Part 37

431. The _Dionysian_ or vulgar Æra of _Christ_’s birth was about the end of the year of the _Julian_ Period 4713; and consequently the first year of his age, according to that account, was the 4714th year of the said Period. Therefore, if to the current year of _Christ_ we add 4713, the Sum will be the year of the _Julian_ Period. So the year 1757 will be found to be the 6470th year of that Period. Or, to find the year of the _Julian_ Period answering to any given year before the first year of CHRIST, subtract the number of that given year from 4714, and the remainder will be the year of the _Julian_ Period. Thus, the year 585 before the first year of CHRIST (which was the 584th before his birth) was the 4129th year of the said Period. Lastly, to find the Cycles of the Sun, Moon, and Indiction for any given year of this Period, divide the given year by 28, 19, and 15; the three remainders will be the Cycles sought, and the Quotients the numbers of Cycles run since the beginning of the Period. So in the above 4714th year of the _Julian_ Period the Cycle of the Sun was 10, the Cycle of the Moon 2, and the Cycle of Indiction 4; the Solar Cycle having run through 168 courses, the Lunar 248, and the Indiction 314.

[Sidenote: The true Æra of CHRIST’s birth.]

432. The vulgar Æra of CHRIST’s birth was never settled till the year 527; when _Dionysius Exiguus_, a _Roman_ Abbot, fixed it to the end of the 4713th year of the _Julian_ Period; which was certainly four years too late. For, our SAVIOUR was undoubtedly born before the Death of _Herod_ the Great, who sought to kill him as soon as he heard of his birth. And, according to the testimony of _Josephus_ (B. xvii. c. 8.) there was an eclipse of the Moon in the time of _Herod_’s last illness: which very eclipse our Astronomical Tables shew to have been in the year of the _Julian_ Period 4710, _March_ 13th, 3 hours 21 minutes after mid-night, at _Jerusalem_. Now, as our SAVIOUR must have been born some months before _Herod_’s death, since in the interval he was carried into _Ægypt_; the latest time in which we can possibly fix the true _Æra_ of his birth is about the end of the 4709th year of the _Julian_ Period. And this is four years before the vulgar _Æra_ thereof.

[Sidenote: The time of his crucifixion.]

In the former edition of this book, I endeavoured to ascertain the time of CHRIST’s death; by shewing in what year, about the reputed time of the Passion, there was a Passover Full Moon on a _Friday_: on which day of the week, and at the time of the Passover, it is evident from _Mark_ xv. 42. that our SAVIOUR was crucified. And in computing the times of all the Passover Full Moons from the 20th to the 40th year of CHRIST, after the _Jewish_ manner, which was to add 14 days to the time when the New Moon next before the Passover was first visible at _Jerusalem_, in order to have their day of the Passover Full Moon, I found that the only Passover Full Moon which fell on a _Friday_, in all that time, was in the year of the _Julian_ Period 4746, on the third day of _April_: which year was the 33d year of CHRIST’s age, reckoning from the vulgar Æra of his birth, but the 37th counting from the true _Æra_ thereof: and was also the last year of the 402d Olympiad[88], in which very year _Phlegon_ an Heathen writer tells us, _there was the most extraordinary Eclipse of the Sun that ever was known_, and that _it was night at the sixth hour of the day_. Which agrees exactly with the time that the darkness at the crucifixion began, according to the three Evangelists who mention it[89]: and therefore must have been the very same darkness, but mistaken by _Phlegon_ for a natural Eclipse of the Sun; which was impossible on two accounts, 1. because it was at the time of Full Moon; and 2. because whoever takes the pains to calculate, will find that there could be no regular and total Eclipse of the Sun that year in any part of _Judea_, nor any where between _Jerusalem_ and _Egypt_: so that this darkness must have been quite out of the common course of nature.

