CHRONICLES. The two Books, by the Greeks called Paralipomena, and by the Hebrews Dibrei-haiamim, or words of days go under this name. See Paralipomena.
The Jews have Chronicles or Histories in their Language, but they are uncorrect, and very modern. We have discoursed concerning the History of Joseph Ben- Gorion under the title of this Author. Besides this, there are seven Chronicles or historical Books among the Jews, whereof it may be proper to say a word or two in this place.
1°. Seder-olam-Rabba, that is to say, the great Chronicle, or the great order of the Age, so called, to distinguish it from the small Chronicle, which goes under the name of Seder-olam-Seutah; because this is shorter, and a later composition1. It is thought Rabbi Jose Son of Caliptha is the Author of Seder-olam-Rabba; he lived a little after the beginning of the second Century, and was, as is reported, Master to Rabbi Judah the Holy, who composed the Mishna. But Rabbi Azarias in the third part of his Meor-enaim, says, he had seen a Manuscript of it, wherein it was asserted, that the Author lived seven hundred seventy two years after the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem, which answers to the year of Jesus Christ 832. It is very certain, that he did not write till after the Babylonish Talmud, for it contains abundance of fables, and extravagant conceits, which may be clearly discerned to have been taken from thence. The Author scarce speaks of any thing but events which are recorded in the Scripture. Buxtorf says, that it descends to the time of Adrian; and the victory obtained by this Prince over Barchochebas: What proves R. Jose not to be the Author of it is, that he is cited in many places of it. The Author affirms, that the Prophet Elijah, after his transportation, wrote ten letters to King Jehoram; that he wrote the history of the World in the place of his abode; that Job was the Father of Balaam; that Joshua, after the passage of Jordan, wrote the Law in seven Languages, upon the twelve stones which by his order were taken out of Jordan.
The second Chronicle of the Jews is intitled Teshuvoth R. Sherira Gaon. The answers of R. Sherira the sublime Doctor. This is an historical treatise written by way of Questions and Answers; the Work is very short. The Author was President at Babylon, and head of all the Schools and Academies in this Country. He entred upon his office in 967, and was thirty years in possession of this dignity, which he resigned to his Son R. Haia, the last of those who bore the title of Gaon or Sublime Doctors. It was in his time, in 1037, that the King of Babylon, who was a Mahometan, banished all the Jews out of his Dominions; so that all their Schools were forsaken. Sherira wrote the History of these Academies, and inserted the Succession of the several Rabbins who had appeared in them from the Talmud to his time.
The third Chronicle is intitled Sederolam-Zutha, or the lesser Chronicle, to distinguish it from the Seder-olam-Rabbah above-mentioned. The lesser Chronicle was written 1053 years after the destruction of the Temple; that is to say, in the year of Jesus Christ 1123; who the Author of it is we know not. He gives us a very short abridgment of History from the Creation of the World, to the year of Jesus Christ 522. From this time it is continued further for eight Generations, but without mentioning any thing besides names.
The Title of the fourth Chronicle is, Sepher Kabbalah R. Abraham Levitæ Ben -Dior, the Book of Tradition composed by Rabbi Abraham the Levite, Son of Dior. The principal design of this Work is to give an account of the succession of those through whose hands the Traditions of the Jews passed from Generation to Generation, from Moses down to the Author, who was living in the year of Jesus Christ 1160. He follows very much Josephus the Son of Gorion, and is one of those who brought him most into vogue.
The fifth Chronicle is, Sepher Juchasin, or the Book of Genealogies. This Work is larger than any of the four abovementioned. He begins with the Creation, and continues the History down to the year of Jesus Christ 1500. The Author of it was Abraham Zacuth, who published it at Cracow in Poland in the year 1580. he describes with great care the Succession of the Jewish Traditions from mount Sina, and the names of those eminent Doctors, who taught them as low as his own time.
The Title of the sixth Chronicle is Shalsheleth Haccabalah, or the Chain of Tradition. It is an historical Book of the same kind with that preceding. The Author was Rabbi Gedaliah, the Son of Jechaiah, who published it at Venice in 1587.
The seventh Chronicle is Zemah David, or the branch of David. It begins at the Creation, and descends to the year of Jesus Christ 1592, when it appeared at Prague in Bohemia. The subject is the same with that of the two last preceding. The Author was David Ganz a Bohemian Jew. William Henry Vorstius Son of Conrad Vorstius, translated it into Latin, and published it at Leyden in 1644.
The Chronicle of the Prophet Moses, intitled in Hebrew, Dibrei-Hajamina-Schel -Mose, is a fabulous Book concerning the life of Moses, printed at Venice, in 1544, translated into Latin by M. Gaulmin.
The Samaritan Chronicle was published by M. Bernard, and communicated to the Journalists of Lipsick. M. Basnage2 has inserted it with some remarks in his History of the Jews. It begins at the Creation of the World, and continues to the taking of Samaria by Saladin 1187. It is very short and unaccurate. See the Article Samaritans.
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