THE RENEWAL OF HISTORY. PART I. THE REIGNS OF THE KINGS OF "ISRAEL" AND "JUDAH," (FROM SAULT TO ZEDEKIAH).
A CHRONOLOGICAL HARMONY."For, lo, I will command, and I will cause the House of Israel (sons of Isaac or Saxons) to move among all nations like as (stones) are sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least stone (Saxon) fall upon the earth." ***
''In that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old."
-- Amos. ix. 9, 11.
We present the following table to "OUR RACE," as one of the most important Chronological discoveries of the day, in that, for the first time in history it not only vindicates the true, or Biblical "Line of Time," but affords us, at last, a means of synchronizing all the reigns of the Kings of ''Israel" and "Judah," and of harmonizing all of the confusing cross references thereto, found in Chronicles and Kings and in the Prophets.
Prior to the publication of the present volume, the subject now to be treated, has never been understood, nor has any scheme been devised whereupon, all the Biblical references concerned, have received, at first glance, a satisfactory solution, unencumbered by alterations and apologies. We introduce this table here for several reasons, primarily because HISTORY cannot be correctly written unless it is built upon the absolutely correct chronological sequence of the years. This is a fundamental sine qua non, and in that the 507 years of duration, between the Coronation of Saul and the Dethroning of Zedekiah, (2910 A. M. to 3416 A. M. both inclusive), have been misunderstood all along the line, it stands to reason that the true history of this monarchical period has yet to be begun! Secondly, we introduce the table in order to fortify our own position as to Chronology, and to beget thereby the good faith of those who will verify the references, for we are deeply concerned that those to whom these pages may find their way, will, through this chapter of Chronology, and the others presented in these Studies, become as convinced as we ourselves, that the Bible is the most accurate volume upon earth, and per consequence that its remaining and unfulfilled predictions are certainly worthy of implicit faith.
In vindicating the careful exactness of the Sacred Historians we are thus at the same time guaranteeing to ''the wise," the inevitable conclusion that all else written by these men "inspired of God," is true beyond the shadow of a doubt.
The sequence of the years, and days, and weeks, and cycles which runs through the following table began with that Sunday (the 1st day of the 1st week, of the first Luni-Solar year with all else that this involves), which Moses, as a Chronologist, fixed as the dawn of ''Time;'' it runs onward without break into our modern almanacs.
The 23d of September, 1891 A.D., becomes the beginning of the solar year 5890 A. M. upon the same scale, and in the same sense as Saul's coronation was at the beginning of the year 2910 A.M. And we maintain that the most transcendental astronomy serves but to fix these years with still greater precision.
But we have another important purpose to accomplish by locating this particular chronological chapter at the commencement of the Present Study: In the First Series we have followed the several threads of Hebrew Fortune down to Zedekiah's fall. From that time, and at that time, if ever, the course of True Empire took its Westward way, anticipating the mock empire of the Gentiles which soon followed in its wake, and still strives to overtake it.
It is now in order to recapitulate the absolute succession of Rulers in a strict Genealogical as well as Chronological order, so that we may arrive definitely at the dividing line between the Old and New regime. It was in the Generation of Tea Tephi and Eochaidh the Heremonn that the transition, from the East to the West, took place — which constitutes the Renewal of History.
By means of the present chapter we shall be able to follow the generations consecutively from Saul down to Tea Tephi herself, and thus, so far as accepted History goes, down to the disappearance of the Sceptre from the House of Pharez.
The chapter covers 507 years; 120 from Saul's accession to the death of Solomon, 255 for the duration of the Kingdom of Samaria, and 132 for that of Judah subsequent to the fall of Hoshea.
A QUERY.
What ''ought ye not to know?"
AN ANSWER.
"That the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons, by a covenant of salt."
--2 Chron. xiii, 5.
Ne Varietur,
The Reigns of the Kings of "Israel'' and '' JUDAH '' Harmonized.
2909 A. M. 1087 B. C.
Intercalary year III. of the An. Heb. Cycle. Sometime during its last (XIIIth) or Intercalary month Samuel anointed Saul (I Sam. ix. x.) and warned the people to come together at the approaching Feast of Trumpets, i.e. New Year's day 2910 A. M.
