Page:A critical and exegetical commentary on Genesis (1910).djvu/335



The Chronology.—The following Table shows the variations of the three chief recensions (MT, [E] and G), together with the chronology of the Book of Jubilees, which for this period parts company with the Sam., and follows a system peculiar to itself (see p. 134 ff. above):

++-++++-++ ++++++++++++ ++++++++++++
 * |        MT.       ||             Sam.           ||        LXX.       |   Jub.   |
 * | 1st Son. | After. || 1st Son. | After. | Total. || 1st Son. | After. | 1st Son. |
 * | 1st Son. | After. || 1st Son. | After. | Total. || 1st Son. | After. | 1st Son. |
 * | 1st Son. | After. || 1st Son. | After. | Total. || 1st Son. | After. | 1st Son. |
 * | 1st Son. | After. || 1st Son. | After. | Total. || 1st Son. | After. | 1st Son. |
 * | 1st Son. | After. || 1st Son. | After. | Total. || 1st Son. | After. | 1st Son. |
 * 1. Shem       |    100   |   500  ||   100    |   500  |   600  ||    100   |   500  |   102?   |
 * 2. Arpakšad   |     35   |   403  ||   135    |   303  |   438  ||    135   |   430  |    66?   |
 * |      |     ||       |     |     ||    130   |   330  |    57    |
 * 3. Shelaḥ  |     30   |   403  ||   130    |   303  |   433  ||    130   |   330  |    71    |
 * 4. Eber       |     34   |   430  ||   134    |   270  |   404  ||    134   |   370  |    64    |
 * 5. Peleg      |     30   |   209  ||   130    |   109  |   239  ||    130   |   209  |    61    |
 * |         |        ||          |        |        || [L. 134] |        |          |
 * 6. Reu        |     32   |   207  ||   132    |   107  |   239  ||    132   |   207  |    59    |
 * 7. Serug      |     30   |   200  ||   130    |   100  |   230  ||    130   |   200  |    57    |
 * 8. Nāḥôr |    29   |   119  ||    79    |    69  |   148  ||     79   |   129  |    62    |
 * |         |        ||          |        |        || [L. 125] |        |          |
 * 9. Teraḥ   |     70   |   135  ||    70    |    75  |   145  ||     70   |   135  |    70    |
 * |   390   |     ||  1040    |     |     ||   1170   |     |   669    |
 * From Flood (or |         |        ||          |        |        || [L. 1174]|        |          |
 * birth of Arp.) |         |        ||          |        |        ||          |        |          |
 * to b. of Abr. |    290   |     ||   940    |     |     ||   1070   |     |   567    |
 * birth of Arp.) |         |        ||          |        |        ||          |        |          |
 * to b. of Abr. |    290   |     ||   940    |     |     ||   1070   |     |   567    |

The three versions plainly rest on a common basis, and it is not easy to decide in favour of the priority of any one of them. On the application to this period of the general chronological theories described on p. 135 f. it is unnecessary to add much. Klostermann maintains his scheme of Jubilee-periods on the basis of G, (a) by allowing a year for the Flood; (b) by adopting the reading of S, 75 instead of 70, in the case of Teraḥ; and (c) by following certain MSS which give 179 for 79 as the age of Naḥor at the birth of Teraḥ. This makes from the Flood to the birth of Abraham 1176 years = 2 × 12 × 49. By an equally arbitrary combination of data of MT and G a similar period of 1176 years is then made out from the birth of Abraham to the Dedication of the Temple.—The seemingly eccentric scheme of Jub. shows clear indications of a reckoning by year-weeks. Since the birth of Arpakšad is said (vii. 18) to have occurred two years after the Flood, we may conclude that it was assigned to 1309, the 102nd year of Shem. This