Chapter V Extent of the Fourth Age of the World
Palpable Forgery of this period in 1 Kings vi. 1.—Table X. Critarchal Eras and Intervals, from Usher and Cuninghame—Object of Usher in determining this period—Testimony of Paul and the Book of Judges as to its true extent—Testimony of Origen—Table XI. Extent of the first four ages of the world—Verification of the true extent of the fourth age by Chronographers—Agreement on this point between Mr. Clinton and Mr. Cuninghame.
The extent of the Fourth, or Critarchal age, is ascertained from the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, and confirmed by Acts iii. 17–22. Many disputes have arisen as to the true length of this period, in consequence of the interpolation of a passage in 1 Kings vi. 1,—both in the Hebrew and Septuagint,—which is now very generally admitted to be a palpable forgery! The following table, partly from Mr. Cuninghame, “Synopsis of Chronology,” p. 15, and partly from Usher, “Chronologia Sacra,” p. 203, both of whom distinctly enumerate all the texts of Scripture on which their determination depends, exhibits the intervals of the Critarchal eras, and the corresponding years of the world, according to the two systems:—
| TABLE X. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critarchal | Hebrew. | Septuagint. | ||
| Eras. | Intervals. | A.M. | Intervals. | A.M. |
| From the Exodus | 0 | 2513 | 0 | 3840 |
| Passage of Jordan | 40 | 2553 | 40 | 3880 |
| Division of the Land | 6⅓ | 2559 | 7 | 3887 |
| 1st Servitude | 0 | 28 | 3915 | |
| Critarchate of Othniel | 40 | 2599 | 40 | 3955 |
| 2nd Servitude | 0 | 18 | 3973 | |
| Cr. of Ehud and Shamgar | 80 | 2679 | 80 | 4053 |
| 3rd Servitude | 0 | 20 | 4073 | |
| Cr. of Deborah and Barak | 40 | 2719 | 40 | 4113 |
| 4th Servitude | 0 | 7 | 4120 | |
| Critarchate of Gideon | *49⅙ | 2769 | *40 | 4160 |
| Of Abimelech, Tolah and Jair | 48 | 2817 | 48 | 4208 |
| 5th Servitude | 0 | 18 | 4226 | |
| Critarchate of Jephthah | 6 | 2823 | 6 | 4232 |
| Of Ibzan, Elon and Abdon | 25 | 2848 | 25 | 4257 |
| 6th Servitude (Samson) | 0 | 40 | 4297 | |
| Critarchate of Eli | 40 | 2888 | 40 | 4337 |
| 7th Servitude | 0 | 20 | 4357 | |
| Critarchate of Samuel | *21 | 2909 | *12 | 4369 |
| Reign of Saul | 40 | 2949 | 40 | 4409 |
| Reign of David | 40 | 2989 | 40 | 4449 |
| To the Foundation of Solomon’s Temple | 3 | 2992 | 3 | 4452 |
| ——— | ——— | |||
| Fourth Age | 479 | years. | 612 | years. |
The object of Usher in determining the Hebrew computation of this period, as given above, was evidently to square or fashion the intervals so that their sum should not exceed the interpolated period of 480 years! This he has effected by the omission of the intervals of all the Servitudes, which are expressly recorded in Scripture, the interpolation of 9⅙ years between the critarchates of Gideon and Abimelech, and the addition of nine years to the critarchate of Samuel. The remark, therefore, of Mr. Cuninghame, in treating of the distinguishing marks of the true and false systems of chronology, “Fulness of the Times,” p. 141, is no less just than severe:—“it is plain that had Usher given to this part of his chronology the title of An attempt to pervert the testimony of the Book of Judges, it would have been a just description of it!” Moreover, Paul, when he addressed the Jews at Antioch in Pisidia, with the book of the Law and the Prophets in his hand, must have been perfectly well acquainted with the period in question, and his summary of the intervals completely confirms the reckoning of the Septuagint, which was followed by all the ancient chronographers, notwithstanding the interpolated passage, which is manifestly the work of a later age. In this summary, he marks out the intervals of “forty years in the wilderness,” of the judges “about 450 years” from the division of the land, “until Samuel the prophet,” and of the reign of Saul “forty years,”—the amount of which is 530 years. If to this be added the intervals of the five years’ war (Joshua xiv. 10), of the two years for the completion of the conquest of Canaan and the division of the land, of the twenty years’ abode of the ark at Kirjathjearim, of twelve years for the critarchate of Samuel, of the forty years’ reign of David, and of the first three years of Solomon’s reign, making in all eighty-two years,—the whole amount is exactly 612 years. The only one of these intervals not now mentioned in Scripture, is the critarchate of Samuel at Mizpeh, which has fortunately been preserved by Josephus and Theophilus, both of whom, without doubt, had more perfect copies of the Hebrew and Septuagint texts, and who state its length at twelve years. Independently, however, of this interval, the Book of Judges clearly establishes the true period as far as 600 years, and completely overthrows the forged period of 480 years. It is worthy also of remark, that Origen cites the immediate context of the interpolated passage, giving the sentences both before and after it, but making no mention whatever of the number itself;23 which clearly shows that it was not in the Hebrew text in his time. The following table exhibits, according to the two systems, the extent of the first four ages of the world:—
| TABLE XI. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ages of the World. | Hebrew. Years. | Septuagint. Years. |
| First three Ages | 2513 | 3840 |
| Fourth Age | 479 | 612 |
| ——— | ——— | |
| First Four Ages | 2992 | 4452 |
In the learned works of Russell, Clinton, and Cuninghame, will be found numerous and important verifications of the true extent of the fourth period, from different authors, ancient and modern, of which the following are the most important. Josephus makes it 612 years in two different places of his works, and 592 in another, where he omits the 7th Servitude;—Dr. Russell, 592 years, following Josephus in the latter number;—Theophilus, 612 years, some of his intervals being inaccurate, but the errors balancing each other;—Eusebius, 613 years in his “Preparatio,” and 600 in his “Chronicon,” where he omits the critarchate of Samuel;—Jackson, 579 years, by the omission of both; and Hales, 621 years, by the interpolation of an interregnum of ten years;—lastly, Mr. Clinton, 612 years, his intervals being very nearly the same as those of Mr. Cuninghame. Thus, by the double testimony of Scripture, and by the admission of the ablest defender of the Hebrew verity in modern times, it is manifest that the forged period of 480 years current, or 479 complete, falls short of the truth by 133 years! Hence, Mr. Clinton places the creation of the world in the year B. C. 4138, instead of the Usherian year B. C. 4004.24