Explanatory Notes> ;

As to the conftruction of the table, the numbers in column i. denote the intervals of births, thofe in column it. the years of the kings at their acceffion; iii. the duration of reigns; iv. of lives. Its ufes are briefly

to be confidered.

Column i. Intervals of Defcent.

THE date of each birth is connected with the current years of the world towards the left hand margin, on the fame horizontal line; and to fuch years the other columns of numbers have no reference.

INCLOSED in brackets are the names which do not belong to the genealogical register of thrice 14 generations, as framed by the Evangelift. The defcendants from Jeconias II. to Jefus Chrift exclufively, are 13: and those between David, the laft of the firft feries, and the fame Jeconias, 18: and 18+12=30, a furplus of twice 14 by two units, or defcents.

As the line of genealogy is continued from Judah, Saul the Benjamite is properly excluded. For this reason, the year of the world for his birth is not marked; but that of his confecration, which affigns him a rank among the kings. The word born annexed to David's name is to be fuppofed after thofe of his progeny, who reigned one full year. Ahaziah indeed is of this number, and his name was most probably in the original record, though not as one of the fecond feries in the genealogy. The Evangelift had more respect to the continuity of

time, than to the number of names. Joafh, the fon of this prince was born in the last year of his father's life, and is not improperly represented, as the immediate fucceffor, in blood, to his grandfather Jehoram.

ALL thofe learned men, who have critically examined this catalogue, admit, that the truth of the genelogy does not require an exact enumeration of Christ's ancestors, though they have not been fuccefsful in their conjectures concerning its original ftructure.

JEHOIAKIM may, for a fimilar reafon, be retained in the lift of kings, yet must be excluded from the genealogy, if Jofeph be inferted. His fon was the first of thofe princes, condemned to exile in Babylon; and his birth was more nearly connected in time with that difaftrous incident, than that of his father: for his age at the time of Jofiah's death was seven years, and he may no lefs properly than Joafh be reckoned the immediate fucceffor of his grandfather. "About the time they were carried away to Babylon," is a fignificant circumftance which feems both to fuggeft and authorife this arrangement.

ATHALIAH, as a female, can have no place in this roll. Her age is not defined, either at the time of her ufurpation, or of her tragical end. As a fovereign she reigned, or rather domineered, fix years, and as such only her name is introduced in the royal calendar of the Jews.

THE name of Jehoahaz is inclofed in brackets, because he was not the father of Jehoiakim. His short reign is included in the last of Jofiah, as is that of the

fecond

fecond Jeconias in the last of his father. Zedekiah is here inferted as a king, not as a constituent member in the genealogy.

THUS the names from David to Jofias, excluding both, are reduced to 14 generations; and from Jofias to Jefus Chrift, the last not included, to the fame precife number. Hence refults the probable conclufion, that the Evangelift's catalogue, as now reftored, will fairly admit this arrangement. But it remains to be fhewn, in a diftinct chapter, in perfect confiftence with the truth of computation, and with every circumstance in the catalogue itself, that the names of Ahaziah and Jehoiakim may be replaced; nay, that without them the register is incomplete.

As it is impoffible to discover in what year of Jeconias II. his fon, Salathiel was born, the intermediate fpace cannot be defined by certain intervals. The mode of computation for the third feries, in which the mean quantity of generations must be ascertained by an equation, obviously differs from that of the two former.

FROM the 11th of Zedekiah, A. M. 3421, is deducted the year of Solomon's birth 2971: and the furplus, 450, divided by 17, the number of the names, not inclosed in brackets, quotes 26 years eight months for the equated ages of the feveral fathers at the birth of their specified fons. But, if Ahaziah be taken into the reckoning, 450, divided by 18, the mean fpace between defcents is precifely 25. The folution of this chronological problem evinces, that the truth of computation

*7

is

is not affected by a small variation of numbers during the rotation of four or five centuries: and if generations in the line of kings be commonly fhorter than in other families, the reafon has already been fuggefted, that the princes in hereditary monarchies generally marry at an. earlier period than other men. Hence a lefs protracted interval in defcents. This inference refts on the fure bafis of hiftorical evidence; for from Abraham to David, as alfo from Jofiah to Chrift, fuch intervals are much longer in private families, than in the intermediate feries from kings.

By a critical examination of the records, whence this register is extracted, it recovers its primeval and genuine form. Mutilations, the refult of accident, prefumptuous ignorance, or fuperficial erudition, are reftored; and the New Teftament brought to harmonise in every note with the old. Every aspect of a paradox affumes the hue of plain truth, and the courfe of nature feems uniform in operation, fuitably to the fixed appointment of an immutable God. The only inftances of apparently premature generation, occur in the cafe of Rehoboam and Ahaz, whose sons, Abijah and Hezekiah, it must be admitted, were but 16 years younger than their fathers. Here is no physical improbability. Such examples may be uncommon, but not incredible. Early puberty, in fome individuals, is the refult of constitution, or, in many more, depend on the influence of climate. In China it is faid the ladies are mothers at 12, grandmothers at 24, and fuperannuated at 30.Neither is it fuppofed, in the lapfe of 16 generations, T

that

that the prolific faculty lafted to the period of extreme fenility. In the table are but two examples of procreation at 50, and beyond that age none.

Column ii. Age of Acceffion.

THUS far KINGS have been confidered, not in their public capacity, but in their domeftic relations, as progenitors and defcendants. "Concerning those of David's race, 21 in number," Jofephus, affirms," that they reigned 514 years, fix months, and ten days. Saul was the firft;" (certainly not of David's family *). "The 18 kings of Judah, who fucceeded Solomon, reigned 390 years, which is, one with another, 22 years apiece t." Add Saul, David, and Solomon, with the fum of their reigns, 40+40+39=119; the number of the fovereigns is, as before, 21; that of their reigns 510. Neither Jofephus nor Sir Ifaac did recollect, that the three months of Jehoahaz, and the three months ten days of Jehoiachin, being taken in to complete the laft deficient year of their respective fathers, give them no right to a place in the royal calendar. Their num ber is thus reduced to 19, without Saul and Athaliah.

AT the bottom of column ii. the number 492 de. notes the fum of years prior to the acceffion of the feveral princes. By 20 divide 492, the quotient, 24 years seven months, is the mean proportion of age, when each affumed the fceptre, The refult of this operation

Ant. x. 8. 4.

↑ Newt. Chron. p. 52.