THE most ancient Historian of the Hebrews, next to the sacred Writers, is Josephus, surnamed Flavius. His Works were printed in Greek at Basil, 1544, in fol. They had been before printed in Latin, ibid. 1540, of Erasmus’s Version. After that in Greek and Latin, at Lipsick, 1691, in fol. Edward Bernard published only the first four Books, printed at Oxford, 1700, in fol. in Greek, with his Notes. John Hudson afterwards put them all out entire, together with his Notes, Ibid. 1720, in fol. M. Arnaud d’Andilly translated Josephus into French, and had it printed in two Vols. fol. at Paris, 1667, the second Edition; at Amsterdam 1697, and in five Vols in 12mo. This Jewish Historian has been translated into all Languages: The Edition of 1691, by Ittigius, is distinguished by the Prolegomena which he has inserted in it, and a Dissertation against Lambecius concerning the famous Passage relating to Jesus Christ. Josephus was born at Jerusalem, in the Year of Jesus Christ 37; was Son of Matthias, and flourished under the Emperors Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian, till 93, and much longer. His Diction is pure, his Expressions clear, his Style magnificent, and his Narration agreeable, says Photius.
James Basnage has written a Continuation of Josephus’s History, printed at Amsterdam, 1707, 15 Vols. in 12mo. which F. le Long attributes to Samuel Basnage.
In the first Book he treats of the State and Government of Judæa under the Race of the Herods. In the second, of the Sects subsisting in the Time of Jesus Christ, and the Destruction of Jerusalem. In the third, of the Patriarchs and Doctors who lived after the Destruction of Jerusalem, with a Supplement to the History of the Samaritans. In the fourth, of the Doctrines of the Jews, their Confession of Faith, their Variations, and the History of their Religion. In the fifth, of their Rites and Ceremonies. In the sixth, of their Antiquities, and Dispersion, as low as the eighth Century. In the seventh, of their different Dispersions in the East and West, from the 8th to the 10th Century.
There is a second Edition of this Work, put out at Paris, 1710, seven Vols. in 12mo. This is not merely a new Impression of that of Holland, tho’ as to the Substance of it, it is the same Work. The Order and Number of the Books are changed; several things are suppressed which did not relate to the History of the Jews; Additions have been made to it; so that instead of seven we have ten Books, which has made the Work more methodical.
Mathurin Veissiere la Croze, in his Conversations upon divers Subjects of History, Literature, Religion, and Criticism, printed at Cologn, 1712, in 12mo. finds many Faults in this Work published by Basnage. See the 126th, and following Pages; and Richard Simon’s Bibliotheque Choisie, t. 2. ch. xvi. the 254th, and following Pages.
Basnage came into the World at Rohan, in 1653, was made Minister of the Calvinist Church in that City in 1676, and went afterwards to Roterdam, where he may be still living. His new Edition of Canisius was put out in four Vols. in fol. 1725.
He published likewise the History of the Old and New Testament, represented in very beautiful Prints, by Roman de Hooghe, and joined with it an Explanation of the most difficult Places in Scripture, printed at Amsterdam, 1704, in fol. and 1705, in 2 Vols. in 4to. 1706, in fol. in French. He begins it with a long, laboured Preface concerning the Existence of God, the Divinity of the Books of Moses, and the other Prophets, the Advantage there is in reading them, and the Necessity of having a Religion. He enters upon the History of the New Testament with another Preface of no less Extent. The Style is close, and oftentimes too concise, where it should be more copious.
Joseph. Ben-Gorion, Hebraicè & Latinè, cum Notis Frederic. Breithaupt. Lipsiæ, 1710. Besides this Edition of the Counterfeit Josephus, surnamed Ben-Gorion, there had been one at Oxford, 1706, in 4to. with a Latin Version from the Hebrew, by John Gagnier, his Preface and Notes. Joseph Ben- Gorion is generally called by the Name of Gorionides.
The Learned all agree at present, that this is a spurious Author, whom some suppose to have lived in the seventh Century, others in the eleventh. Some say he was a Frenchman, others that he was a Briton. See Basnage’s Judgment in his Continuation of Josephus, l. 7. c. 6. and Placcius in his Pseudonymi.
Seder Olam Rabba, & Seder Olam Zuta, that is to say, the great and small Chronicon of the Jews. These are to be found in Genebrard’s Chronology, and in the fifth Tome of the Rabbinical Library.
