SCRIPTURE MAGAZINE;

OR,

DEPOSITORY

OF

SACRED LITERATURE.

The Scripture Almanack

FOR 1826:

PURPORTING TO EXHIBIT

SOME OF THE MEMORABLE EVENTS AND SACRED SEASONS OF THE BIBLE,

TOGETHER WITH

An Arrangement of the Scriptures, in Chronological Order,

TO BE READ THROUGH THE YEAR,

With the respective

A FEW preliminary observations may be submitted, as explanatory of the object and plan of the present undertaking.

It must be primarily remarked, that the main object of this new kind of Almanack, or Chronometer, is, to promote the personal reading of the Holy Scriptures.

The order of Chronology is naturally adopted, according to the arrangement of the Rev. George Townsend's valuable edition of the English Vulgate, "on the basis of Lightfoot's Chronicle:"-a publication, which deserves to be better known. This method of reading the Scriptures must be the most intelligible; and ought therefore to be generally observed.

The desirableness of perusing the whole of the Sacred Writings in the course of the year, requires no argument for its recommendation; and it may be easily accomplished, by reading not more than eighty or ninety of the present verses every day.

In assigning the portions for daily reading, regard, however, must be had, not merely to the due quantum of verses, but also to certain judicious sectional divisions. Every day, therefore, may exhibit a diversity of numerical quantity; but the average number will be nearly equal.

A synchronical classification of the Hebrew and English months may not be here unsuitably given, for the purposes of reference and recollection.

The reader scarcely needs to be reminded, that these months do not perfectly correspond with each other: but it is inexpedient here, to enlarge on this topic. 2

1 Here may be noticed, what the learned Lamy very ingeniously attempted, and which forms, of his Introduct. "chap. x." and is entitled by his English translator, "A new method of disposing of the several parts of the Holy Scriptures, in such a manner as that they may all be read in the space of a year; and with most convenience and advantage." pp. 496-511. This plan is regulated by certain ecclesiastical divisions of the year, assigning portions of Scrip. ture to different weeks: while "there are generally but three or four chapters to be read in a day;" and the author has "mixed the moral and historical books together as well as he could, that so every one may daily find some spiritual nourishment and edification."

See p. 25 of "Calendarium Palestinæ," &c. by W. Carpenter; price 2s. 6d. with a Map of Palestine a very valuable work, just published; which needs only to be mentioned, to induce every reader to treat himself with its possession.

In the form of additional notes, at the close of every month, it may be neither unprofitable nor inconsistent to introduce a few selections from the Jewish Calendar, together with some observations of an economical kind relative to Palestine.

It is useful to preserve in remembrance, what are the

Scripture Seasons.

Seed-time, ; from the beginning of October, to the beginning of December.

These introductory observations may be concluded by some extracts from a work of high repute, but of considerable magnitude1; and therefore probably not at the command of several, who are the readers of this Magazine.

Economical Calendar of Palestine.

"The late Mr. Harmer earnestly wished for such a regular account of the various times, seasons, and events of the year, in Palestine, or Syria, as might form a calendar, by which to regulate our notions of the employments and duties of the inhabitants; of their expectations concerning what seasons they thought likely to occur; and of those numerous occupations which depend on the vicissitudes of summer and winter, of seed-time and harvest. The same wishes animated the Directors of the Royal College of Gottingen, and being strongly persuaded of the advantages to be derived in the study of Scripture from such a calendar, they proposed to the students, as a prize question, the compilation of a work on this subject, which should be selected from travellers of acknowledged authority. No doubt they would have been glad if any individual, resident in Palestine, or in Syria, had composed this calendar from

1 Calmet's Diction. of the Holy Bible, in 5 vols. 4to. fourth edition; of which, vol. iii. p. 137 and 138, furnish the present citations; aud p. 139–171, comprise at full length, the "Economical Calendar of Palestine."

B 2

actual observation: and had minuted down the subjects of his notice as they occurred to him, at such a time, and in such a place but this being as yet a desideratum, they rewarded with the prize that composition which came the nearest to the advantages of such a performance."

"The author, Johan Gottlieb Buhle, fellow of the Philologic Seminary at Brunswick, entitled it, "Calendarium Palestina Economicum;" and being written in Latin, it was not only adapted thereby to the character of a seat of learning, but was readily communicated throughout Europe, for the benefit of distant enquirers into sacred œconomics."

"The question proposed by the Order of Philosophers, to the Students of George Augustus' Academy, June 4, 1785, was as follows:

"An Economic Calendar of Palestine, collected from Itineraries, might contribute much to the better understanding of the Sacred Writings by which we mean, that from Itineraries should be collected, and regularly digested for every month in the year, the seasons for rains, snows, and fine weather: the time of sowing, blossoming, ripening, and of the harvest, of the wheat, zea, barley, rice, millet; at what time the trees and herbs blossom, at what time their fruit is ripe, and particularly the time of the first and second vintages."

"Since the climate is not the same in all parts of Palestine, but is different at Jericho, where it is hottest, from what it is at Jerusalem, in Galilee, on the mountains of Samaria, on Libanus, and in the valleys below, it is always to be marked, where the author saw what is quoted from his works."

"These things are to be collected from Itineraries alone, not from the Sacred Writings, nor from the Talmud, or other Jewish writings: lest the writer should be perplexed by so much labour, and lest the bulk of the work and the number of conjectures, should embarrass the readers."

"To satisfy this demand to the utmost of my power, after having first examined the best Itineraries of Palestine, I have endeavoured to collect what I thought most suited my purpose. Besides, as the climate of Northern Africa, of Phoenicia, Syria, the island of Cyprus, considered in a general point of view, is nearly the same as that of Palestine, I have not hesitated to use the Itineraries of these parts."