| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 1339.1 | | REGENT::BROOMHEAD | Don't panic -- yet. | Tue May 25 1993 19:39 | 14 |
| "Many Xians cite another date, 4004 BCE. Does anyone know the derivation
of this date? Is it independent of our tradition?"
Back in 1650, Archbishop Usher went through a Bible and, working back
from some known date or other, using the ages of the Patriarchs and so
forth, decided that the world had been created in 4004 B.C. In the
nineteenth century, one Dr. John Lightfoot carried it further: "Man
was created by the Trinity on the twenty-third of October, 4004 B.C.,
at nine o'clock in the morning."
Never mind that these techniques could not be used to get a good
division between "B.C." and "A.D.".
Ann B.
|
| 1339.2 | whatsit? | TNPUBS::STEINHART | Back in the high life again | Tue May 25 1993 23:05 | 7 |
| What is a Xian? Sounds like a new race out of Startrek.
Actually, that's the name of a Chinese restaurant in Nashua. Are they
heavily into Bible studies, with a side of Chinese noodles??
Laura
|
| 1339.3 | Xian | RANGER::GLICKLER | | Tue May 25 1993 23:15 | 5 |
| Laura,
I wondered about this too. Earlier today a light bulb went on an
I realized that it must stand for Christian.
Sheldon (Shelly)
|
| 1339.4 | Xians | TNPUBS::STEINHART | Back in the high life again | Wed May 26 1993 16:10 | 12 |
| Thanks Shelly. A sober answer. But Xian as a Startrek race is lots
more fun!
Weird looking creatures appear in the transporter. Creature: "We are
Xians. We have been studying the Bible and have new interpretations."
Captain Picard, with a quizzical look: "Please join me in the lounge.
We are interested in hearing your interpretations."
:-)
Laura
|
| 1339.5 | more and less than requested | SUBWAY::KABEL | doryphore | Wed May 26 1993 23:10 | 17 |
| Actually, Archbishop James Ussher (1581--1656) wrote on page 1 of
_The Annals of the World_ (published posthumously in 1658): "Which
beginning of time according to our Chronologie, fell upon the
entrance of the night preceding the twenty third day of October in
the year of the Julian calendar, 710." Actually, Ussher wrote in
Latin, this is a standard translation. Ussher's words, in part, are
"In ipse primi diei medio creata est lux." The creation took place
on the 22nd of October, but light was created midday on the 23rd.
Stephen J Gould of Harvard wrote a strong (empassioned?) defense of
Ussher in his column in the November 1991 issue of the magazine
_Natural History_. He argues that Ussher applied the best scientific
dating principles of his day, and that Ussher was doing his part to
rationalize chronology. Gould writes "Ussher's chronology is a work
within the generous and liberal tradition of humanistic scholarship,
not a restrictive document written to impose authority."
|