REMARKS ON THE APOCRYPHA. THUS have we arrived at the conclusion of the Old Testament Canon, inda Moses and the Prophets, with the Hagiographa; all which have passed before the order of the English Bible. These are still existing in the Hebrew language, a very general tradition prevails among both Jews and Christians, that they wert lected and arranged by Ezra and his contemporaries into twenty-two books, a sponding with the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. They are enumerated Josephus, the Jewish historian (who survived the destruction of Jerusalem), and os into the ecclesiastical history of Eusebius (who wrote about the end of the third tury), arranged as follows: -The five books of Moses, commonly called the Pente thirteen books of the Prophets [viz. 1, Joshua; 2, Judges (including Ruth); 3, Sam 4, Kings; 5, Isaiah; 6, Jeremiah (with his Lamentations); 7, Ezekiel; 9, The w (minor) Prophets; 9, Daniel; 10, Job; 11, Ezra and Nehemiah; 12, Esther; 13,0 nicles]; and four other books, containing hymns to God, and precepts for the ca of human life [namely, the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Solomon's S These were all written, and still remain, in the Hebrew (or Chaldee) language. there are various other Apocryphalt books, or fragments, in Greek or Latin, which Council of Trent, in the 16th century, admitted into the canon of the Church of Root though with little or no authority from the Christian Fathers. The Church of Engi doth indeed allow these to be read "for the example of life, and instruction of manner but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine," as not considering toe canonical, or of divine authority. Lessons from some of them are indeed adm into the week-day service of the Church, but no Sunday lessons are taken from then. As a painful controversy has been lately raised, as to the lawfulness of Protestash any way countenancing the circulation of these Apocryphal books,§ it may be accepta to many of our readers to see a characteristic list of them, chiefly extracted from Hartwell Horne's Introduction to the Critical Study of the Scriptures (New Ed. vol. These Apocryphal books, when admitted into our English Bibles, are always place together between the Old and New Testament; but in Roman Catholic editions of th Scriptures they are commonly interspersed among the sacred books, without any mas of distinction. The books referred to are as follows: Esdras I. is in Greek, and in the Alexandrian Manuscript is placed before the cano nical book of Ezra, because the events occurred prior to the captivity. But in th Latin Vulgate, this and the following book are called the third and fourth books Esdras; those of Ezra and Nehemiah being reckoned the first and second. The author is unknown; it is a compilation from the Canonical books, which, in some places, however, it contradicts, and is of no authority. Esdras II. is still worse. The original is supposed to have been written in Greek. but is lost, and a Latin version supplies its place. The author personates Ezra, bur relates some strange visions, and ridiculous Rabbinical fables. Pit is, from variosis allusions, supposed to have been written after the New Testament. Josephus cont. Apion, lib. i. 8. Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. lib. iii. c. 9, 10. It should be observed, that the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, were formerly reckoned each as one book only, as above enumerated. All the books, beside Moses and the prophets, are commonly comprehended under the general term Hagiographa, or Holy Writings. ON THE APOCRYPHA. The Book of Tobit contains " so many Rabbinical fables and allusions to the Babynian demonology, that many learned men consider it as (only) an ingenious and nusing fiction." It is supposed to have been written about 200 years before Christ. Judith was originally written in Chaldee, which is lost, but there are translations in reek, and Latin, and Syriac. Grotius considers it as a parabolic fiction, relating to ntiochus Epiphanes, under the name of Holofernes. Prideaux thinks it may have had me foundation in history, but the facts are no where else mentioned, nor is the book lluded to by either Philo or Josephus. The Rest of Esther is of no authority, but was probably written to supply an aparent defect, which we have mentioned above, vol. 1. p. 908. The additional facts are "upposed to be borrowed from the History of Josephus. The Wisdom of Solomon* appears to be an attempt of some Hellenistic Jew, to palm on