457 Absolute
chronology by Isaac Newton cited in Review and Herald 1906 and Stephen
Haskell Ezra and Nehemiah Sabbathschool Quarterly of 1907 pages 19-20
Seventh Day Adventist
Pioneer Stephen Haskell wrote in 1907 in the Ezra and Nehemiah Sabbath School
Quarterly:
“The following taken
from an editorial in the Review and Herald of April 5, 1906, contains
important historical data on this question, and should be carefully studied: According to the
generally accepted chronology, the seventh of Artaxerxes was B. a. 457, as is
noted in the margin of the Authorized Version of the book of Ezra; but, as is
the case with almost every important doctrine, some have disputed this; late,
and have asserted that there was not sufficient proof to establish this
important position. We have therefore thought it might be worth the while to
bring forward some historical evidence bearing upon this question, evidence of
such a character that it can not be set aside by mere assertion. As the extract which
we shall quote involves some abbreviations and expressions not now in common
use in reckoning time, we will interpret some of them, so that all our readers
may have as clear an understanding as possible of the grounds upon which the
reckoning is based. The expression "An. 1, Olymp. 87" means "in
the first year of the eighty-seventh Olympiad," and the expression
"An. 4, Olymp. 88" means "in the fourth year of the
eighty-eighth Olympiad," and the expression "An. 1, Olymp. 75"
means "in the first year of the seventy-fifth Olympiad," and the
expression " An. 4, Olymp. 83" means " in the fourth year of the
eighty-third Olympiad." The Olympiad was "the period of four years
between any two celebrations of SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON QUARTERLY 19 the Olympic
games," at Olympia in Elis, one of the States of Greece, the first
Olympiad being reckoned from B. c. 776. Whenever the abbreviation "An. J.
P." occurs, it may be interpreted, "The year of the
Julian Period." this was "a chronological period of 7,980 years,
combining the solar, lunar, and indiction cycles," which was given a
theoretical starting-point in B. c. 4713. "The Julian Period was proposed
by Scaliger, to remove or avoid ambiguities in chronological dates, and was so
named because composed of Julian years." The abbreviation "lib."
should be read "book." The expression " Anno Urbis Conditae 273"
may be read•" in the two hundred and seventy-third year from the founding of
the city," referring to the founding of Home in B. c. 754. The other
abbreviations will doubtless be understood by the average reader. The quotation to which
reference has been made is from Part I, Chap. 10, of Sir Isaac Newton's work on
the _prophecies of Daniel, and reads as follows-: The grounds of the chronology
here followed [to show that the seventh year of Artaxerxes was B. c. 457] I
will now set down as briefly as I can. The Peloponnesian War
began in spring, An. 1, Olymp. 87 (s. c. 432), Diodorus, Eusebius, and all
other authors agree. It began two months before Pythodorus ceased to be Archon (Thucyd.
1, 2), that is, in April, two months before the end of the Olympic year. Now,
the years of this war are most certainly determined by the fifty years distance
of its first year from the transit of Xerxes inclusively (Thucyd. 1, 2), or
fortyeight years exclusively (Eratosth, apud Clem. Alex.) ; by the sixty-nine
years distance of its end, of twenty-seventh year, from the beginning of
Alexander's reign in Greece; by the acting of the Olympic games in its fourth
and twelfth years (Thucyd. 1, 5) ; and by three eclipses of the sun and one of
the moon, mentioned by Thucydides and Xenophon. Now, Thucydides, an
unquestionable witness, tells us that the news of the death of Artaxerxes
Longimanus was brought to Ephesus, and from thence by some Athenians. to
Athens, in the seventh year of the Peloponnesian, when the winter half-year was
running, and therefore he died An. 4, Olymp. 88. in the end of An. J. P. 4289
.(B. C. 425), suppose a month, or two, before mid-winter, for so long the news
would be in coming Now, Artaxerxes
Longimanus reigned forty years, by the consent of Diodorus, Eusebius, Jerome,
Sulpitius, or forty-one, according to Ptol. in Can., Clem. Alexand. (1. 1),
Strom., Chron Alexand., Abulpharagius, Nicephorus, including therein the reign of
his successors,. Xerxes and Sogdian, as Abulpharagius inform 20 SABBATH-SCHOOL
LESSON QUARTERLY us. After Artaxerxes, reigned his son, Xerxes, two months, and
Sogdian, seven months; but their reign is not reckoned apart in summing up the
years of the kings, but is included in the forty, or forty-one years' reign of
Artaxerxes omit these nine mouths, and the precise reign of . Artaxerxes will
be thirty-nine years and three months. And therefore since his reign ended in
the beginning of winter, An. J. P. 4289 (B. c. 425), it began between midsummer
and autumn An. J. P. 4250 (B. c. 464). The same thing I
gather also thus: Cambyses began his reign in spring, An. J. P. 4185 (B. c.
