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THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG

Christ only one date is seriously in question, viz., the time of Ezra's visit to Jerusalem (see EZRA NExEmnx). In spite of Kosters' attack on the Biblical reports, Ezra's visit must be placed 458 and the giving of the law 445 or 444. (R. KITTEL.)

III. The Abrahamic Date: The determination of the date of Abraham is one of the most difficult problems which the chronology of the ancient orient has left. For its complete solution the chronological data of three oriental peoples must be brought into agreement, the Hebrews, the Egyptians, and the Babylonians. Each of these systems affords difficulties of its own sufficiently complicated to tax the resources of the greatest experts, and no one of them is thoroughly scientific, though of the three the Babylonian presents more scientifically based data than either of the others. It will be well to take these in the order in which they have been named.

1. The Hebrew Chronology: The Book of Genesis contains in those portions of the book which were compiled and edited by the priestly historiographer (P) a most elaborate chronology in which families 1. Chronol- and individuals are knit up into a com-

ogy of P. plete and self-contained system, every birth, marriage, and death receiving a proper note. Unhappily this system can not in some places be reconciled with the data given by the other chief authors whose works have found a place in Genesis, the Judaistic (J) and the Ephraimitic (E) sections of the book. Fir the present purpose the J and E portions may safely be left out of account as they do not materially affect the computation. Taking, then, P alone the dates down to Abraham from the creation may be summarized as follows:

It seems to be perfectly clear that these figures are all artificial; they are the result of elaborate computations and theorizing carried on by the priests of Israel for centuries. But the most searching investigation of modern scholars has failed to find the ultimate basis on which they rest-the point from which they were calculated and the processes by which they were finally determined. The difficulty of dealing with them is enormously enhanced by the differences between the three recensions of the text. These can not be explained by the old device of accidental corruptions by copyists. Some of them must represent the labors of editors. Some of the older chronologists in modern times have taken freely and indifferently from either recension whatever figures might seem to them to be most agreeable to the system they were constructing. The more scrupulous investigations of recent times have unfortunately yielded no certain test for the determination of the relative value of these recensions. Several of the most eminent modern scholars have presented arguments to show that the Samaritan text has preserved the most probable list of figures, among them Budde, Dilhnann, and Holzinger. But their reasoning has carried but little conviction and the majority of critical students content themselves with a general adherence to the Masoretic computations. If now these last be accepted, the conclusion is reached that Abraham's call fell in the year of the world 2021. But this is a most unsatisfying conclusion; it must be reduced to a known era, and one must ascertain to what year s.c. it corresponds. For the solution of this problem the book of Genesis affords no data of any kind. A fixed datum must be sought elsewhere by which a reckoning may be guided.

The greatest event in Israel's history was the 2. Chronol- exodus from Egypt; to it the poets ogy Based and propb.ets continually hark back.

on the Perhaps a point of departure may Exodus. there be secured.

Years From the call of Abraham to the birth of Isaac (cf. Gen.

iii. 4 with Gen. xxi. 5) . . . . . . . . . 25 Isaac's age at the birth of Jacob and Esau 1 Gen. xxv..26) 60 Age of Jacob when he went down into Egypt (Gen. xlvii.

9) 130 The length of the sojourn in Egypt (Ex. ~di. 40, 41)....430 From the call of Abraham to the Exodus .. ... 645

If now these figures could all be accepted as certain and if data could be discovered in the Bible itself for locating the exodus in terms of the Christian era, it would be possible at once to determine the date of Abraham; but unfortunately neither of these suppositions is true, as will appear upon a brief examination. In the first place the 430 years (Ex. iii. 40, 41), while in substantial agreement with the words of the promise:' " thou shah sojourn in a land that is not theirs, . . . and they shall afflict them 400 years " (Gen. xv. 13), is hopelessly at variance with the passages which assign only four generations from Jacob's children to Moses (Ex. vi. 16-20; Num. xxvi. 5-9, cf. Gen, xv. 1(i) or five to Joshua (Josh. vii. 1). This difficulty was evidently observed in antiquity, for an endeavor to meet it appears in the text of both the Samaritan and the Septuagint which read in Ex.