From the co-incidence of these characters, I made no doubt of having ascertained the true year and day of our SAVIOUR’s death. But having very lately read what some eminent authors have wrote on the same subject, of which I was really ignorant before; and heard the opinions of other candid and ingenious enquirers after truth (which every honest man will follow wherever it leads him) and who think they have strong reasons for believing that the time of CHRIST’s death was not in the year of the _Julian_ Period 4746, but in the year 4743; I find difficulties on both sides, not easily got over: and shall therefore state the case both ways as fairly as I can; leaving the reader to take which side of the Question he pleases.

Both Dr. _Prideaux_ and Sir _Isaac Newton_ are of opinion that _Daniel_’s seventy weeks, consisting of 490 years (_Dan._ chap. ix. v. 23-26) began with the time when Ezra received his commission from _Artaxerxes_ to go to _Jerusalem_, which was in the seventh year of that King’s reign (_Ezra_ ch. vii. v. 11-26) and ended with the death of CHRIST. For, by joining the accomplishment of that prophecy with the expiation of Sin, those weeks cannot well be supposed to end at any other time. And both these authors agree that this was _Artaxerxes Longimanus_, not _Artaxerxes Mnemon_. The Doctor thinks that the last of those annual weeks was equally divided between _John_’s ministry and CHRIST’s. And, as to the half week, mentioned by _Daniel_ chap. ix. v. 27. Sir _Isaac_ thinks it made no part of the above seventy; but only meant the three years and an half in which the _Romans_ made war upon the _Jews_ from spring in _A.D._ 67 to autumn in _A.D._ 70, when a final Period was put to their sacrifices and oblations by destroying their city and sanctuary, on which they were utterly dispersed. Now, both by the undoubted Canon of _Ptolemy_, and the famous Æra of _Nabonassar_, which is so well verified by Eclipses that it cannot deceive us, the beginning of these seventy weeks, or the seventh year of the reign of _Artaxerxes Longimanus_, is pinned down to the year of the _Julian_ Period 4256: from which count 490 years to the death of CHRIST, and the same will fall in the above year of the _Julian_ Period 4746: which would seem to ascertain the true year beyond dispute.

But as _Josephus_’s Eclipse of the Moon in a great measure fixes our SAVIOUR’s birth to the end of the 4713th year of the _Julian_ Period, and a _Friday_ Passover Full Moon fixes the time of his death to the third of _April_ in the 4746th year of that Period, the same as above by _Daniel_’s weeks, this supposes our SAVIOUR to have been crucified in the 37th year of his age. And as St. _Luke_ chap. iii. ver. 23. fixes the time of CHRIST’s baptism to the beginning of his 30th year, it would hence seem that his publick ministry, to which his baptism was the initiation, lasted seven years. But, as it would be very difficult to find account in all the Evangelists of more than four Passovers which he kept at _Jerusalem_ during the time of his ministry, others think that he suffered in the vulgar 30th year of his age, which was really the 33d; namely in the year of the _Julian_ Period 4743. And this opinion is farther strengthened by considering that our SAVIOUR eat his last Paschal Supper on a _Thursday_ evening, the day immediately before his crucifixion: and that as he subjected himself to the law, he would not break the law by keeping the Passover on the day before the law prescribed; neither would the Priests have suffered the Lamb to be killed for him before the fourteenth day of _Nisan_ when it was killed for all the people, _Exod._ xii. _ver._ 6. And hence they infer that he kept this Passover at the same time with the rest of the _Jews_, in the vulgar 30th year of his age: at which time it is evident by calculation that there was a Passover Full Moon on _Thursday April_ the 6th. But this is pressed with two difficulties. 1. It drops the last half of _Daniel_’s seventieth week, as of no moment in the prophecy; and 2. it sets aside the testimony of _Phlegon_, as if he had mistaken almost a whole _Olympiad_.

