the sonne of Arsanes who was the brother of Ochus yet Iustine in his 10. booke nameth him Codomanus Against this Darius Alexander the great made warre hauing transferd to him the power and Monarchie of the Persians according as it was appointed by God and foretolde to come to passe in Daniels visions that we may thinke no change in gouernments nor in the rest of our life to bee without the prouidence of God These therefore are the Kings of Persia knowen vnto vs partly out of the holie Scripture partly out of the prophane Historie of Herodotus Thucidides Xenophon Ctesias Diodorus Siculus whom also Eusebius doth otherwise order and name wee will yet neuerthelesse stand to the iudgement of those forenamed authors and will insist in this description and Catalogue From the holie Scripture acknowledged these are the fiue former Kings of Persia 1 Cyrus Maior 2 Assuerus Artaxerxes 3 Darius Assyrius 4 Artaxerxes Pius 5 Xerxes the terror of Graecia The rest from prophane stories are made knowen to vs vnder these names 6 Artaxerxes Longimanus 7 Darius Nothus 8 Artaxerxes Memor 9 Ochus 10 Arses who also is Arsanes 11 Darius Codomanus the sonne of Arsanes the brother of Ochus These eleuen Kings gouerned the Persian Monarchie for a hundred and thirtie yeares as before hath been declared But to these Kings we doo not adde their yeares because we want the certaine knowledge of the Persian historie For albeit in the holy scriptures certaine yeares are reckoned of the former Kings to wit of Cyrus Assuerus Artaxeres Darius Assyrius and Artaxerxes Pius yet we cannot from these certainlie define the yeares of their gouernment because that is not the purpose of the Scripture to teach how long they reigned therefore it is not greatly necessarie to enquire more curiouslie after them But because our time vseth much Iosephus in these histories as also Metasthenes and I know what fragments added to him of incertain authors scarce of good credite therefore they are especiallie to bee admonished of those errors which Iosephus admitteth in this Historie in the eleuenth booke of his antiquities or old affaires For partly out of Herodotus who did not so much purpose to write a historie as to reteine and recreate the Reader with pleasant narrations partlie out of authors I know not what for they are almost infinite who haue handled Persian affaires they reckon the Persian Kings in this sort first Cyrius then Cābises the sonne of Cyrus then Magus after him Darius the sonne of Histaspis then Xerxes after Xerxes they name another Cyrus whome he will haue to be the sonne of Xerxes who amongst the Graecians is said to be Artaxerxes vnder whom hee saith the historie of Ester fell out From thence he passeth to Alexander the great who subdued Darius the last King of the Persians which how discordant they be from holy scripture is manifest from those things which before haue been spoken that there neede be no stay made to confute this Furthermore as before we haue said neither Herodotus nor Ctesias or they from who these broached their stories we haue followed in the enumeration of the former Kings of Persia because we haue certaine testimonies out of the Scriptures of these kings who reigin Persia vnto Xerxes So after Cyrus we doo not name Cambyses nor after him Magus nor after him Darius Histaspis which names because they are neuer found in Scripture by vs are pretermitted For we must wholly rest in the authoritie of holie Scripture which handleth the historie of these times neither to Herodotus nor anie other whosoeuer hee bee that saith he bringeth a true Historie from the Persian Records as Ctesias is bolde to professe of himselfe Who being taken in the warre of Cyrus the lesser by Artaxerxes Memor because he was a Phisician was admitted into the Kings Court in the which liuing long he grew more skilfull as he himselfe saith of the Persian estate than either Herodotus or any other who before him intreated of the Persian affaires yet he after Xerxes nameth Artaxerxes the sonne of Xerxes whom they call Longimanus after whom they reckon Xerxes the sonne of Longimanus who when he reigned some moneths was slaine by the treacherie of Secundianus another sonne of Artaxerxes but a bastard who therefore reigned after Xerxes the second but yet a short time because another sonne of