[1] The chronology of the Bible is not a matter of the divine
revelation, and scholars are not agreed with respect to the dates of
early Scripture history. The system of chronology commonly found in
reference Bibles is that of Archbishop Usher, who lived 1580-1656, long
before the modern period of investigation in Bible lands. According to
this chronology A'dam was created B. C. 4004, the flood took place B. C.
2348, and the call of A'bra-ham was B. C. 1928. But it is now an
attested and recognized fact that kingdoms were established in the
Eu-phra'tes valley and beside the Nile more than 4000 years before
Christ. All of Usher's dates earlier than the captivity of the Jews in
Bab'y-lon are now discarded by scholars. We give in these lessons no
dates earlier than the call of A'bra-ham, which is doubtfully placed at
B. C. 2280, and regard none as certain before B. C. 1000.
[2] When the birth of Christ was adopted as an era of chronology, about
A. D. 400 a mistake of four years was made by the historian who first
fixed it. Hence the year in which Christ was born was in reality B. C.
4.
[3] We give Mount Hor the traditional location, east of the Desert of
Zin; but there is strong reason for finding it west of the Desert of
Zin, near Ka'desh-bar'ne-a.
[4] Called in the Revised Version "guilt offering."
[5] This is called in the Revised Version "the meal offering"; that is,
the offering to God of a meal to be eaten. It might be called "food
offering."
[6] According to Josephus; the fact is not stated in the Bible.
[7] The ecclesiastical year began with the month Abib, or Nisan, in the
spring: the civil year with the month Ethanim in the fall.
[8] The Old Testament name for the Sea of Gal'i-lee is Chin'ne-reth (ch
as k), a word meaning "harp-shaped."
[9] The account of the sun and moon standing still is an extract from an
ancient poem, and is so printed in the Revised Version. The subject is
discussed in Geikie's Hours with the Bible, footnote with chapter 13.
[10] With regard to the destruction of the Ca'naan-ites: 1. Such
destruction was the almost universal custom of the ancient world. 2. It
was observed by the Ca'naan-ites, who were among the most wicked of
ancient peoples. 3. It was necessary if Is'ra-el was to be kept from the
corruption of their morals, and upon Is'ra-el's character depended the
world in after ages. 4. As a result of failing to extirpate the
Ca'naan-ites a vastly greater number of the Is'ra-el-ites were destroyed
during the succeeding centuries.
[11] With Jeph'thah is associated the only instance of human sacrifice
offered to Je-ho'vah in all Bible history; and this was by an ignorant
freebooter, in a part of the land farthest from the instructions of the
tabernacle and the priesthood. When we consider that the practice of
human sacrifice was universal in the ancient world, and that not only
captives taken in war, but also the children of the worshipers, were
offered (2 Kings 3. 26, 27; Mic. 6. 7), this fact is a remarkable
evidence of the elevating power of the Is'ra-el-ite worship.
[12] With regard to Da'vid's crimes against U-ri'ah and his wife, note
that no other ancient monarch would have hesitated to commit such an
act, or would have cared for it afterward; while Da'vid submitted to the
prophet's rebuke, publicly confessed his sin, and showed every token of
a true repentance.
[13] Notice that while the prophets had been friendly to Da'vid, they
were strongly opposed to Sol'o-mon, and gave aid to his enemy
Jer-o-bo'am (1 Kings 11. 29-39).
[14] The dimensions as given in the Bible are all in cubits, a measure
of uncertain length, which I have estimated at eighteen inches;
consequently all the figures given in this study are to be regarded as
approximate, not exact.
[15] There is no mention of either the table or the candlestick in
Sol'o-mon's temple, but instead ten tables and ten candlesticks in the
Holy Place (2 Chron. 4. 7, 8). The table and candlestick were in the
tabernacle, and were also in the second and third temples; but it is
uncertain whether they actually stood in the temple of Sol'o-mon.
[16] Nearly all the material in this lesson is drawn in an abbreviated
form from The Literary Study of the Bible, by Richard G. Moulton (Boston
D. C. Heath & Co.), a masterpiece on this subject, strongly recommended
to the student. I have, however, ventured to vary from Dr. Moulton's
classification on some minor points--J. L. H.
* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.