2910 A. M. 1086 B. C
Saul crowned, and recognized as King at the beginning of the year (I Sam. x. 17). He reigned 40 years, or to the end of 2949 A. M.
2911 A. M. 1085 B. C. Saul's 2 year
2912 A.M. 1084 B. C. Saul's 3 year
2913 A.M. 1083 B. C. Saul's 4 year
2914 A.M. 1082 B. C. Saul's 5 year
2915 A.M. 1081 B. C. Saul's 6 year
2916 A.M. 1080 B. C. Saul's 7 year
2917 A.M. 1079 B. C. Saul's 8 year
2918 A.M. 1078 B. C. Saul's 9 year
2919 A.M. 1077 B. C. Saul's 10 year
2920 A.M. 1076 B. C. Saul's 11 year
2921 A.M. 1075 B. C. Saul's 12 year
2922 A.M. 1074 B. C. Saul's 13 year
2923 A.M. 1073 B. C. Saul's 14 year
2924 A.M. 1072 B. C. Saul's 15 year
2925 A.M. 1071 B. C. Saul's 16 year
2926 A.M. 1070 B. C. Saul's 17 year
2927 A.M. 1069 B. C. Saul's 18 year
2928 A.M. 1068 B. C. Saul's 19 year
2929 A.M. 1067 B. C. Saul's 20 year
2930 A.M. 1066 B. C. Saul's 21 year
2931 A.M. 1065 B. C. Saul's 22 year
2932 A.M. 1064 B. C. Saul's 23 year
2933 A.M. 1063 B. C. Saul's 24 year
2934 A.M. 1062 B. C. Saul's 25 year
2935 A.M. 1061 B. C. Saul's 26 year
2936 A.M. 1060 B. C. Saul's 27 year
2937 A.M. 1059 B. C. Saul's 28 year
2938 A.M. 1058 B. C. Saul's 29 year
2939 A.M. 1057 B. C. Saul's 30 year
2940 A.M. 1056 B. C. Saul's 31 year
2941 A.M. 1055 B. C. Saul's 32 year
2942 A.M. 1054 B. C. Saul's 33 year
2943 A.M. 1053 B. C. Saul's 34 year
2944 A.M. 1052 B. C. Saul's 35 year
2945 A.M. 1051 B. C. Saul's 36 year
2946 A.M. 1050 B. C. Saul's 37 year
Sin of Israel culminates; Samuel ''hews" Agag to pieces, and rejects Saul in the name of the Lord. Anoints David. Saul becomes ''Melancholy." Samuel presents David at Court as a Minstrel. After a temporary sojourn he returns to his father, and, such is the favor of Princes, David is soon forgotten. Saul's monomania may in part account for this, I Sam.. xv. xvi.)
2947 [XI] A. M. 1049 B. C. Saul's 38th year.
War with the Philistines. David comes to camp. Slays Goliath. Is honored above Saul by the women of Israel. Saul becomes jealous of him. Seeks his destruction. David's life becomes a burden. But Jonathan and David make a compact (I Sam. xvii. xviii. xix.).
2948 [XII.] A. M. 1048 B. C. Saul's 39th year.
David flees to Samuel at Ramah. Thence to the Philistines, becoming a Robber Chief. Samuel dies this year, I Sam.. xx. xxvii.)
2949 [XIII.] A. M. 1047 B.C. Saul's 40th year.
Saul hunts for David, and, at the close of the year, seeks counsel of the Witch of Endor. Dies the next day, last month and day of the year, (I Sam.. xviii.-xxxi.)
2950 [XIV.] A. M. 1046 B. C.
