A Partial Solution with More Difficulties

A Difficulty with the Chronology of St Jerome? · A Partial Solution with More Difficulties

When FB friends fail, I go to Haydock:

HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY ON THE OLD TESTAMENT
3 KINGS 6
https://www.ecatholic2000.com/haydock/untitled-328.shtml#navPoint_329

Ver. 1. Eightieth year. This chronology meets with the approbation of most people. See Usher. C. xii. Some, however, find a difficulty in reconciling it with Acts xiii. 20, which seems to attribute 450 years to the government of the judges. C. --- Sept. have 440; Josephus 592, though Ruffin neglects the 90 in his version; Petau 520; Severus 582; Clem.Alex. 566; Vossius 380; Cano 590; Serarius 680. --- Houbigant would read 350 in the Acts. But Capellus would add 200 here, &c. H. --- Second of the sacred year, corresponding with our April. Syr. Chaldee styles it "of the splendour of flowers." M. --- The Hurons, and other nations of America, call this "the moon of plants;" the Flemings, "the month for mowing," Grasmaand. Our Saxon ancestors gave descriptive names to the months. See Verstegan. H. --- At first, the Hebrews only described the months by their order; "first, second," &c. In Solomon's time we begin to find other names, taken from the Phenicians, (Scalig.) Chaldees, (Grot.) or Egyptians. Hardouin, A. 2993. --- After the captivity, at least, the Chaldee names were adopted; (H.) 1. Nisan; 2. Jar; 3. Sivan; 4. Tammus; 5. Ab; 6. Elul; 7. Tisri; 8. Marshevan; 9. Casleu; 10. Thebet; 11. Schebet; 12. Adar; (C.) 13. Veadar, the intercalary month, when requisite, according to the lunar system, which was not perhaps yet adopted. Each of these months generally corresponded with two of ours; Nisan with the end of March and the beginning of April, &c. Sept. here take no notice of Zio, though they do, v. 37. H. --- The temple was begun on Monday, May 21, A. 2992. Usher. --- It was finished A. 3000, or in the following year, when it was solemnly dedicated. Button.

HAYDOCK CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY ON THE NEW TESTAMENT
ACTS 13
https://www.ecatholic2000.com/haydock/ntcomment108.shtml

Ver. 20. Chronology only gives about 350 years from the entrance into the land of promise to the end of Samuel's judicial government, who was the last of the judges. V.

What is the full text of the passage in Acts 13?

Acts 13 - Douay-Rheims
http://drbo.org/chapter/51013.htm

Exodus:

[17] The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they were sojourners in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought them out from thence,

Desert walk, 40 years

[18] And for the space of forty years endured their manners in the desert.

Judges 450 years:

(presumably including Joshua and Samuel)

[19] And destroying seven nations in the land of Chanaan, divided their land among them, by lot, [20] As it were, after four hundred and fifty years: and after these things, he gave unto them judges, until Samuel the prophet.

(Samuel not counted?)

(since the verse ends on "until Samuel")

Saul 40 years:

[21] And after that they desired a king: and God gave them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, forty years.

David 40 years:

[22] And when he had removed him, he raised them up David to be king: to whom giving testimony, he said: I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man according to my own heart, who shall do all my wills.

040 040
450 490
040 530
040 570
004 574

0968 1028
0574 0574
1542 1602

David anointed 1032 -> temple begun 968 -> Exodus in 1542? Solomon anointed in 1032 -> temple begun 1028 -> Exodus in 1602?

Why then the St Jerome date for Exodus 1510? And the Syncellus date 1685?

However, this seems to indicate, while Biblical chronology is certainly in autographs inerrant, it is not "infallible" in so far as that one cannot go wrong in it. There are clear snags.

Before anyone hastily concludes there is a conflict between Act 13 and III Kings 6, I submit the possibility that III Kings 6 might be a "sundial chronology" - omitting dark years (when Israel was unfaithful) like a sundial omits to count hours that are cloudy or at night.

Hans Georg Lundahl
Nanterre UL
Stigmata of St. Francis*
17.IX.2018

* In monte Alverniae, in Etruria, commemoratio Impressionis sacrorum Stigmatum, quibus sanctus Franciscus, Ordinis Minorum Institutor, in suis manibus, pedibus et latere, mirabili Dei gratia, impressus fuit. - While it is also the heavenly birthday of St Robert Bellarmine, he has another feast day : Romae natalis sancti Roberti Bellarmino, Confessoris, e Societate Jesu, atque Cardinalis et Capuani olim Episcopi, sanctitate, doctrina, et plurimis ad catholicae fidei et Apostolicae Sedis defensionem susceptis laboribus clarissimi; quem Pius Undecimus, Pontifex Maximus, Sanctorum honoribus auxit et universalis Ecclesiae Doctorem declaravit, ejusque festum tertio Idus Maji recolendum indixit.

To any KJV optimist, that version has the same years as Douay Rheims in both places: 1 Kings 6:1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord. Acts 13:20 And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

Erratum : 968 BC for temple of Solomon's inception in St Jerome Chronology, should be 988. This has a consequence for the Exodus date too:

0988
0574
1562