Zemach David, seu Chronologia R. David Gantz cum Notis Guil. Henrici Worstii. This Chronology contains the History of the Jews from the Beginning of the World to 1592. and is divided into two Parts; the first whereof was printed in Hebrew at Frankfort in 1692. the second at Amsterdam, 1694, two Vols. in 4to. Henry Worst, or Worstius, had before translated it into Latin, and printed it, with his Notes, at Leyden, 1646, in 4to. it was afterwards printed in the Rabbinical Language, at Frankfort upon the Mein, 1698, in 4to. with a Continuation. The Author entituled this Work, the Branch, or Sprout of David, because it was the first composed by him. Besides, as his History discovers the Misery of the Jewish People, and the Power of the Christians, it was his Design that his Readers should be obliged thereby to remember the Branch of David, and pray for his Manifestation.
There are three particular things in his Chronology. 1. He begins it with the Creation of the World, and goes back as far as the first Temple and Patriarchs; whereas the Jewish Historians generally begin no earlier than at the Epoch of the Greeks. 2. Altho’ he has often copied Josephus, and the Doctors of his Nation who had preceeded him, he is yet more exact, and corrects their Mistakes. 3. In his second Book he has compiled several Christian Authors, but he is not happy in his choice of them. He was a Jew, born at Prague in Bohemia, a Mathematician, and flourished about 1592.
Gilberti Genebrardi Chronologia, in fol. This Chronicle was in great Esteem before we had any more accurate. Genebrard wrote two sorts of Works; a Chronology of Scripture, printed at Louvain, 1571, in 12mo. and at Cologn 1571, which contains but one Book; and his Chronography, in four Books, the two first whereof relate to the People of old, and include the History of 4000 Years, at Paris, 1580, 1585, in fol. and afterwards in 1609, in fol. which is the finest Edition, made at Lyons, for John Pille-Motte. As to Genebrard, see upon the Psalms, and his Title in the Index.
Eusebii Caesariensis Chronicon, cum Notis Josephi Scaligeri, fol. Leidae. 1606, 1656. with Pontac’s Notes, at Bourdeaux, 1604. This Work is very much valued: Scaliger’s Notes are excellent, and Pontac’s are not to be despised. The former of these has given us a more compleat Edition of Eusebius’s Chronicon from those of Syncellus and Cedrenus, which were no more than Copies or Abridgments.
S. Hieronymi Chronicon. St. Jerome translated Eusebius’s Chronicon, and intermixed many Additions.
Chronicon Paschale, seu Alexandrinum G. L. ex Editione Caroli Ducange, fol. Typis Regiis, 1688. Matthew Rader, or Raderius, had before printed it in Greek and Latin, with his Notes, at Munich, 1615, in 4to.
Eutychii Alexandrini Chronicon Arabico-Latinum, ex versione Edwardi Pocokii, at Oxford, 1659, two Vols, in 4to. This is not so much a Chronicle of Jesus Christ, as Annals, beginning at the Creation, and ending at the Year 943. We see here several Traditions of the Eastern People. Eutychius was Patriarch of Alexandria from 933 to 950, when he died, infected with the Heresy of the Jacobites.
Joan. Marsham, Chronicus Canon. Ægyptiacus, Hebraicus, Græcus, fol. Londini, 1672. In this Book there is a great deal of uncommon Learning, but very little Order or Method, and many very free and singular Opinions. There was another Edition besides this, printed at Lipsick, 1676, in 4to. larger and more correct than the foregoing one; and a third at Franekar, 1696, in 4to. The Author has also written in particular a Chronological Dissertation upon Daniel’s Seventy Weeks, printed at London, 1649, in 4to. He was of London, Knight and Baronet, and very knowing in History. He died in 1672.
Josephi Scaligeri, de Emendatione temporum. fol. Paris. 1583. The best Edition is that of Leyden, 1598, in fol. or that of Geneva, 1629. See his Title in the Index.
Jacobi Saliani, Annales Ecclesiastici veteris Testamenti, six Vols. in fol. at Paris, from 1619 to 1691. The Epitome of this Work, in two Vols. fol. is most to be esteemed, and is very sufficient, at Rohan, 1640; and at Cologn, 1638. The Marrow of this Abridgment, under the Title of Enchiridion Chronologicum Historiæ Sacræ & Profanæ, at Paris, 1636, in 12mo. and 1641 at Cologn.
Augustini Tornicelli, Annales Sacri & Profani ab orbe condito, ad eundem Christi Passione redemptum. Franc. 1666. fol. Vol. I. They were before printed at Antwerp, 1620, in two Vols. fol.
