The Origin and the End with James Ussher

The Origin
In his influential The Annals of the World, James Ussher included an introduction to the work itself, The Epistle to the Reader. That brief note establishes that people in the ancient world thought that calculating the age of the earth was beyond human reach.

Consider this excerpt from The Epistle to the Reader in The Annals of the World:
It is not strange that the heathen, who are totally ignorant of the Holy Bible, should despair of ever attaining to the knowledge of the world’s beginnings. Even among Christians, that most renowned chronographer Dionysius Petavius, when asked his opinion concerning the creation of the world and the number of years from creation down to us, made this disclaimer:
“The number of years from the beginning of the world to our time cannot be known, nor in any way found out, without divine revelation.” {Petravius, De Doctrina Temporum, l. 9. c. 2.}
Philastrius Brixiensis agreed with him and called it heresy: -
“To know the number of the years from the creation of the world is uncertain and men do not know the time of it.” {Philastrius, De Heres, c. 6. p. 63.}
[Later, Ussher adds:] I ignored the difficulties raised by chronologers, who are occupied by the love of contention, as Basil noted.

In other words, it may be that Ussher’s attempt was incongruent with the mainstream and longstanding view of scholars - both heathen and Christian.

For relevant biblical data, consider Luke 3:23-38 in the context of Matthew 1:1-18, Genesis 5, and Genesis 11:10-26 as well as the context of 2 Timothy 3:14-17, 1 Timothy 4:8, Titus 3:1-11, 1 Timothy 1:3-11, and 1 Timothy 2:11-15.
Learn more in The Profitability and Non-Historicity of “Adam and Eve.”

The End
While the archbishop considered it worthwhile to defend his effort to trace back to the date of the creation of the universe, James Ussher does not include even a mention in the Epistle of the following interpretation of the historical and biblical data.

Consider the last paragraph of The Annals of the World:
7000. This was the end of the Jewish affairs and happened as predicted by Jesus in the Gospels. All these things came to pass in the very same generation that heard Jesus speak them, exactly as they were recorded in the Gospels {Mt 24:1-35, Mr 13:1-37, Lu 17:20-37 21:5-33} {*John Bray, Matthew 24 Fulfilled} and graphically elaborated on by John in the book of Revelation. {*David Chilton, The Days of Vengeance} We close this history with a quote from Bancroft: (*Klopsch, Many Thoughts of Many Minds, 1:130}
“It is the time when the hour of conflict is over that history comes to a right understanding of the strife and is ready to exclaim, Lo, God is here and we knew him not!”
Soli Deo Gloria in aeternum.
Finis.

In other words, it may be that the book’s last paragraph was not incongruent with the mainstream and longstanding view of scholars.

For an example of data in favor of this conclusion, consider Luke 21:20 in the context of "let the reader understand" in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 as well as the context of Luke 17:26-31 and Matthew 24:36-44.
Learn more in The Bible on the End: When Will Jesus Return?