated by a luminous body of evidence, from the volumes both of prophecy and |