Page:Chronologies and calendars (IA chronologiescale00macdrich).pdf/84

 his MSS. Even the adherents of the Jerusalem Talmud cannot gainsay the fact. How much more, then, must those who hold the Talmud as pro non scripto doubt the conclusions of both works.

112. But events much older than these have been fixed in a similar manner. Thus Sir Henry Rawlinson was able, from the occurrence of an eclipse of the sun, B.C. 763, to fix the order of the Assyrian dates indicated in, or arising from, the translation of ancient terra-cotta tablets, Again, the battle between the Median and Lydian kings long remained in history without any exact date, until Bailly, in the last century, calculated the solar eclipse which indirectly put an end to the battle; and he found that the date corresponded with our 30th September, 610 B.C.

113. Coming nearer modern times, the Norse invasion under Haco is mentioned in the Norwegian Chronicle as having taken place in one summer when 'a great darkness drew over the sun, so that only a small ring was bright round the orb.' Thus unconsciously, as Tytler points out, there is afforded to modern science the date for dating Haco's great expedition, and the needful calculations show that the time was 5th Aug., 1263.

114. Of course these and the former figures, it should be stated, are given on the chronological, not the astronomical, basis, for astronomers look upon the solar year next immediately preceding our era as 0, and the year before that as 1, so that B.C. 1 to chronologers is equal to B.C. 0 among astronomers. This peculiarity will often meet difficulties as to dates, at least such dates as are commonly received by historians in connecting pre and post Advent events.