his age at death did not exceed 40. Hence refult fe veral difficulties in computation, not to be obviated otherwife, than by taking the chronological characters of this reign, in connection with those of the ensuing. "JEHORAM had several fons (their number not specified); and a band of Arabians, Ethiopians, and Philiftines, came up against Judah, and carried away all the fubftance found in the king's house, and his fons alfo, and his wives, fo that never a fon was left him, fave Jehoahaz, [Ahaziah], the youngeft of his fons:him the inhabitants of Jerufalem made king in his (father's) ftead; for the band of men, that came up with the Arabians to the camp, had flain all the reft. Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign. He reigned eight years in Jerufalem, and his mother's name was Athalia, the daughter [of Ahab and grand-daughter] of Omri*." The notation for Ahaziah's age, 42, is happily corrected into 22 t. Dr. Wall in his note on the place, not without reason, pronounces this larger number one of the most palpable mistakes, and wrong readings in the Hebrew text of this book (2 Chronicles). "Few," he says, " of the reft are corrected in the Greek verfion, but this is." Kennicott afligns the most probable source of the miftake. For 42, 22, had inadvertently been fubftituted. This fets the matter right at once. The true number he obferves is read univerfally in all the tranflations, as well as in the original of Kings; in the 2 Chron. xxi. 6. and ch. xxii. 3. ta Kings, viii. 26. Syriac and Arabic versions of the Chronicles; and in the valuable printed edition of the Septuagint by Aldus, in 1518. He might have added the excellent impreffion at Frankfurt, fol. 1697. THAT fingular criterion, which gives a fon the rank of feniority to a father;-a seniority of two years, and recorded in an ancient hiftory;-has every reafon to be confidered as a writ of error, and the title thence accruing as a counterfeit. The fcribes, from ignorance, make a falfe report. The hiftorian's notations accord with nature. For a father, dying at 40, might leave a fon 22 years old. This youngest son, however, had elder brothers; and, to the conviction of all impartial judges, it may be certified that the age of Jehoram was 32, when he began his joint reign, and 36 at his father's death. His age was confequently 44, Ahaziah being born in his 22d year, and his elder fons, by several mothers, between the 16th and 22d. As in genealogy the Archbishop's knowledge is fuperficial, fo his decifions are incongruous often with his premises. Yet even he faw the propriety of admitting, that the 32d of Jehoram's age ought to be reckoned from his advancement to the throne in his father's life-time. THIS Ahaziah, having reigned one year together with his father, which as complete makes the 8th and laft of his adminiftration; and one full year more after his decease, was, in the 24th of his own life, cut off by the fword of Jehu. As the seventh in fucceffion from David exclusively, he ought, on the authority of the royal calendar in Judah, to be included in this feries. But he is omitted in the lift of Chrift's ancestors by the evangelift Matthew; and as not now extant in this divifion, he is here in like manner left out, though, for reasons to be mentioned, it may be requifite to replace him with others; both to fill up the triple feries, and to reconcile the Old and New Teftament regifters. His mother Athalia, having flain all the feed royal in Judah, except the infant Joafh, invaded the throne, and fell, after an ufurpation of fix years, a victim to the refentments of the princes and people of the land, and to the juftice of an avenging Providence. 7. Jehoah, or Joash. On the exprefs authority of notations in the facred records, has his claim to the throne been evinced. Were his lineage, as an immediate fon of Ahaziah, lefs certain, the defcent of Jefus Chrift from David would be more doubtful. But the direct evidences of this fact, produced in the foregoing pages, fhew, that idle conjectures and chimerical notions merit no regard. This infant, (rescued from his unnatural grandmother by the humanity of his father's fifler Jehofheba, the wife of Jehoiadah the high prieft, who, in virtue of his office, prefided with fupreme authority over the temple, where the young prince with his nurfe had been concealed fix years), was thence conducted to the throne, at the age of feven full years. He reigned 40, and confequently died at the age of 47. Ufher, misled by his erroneous combination of original numbers, mutilates this reign by reducing it to 39. 8. Amaziah. 8. Amaziah. Ar the age of 25 he began his reign of 29 years, and died at the age of 54*. 9. Araziah, Azariah, or Uzziah. "ALL the people of the land took Azariah, who was 16 years old, and made him king in the ftead of Amaziah his father t." The parallel texts agreeing, like two living witnesses, in the article of time, fuperfede farther evidence. Yet notations apparently difcordant create hefitation, whether Azariah were 16 years old at the decease of his father, or at fome fubfequent period? That text which connects the first of Uzziah's reign with the 16th of his life, refers both to the 27th of Jeroboam II. king of Ifrael. This middle term in reckoning is appofite and decifive. "IN the 38th year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign in Samaria fix months. These fix months ended in the 39th of the fame reign, A. M. 3237. Hence fubtract 39, the remainder 3198 denotes the last year of Amaziah, and the 14th of Jeroboam. But the 27th of Jeroboam was the 16th of Araziah. His government therefore had a double commencement ;-a minority of 12 years begun in the 15th of Jeroboam ;—and a personal reign in the † 2 Kings, xiv. 21. and 2 Chron. xxvi, z—3. 2 King, xv. 8. R 3 27th 27th of the same reign. The 38th, 39th, 50th, and 52d, are all computed from the death of Amaziah, as if no minority had taken place. In the fame manner 12 years of anarchy in Samaria, from the death of Jero boam II. to the death of Zachariah, are in like manner omitted. By two notations however are they retained, or rather restored;-Amaziah lived 15 years after the death of Joash king of Ifrael *; and Uzziah was 16 years old when he began his personal administration. 10. Jotham. ONE rule for computing the lives and reigns of kings has been premifed, and often exemplified. In a conjunct reign the age of the junior monarch is computed from the partnership in authority, but his fole reign from the demife of his predeceffor, or it includes the laft incomplete year of the former. UZZIAH, it is well known, had been fmitten by the hand of Heaven with an incurable leprofy; unto the day of his death he dwelt in a several house, fecluded from fociety; and Jotham his fon was over the king's houfe, judging the people of the land t. Thefe circumstances indicate continuance of time. The space of the regency is not defined, but a term agreeable to the course of nature may be affumed. Suppose therefore Jotham began his vicarious reign at the age of 25, he was therefore born in the 25th of his father's life, 2 Kings, xiv. 17. This character of time is, on account of its importance, repeated 2 Chron. xxv. 25. ta Chron. xxvi. 21. and |