Artaxerxes Longimanus called Darieus or Darius made him away by the same pollicie as he made away his brother For they say that Darius the sonne of Artaxerxes by his concubine trusting to the learning of the Persians contended for the Kingdome with Isogeus the legitimate sonne of Artaxerxes Longimanus and that both of them referred the cause to the Councell of Persia in the which Darius Nothus or bastard became victor and got the vpper hand from whom afterwards the Persian Kings are lineallie deriued For Artaxerxes was the sonne of this Darius Nothus named Memor for a difference from the other called Longimanus then Ochus the sonne of Artaxerxes Memor whō Arses succeeded surnamed by Iustine Codomanus as before we haue said In the rehearsing of the genealogie of the Kings of Persia wee haue pretermitted Xerxes the second and Secundianus whom some cal Sogdianus because either of them reigned but a few moneths although Diodorus Siculus remembreth thē out of Ctesias whom neuerthelesse others passe ouer The yeares of these Kings vncertaine ill reckoned in prophane historie we haue not particularlie remembred because the Historiographers confound them Therefore we are cōtent with the somme of their yeares which they reigned in all which wee haue obserued to be certain from those things which before haue been propounded But before we giue ouer this historie of the Kings of Persia because there is nothing in it so illustrious as Xerxes going downe into Graecia let vs see in what Olympiade he by war inuaded Graecia for this is handled by manie Greeke Historiographers but how truely that we are now to see Pausanias setteth down in Arcadie that then Xerxes passed ouer into Graecia with that infinit hoast which the Historians report of that the Medes at one dinner dranke vp all the Riuers when Gelon gouerned in Syracusa whom the Athenians and the Laced aemonians by their Embassadors sollicited to take part with them against Xerxes as it is in Herodotus in his 7. booke The same Pausanias in Eliac affirmeth the same Gelon to haue obtained the gouernement of Syracusa in the second yeare of the seuentie two Olympiade Moreouer he affirmeth in his Eliac that those Persians which Xerxes left behinde him in Graecia with Mardonius were ouerthrowen at Platea in the 75. Olympiade But Diodorus Siculus in the eleuenth booke of his Librarie affirmeth Xerxes to haue mooued war against the Graecians in the 75. Olympiade in which time he saith Gelon gouerned in Syracusa Polybius Megapolitanus is of the same opinion in his 5. booke with Diodorus Siculus who saith that the Romanes
are said in the beginning of the reigne of Assuerus to haue written an accusation against the Inhabitants of Iuda and Ierusalem whereby it came to passe that thorough the Edict of the same Assuerus to whom wee haue added the surname of Artaxerxes because afterward the scripture nameth him by the same name the worke of the house of God ceased Now there is often and vsuall mention of this Assuerus Artaxerxes in the booke of Ester whoÌ„ by this we vnderstand to succeede immediâ—â—lie Cyrus in gouernment because in the 4. of Esdr the 5. vers the work of the house of the Lord is said to be hindred vnder Assuerus all the dayes of Cyrus King of Persia euen to the reigne of Darius the King of Persia Now that this Assuerus succeeded Cyrus in gouernment whose Viceroy before he had been in Persia and Vicegerent in Cyrus name we may gather out of the beginning of the first of Ester Where in the first chapter and third verse according to the Hebrew it is said that the strength of Persia and Media was before him and it is said that there were in presence before him in his Court Noble men and Princes or Rulers ouer Prouinces 127. ouer whom hee gouerned whome many moneths he entertained with princely entertainment But the greater and more able part of the strength of Persia and Media which was then said to be in the Court of Assuerus was before in expedition with Cyrus the greater Now after Assuerus wee place Darius whom we haue named Assyrius for a difference from others who are called in the said Monarchie Darius because in the 6. of Ezra the 11. the Iewes are said to haue kept a solemn feast of sweete bread seuen dayes in mirth because the Lord had made their hearts glad and had turned the hart of the