Accounts Of Books

An Essay towards the Recovery of the Jewish Weights and Measures, Comprehending their Money, by help of Ancient Standards compared with ours of England. By Richard Cumberland, D.D. in Octavo, London, 1686. The Learned Author of this Treatise, has with a great deal of Industry and Judgment, Collected the several Testimonies both Ancient and Modern, Sacred and Profane, that may give any light into the discovery of the Ancient Jewish Weights and Measures: In the doing whereof he relies chiefly upon the Tryals of Mr. Greaves, whose Integrity was never yet questioned, and who with his own hands compared our English Standard Foot with the several Foreign Measures our Author has occasion to use: The Book consists of Four Chapters, whereof the first by way of Preface, gives an account of the Method proper to be used in this Discovery. The second proves by many Arguments the likelihood that the Jewish Ammah or Cubit, was the same with the present Egyptian Cubit; to do which, he alledges that the usual Rise of Nilus, necessary for the fertilizing of Egypt, was in the days of Herodotus, as well as now, about 16 Cubits; whence he concludes, that the old Cubit of Egypt is not altered, but the Divisions on the Nilometrion are the same as in all Antiquity: Also that the constant necessity of Surveying their Lands, by reason the Annual over-flowing does Efface their Land-marks, obliged them to observe a constant Standard to avoid confusion. Next he alledges this Cubit not to have been altered by any Conquest; the Babylonian Cubit of Five Palms being shorter, and that of Six being the same; that their next Conquerors the Greeks and Romans, have their Cubit considerably shorter, and that the Turks their present present Masters have not introduced theirs, which is much longer, as appears by Mr. Greaves. Lastly, He proves out of Greaves, that the side of the Great Pyramide, and the length of the Tomb therein, are measured by an even Number of such Egyptian Cubits; wherefore he concludes they were so designed at first; viz. the Side of the Pyramide to be 380 Cubits, and the length of the Tomb just Four, which carries with it a great shew of probability. This done, he proves the Jewish Cubit, the same with the Egyptian Cubit, by several probable Arguments; among which the chief seems to be, That the whole Nation of the Jews had been for so many years Subjects of Egypt, and carried undoubtedly away with them their Weights and Measures: and there is no Testimony or Reason to prove that the Jews have since altered them. Hence he concludes the Old Scripture Cubit 21, 9 Inches English fere, equal to what Mr. Greaves found the modern Egyptian Cubit: and so makes a Table of all the other Measures, whose proportions to the Cubit are agreed upon. The third Chapter treats of the Epha, and the other Measures of Capacity, endeavouring to prove the Content of Epha, equal to \(\frac{1}{4}\) of the Ardub, or Cube of the Egyptian Cubit; that is, Seven Gallons and half, and half Pint Circiter, or very near the Cube of a Foot English, and containing just 1000 Ounces Averdupoize of Water; for the which he produces such Authorities, and compares them so well together, that he has almost put it out of doubt; giving at last a Table of the Contents of all the other Scripture-Measures of Capacity, having a known relation to the Epha. The fourth Chapter treats of the Weights and Coyns mentioned in Scripture; and having by Tryal as well as Authority found the Weight of Shekel just half the Roman Ounce, equal to the half Ounce Averdupoize, he determines its value 2 s. 4 d.; and thence derives the value of the Gold and Silver Talent, weighing 3000 Shekels. Lastly, He recommends for a Universal Standard, the length of the Pendulum vibrating ting Seconds, to be the Horary Yard, which he says is 3 Foot 3 1/4 Inches English, following therein the Ingenious Mr. Huygens the first Proposer thereof. By the way, he takes notice of the Harmony that is between the Measures and Weights thus stated; for having the Egyptian Cubit given, the fifth part of its Cube is the Ephah, the tenth thereof Homer, the tenth of that Cotylia, the tenth of which is an Ounce Averdupoise in Water, whose half is exactly the Weight of Shekel. The whole Book being made up of very rare Remarks, is well worth the perusal of the Curious Reader. Note, That the Learned Dr. Edward Bernard in his late Account of Weights and Measures, agrees nearly in the Capacity of Ephah, with what Dr. Cumberland has determined; for he makes the Cube of the English Foot to contain 76 l. Troy of Spring-water, and the Ephah, or rather Bath to contain 75 such Pounds, so that it is a Pound less than the Cube of a Foot English, which Dr. Cumberland has stated about 12 Ounces of Water more than the said Cube: And whereas Dr. Bernard says, the Ephah contains 9 Gallons, 'tis a plain mistake of the Printer, of 9 for 7; for the Cube of a Foot, which is by his own account greater than Ephah, scarce holds 7 Gallons and half, such as by Statute are to contain 231 Cube Inches. As to the Value of Shekel, Dr. Bernard says, that none but Bishop Usher ever made it so little as 2 s. 5 d., which yet Doctor Cumberland has reduced to 2 s. 4 d. i. Ephemeris ad Annum a Nativitate Domini 1686, ad Longitudinem Urbis Londinensis; ex Novis Hypothesibus exactissime supputata, & Regiae Societati dicata, Londini in Octavo. Impensis Gulielmi Cooper. There being at this time a great want of Ephemerides of any tolerable exactness, several of our Astronomers were persuaded to undertake the Calculation of one for this present present Year, which they have done from Tables of their own, whose Numbers, by many years observation, have been found to answer with great preciseness to the Celestial Motions, the Moon only excepted; whose Motion, by reason of her manifold Inequalities, not being yet reduced to the Nicety of the rest of the Planets, 'twas thought needless to do any more than reduce her Tyconick place in Argol, to our Meridian, and Compute the true Latitudes. The several Persons concerned have promised a Continuation thereof for some years to come, which will make it valuable to all Lovers of Astronomy. Imprimatur, May 15. 1686. S. Pepys. R. S. Pr. London, Printed by J. Streater, and are to be sold by Sam. Smith, at the Sign of the Prince's Arms in St. Paul's Church-yard.