fame is to be faid of the 24 years attributed to Baafha
1 Kings 15. v. 33. instead of 23; of the 12 years of
Amri 1 Kings 16. v. 23. inftead of 11, c. In other
Places, inftead of the incompleat years expreffed as
yet Current, the compleat ones ought to be under-
tood. As for Inftance, when it is faid, 1 Kings 15. V.
9. that Afa began his Reign in the 20th year of the
Reign of Jeroboam, it is to be taken in this fenfe; that
he began his Reign at the beginning of the 21st year
of Jeroboam. In fome paffages it appears, as if feve-
ral, but efpecially Father and Son, had reigned at the
fame time; fo it is faid of Nadab 1 Kings 15. v. 25.that
he reigned in the first year together with his Father
Feroboam: Of Ella 1 Kings 16. v. 8. that he reigned at
the fame time with his Father Baafha. The fame is
faid of Ahaziah and Ahab 1 Reg. 22. v. 52. of Feho-
Shaphat and Fehoram, 2 Kings 3. v. 1. To this purpose
is that inftance of Amri, who is faid 1 Kings 16. v.23.
to have reigned 12 years; to wit, including the time
that Thibni ufurped the Koyal Dignity. It is further
obfervable, that in the Chronology of thefe Kings the
Computation begins not always from the beginning of
their Reigns, but from fome remarkable Epocha or Re-
volution: As, it is faid, 2 Chron. 16. v. i. that Ba
afha came up against Ramah in the 36th year of the
Reign of Afa, when it is evident that he died in the
fix and twentieth year of the Reign of Afa,1 Kings 16.
6, 8. Some interpret thus; that here is to be under-
food the 36th year fince the Divifion of the Kingdom
after Solomon's Death, as if it had been expreffed
thus: In the thirty fixth year after the Divifion of that
Kingdom, of which Afa was King. There are alfo fome
Footsteps of certain vacancies of the Throne betwixt
Amaziah and Azariah the Kings of Judah, and be-
twixt Feroboam and Zacharias Kings of Ifrael. All
which we leave to the Choice and Decifion of the judi-
cious Reader.

How to reconcile

thefe Dif. ferences.

§. 3. There is no better way to reconcile the Chronological Differences about the Kings of Fudah and Ifrael, than by making a due Comparifon betwixt the Synchronisms and Combinations of years of the feveral Kings of both thefe Kingdoms. The following two, Tables exhibit at the fame inftant the mutual Connection of the Reigns of thefe Kings, according to the Te

nure

nure of the Sacred Scriptures: But because the years of their Reigns are not always correfpondent to this Connection, I have added thofe other years, which, by by reason of their usefulness in reconciling thefe differences, I have called the Chronological years.

232

23

i Kings XV. 33.

I

II

19

I

1 2

12

28

14

15

I Kings XVI. 8.
1 Kings XVI. 15, 16.
1 Kings XVI. 23.
Kings XVI. 29.
1 Kings XXII. 41, 42.

1 Kings XXII.52.
2 Kings III. 1.

2 Kings VIII. 16.
2 Kings VIII. 25.

2 Kings XI. 1, 2, 3. C. 16. V. 36.
12 Kings XII. 1.

2 Kings XIII. 1.
2 Kings XIII. 10.

2 Kings XIV. I.
63 2 Kings XIV. 23.

52

I

о

2 Kings XV. 1.

2 Kings XV. 8.

2 Kings XV. 23. II 2 Kings XV. 17. 22 Kings XV. 23. 28 12 Kings XV. 27.

An

Of the Epocha of the Temple of SOLOMON.

RULES.

1. The exact time of the building of the Temple of Solomon must be determined according to the Sacred History, where we read these following Words, 1 Kings 6.v.1, 10. And it came to pafs in the four hundred and fourfcore year after the Children of Ifrael were come out of the Land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's Reign over Ifrael, in the Month Zif, which is the fecond Month, that he began to build the House of the Lord.

2. The Interval betwixt the departure of the Ifraelites from Egypt, and the time of David (on which depends the Computation of the Epocha of the Temple, as being the fourth year of the Reign of Solomon) ought to be regulated according to the Genealogy of David, described in Ruth 4.20. & feq. 1 Chron. 11. 11. Matth. 1. 5. where it is faid, that Nafhon who lived and died whilft the Ifraelites were in the Defart Numb. 1. v. 7. c. 7. V. 12. begat Salmon, Salmon begat Boatz, Boatz begat Obed, Obed begat Jeffe, and Jeffe David.

3. This Interval ought also to be regulated in fuch a manner as not to be contradictory to the Words of Jephtha, Judg. 11. V. 26. Whilst frael dwelled in Hefhbon and her Towns, and in Aroer and her Towns; and in all the Cities that be along by the Coasts of Arnon three hundred years; why therefore did you not recover them within that time? Which Computation of Jephtha