King of Assur towards them to helpe their hands in the work of the house of the God of Israel But this Darius Assyrius is mentioned in the beginnings of the prophecies of Aggey and Zacharie vnder whom the building of the temple of God was begun anew Whose praise is that the building of the temple intermitted vnder Assuerus Artaxerxes by his authority was begun againe and finished Which we gather from the Prophecie of Aggey and Zacharie but chieflie we vnderstand it from the historie of Esdras for in the fourth chapt 24. verse it is said that the house of the Lord was intermitted vnder Asserus nor begun againe before the 2. yeare of Darius the King of Persia but in the 6. chapt 14. vers it is thus spoken of the house of God built vnder Darius Assyrius But the Elders of Iuda built and prospered according to the prophecie of Aggey the prophet and Zacharie the sonne of Addo and they edified and built the God of Israel commaunding them and Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes Kings of Persia Now he in this verse who is in the last place called Artaxerxes seemeth to be Assuerus Artaxerxes by whom it hath been saide before the worke of the Lord was hindred vnlesse our coniecture deceiue vs because by reason of Hester and Mardochey he fauoured the proceedings of the people of GOD the which before he greatly misliked For peraduenture when he now waxed old Darius Assyrius beeing consorted in gouernment with him he also commaunded the temple of God to be built Darius chieflie busying himselfe thereabouts as the diuine Oracles haue witnessed to vs. Also that Artaxerxes may be he whom we name Pius vnder whome by Nehemias the Citie was compast about with a wal and the temple obtained his ornaments Others referre the word Artaxerxes to Darius Assyrius as if and were put in stead of of that is to say because the surname of Artaxerxes was proper to the kings of Persia as Caesar was a common name to the Emperours of Rome and Pharao to the auncient Kings of Egypt as after Alexander the great the name of Ptolomey was attributed to all the Kings of Egypt till Egypt was reduced to the form of a prouince by the Romanes But to Darius Assyrius wee adioyned in succession Artaxerxes Pius of whoÌ„ there is mention made as it were in a new historie in the seuenth chapter and first verse after this manner After these words In the kingdome of Artaxerxes the King of Persia Esdras the sonne of Seraias there is added This Esdras went vp from Babilon and he was a sleight Scribe in the lawe of Moses which the Lord God gaue to Israel And the King gaue vnto him all his request according to the hand of the Lord which was vpon him For as it shalbe touched afterwards Iudea did then seeme Zorobabel being dead to want a Ruler For which cause in the seuenth yeare of Artaxerxes Pius Esdras is sent into Iudea with commaundement to compound the causes of the people of God For so in the said 7. chap. 24. vers it is said But thou Esdras according to the wisedome of thy God which is in thy hand appoint Iudges and Gouernours to iudge the people which is beyond the Riuer to wit those that knowe the Lord yet also teach freelie those which are ignorant From the same Artaxerxes Pius afterwards Nehemias is sent into Iudea to compound ecclesiasticall causes in the tweÌ„tieth yeare as it is largely expounded in the second of Nehemias Seeing therefore Artaxerxes Pius is thus knowen vnto vs out of the Historie of Esdra Nehemia we haue made him to succeede Darius Assyrius Wherefore we know from the holie Scripture these Kings to wit Cyrus Maior Assuerus Artaxerxes Darius Assuerus Artaxerxes Pius whom Xerxes the terrour of Graecia succeedeth the fifth in succession from Cyrus Maior And thus we haue named the former kings of Persia staying our selues vpon the authoritie of holie Scripture carelesse in the meane while of Herodotus and Ctesias and of others who follow Herod or Ctesias of whom we wil speake afterwardes Now who those Kings were who succeeded this Xerxes in Persia we collect out of the prophane storie Xerxes was the sonne of Artaxerxes Macrochir that is the long handed whome hee succeeded in the Kingdome From whose twentie yere they who reckon the beginning of Daniels Seuens may now perceiue how far they are from the truth when they take this Artaxerxes Longimanus