A new analysis of chronology

"confused even more;" it will form strongholds and fastnesses of skepticism doubting the truth of something and infidelity disbelief in religious systems: and some of the most plausible weapons, the most harmful arrows that have been aimed at the truth and credibility of Sacred History, have been supplied from this source to Voltaire, Bailly, and their associates; even "those misregulators of time, the Bible Chronologists," are subjects of the sharp ridicule of that pretentious wit, Paine.

And what is the current state of chronology? We may learn this from a qualified judge, the celebrated Joseph Scaliger, who thus complained of the variety, disagreement, and imperfection of chronological systems:

"In many matters, judgment is such that the truth has scarcely been reached even between two chronologers. Let the discussions be proof, in which, among so many thousands of chronologers, scarcely two agree on the same matter! Not one of them would shrink from an opinion he held just a short while ago."
original Latin: "In multis judicium, in quibus vix inter duos chronologos verum adepti sunt. Argumento fuerint dissertationes, quas inter tot millia chronologorum, vix inter duos de eadem re conveniat!—Ab eadem opinione ne alter quidem abhorreat, quam dudum."
* On the Improvement of Time, book 1, near the beginning, p. 2. original: "De Emendatione Temporum, lib. 1. sub initio, p. 2."

To illustrate the observations and criticisms of this great technical chronologer, I shall first take an extensive review of the surprising diversity of opinions that have prevailed among chronologers regarding the leading epochs, eras, and periods. These are the reference points by which all historical facts are usually regulated, and they are to CHRONOLOGY what the cardinal points and prime meridians are to ASTRONOMY and GEOGRAPHY. Without them, it would be impossible to accurately map on the celestial and terrestrial globes the true places and relative positions of stars, planets, and comets; or of countries, cities, mountains, and rivers. How carelessly these have been determined until now, and how little of the possible accuracy and precision is required, may be seen from the variety of opinions concerning them.

In every system of Chronology, both sacred and secular, the two grand eras of the Creation of the World and the Nativity of Christ have been usually adopted as standards. By reference to these, all subordinate epochs, eras, and periods have been adjusted, such as those of the Deluge, the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, the reign of Sesostris, the destruction of Troy, the overthrow of Nineveh, the foundation of Solomon’s Temple, the foundation—

of Rome, the Olympiads, the eclipse of Thales, Cyrus, etc. But how wide their variations are may appear from the following lists:

I. Epochs of the Creation.