The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-03
YEAR OF THE NATIVITY.

OF
The able treatise by Roger Q. Greene is
q very welcome and valuable contriou-
ton to the controversy over the year Of
the nativity. II detracts nothing from the
merit OF his painstaking research that
scholars have long since reached the con-
ciusion that Diony.ius Exiguus. the learn
ed Scythian, who established Christian
chronology, was mistaken II has long
been supposed that Jesus Christ was real
ly born IN the year B. c.. as IL Is now
called Dionysius did not mako the COM
putation until more than 500 years after
the time OF Christ. and with his limited
means of access to records discovered
only within q comparatively recent time.
the wonder is that he came SO near the
truth.
rnony was offered by contemporary his
tory as to the year OF the nativity. The
phenomena said 10 have attended that
most wonderful event might have been
observed by tina ignorant world without
knowledge OF the event on earth which
astounding events which, it would seem.
might have been verified by those asso-
ciated with them within the few years
when their full significance became
known. The day and the month were
easily enough. perhaps, forgotten before
the close Of the thirty years which COM
posed the active life OF Jesus, but the
year must have been closely identified
with important events recorded by pro-
fame history.
The most significant fact relied upon by
the critics is the death OF Herod, which
Josephus says took place thirty-sevenyears
after he had been declared king by the
Romans. This took place A. L. c. III.
and by the Jewish mode Of counting must
have been between y. c. and 3. c.
He was certainly dead before the pass
over OF April r. Is. c. Macrobius re-
fers to the fact of Herod ordering boys
under years of age to be slain. and it is
recorded that Joseph did not return from
Egypt until after the death OF Herod.
Josephus speaks OF tae clamor of 'the
mothers OF those who had been slain by
him." which Is very similar to ST. Mat
thew's description of the lamentations.
The most valuable result OF Judge
Greens's studies IS the fixing OF the day.
December Is cannot be traced further
back than the middle OF the fourth CEN
tury, and all hope OF moro nearly fixing
It had long been abandoned. Something
more than merely superficial inquiry
is needed. In such an intricate calcula-
ton, TO determine It's accuracy. bat
Judge Greene's corroborative testimony is
so strong that It leaves little Doubt that
he is right. The extraordinary conjunc-
ton Of Mars. Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces,
which takes place in the sarne constela-
ton of the sans trigoa only once In T94
years. has been used upon which TO base
a calculation OF the year. II Is known
positively 10 have occurred In 1913 A. D.,
and was followed next year by the sp-
psaranos OF a new star OF the first nagni-
tude IN the foot Of opiuefus, and the the
cry has been advanced that a similar star
or the same star Is the one seen by the
Magi One cycle OF 794 years would throw
back such a conjunction TO the year ss.
and that appearing next previously must
have been in the year Is. The result OF
this calculation. although IL the early
days &, was not known. 6oes not give en-
tirely satisfactory results. Better re-
suits are given from the observation that
an eclipse OF the moon was known to have
taken place MarcA Il. 2. c. Gudgs
Greene places IL a. March Is. and this
may Re more oorrect). on which night
Esroa ordered some Jewish bois 70 be
burnt for urging their pupils TO destroy
his golden eagle.
It canno; but b Observed IN an inquiry
INTO the subject that al writer's OF author
ity discard entirely those particular phs-
acmsnA dwels upon BY ST. Matthew. The
Immaculate conception. upon which so
much rests. does not appear 20 have been
known generally. although, according 10
that authority, Il was known 20 several
members OF the family OF Mary and 10
Elizabeth. the wife OF a rrieet os we'll
established integrity, and whose testimony
would so so far 70 establish In IT'S minds
% - N"A A1@s'-0 lie t~ia--e-sn1llA4 rack
II e one % the curfosltt.s OF historic
utsrASare tsat far less IL knoxn OF the
Hss a HIM VINO has eSsn wor.h!pe. &c
TIE sea q God BY millions for nigh TWO
thousand years than % earrhly kings
an3 other pre-sminent person. flourish
{zg throughout i've tAogsan. years e1sors
that tfrrs.
TIE entlrs design o: salvation 70 wrap
pei IT. aaysssry. ss Il The tnc.3eut q shs
fsa Taose vho approach the subject os
TIE .lse ard r-.sszoa &C r. savior WITH
profound reverence ara falta Ia RS dIvins
pavpose need 10; a4ve either disturbed
- ths absence oS 100 material chron-
ssoEy sa4 personal record Ne gocs pur-