the sonne of Xerxes for Artaxerxes Pius who peraduenture was the grandfather of Artaxerxes Longimanus But after Artaxerxes Longimanus Darius Nothus begotten by him succeeded in the Kingdom Artaxerxes Mnemon that is by surname the Rememberer succeeded Darius Nothus beeing his bastard whose brother was Cyrus called the lesser famous in the Greeke historie and in Xenophon who was fellow in Armes with him against Artaxerxes After Artaxerxes Mnemon Ochus his sonne reigned ouer the Persians Then Arses the sonne of Ochus who being destroyed with his whole familie had for his successor Darius the last king of Persia whom Diodorus Siculus in his 17. booke sayth to be
first ioyned league with the Carthaginians After the Kings were exiled Rome the Consulls had ruled the Common-weale eight and twentie yeares before the first passage of Xerxes into Graecia But Rome was in subiection to Kings 243. yeare as Sextus Rufus maketh computation deducting the times of the Kings From that time if you reckon 28. yeare we shall come to the 3. yeare of the 74. Olympiade Now it is manifest and apparant by this that Pausanias and Diodorus Siculus as also Polybius moreouer Dionisius Halicarnasseus who is of their iudgment others who haue likewise noted these times vnto vs haue all erred because Cyrus Maior King of Persia ruled the Kingdome after Darius the Mede in the third yeare of the 80. Olympiade as the times determined by the testimonie of holie Scripture doo conclude And after Cyrus these three Kings succeeded in Persia Assuerus Artaxerxes Darius Assyrius and Artaxerxes Pius But the 20. yeare of Artaxerxes Pius the Temple was whollie restored and it is noted that the Citie Ierusalem was compassed with a wall as afterwards will appeare out of the historie of the seuen first seuens of Daniel But the seuenth seuē which is the limit of this time is ended in the third yeare of the 92. Olympiade Moreouer there is reckoned the 32. yeare of Artaxerxes Puis in the 13. of Nehem and the 6. vers which falleth out in the third yeare of the 95. Olympiade So it appeareth how farre these Writers are from the true obseruing of the times seeing it may seeme that the passing of Xerxes into Graecia was only about the 90. Olympiade because Artaxerxes Pius must haue reigned in Persia before Xerxes the terrour of Graecia as it is apparant out of the Prophecie of Daniel in whose eleuenth chaper and 2. verse it is plainlie said After Cyrus 3. Kings shall rule in Persia before Xerxes who shal trouble all Graecia Yet Xerxes might goe downe into Graecia vnder Artaxerxes Pius when hee was elected King For euen as vnder Cyrus reigned Assuerus so vnder Artaxerxes Xerxes might reigne and the Persian Monarchie euē as the Romanes at one time might haue manie Imperators By this it appeares that the errors admitted by prophane Historiographers and the Chronicles of our time in the supputation of times may be espied and in some part amended But it is requisite for vs for this time to pretermit that care to referre it vnto some other time least by handling of other matters we may seeme to haue forgot our own purpose These things haue been thus laid downe by vs out of the holie Scriptures concerning the Persian Monarchie and the Monarchs of Persia to lay open in some part the truth of the Persian Historie and to purge it from fables But now we are to come to the seuens of Daniel which in the chapter going before we haue taught to haue been deuided by the Angell into three parts yet so as he hath selected seuen out of them hath appointed them to the restoring of the Temple and the Citie Then he dooth enumerate sixtie two in the which the Church of God was afflicted diuerslie In the third place the last which is the seuentieth hath been set downe which hath with it the conclusion and end of all the ceremoniall of the lawe But the seuen forenamed seuens in the first place because they signifie a yearely time doo make fortie and nyne yeres for that number seuen times seuen doth amount vnto the Historie whereof the writings of Nehemias and Esdras doo conteine which the Latins comprehend in one volume so as the booke of Nehemias they call the second booke of Esdras And Ierome in his Episle to Paulinus concerning the books of holy scripture saith that Esdras Nehemias were streightned into one volume from