he king of Israel maxims of wisdom (many of them confessedly very good); but they ould not all be written before the establishment of the Greek games, to which (in hap. iv. and x.) there are several allusions. It has been generally attributed to Philo. Ecclesiasticus,* or, "The Wisdom of Jesus, the Son of Sirach," has been also atributed to Solomon; and it appears to us not improbable that both in this book and the receding, there may be many of Solomon's remarks, which were carried away by the earned strangers who "came to hear his wisdom." This book betrays its date, by speaking of Jeroboam and the captivity; chap. xlvii.23-25. The work is said to have been written n the vulgar Hebrew of the captivity, and translated into the Greek language, for the ise of the Alexandrian Jews, about two centuries before Christ; but has no pretensions o higher antiquity, or canonical authority. Baruch is not extant in Hebrew, and perhaps never was. Grotius considers it as a orgery, under the name of Baruch. It was never considered as canonical, either by the Jews or early Christians. The Song of the Three Children in the fiery furnace, is placed between the 23d and 24th verses of the third chapter of Daniel, where we have noticed it. It has, however, no pretension to inspiration; nor is it altogether true. See ver. 15. The Story of Susanna is prefixed to the Book of Daniel in the Septuagint, and appended to it in the Vulgate. Julius Africanus and Origen consider it both spurious and fabulous. So Father Lamy, and the modern critics. Bel and the Dragon: Jerom calls this a fuble, and it was never admitted as canonical, either by the Jewish Church, or by the Christian, before the Council of Trent. Yet this also is foisted into both the Greek and Vulgate versions. The Prayer of Manasses, king of Judah, when in captivity, though excellent and pious, has no claim to divine authority, but is rejected as spurious, even by the Church of Rome. See 2 Chron. xxxiii. 12, 13. It is not mentioned by any writer before the fourth century. The First Book of Maccabees is considered as "a most valuable historical document," and preferred, for accuracy, even to Josephus, who is supposed to have borrowed from it. It was probably written by John Hyrcanus, or under his direction, in the SyroChaldaic language; and is preserved in Greek and Latin translations. The Second book of Maccabees is much inferior to the first, and should be read with caution. It contains the history of the Jews for 15 years, from 3828 to 3843. But the two Epistles at the beginning are considered as spurious. The book is preserved in Syriac, Latin, and Greek; from the last of which was made the translation in our Bibles. There are two other books, called the Third and Fourth of Maccabees; but of so little credit or authority, that they could not gain admission even into the Roman Canon. * The books thus marked, (*) are admitted, in whole or in part, into the week-day service of the Church of England. TABLES OF JEWISH MONIES, WEIGHTS, AND MEASURES. ***Carefully distinguish between an Omer and a Homer, which contains 100 Omers. CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX TO THE OLD TESTAMENT. Chiefly copied from the Index affixed to our Quarto Bibles, by authority, according to Or all the studies connected with Scripture, Chronology In our Introduction to the Book of Genesis, we have remarked B.C. { 4004 4003 CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX. the appearance of disingenuity, and prejudice our cause; bat In the Chronological Index which follows, the Reader is re- Though this Index is taken chiefly from the Bible Index, it As we may have occasion to refer to what is called the Julian Julian Period. § I. FROM THE CREATION TO THE FLOOD. The Creation of the world, and of mankind. The fall of man-bis sentence, and a promise of his re- The birth of Cain, the first-born of Adam and Eve; his Gen Gen. D 3875 About this time, Cain and Abel [being nearly 130 years Gea.is * 3874 This date seems wholly conjectural: the event may have 3769 Seth, at the age of 105, has Enos; and after him other 26. 3679 Enos, at the age of 90, begat Cainan, and subsequently Gen. v.5. 3382 Enoch, the seventh from Adam (in lineal succession), 18. born. 3317 3130 At the age of 65, is born to him Methuselah. 91. 25. father of Noah. 3074 Adam died, aged 930. 5. 3017 Enoch translated without seeing death, aged 365. 23,4. 2948 Noah born, the patriarch of the new world. 28. 2469 Noah begins to preach repentance, and prepare his ark, Gen. vi. 3. 696 |