Others again endeavour to reconcile the whole difference, by supposing, that as CHRIST expressed himself only in round numbers concerning the time he was to lie in the grave, _Matt._ xii. 40. so might St. _Luke_ possibly have done with regard to the year of his baptism: which would really seem to be the case when we consider, that the _Jews_ told our SAVIOUR, sometime before his death, _Thou art not yet fifty years old_, John vii. 57. which indeed was more likely to be said to a person near forty than to one but just turned of thirty. And as to his eating the above Passover on _Thursday_, which must have been on the _Jewish_ Full Moon day, they think it may be easily accommodated to the 37th year of his age; since, as the _Jews_ always began their day in the evening, their _Friday_ of course began on the evening of our _Thursday_. And it is evident, as above-mentioned, that the only _Jewish Friday_ Full Moon, at the time of their Passover, was in the vulgar 33d, but the real 37th year of CHRIST’s age; which was the 4746th year of the _Julian_ Period, and the last year of the 202d _Olympiad_.

[Sidenote: Æras or Epochas.]

433. As there are certain fixed points in the Heavens from which Astronomers begin their computations, so there are certain points of time from which historians begin to reckon; and these points or roots of time are called _Æras_ or _Epochas_. The most remarkable _Æras_ are those of the _Creation_, the _Greek Olympiads_, the building of _Rome_, the _Æra_ of _Nabonassar_, the death of _Alexander_, the birth of CHRIST, the _Arabian Hegira_, and the _Persian Jesdegird_: All which, together with several others of less note, have their beginnings in the following Table fixed to the years of the _Julian Period_, to the age of the world at those times, and to the years before and after the birth of CHRIST.

