Chapter I: Introduction: BY

A. H. SAYCE, LL.D.

QUEEN'S COLLEGE, OXFORD, ENGLAND

NEW YORK

FOR SALE BY

D. VAN NOSTRAND COMPANY

SCIENTIFIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

23 MURRAY STREET

1905

COPYRIGHT, 1905

BY

W. S. AUCHINCLOSS

DORNAN, PRINTER,

PHILADELPHIA

QUEEN'S COLLEGE, OXFORD.
SEPTEMBER 4, 1902.

Mr. Auchincloss has asked me to prefix a few words of introduction to his book:

There is little to say, as the book tells its own tale--clear and to the point.

He has very rightly taken the sidereal year as the basis of his calculations; any other system of computation ends only in difficulties.

But the reader will find other novelties, not the least among them being the fact that the prophecies of Daniel are made to end with the beginning of the history of the Christian Church, instead of lengthening out into a still unknown future; this is a great advance on previous interpreters. And he will doubtless be struck by calculations according to which the 1290 Days of the Hebrew Prophet terminated in A.D. 33.

ASSOUAN, EGYPT,
JANUARY 17, 1905.

Thus far I had written in 1902. Since then the public has shown that it can appreciate good work by the rapidity with which copy after copy of Mr. Auchincloss' little book has been called for. It is now issued once more with additions and improvements, but otherwise in an unchanged form.

There is one paragraph in it to which the Assyriologist is now able to add a few words. Mr. Auchincloss draws attention to the sense of completeness and perfection which is associated in the Old Testament, not only with the number seven, but also with the number ten. It has long been known that the Babylonians possessed a week of seven days. But it is only recently that I have pointed out that they also possessed a week of five days. Besides the week of five days, however, there was a double week of ten days, the month consisting of thirty days and being divided into three equal parts.