ed from the beginning or end of the forty fixth year after the Departure of the Ifraelites out of Agypt, But befides that the perfpicuity of the Words of Caleb is an undeniable Argument against Petavius, it is evident that the year of the Diftribution of the Land was a Sabbatic year, and that of the cultivating of the Land the firit of both the Sabbatick and Jubilean Cycles. S. 2. Laurentius Codomannus L. 2. Chron. Johannes Different Temporarius in his Chronological Demonftrations 1.4. Opinions Jacobus Capellus, and feveral other Modern Chronoconcerning logers, are of Opinion that the first year of cultivathe Epocha ting the Land was the fortieth after the Departure of of cultiva- the Ifraelites out of Egypt; at which time Joshua beting the ing declared Succeffor to Mofes, they paffed Jordan, Ground. and the Manna ceased. But it feems very improbable to me, that the fews fhould immediately after the paffing that River, have begun to cultivate the Ground before they were in poffeffion of any confiderable part of it; and that in a fertile Country, where, without queftion, they found the Cities and Country ftored with all manner of Neceffaries for their Sufte nance. The pinion S. 3. In Seder Olam, or the Hebrew Chronicle, of the Jews published by Genebrardus, which is of great Autho concerning rity among the fews, the Author pretends to evince, it. that the Divifion of the Land was not made till feven years after the fix and fortieth year from the going out of Egypt, but thefe are mere Jewish Trifles, not deferving a place here, as may be seen in Serrarius in Jof.c. 13. quast. 14. CHAP. XI. Of the Epocha of the Deftruction of TR OY. RULES. 1. This Epocha being much involved in Fables and Poetical Fictions, the fame must be carefully diftinguished from the true Hiftorical Relations; fo that that neither all that has been left us by Antiquity of the Destruction of Troy, ought to be looked upon as fabulous; nor the true Hiftory tainted with the Fictions of the Poets. 2. Care ought to be taken that the time of the Deftruction of Troy be not confounded with that of the beginning of the War, it being evident out of Virgil L. 2. Æneid. that it was not taken till after a ten years War; and the Author called Dares Phrygius makes it ten years, fix Months, and twelve Days. 3. According to the Teftimony of Timæus in Cenforinus; from the fi ft Olympiad, which began in Summer, reckoning backwards to the time of the beginning of the Trojan War, there are 417 years. 4. From the Deftruction of Troy to the first Olympiad, are 408 years. From the Trojan War, Jays Diodorus Siculus 1. 1. Bib. to the time of the Return of the Heraclides, I compute 80 years, and from thence to the firft Olympiad, 328 years. 5. Soon after the Deftruction of Troy, Eneas with Some of his Countrymen arrived in Italy; from whence the People of Rome derived their Origin, according to St. Austin 1. 3. c. 2. de Civ. Dei. It ought not to be paffed by in Silence here, fays Solinus c. 8. that Aneas in the second year after the Destruction of Troy came into Italy with 600 of his Countrymen, and pitched his Tents near Laurentum. 6. The Arcades, Pelafgi Epeans of Elis, and the Trojans, were thofe Nations that laid the fift Foundation of Rome, in the 402d year after she Deftruction of Troy, and the 7th Olympiad, ac cording to Dionyfius Halicarnaffæus Rom. Am. L. 2. But Velleins Paterculus corrected by Shopkius and Lipfius dares te building of Rome 432 years after the taking of Troy. *Aftas. 7. The Trojan War and the Deftruction of that Ci- 9. Mneltheus King of Athens was prefent in the 10. From the Nativity of Mofes till the Destruction 12. From the Destruction of Troy till the year 3. From the Deftruction of Troy, till the time of Lactantius, who writ in the year 287 after the Birth of Chrift are 1470 years according to Lactantius, L. 1. de falf. Relig. 14. All the Ancients agree, that the Destruction of And scarce the kindly Spring, F. Dryden. IS. The 15. The Month of Thargelion was always accounted unfortunate among the Barbarians; because on the four and twentieth day of this Month Troy was believed to have been taken, arcording to Ephorus, Callifthenes, Damasthes, Philarchus and flutarch in the Life of Camillus. 2 15. The time of the day when the victorious Greeks entred the City of Troy, is thus defcribed by Virgil, Lib. 2. En. Mean time the rapid Heavens roul'd down the light, And foon after, -Their Forces joyn T' invade the Town oppreffed with Sleep and Wive J. Dryden. 17. From what has been alledged upon the Authority of the best Hiftorians, it may probably be inferred, that the Deftruction of Troy hapned in the 3530th year of the Julian Period, Cyc. .2. D. 15. in the Night betwixt the 11th and 12th day of June. besinring 18. If therefore 3529 years and five Months be fub- To find out tracted from any certain year of the Julian Peri- the year od the Refidue flows the year fince the beginning of this Ep cha, and if the fad 3529 years be added of his 17to the year of the faid Epocha, the Product gives boot. the year of the Julian Period. S. 1. HOW Whether aion of Troy be only a Fa ble. The Destru. S. t.How famous foever the Destruction of Troy is, both among the Greek and Latin Hiflorians, yet there are fome who call in Queftion either the whole or the greatest part of what the Ancients have left us, concerning it: Among the first of thofe was Dio Chryfoftomus, who relying upon the Authority of a certain Egyptian Prieft, relates, that it appeared out of the Ancient Egyptian Monuments, that Helen was the Daughter of Tyndareus King of Sparta, and was married to Alexander the Son of Priamus, King of Troy. That the Greeks out of a Motive of Jealoufie of the Greatness and Power of Troy, had entred into a Confpiracy against Priamus ; but with very ill Succefs, the Trojans having gotten the better of the Greeks in feveral Engagements, in one of which Achilles was flain by Hector. One Metrodorus of Lampfacus, introduced by Tatianus, denies that there were ever fuch Perfons living, as Hector, Achilles, Agamemnon, Helen and Paris; and that these Names were only invented by the Poets to adorn their Fictions.Philippus Cluverius Ital. Ant. Lib. 3.c.2 does not abfolutely contradict the Deftruction of Troy but speaks much in commendation of Dio; and abfolutely rejects the Story of Eneas his coming into Italy. But tho' it be undeniable that the Greeks were not the most exact in their Annals, which have been much adulterated by the fabulous Relations of the Poets; yet this cannot be alledged as a fufficient Reafon for the rejecting fo confiderable a part of Hiftory, confirmed by the Authority not only of the Greeks but of the Latins, and moft other Nations. It is unquestionable that the Ruins of Troy are undeniable Arguments of its former Greatnefs, which our Adverfaries, to fave themfelves, pretend to have been destroyed by Earthquakes and Inundations. But it appears to me unreafonable to call to our Aid the Elements to maintain the Authority of a certain Egyptian Prieft, in Oppofition to what has been afferted for Truth by fo many Greek and other Hiftorians. §. 2. Thofe |