the which this present Historie of seuen seuens or weeks is to be deriued And in the first chapter of Esdras the Edict of Cyrus is laid downe by the which the people of God is restored to his libertie after 70. yeares captiuitie in Babylon The people being returned into their Country the third chapter teacheth that the Altare was first built in the which they offered sacrifices to God which giueth vs also to vnderstand that in the second yeare after the returne into their Countrey the foundations of the temple were laid by Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel Prince of Iuda and by Iosua the sonne of Iosedeck the high Priest In the fourth chapter Esdras teacheth that the building of the Temple was hindred by the commandement of Assuerus Artaxerxes nor begun again to be builded before the second yeare of Darius Assyrius But in the sixt chapter he sheweth the Temple was finished in the sixt yeare of Darius Assyrius Zorobabel and Iosua imploying and busying themselues chiefely about it being thereunto incited by the Prophets Aggey and Zacharie The Temple being restored and almost finished Zorobabel Prince of Iudea may be thought to die because Esdras is sent to Iuda from the King of Persia as Viceroy with agreat companie of voluntarie Iewes who remained in Chaldea after the Edict of Cyrus and the departure of their Countrey men who beeing by God awakened had rather leaue their wealth in Babylon to liue in their owne countrey than by enioying it to liue in a strange Countrey Yet Esdras is sent to Iudea chiefly to constitute Rulers Iudges who might minister iustice to the people thereby to establish the state of the Iewes Commonweale which is done in the seuenth yeare of Artaxerxes Pius as it is in Esdr the 4. the 24. After Esdras the same Artaxerxes Pius sendeth as his Embassador Nehemias with authoritie and commaundement for couering the gates of the Temple that is for finishing the building of the Temple as also for walling the Citie Ierusalem as it is in 2. Nehem and the 8. Now Nehemias had this Embassage in the twentieth yeare of Artaxerxes Pius as it is in the first verse of the 8. chapter which was 13. yeres after Esdras was sent Embassador to Iuda Yet Nehemias was ruler and protector ouer Iuda 12. yeares as it is declared in the 5. chap. and 14. verse But how great paines Nehemias tooke in fortefying the Citie Ierusalem and compassing it with a wal is declared from the second chapter to the seauenth And in the 6. chapter and 15. vers is declared the great diligence which both hee and the Iewes vsed in fortefying the Citie Ierusalem so great a worke being finished within fiftie and two dayes being the fiue twentieth of the moneth Elul which in our account is August And thus we haue the first seuen seuens fullie ended that is in the twentieth yeare of Artaxerxes Pius in the which Nehemias came to Iuda For so the Angel foretold Dan. chap. 9. verse 25. that to the building againe of streete and walls should be seuen seuens and that in a troublesome time The hostile attempts of the aduersaries of the people of
saluation purchased by Christ the Lord the three and thirtieth yere of his age But that three thirtieth yeare of the Lord vnexpired falleth into the eighteenth Y. of Tiberius Caesar because in the fifteenth yere of Tiberius beginneth the thirtie of the Lord whereby the one and thirtieth yeare of our Lord falleth into the sixteenth yeare of Tiberius and his thirtie two yeare runneth into the seuenteenth yeare of Tiberisn then the three and thirtieth yeare of the Lord must needes be referred to the eighteenth yeare of Tiberius which because they be grounded on the testimonies of holie Scripture and not on the vncertaine opinions of men they appeare to bee true and certaine But that the Lord Iesus Christ accomplished two and thirtie yeares a halfe on earth the auncient Church also acknowledged as reuerent Bed a hath witnessed in his booke of the Nature of things the fortie seuenth chapter whose words are these For the faith of the Church if I am not deceiued embraceth this that the Lord liued in the flesh somewhat more than two and thirtie yeares vnto the time of his passion because he was baptized at thirtie yeres as the Euangelist Luke witnesseth and preached three Y. an halfe after his baptisme as Iohn teacheth