Analysis of a course of lectures : on mechanics, hydrostatics, pneumatics, and astronomy / read by James Ferguson.

  • Ferguson, James, 1710-1776.
Date:
1761
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Analysis of a course of lectures : on mechanics, hydrostatics, pneumatics, and astronomy / read by James Ferguson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The darknefs at our SAVIOUR’S crucifixion could not poffibly be occafioned by a natural or regu¬ lar eclipfe of the fun ; for it was at the time of the paffover, which was always kept at the time of full moon. He was crucified on the day next before the Jew- lili fabbath, which being kept on our Saturday* the Crucifixion was on Friday. So that the paffover full moon in that year was on a Friday. But it appears by calculation, that there was only one paffover full moon on a Friday from the 20th to the 40th year of our Saviour; and that particular full moon was on the third day of April, in the 33d year of his age, accounted from the vulgar sera of his birth. The 33d year of Chrifi: was the 4746th year of the Julian period, and the fourth year of the 402d Olympiad. Phlegon, a heathen writer, tells us, that in the fourth year of the 402d Olympiad, there was the greatefl eclipfe of the fun that ever was known ; and that “ it was night at the fixth hour of the * c day.” Ptolemy's canon fixes the year, in which the com¬ mandment was given to Ezra by Artaxerxes Longi- manus, to reflore the ftate of the Jews, to the year of the Julian 4256 : and, according to Daniel's prophe¬ cies, the death of C H R IS T was to be at the end of 70 annual weeks, or 490 years, after that time. And 490 years being added to 4256, makes 4746> the above year of the Julian period, which we prove aftronomically to have been the prophetic year of our Saviour’s death; concerning which, we have the teftimony of a heathen writer, who, being not an aftronomer, miftook a fupernatural darknefs for an eclipfe of the fun. FINIS.