To the first, which consisted of 86 kings, he allowed the extravagant period of 34,080 years.

Evechous, the founder of the dynasty, had enjoyed the royal dignity for 2400 years, and Chomasbelus, his son and successor, had reigned 300 years longer than his father.

The other 84 monarchs had filled up the remaining space of 28,980 years--their reigns thus averaging 345 years apiece.

It is clear that these numbers are unhistoric; and though it would be easy to reduce them within the limits of credibility by arbitrary suppositions--as for instance, that the years of the narrative represent months or days--yet it may reasonably be doubted whether we should in this way be doing any service to the cause of historic truth.

The names Evechous and Chomasbelus seem mythic rather than real; they represent personages in the Babylonian Pantheon, and can scarcely have been borne by men.