The World was created ac-Y. of the 's Int.till the cording to the Opinion of Jul. Per. Cvc. Ep.of Chr.

CHA P. II.

Of the Epocha of the Jews,

RULES.

I.This Epocha 1.has the fame beginning with the Crea-
tion of the World, according to the received Opini-
on of the Jews. 2. It begins in Autumn in the
Month Tifri.
3. The years of this Epocha are
Luna-Solar years, containing fometimes twelve,
Sometimes thirteen Months. 4. Confequently they
may easily be compared to the Julian years. 5. The
first year of this Epocha was likewife the first in the
Sabbatic Cycle. 6. From the beginning of this
Epocha to the vulgar Dionyfian Era, there are
3760 years, and about four Month:.
II. The beginning of this Epocha falls out in the year
of the Julian Period 953, in the first Month of
Autumn, in the firft Cycle of the Sun, and the
third of the Moon, according to the Latin Calcu-
lation.

III. Wherefore if you add to the Jewish Epocha 952 years and 8 Months, the Sam will be equivalent to the year of the Julian Period; and if you subtract the faid 952 years and 8 Months from the year and Month of the Julian Period, the refidue fhews the year of the Jewish Epocha.

The Origin §. 1. THIS Epocha is called the fewish Epocha, beof this Ecaufe the fews commonly make use it in their pocha. Records and Writings; fometimes expreffing the whole Number of years, and fometimes leaving out the Thoufands; of which more hereafter.

S. 2. The fews do as little agree in this Epocha,as the Different Chriftians in theirs, concerning the Creation of the Opinions a World, as is manifeftly apparent out of their Chrono- mong the logies. But as we Chriftians make ufe of our vulgar Jews concerning Ara of Chrift, notwithstanding the fame is looked ring upon as erroneous by the Learned, fo the few ufe this vulgar Epocha of the beginning of the World in all their Kalendars.

this Epo

§. 3. The Jews exprefs the whole Epocha, fometimes How the by Numeral Letters, and fometimes by Symbolick Jews write Words, which is the neater way; but frequently they the years of abbreviate it, by leaving out the millennary Number, this EpoAs for Inftance: The Learned Jew, Menaffeh Ben if cha. rael, when he published the Hebrew Bible in our time at Amfterdam, affixed to it, the year 395. Whereas, if he had expreffed the whole number of years, he must have writ, in the year 5395.

Hore to

makea com

S.4. When you meet with thefe Jewish years,expref fed by the throwing out of the thoufands,add to the givpendious en Number 1239, and you have the correfponding year connexion of Chrift,to be joyned to the Tifri of that year. Again, of the Jewadd to the current year of Chrift 376 years, and foih albre you have the year of the fewish Epocha, commencing viated from the Autumn of the faid year of Christ.

of Chrift.

years with the years

S.. 5. Both the Time and Author of this Epocha is of the Auunknown among the Jews as well as the Chriftians, thor of this Scaliger refers the Origin of the Epocha to the time of Epocha. the Seleucides. Christmannus is of Opinion that the Fews did not introduce it till after their Babylonian. Talmud, having calculated their time before from their exit out of Egypt, or from Alexander the Great. There are others who believe this Epocha to have been received among them in latter Ages; as may be feen in Samuel Petit, Eclog. l. 1. c. 1. and Petavius de Doct. Temp. 1. 7. c. 17. It is our Opinion that fince the Jems can fhew no fufficient Authority for the true Qrigin of this Epocha, we ought to fufpend our Judgments: We doubt not but the way of Computation is of fufficient Antiquity, and was inftituted at least in the time of Hillel: But we fee no certainty as to the Epocha it felf.

M 4

§. 6.

Concern- §. 6. We told in the preceding Chapter that the ing the dif- World was created in the year 764 of the Julian Peference be- riod. And whereas the fews according to their Hytwixt the pothefis, refer it to the year 953 of the Julian Periand Jews od, it is manifelt that betwixt Scaliger's true Epocha in this E- of the World and the Jewish, there is a difference of pocka.

Christians

189 years Jofephus Scaliger, Henricus Wolffius, Robertus Pontanus, and feveral others, are of Opinion that that this was only an Artificial Epocha amorg the Fews, and not intended to determine the true time of the Creation of the World. But I cannot find any Reafon fufficient to induce me to agree with them; because it has always been entituled as fuch; and the Jews were fo careful in maintaining, or at least palliating this Computation of their Epocha of the World that they have induftriously contracted feveral Intervals into a lefs number of years, especially in what relates to the second Monarchy and the Interval betwixt the Destruction of the first, and the rebuilding of the laft Temple, contrary to the ancient and undoubted Monuments of both Sacred and Prophane Hiftory, as is moft evident out of the leffer Chronicle of the Fems in thefe Intervals fet down from the Creation of the World to the Deftruction of the fecond Temple.

From Adam to the Deluge,

From the Deluge to the Divifion of Tongues,
From thence to the Nativity of Ifaac,
From thence to the time of their going out
of Egypt.

From thence to their Arrival in the Land of?
Canaan,

Years.

1656

340

52

out}

400

$40 850

70

420

3828

J

From thence to the Babylonian Captivity
From thence to the rebuilding of the Temple,
From thence to the Deitruction of the second
Temple,

The total Sum from the Creation till the De-7
struction of the 2d Temple being

From

From whence it is apparent that they would not have their Epocha pafs for an Invention; but for the true Era of the Creation of the World.But there are not a few, among whom is Ifaacus Voffius Chron. p. 237. who imputes to the fews that they did thus mutilate their Computations after the Deftruction of Ferufalem, out of a hatred to the Chriftian Name; when befides many other leffer Intervals, they cut off 1440 years from the true Computation extant in their moft ancient Manufcripts, that thus by introducing a defect of two thoufand years, they might render the coming of Chrift dubious to Pofterity.But after all,tho' the Rabinical Epoche are juftly chargeable with this defect; we can't have the fame Opinion of the true Computum of the Scriptures which ought not to be confounded with the later comments of the Jews,

§. 7. The Jews did not fettle their Annual Compu of the Jewtations upon imaginary or fictitious Notions; but for ith years. many Ages were guided by the Motions of the great Luminaries. Thus Maimonides fays, The Months of the year are the Months of the Moon. But our years are computed as years of the Sun.

the Jews

S. 8. Yet Scaliger has been very anxious in finding out which of the Aftronomical Hypothesis the Jews According have followed in their Luna-Solar year: But in my O. to which Hypothefis pinion he might have faved himself much labour and time, if he would but have confidered that the Jews followed the Footsteps of Ptolomy, as is fufficient- their years. ly demonftrated by Nicholaus Mullerius in his Preface to a Treatife concerning the Luna-Solar years of the Jews.

regulated

§. 9. The Names, Order, Seafons and number of The Names days of the Jewish Months according to their Political and order year,(for the Ecclefiaftical year begins with the Month of the JewNifan) are expreffed in the following Table.

ith Months.