Ishbosheth succeeds his father Saul, as king over "Israel" (2 Sam. ii. 8-10), and David becomes the de facto king of "Judah" at Hebron (2 Sam. i.-ii.). Both accessions take place at once and at the beginning of the Civil year. Ishbosheth ruled two years (2 Sam. iv. 10), David seven years and six months. At the middle of this (2950 A. M.) year, or the beginning of the sacred year, the men of Judah came to Hebron and officially ratified David's Kingship (2 Sam. ii. 4). He thus became de jure King of Judah six months later than his actual accession. Reckoning from the death of Saul, David thus reigned seven and one half years at Hebron (2 Sam. ii. II, v. 5), but from this official anointing it was only seven years (I Kings ii. II). That is, he held the sceptre of Judah as their anointed King from the middle of 2950 A. M. to the middle of 2957 A. M. David's forty years and 6 months of total reign (2 Sam. v. 5) must be reckoned from his accession at the death of Saul, and fetch us to the middle of 2990 A. M. when he died a full generation (70 years, the Hebrew standard, Ps. xc. 10) old. But his forty years as enumerated in I Kings ii. II, may be reckoned in two ways: first, from his anointing at Hebron to his death in the middle of 2990 A. M., and second, from his accession to the accession of Solomon which took place at the beginning of 2990 A. M. and thus six months before David died. In whichever way we regard the matter all the references are absolutely accurate. David was 30 years old when he was anointed at Jerusalem as King over Judah, i.e., at the beginning of his de jure reign, at the death of Saul, and his de facto accession, he was in his 30th year.
We shall now tabulate the first ten years of David's reign that this matter may be set at final rest.
In the Chronological Scheme which we prepared before sitting down to formulate the present digest, all the years of all the Kings of "Israel'' and "Judah" are carried out in the way indicated in the above table against the proper years of the World (A. M.). Against them also are their appropriate harmonized references, and throughout the sequence there is neither discord nor any inexplicable hiatus. The limits both of our means, and of these Studies, at present forbid our attempting to print them, in exactly the same scroll-like form, but any one who has the patience and the requisite love of accuracy and truth, may fill the sequence in for himself by pasting sheet to sheet in the form of a scroll and following the same system. It will cover exactly 497 lines, allowing a line to a year from the accession of Saul 2910 A. M., to the capture of Jehoiachin 3406-1/2, from whom the "Captivity" is reckoned; or if the scheme is carried on to the last year of the "Captivity," which was the 1st year of Cambyses (3475 A. M.) it will extend over 565 years or lines, which constitute the Hovetic number brought out so prominently in these Studies, (vide pp. 168, 199, table opp. page 206, Study No. Two, pages 77-97 Study No. Four).
We recommend this sort of Bible Study to the Christian world as far more edifying, in the cause of faith, than the perusal of all the tomes of the Higher Criticism put together; and in the mean time return to our special task, resuming it at the point of our digression.
2951 [XV] A. M. 1045 B. C. David's 2d year.
Ishbosheth slain at the end of the year. 2 Sam. iv. Last year of the Hebrew Cycle.
2952 A. M. 1044 B.C. David's 3rd year.
2953 A.M. 1043 B.C. David's 4 year.
2954 [III] A. M. 1042 B. C. David's 5th years.
The eighth Jubilee year, (reckoning from 2611 A. M. which was the first) and the only one in David's reign. 7 X 49 = 343; 2611 + 343 = 2954. The count begins with 2562 A. M., 2561 A. M. being the first Sabbatic year after the Division of the land.
2955 A. M. 1041 B.C. David's 6th year.
2956 A. M. 1040 B. C. David's 7th year.
2957 A. M. 1039 B.C. David's 8th year.
At the middle of this year (i.e, its Sacred beginning) all Israel accept David, and crown him (2 Sam. v. I Chron. xi). They take Jerusalem, and David's thirty-three years of reign thereat, over both "Israel" and "Judah," begin and run with the Sacred year, he being 37 years old upon the occasion of his coronation over "both Houses.'' 2 Sam. v. 1-5, I Kings, ii. II. His first year at Jerusalem covers the last half of his 8th and the first half of his 9th as king, reckoning on the regular Calendar or Civil Year, 2957-58 A. M.
2958 A. M. 1038 B.C. David's 9th year
2959 A.M. 1037 B.C. David's 10th year
2960 A. M. 1036 B. C.
An Intercalary year, and the IXth of the Ancient Hebrew Cycle. David's 11th year of total reign, covering half of his 3d and half of his 4th at Jerusalem. This year is sometimes erroneously called a Jubilee year, but it was not; it was, however, a "Sabbatic" year. 7 X 423 = 2961, and 2961 astronomic years are 2960 chronological ones, i.e. at its beginning 2960 years of duration were scored off as "Past time," and the World saw its 2961st birthday, or was 2960 years "old."
2961 A. M. 1035 B. C. David's 12th year.
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