|Julian Period.| + + | |Y. of the World.| | + + + | | |Before Christ. | | | 1. The creation of the world, according to _Strauchius_ | 764 | 1 | 3949 | 2. The Deluge, or _Noah_’s Flood | 2420 | 1656 | 2293 | 3. The _Assyrian_ Monarchy by _Nimrod_ | 2537 | 1773 | 2176 | 4. The Birth of _Abraham_ | 2712 | 1948 | 2001| 5. The beginning of the Kingdom of the _Argives_ | 2856 | 2092 | 1857| 6. The begin. of the Kingdom of _Athens_ by _Cecrops_ | 3157 | 2393 | 1556 | 7. The departure of the _Israelites_ from _Egypt_ | 3216 | 2452 | 1497 | 8. Their entrance into _Canaan_, or the Jubilee | 3256 | 2492 | 1457 | 9. The destruction of _Troy_ | 3529 | 2865 | 1184 | 10. The beginning of King _David_’s reign | 3653 | 2889 | 1060 | 11. The foundation of _Solomon_’s Temple | 3696 | 2932 | 1017 | 12. The _Argonautic_ expedition | 3776 | 3012 | 937 | 13. _Arbaces_, the first King of the _Medes_ | 3838 | 3074 | 175 | 14. _Mandaucus_ the second | 3865 | 3101 | 848 | 15. _Sosarmus_ the third | 3915 | 3151 | 798 | 16. _Artica_ the fourth | 3945 | 3181 | 768 | 17. _Cardica_ the fifth | 3996 | 3232 | 718 | 18. _Phraortes_ the sixth | 4057 | 3293 | 656 | 19. _Cyaxares_ the seventh | 4080 | 3316 | 633 | 20. The beginning of the _Olympiads_ | 3938 | 3174 | 775 | 21. The _Catonian_ Epocha of the building of _Rome_ | 3961 | 3197 | 752 | 22. The Æra of _Nabonassar_ | 3967 | 3202 | 746 | 23. The destruction of _Samaria_ | 3990 | 3226 | 723 | 24. The _Babylonish_ captivity | 4133 | 3349 | 600 | 25. The destruction of _Solomon_’s Temple | 4124 | 3360 | 589 | 26. The _Persian_ monarchy founded by _Cyrus_ | 4154 | 3390 | 559 | 27. The battle of _Marathon_ | 4224 | 3460 | 489 | 28. The begin. of the reign of _Art. Longimanus_ | 4249 | 3485 | 464 | 29. The beginning of _Daniel_’s 70 weeks | 4256 | 3492 | 457 | 30. The beginning of the _Peloponnesian_ war | 4282 | 3518 | 431 | 31. The death of _Alexander_ | 4390 | 3626 | 323 | 32. The restoration of the _Jews_ | 4548 | 3784 | 129 | 33. The corr. of the Calendar by _Julius Cæsar_ | 4669 | 3905 | 44 | 34. The beginning of the reign of _Herod_ | 4673 | 3909 | 40 | 35. The _Spanish_ Æra | 4675 | 3911 | 38 | 36. The battle at _Actium_ | 4683 | 3919 | 30 | 37. The taking of _Alexandria_ | 4683 | 3919 | 30 | 38. The Epoch of the title of _Augustus_ | 4686 | 3922 | 27 | 39. The true Æra of CHRIST’s birth | 4709 | 3945 | 4 | 40. The death of _Herod_ | 4710 | 3946 | 3 | 41. The _Diony_. or vulg. Æra of the birth of CHRIST | 4713 | 3949 |_AD_0 | 42. The true year of CHRIST’s death | 4746 | 3982 | 33 | 43. The destruction of _Jerusalem_ | 4783 | 4019 | 70 | 44. The _Dioclesian_ persecution | 5015 | 4251 | 302 | 45. The Epoch of _Constantine_ the Great | 5019 | 4255 | 306 | 46. The Council of _Nice_ | 5038 | 4274 | 325 | 47. The Epocha of the _Hegira_ | 5335 | 4571 | 622 | 48. The Epoch of _Yesdejerd_ | 5344 | 4580 | 631 | 49. The _Jellalæan_ Epocha | 5791 | 5027 | 1078 | 50. The Epocha of the reformation | 6230 | 5466 | 1517 | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |TAB. I. _Shewing the Golden Number (which is the same both in the Old | | and New Style) from the Christian Æra to A.D. 4000._ | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Years less than an Hundred. | +--------------++-----+-----+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ | || 0| 1| 2| 3|4 | 5|6 | 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18| | ||19|20|21|22|23|24|25|26|27|28|29|30|31|32|33|34|35|36|37| | Hundreds of ||38|39|40|41|42|43|44|45|46|47|48|49|50|51|52|53|54|55|56| | Years. ||57|58|59|60|61|62|63|64|65|66|67|68|69|70|71|72|73|74|75| | ||76|77|78|79|80|81|82|83|84|85|86|87|88|89|90|91|92|93|94| | ||95|96|97|98|99| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +--------------++==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+ | 0|1900|3800|| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19| | 100|2000|3900|| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| | 200|2100|4000||11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10| | 300|2200| &c.||16|17|18|19| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15| | 400|2300| -- || 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19| 1| +----+----+----++--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ | 500|2400| -- || 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| | 600|2500| -- ||12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11| | 700|2600| -- ||17|18|19| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16| | 800|2700| -- || 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19| 1| 2| | 900|2800| -- || 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| +----+----+----++--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ |1000|2900| -- ||13|14|15|16|17|18|19| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12| |1100|3000| -- ||18|19| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17| |1200|3100| -- || 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19| 1| 2| 3| |1300|3200| -- || 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| |1400|3300| -- ||14|15|16|17|18|19| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13| +----+----+----++--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ |1500|3400| -- ||19| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18| |1600|3500| -- || 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19| 1| 2| 3| 4| |1700|3600| -- ||10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| |1800|3700| -- ||15|16|17|18|19| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14| +----+----+----++--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ +--------------------------------------------------------------+ |TAB. II. _Shewing the Number of Direction, for finding Easter | | Sunday by the Golden Number and Dominical Letter._ | +-----+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ |G. N.| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19| +-----+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ | A |26|19| 5|26|12|33|19|12|26|19| 5|26|12| 5|26|12|33|19|12| | B |27|13| 6|27|13|34|20|13|27|20| 6|27|13| 6|20|13|34|20| 6| | C |28|14| 7|21|14|35|21| 7|28|21| 7|28|14| 7|21|14|28|21| 7| | D |29|15| 8|22|15|29|22| 8|29|15| 8|29|15| 1|22|15|29|22| 8| | E |30|16| 2|23|16|30|23| 9|30|16| 9|23|16| 2|23| 9|30|23| 9| | F |24|17| 3|24|10|31|24|10|31|17|10|24|17| 3|24|10|31|17|10| | G |25|18| 4|25|11|32|18|11|32|18| 4|25|18| 4|25|11|32|18|11| +-----+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ | This Table is adapted to the New Style. | +--------------------------------------------------------------+