529), and reigned eight years, including the five months of Smerdis; and then
Darius Hystaspes began in spring, An. J. P. 4193 (B. c. 521), and reigned
thirty-six years, by the unanimous consent of all chronologers. The reigns of
these two kings are determined by three eclipses of the moon, observed at
Babylon, and recorded by Ptolemy; so that it can not be disputed.' One was in
the seventh year of Cambyses, An. J. P. 4191 (B. C. 523), July 16, at eleven at
night; another in the twentieth year of Darius, An. J. P. 4212 (B. C. 502),
November 19, at 11:45 at night; a third in the thirty-first year of Darius, An.
J. P. 4223 (B. c. 491), April 25, at 11:30 at. night. By these eclipses, and
the prophecies of Haggai and Zechary compared together, it is manifest that his
years began after the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh Jewish month, and
before the twenty-fifth day of April, and by consequence "about March.
Xerxes, therefore, began in' spring, An. J. P. 4229 (B. C. 485), for Darius
died in the fifth year after the battle of Marathon, as Herodotus (lib. 7) and
Plutarch mention; and that battle was in October, An. J. P. 4224 (B. c. 490),
ten years before the battle of Salamis. Xerxes, therefore, began within less than
a year after October, An. J. P. 4228 (B. C. 486), suppose in the spring
following; for he spent his first five years, and something more, in
preparations for his expedition against the Greeks; and this expedition was in the
time of the Olympic games, An. 1, Olymp. 75, Calliade Athenis Archonte,
twenty-eight years after his regifuge and consulship of the first counsel,
Junius Brutus, Anno Urbis Conditm 273 '(3. C. 481), Fabio and Furio Coss. The
passage of Xerxes' army over the Hellespont began in the end of the fourth year
of the seventy-fourth Olympiad; that is, in June, An. J. P.. 4234 (B. c. 480),
and took up one month; and in autumn, three months after, on the full moon, the
sixteenth day of the month of Munychion, Was the battle of Salamis, and a
little after that an eclipse of the sun, which, by the calculation; fell, on
October SABBATH-SCHOOL LESSON
QUARTERLY 21 2. His sixth year,
therefore, began a little before June,Ctuppose in spring, An. J. P. 4234 (B. C.
480), and his first year consequently in spring, An. J. P. 4229 (B. C. 485), as
above. Now, he reigned almost twenty-one years, by the consent of all writers. Add the seven months
of Artabanus, and the sum will be twenty one years and about four or five
months, which end between mid-summer and autumn, An. J.'P. 4250 (B. c. 464).
At, this time, therefore, began the reign of his successor, Artaxerxes, as was to
be proved. The same thing is also
confirmed by Julius Africanus, who informs us out of former writers that the
twentieth year of this Artaxerxes was the one hundred and fifteen-qv year from the
beginning • of the reign of Cyrus in Persia, and fell in with An. 4, Olymp. 83.
It began, therefore, with the Olympic year soon after the summer solstice. An.
J. P. 4269 (B. c. 445). Subduct nineteen
years, and his first year will begin at the, same time of the year, An. J. P.
4250 (B. c. 464), as above. Thus, by three independent lines of historical
proof, Sir Isaac Newton shows that Artaxerxes began. His reign in B. C. 464,
and "the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king" would consequently be B.
c. 457.”