Dionysii Petavii Doctrina Temporum, cum Chronologia. fol. two Vols. at Paris, 1627, and at Antwerp 1705, in fol. To these we may join his Rationarium temporum, or Universal History, printed se veral times in 8vo. and translated into French by the Sieur Collin, with Augmentations and a Supplement, at Paris, 1682. two Vols. in 12mo. These two Works are very much in esteem.
Alph. à Caranza, Diatriba super primam temporum doctrinam, adversus Dionys. Petavium.
Sethi Calvisii opus Chronologicum, cum Isagogâ Chronologicâ. Francof. 1620. fol.
Annales Sacri & Ecclesiastici, by Henry Sponde, in Latin, Spondanus, from the Beginning of the World to Jesus Christ, at Paris, 1639, in fol.; at Cologn, 1640, in fol. He has reduced them into an Abridgment, with an Auctuarium, printed at Mentz, 1620, and at Cologn, in 1627, in fol. Jerome de Marens, de Marenis, has made Latin Observations on Sponde’s Annals, printed at Paris, 1656. See the Title of Sponde.
Jacobi Usserii, Annales utriusque Testamenti, two Vols. fol. Lond. 1650. vel Paris. 1675. cum Dissertat. de Cainan. This Author is very accurate, and may be sufficient for those who are not willing to search very deep into Matters of Chronology.
The Chronology at the End of Vitré’s Bible, in fol. is only an Abridgment of Usher’s.
Joan. Hardouini, Chronologia vet. Test. This Work was at first suppressed at Paris, because of some free and singular Passages contained in it; but it has been reprinted in the Collection of F. Hardouin’s Works, at Amsterdam, 1709. It may be proper to join with it the Censure of it, by Alphonsus Vignolles, Roterdam, 1708.
Ludovici Capelli, Chronologia Sacra, in fol. It is continued from the Beginning of the World to the last Captivity of the Jews by the Romans. It was published at Paris, 1655, in 4to. and is in the Polyglot of England, prefixed to the first Tome. James Capellus, Brother to Lewis, wrote a Sacred History, from Adam to the Emperor Augustus, printed at Sedan, 1612, in 4to. and from Augustus to Valentinian, ibid. 1622, in 4to. and besides this, the most memorable Epochs; with an Explanation of the most difficult Places in Scripture, ibid. 1602, in 4to. He designed a much larger Historical Work. F. le Long, in the Article relating to him, in tom. 2. of his Bibliotheca Sacra, is particular in the Account of it. See here their Title in the Index.
Isaaci Vossii de lxx. Interpretibus cum Chronologiâ, & Dissert. de verâ ætate mundi, at the Hague, 1654, in 4to.
Item Castigationes adversus Hornium de ætate mundi. See likewise his Title, ibid.
Georg. Hornii, Dissert. de verâ ætate mundi. This was printed at Leyden, 1659, in 4to. with his Defence against Vossius, and an Addition to this Defence. He published likewise the Ark of Moses, that is to say, the History of the World, against the same Person, ibid. 1669, in 12mo. He was a German Calvinist, of the Palatinate, and Professor at Leyden. He died in 1670.
F. Paul Pezron’s Antiquity of Times restored. Paris, 1687, in 4to.
F. John Martianay’s Defence of the Hebrew Text against the Antiquity of Times restored. Paris, 1689, in 8vo.
The Antiquity of Times destroyed, by F. le Quien, a Dominican, 1693.
A Defence of the Antiquity of Times, by F. Pezron, in 4to. Paris. 1691. We join these three learned Men together, who have made a literary War with one another, which has been of great use in explaining the capital Points of the Sacred Chronology. It may be convenient to give here some Idea of this Contest.
Father Pezron’s whole Design is to shew that the World is more ancient than the modern Chronologers believe it to be; that instead of placing only four thousand Years between the Creation of it and the Birth of our Lord, there were near six thousand. He maintains, that in order to discover the true Duration of the World, we should follow the Version of the Septuagint, and depart from the Hebrew Text, as being altered by the Jews, who have lived since the Taking and Destruction of Jerusalem.
His Work no sooner appeared, than F. Montainay attacked it, with a Design of maintaining the Truth of the Hebrew Text, against the Version of the Septuagint. F. le Quien entered the Lists likewise to maintain the Entireness of the Hebrew Text, against F. Pezron. F. Martianay, in a fine Letter of some Length, expressed the particular Pleasure he received from joining with him in order to confirm his Opinion against this learned Bernardine. It is printed in the Journal des Sçavans. The latter of these took Arms against these two Monks, to prove that from the first Rise of the Church, Ecclesiastical Authors have been persuaded that six thousand Years were passed from the Creation of the World. This he does in his second Work; and at the End of it we find a Chronological Canon, containing an Abridgment of the Sacred and Profane History blended together, and composed with such Accuracy and Order, as conduce not a little to the proving of the real Extent of the several Ages. See the Titles of these three learned Monks in the Index.