TAB. III. _Shewing the Dominical Letters, Old Style, for 4200 Years before the Christian Æra._

+-------------------+------------------------------------------------+ | Before Christ | Hundreds of Years. | +-------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | | 0 | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 | 600 | | | 700 | 800 | 900 | 1000 | 1100 | 1200 | 1300 | | Years less | 1400 | 1500 | 1600 | 1700 | 1800 | 1900 | 2000 | | than an | 2100 | 2200 | 2300 | 2400 | 2500 | 2600 | 2700 | | Hundred. | 2800 | 2900 | 3000 | 3100 | 3200 | 3300 | 3400 | | | 3500 | 3600 | 3700 | 3800 | 3900 | 4000 | 4100 | +----+----+----+----+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | 0 | 28 | 56 | 84 | D C | C B | B A | A G | G F | F E | E D | +----+----+----+----+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | 1 | 29 | 57 | 85 | E | D | C | B | A | G | F | | 2 | 30 | 58 | 86 | F | E | D | C | B | A | G | | 3 | 31 | 59 | 87 | G | F | E | D | C | B | A | | 4 | 32 | 60 | 88 | B A | A G | G F | F E | E D | D C | C B | +----+----+----+----+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | 5 | 33 | 61 | 89 | C | B | A | G | F | E | D | | 6 | 34 | 62 | 90 | D | C | B | A | G | F | E | | 7 | 35 | 63 | 91 | E | D | C | B | A | G | F | | 8 | 36 | 64 | 92 | G F | F E | E D | D C | C B | B A | A G | +----+----+----+----+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | 9 | 37 | 65 | 93 | A | G | F | E | D | C | B | | 10 | 38 | 66 | 94 | B | A | G | F | E | D | C | | 11 | 39 | 67 | 95 | C | B | A | G | F | E | D | | 12 | 40 | 68 | 96 | E D | D C | C B | B A | A G | G F | F E | +----+----+----+----+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | 13 | 41 | 69 | 97 | F | E | D | C | B | A | G | | 14 | 42 | 70 | 98 | G | F | E | D | C | B | A | | 15 | 43 | 71 | 99 | A | G | F | E | D | C | B | | 16 | 44 | 72 | | C B | B A | A G | G F | F E | E D | D C | +----+----+----+----+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | 17 | 45 | 73 | | D | C | B | A | G | F | E | | 18 | 46 | 74 | | E | D | C | B | A | G | F | | 19 | 47 | 75 | | F | E | D | C | B | A | G | | 20 | 48 | 76 | | A G | G F | F E | E D | D C | C B | B A | +----+----+----+----+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | 21 | 49 | 77 | | B | A | G | F | E | D | C | | 22 | 50 | 78 | | C | B | A | G | F | E | D | | 23 | 51 | 79 | | D | C | B | A | G | F | E | | 24 | 52 | 80 | | F E | E D | D C | C B | B A | A G | G F | +----+----+----+----+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ | 25 | 53 | 81 | | G | F | E | D | C | B | A | | 26 | 54 | 82 | | A | G | F | E | D | C | B | | 27 | 55 | 83 | | B | A | G | F | E | D | C | +----+----+----+----+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+

TAB. IV. _Shewing the Dominical Letters, Old Style, for 4200 Years after the Christian Æra._