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| Jewish Chronology.
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Chapter
XXVI.—Jewish Chronology.
…From Haran, a city of Mesopotamia,
(Abraham, by the command)1059
| 1059
There is here a hiatus, which Abbe Cruice thinks is caused by
those portions of the ms. being lost, in which
Hippolytus furnishes his Summary of the Jewish Sects. The object
of introducing these genealogical and ethnic remarks might at first
seem irrelevant; but they are intended to be subservient to
Hippolytus’ Demonstration of the Truth, by proving the
superior antiquity, as coming down from Abraham, of revelation above
all pagan philosophy. [See cap. xxvii. infra.] Abbe
Cruice refers us to his work (pp. 72–77), Études sur de Nouveaux Documents Historiques empruntés
à L’Ouvrage des φιλοσοφουμενα,
Paris, 1853. | of
God, transfers his residence into the country which is now called
Palestine and Judea, but then the region of Canaan. Now,
concerning this territory, we have in part, but still not negligently,
rendered an account in other discourses. From the circumstance,
then, (of this migration) is traceable the beginning of an increase (of
population) in Judea,
which obtained its name from Judah, fourth son of Jacob, whose
name was also called Israel, from the fact that a race of
kings would be descended from him.1060
| 1060 [Vol. ii.
p. 306, this series.] | Abraham removes from Mesopotamia (when
75 years old, and) when 100 years old he begat Isaac. But Isaac,
when 60 years of age, begat Jacob. And Jacob, when 86 years old,
begat Levi; and Levi, at 40 years of age, begat Caath;1061
and Caath was four
years of age when he went down with Jacob into Egypt. Therefore
the entire period during which Abraham sojourned, and the entire family
descended from him by Isaac, in the country then called Canaanitis, was
215 years. But the father of this Abraham is
Thare,1062
and of this
Thare the father is Nachor, and of this Nachor the father
is Serag, and of this Serag the father is Reu, and of this Reu
the father is Peleg, and of this Peleg1063
the father is Heber. And so it
comes to pass that the Jews are denominated by the name of
Hebrews. In the time of Phaleg,1064
however, arose the dispersion of
nations. Now these nations were 72,1065
| 1065 The
system of seventy-two nations here adopted by Hippolytus is that
advanced by Jewish writers generally, and has been probably deduced
from the tenth chapter of Genesis. Another historian of the
heresies of the Church adopts it—Epiphanius. A
chronographer, however, contemporary with Hippolytus—Julius
Africanus—discarded this number, as is proved by the fragments of
his work preserved by Eusebius and Syncellus. | corresponding with the number of
Abraham’s children. And the names of these nations we
have likewise set down in other books, not even omitting this
point in its own proper place. And the reason of our
particularity is our desire to manifest to those who are of a
studious disposition the love which we cherish towards the Divinity,
and the indubitable knowledge respecting the Truth, which in the course
of our labours1066
| 1066
The allusion here made constitutes a strong reason for ascribing
The Refutation to Hippolytus, the author of which here states
that he had written a Chronicle. But the fragment in our
text corresponds with a Latin translation of a Chronicon given
by Fabricius, and bearing the name of Hippolytus. The terms in
which Hippolytus delivers himself above imply that he was the inventor
of a chronological system, thus harmonizing with the fact that the
Paschal Cycle, though ever so faulty, was selected out of all his
writings for being inscribed on Hippolytus’ statue, dug up on the
road to Tivoli a.d. 1551, in the vicinity of
Rome, near the Church of St. Lorenzo. [This modest note is of no
slight importance to the case, as elucidated by Bunsen and
Wordsworth.] | we have
acquired possession of. But of this Heber the father is Salah;
and of this Salah the father is Caïnan; and of this
Caïnan the father is Arphaxad, whose father is Shem;
and of this Shem the father is Noah. And in
Noah’s time there occurred a flood throughout the entire
world, which neither Egyptians, nor Chaldeans, nor Greeks recollect;
for the inundations which took place in the age of Ogyges and Deucalion
prevailed only in the localities where these dwelt.1067
| 1067
[Hippolytus does not call in the Greek fables to support the
biblical story; he dismisses them with indifference. Yet the
universality of such traditions is unaccountable save as derived
from the history of Noah. | There are, then, in the case of
these (patriarchs—that is, from Noah to Heber inclusive)—5
generations, and 495 years.1068
| 1068
Cruice has 435 years. | This Noah, inasmuch as he
was a most religious and God-loving man, alone, with wife and children,
and the three wives of these, escaped the flood that ensued. And
he owed his preservation to an ark; and both the dimensions and relics
of this ark are, as we have explained, shown to this day in the
mountains called Ararat, which are situated in the direction of the
country of the Adiabeni.1069
| 1069 [That
such relics were exhibited need not be doubted if the account of
Berosus is credited. We may doubt as to their genuineness, of
course.] | It is then possible for those who are
disposed to investigate the subject industriously, to perceive how
clearly has been demonstrated the existence of a nation of
worshippers of the true God, more ancient than all the
Chaldeans, Egyptians, and Greeks. What necessity, however,
is there at present to specify those who, anterior to Noah, were both
devout men, and permitted to hold converse with the true God,
inasmuch as, so far as the subject taken in hand is concerned, this
testimony in regard of the antiquity of the people of God is
sufficient?E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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