Joannis Seldeni, de anno civili Judæorum. This is a Dissertation on the Civil Year, and Calendar of the Jewish Commonwealth, printed at London, 1644, in 4to. and at Lipsick, 1673, in 8vo. at Leyden, 1683. See his Title in the Index.
Jul. Bartolocci, de anno Solari Judæorum. Item de anno Lunari, de cyclo, de mensibus, &c. t. 2. Bibl. Rabb. p. 392, &c. See his Title in the same Catalogue.
See our Dissertation on Chronology, in the Beginning of Genesis.
The History of the People bordering upon the Jews, with a view of illustrating the Prophecies, before the Prophet Isaiah. A Summary of the Profane History of the East, from Solomon to the Captivity of Babylon, with the same Design.
Philippi Labbæi, Annales, at Paris, 1670. in fol. five Vols. of the Louvre Edition. This is rather an Historical Chronology, divided into three Parts, and a Technical Chronology in two Parts. He has also written an Abridgment of Sacred and Profane Chronology, printed at the same Place, 1651, in 4to. An easy Method to learn Chronology, ibid. 1649, in 12mo. A Chronological Abridgment of Sacred and Profane History, in five Vols. in 12mo. and in two in 4to. ibid. 1667. F. Labbé was born at Bourges, in 1607, entered into the Society in 1623, and died at Paris in 1667, at sixty Years of Age. He understood the Belles Lettres, Philosophy and Divinity. Several learned Men, even Protestants, speak of him with great Commendation.
Joannis-Baptist. Riccioli, Chronologia reformata. This is a very large Work of Sacred Chronology, composed by him in three Vols. in fol. printed at Bologna, 1669. The tenth Book of the first Tome treats of the Years and Epochs of the Hebrews. The seventh, of the Years of the World, and the several Ages of it down to Jesus Christ. The eighth, of the Year and Day of our Saviour’s Birth, as well as of his Genealogy. In the second Tome there is a Chronicle of the Years of the World according to the Septuagint. Another according to the Hebrew. A large Chronicle of the Years before and after Jesus Christ as low as the Year 1666. The third Tome contains a Table of the Patriarchs, Judges, Kings of Judah and Israel, of the Prophets of the Old Testament, of the Hebrew High-Priests, and Persons who belong to the Genealogy of Jesus Christ. He was an Italian of Ferrara, a Jesuit, and died in 1671.
Christ. Helvici Theatrum Historicochronologicum. This was printed at Oxford, 1651, in fol. See our Lists on Genesis, or the Title Helvicus in the Index.
Gerard. Joan. Vossii, Dissert gemina de J. C. genealogiâ & de annis quibus natus, baptizatus, &c. These two Dissertations of Vossius upon the Genealogy of Jesus Christ, and the Year of his Birth, Baptism, and Death, were printed at Amsterdam, 1642, in 4to. He wrote likewise an Introduction to the Chronology of Scripture, or eight Dissertations relating to the Times of the Hebrew History, printed at the Hague, 1659, in 4to. Both are in the sixth Tome of the great Collection of his Works, ibid. 1701. See the Article of Concords of the Gospels, or the Title of Gerard Vossius, in the Index.
Joan. Lightfoot, Chronica temporum & ordo Textuum vet. & nov. Testam. t. 1. & 2. operum. fol. See his Title in the Index.
Joan. Georg. Hervart, novæ, veræ, & exactè ad calculum astronomicum revocatæ Chronologiæ, &c. This Author had been Chancellor to the Duke of Bavaria, and composed other Historical Works, taken notice of in Draudius; but he says nothing of this Chronology, which was printed at Munich, 1614, in 4to. This Work is pretty accurate, but ill digested.
Joan. Kepler, de Jesu Christi vero anno natalitio. What Kepler wrote upon the Year of our Saviour’s Birth, against Laurentius Suslyga of Poland, was printed at Prague, 1606, in 4to. and at Frankfort 1614. He published likewise Eclogæ Chronologicæ, upon the Times of Herod and his Descendants; of the Baptism, Ministry, Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, printed at Frankfort, 1615, in 4to. He was of Wittemberg, a Lutheran, and Mathematician. He died in 1630.
