Page:03.BCOT.KD.HistoricalBooks.B.vol.3.LaterProphets.djvu/133

 high priest, - a period of 299 years (vide the Chronological View of the Period of the Judges, ii. 1, S. 217). Five high priests - Eleazar, Phinehas, Abishua, Bukki, and Uzzi - are too few; for in that case each one of them must have discharged the office for 60 years, and have begotten the son who succeeded him in the office only in his 60th year, or the grandson must have regularly succeeded the grandfather in the office, - all of which suppositions appear somewhat incredible. Clearly, therefore, intermediate names must have been omitted in our register. To the period from Eli till the deposition of Abiathar, in the beginning of Solomon's reign - which, according to the chronological survey, was a period of 139 years - the last five names from Zerahiah to Zadok correspond; and as 24 years are thus assigned to each, and Zadok held the office for a number of years more under Solomon, we may reckon an average of 30 years to each generation. For the following period of about 417 years from Solomon, or the completion of the temple, till the destruction of the temple by the Chaldaeans, the twelve names from Ahimaaz the son of Zadok to Jehozadak, who was led away into captivity, give the not incredible average of from 34 to 35 years for each generation, so that in this part of our register not many breaks need be supposed. But if we examine the names enumerated, we find (1) that no mention is made of the high priest Jehoiada, who raised the youthful Joash to the throne, and was his adviser during the first years of his reign (2 Kings 11, and 2Ch 22:10; 2Ch 24:2), and that under Ahaz, Urijah, who indeed is called only הכּהן, but who was certainly high priest (2Ki 16:10.), is omitted; and (2) we find that the name Azariah occurs three times (1Ch 6:9, 1Ch 6:10, and 1Ch 6:11), on which Berth. remarks: “Azariah is the name of the high priest in the time of Solomon (1Ki 4:2), in the time of Uzziah (2Ch 26:17), and in the time of Hezekiah (2Ch 31:10).” Besides this, we meet with an Amariah, the fifth after Zadok, whom Lightf., Oehler, and others consider to be the high priest of that name under Jehoshaphat, 2Ch 19:11. And finally, (3) in the historical account in 2Ki 22:4., Hilkiah is mentioned as high priest under Josiah, while according to our register (1Ch 6:13) Hilkiah begat Azariah; whence we must conclude either that Hilkiah is not the high priest of that name under Josiah, or Azariah is not the person of that name who lived in the time of Hezekiah. As regards