Michael Paludani, Chronologia Regum Judæ & Israel. or a Concord of the Times, from Saul to Cyrus, printed at Louvain, 1628, in 4to. Paludanus was of Ghent, of the Order of St. Augustin, Doctor and Professor of the University of Louvain. He died in 1652. We should not confound him with John Paludanus, of Mechlin, who died in 1630.
Concordia Librorum Regum & Paralipomenon, cum Annotationibus. Paris. 1691, in 4to. by John-Baptist le Brun. See our Lists upon the Books of Kings, and his Title in the Alphabetical Catalogue.
Samuelis Petit. Eclogæ Chronologicæ, printed at Paris, 1632, in 4to. in the eighth Tome of the Roman Antiquities, p. 373, and, according to F. le Long, in the Great Criticks of London, probably of the last Edition, for we do not find them in the first of 1661. He was of Nismes, a Calvinist, and died in 1643.
Thomæ Lydiat, Emendatio Temporum, ab orbe condito. This Author has written several Chronological Treatises. The Work here mentioned was printed at London, 1609, in 8vo. and at the Hague, 1645, in 12mo. Chronological Canons from the Beginning of the World to the Beginning of the Gospel, at Oxford, 1675, in 8vo. The Chronicle of the Kings of Judah, in Hebrew, if we believe Anthony Wood; an Explanation concerning the Years of Jesus Christ’s Birth and Ministry.
Lydiat was an Englishman, of Oxford, Chronographer. He was born at Okerton, near Banbury in Oxfordshire, and was Chronographer and Cosmographer to Prince Henry. See Anthony Wood’s Athenæ Oxonienses. He died in 1646. His Emendation of Times was written against Scaliger, and others.
Christiani Noldii, Historia Idumææ, apud Crenium fascic. 4. This is a Dissertation upon the Lives and Actions of the Herods, printed at Franekar, 1660, in 16mo. and in Crenius’s fourth Fasciculus. He wrote likewise an Abridgment of the Histories and Antiquities of Scripture, published at Copenhagen, 1662, in fol. He was a Dane, a Lutheran, and Professor at Copenhagen. He died in 1683. Some call him Christopher, and not Christian.
Frederici Spanheim, Chronologia. It was Fred. Spanheim the Son, and not the Father, who wrote upon the Chronology and Sacred History of both Testaments. His Work was printed at Leyden, in 1701, in fol. He had before put out an Introduction on the same Subject, ibid. 1683, and 1694. in 4to. We have given some Account of him upon the Old Testament. See his Title in the Index.
Joan. Buxtorf. fil. Exercitationes ad historiam veteris & novi Testamenti. These Historical Exercitations are upon the Ark of the Covenant, the sacred and heavenly Fire, Urim and Thummim, the Manna and Stone in the Wilderness, and the brazen Serpent; printed at Basil, 1659, in 4to. Buxtorf was of Basil, Hebrew Professor, and died a Calvinist, in 1664.
Joan. Guill. Stuckii, Historia Palestinorum, Syrorum & Sidoniorum ad intelligendum Libros Samuelis. This History of the People of Palestine, Syria, and Sidon, is of use to understand well the Books of Samuel, printed at Zurich, 1595, in fol. He was a Switzer, a Calvinist, Professor at Zurich, and died in 1607.
Chronologia Samaritanorum, Authore Edwardo Bernard.
R. P. Natalis Alexandri Selecta Hist. Eccles. vet. Test. capita, fol. Paris. We have mentioned the last Edition of this large Work in the Article of Prolegomena and Dissertations. See the Title of F. Alexander in the Index.
Augusti Varenii, de Annis Sabbaticis, & Jubilæis Judæorum, at Rostoch, in 4to.
Nicolai Mulleri, Judæorum annus lunæ solaris & Turc-Arabum merè lunaris. Groning. 1650, fol. See Muller in the Index.
Maimonides, descriptio initiationis novilunii cum versione Henning. Bern. Vittor.
Christiani Massæi Calendaria quatuor Ægyptium, Hebraicum, Macedonicum & Romanum, printed at Antwerp 1540, in fol.
He has also published Chronicles of the Bible, in twenty Books, printed likewise at Antwerp, in the same Year, 1540.
See the Jewish Calendar, printed before the first Tome of our Dictionary of the Bible, the second Edition. The Reader may likewise consult the Authors mentioned in Imbonati, t. 5. of the Rabbinnical Library, p. 534, 637, and those in Fabricius’s Bibliographia, ch. 10. numb. 1, 2, 3, and ch. 11. numb. 1, 2. See likewise Lipenius’s Bibliotheca Theologica, t. 1. at the Title Chronicle.