in his Gospel not onely by the time of the Passeouer but also in his Reuelation Daniel also in his vision appointeth the very same propheticallie Surely the holy apostolike Church of Rome testifieth that she reckoneth this faith euen by those notes which she vseth yerely to write in her waxe things where calling into the peoples minde the time of the Lords passion noteth alwaies three and thirtie yeare lesse than Dionysius reckoneth from his incarnation These things Beda deliuereth of the age of the Lord Iesus But I am ignorant what place of the Reuelation teacheth it but we may think that this was confessed in olde time by some receiued Cabala or tradition Eusebius in his 8. booke second chapter of the demonstration of the Gospell confirmeth this saying Surely it hath been recorded in written Storie that all the time of the teaching and dooing of miracles of our Sauiour was three yeares and a halfe which is truly the halfe of one seauen In a sort Iohn the Euangelist will declare this to them who shall attentiuely consider his Gospell Thus farre Eusebius Afterwards Abbas Vspergensis saith in the life of Tiberius The three and thirtieth yeare of his incarnation our Lord Iesus suffered in his flesh and rose again Also Nicephorus Callistus concludeth the first booke of his histories thus This first booke of histories conteineth three thirtie yeres the beginning taken from the two and fortieth yere of the reigne of Augustus Caesar now wexing old in the which our Lord Iesus Christ with flesh came foorth of the holie Virgine but the ende ending in the eighteenth yeare of Tiberius Caesars reigne which truly is from the creatiō of the world 5538. but was from the birth of our Lord three and thirtie These out of manie may suffice from which it is apparant that the time of the life of the Lord Iesus on earth was well knowen to the auncient Fathers Whereof yet the Diuines of our time doo so dispute that a matter of it selfe plaine enough they doo so enwrap and infolde that it is very hard for them to vnloose themselues from their trifling lets Therefore in the eighteenth yeare of Tiberius and the three and thirtieth of Christ the Lord we haue concluded the seuentie seuens of Daniel which to what yeares of the Olympiades or to the Citie of Rome or to the creation of the world they are to bee referred may most certainly be gathered out of the continuance and comparison of times determined by the authoritie of holie Scripture as is noted in the Table But the eighteenth yere of Tiberius is the fourescore 4. yeare from the building of Rome but of the world created three thousand nine hundred sixtie one which notation of time to be diligentlie considered and not to be ouerpassed careles or slothfullie the oracles of the Prophets concerning these matters doo declare But so diligent a care and carefulnesse which the Scripture vseth in noting downe these times shuld sharpen our diligence and shake out of vs all sluggishnes wherefore there is no reason why this our paines should be despised of anie or misliked seeing it consisteth and is grounded on the word of GOD and not on the traditions or opinions of men But by this we vnderstād that the knowledge of these times do chieflie concerne vs because they were written for vs who are come to those acceptable times to that grace which we haue also obteined which trulie now lōg agoe hath been prophecied by the oracles and foretellings of the Prophets For as the Apostle Peter saith in the first chapter of his first epistle Of this saluation the Prophets enquired searched who prophecied of the grace to come on you searching in what time or after what season the spirit of Christ which was in thē did foretel the suffrings which should come to Christ and his glorie to come to whom it was reuealed that not for themselues but for vs they did showe those things which now are declared vnto vs by thē who preach the Gospel vnto vs the holie spirit hauing been sent from heauen which things the Angels desire to behold So Peter the Apostle commendeth the greatnes of the grace communicated vnto vs in his time foretold and foreended by the Prophets that the Angels also doo admire it and doo desire to behold the complement thereof whereof that the elect be not defrauded wee must striue by all meanes The fruite also which floweth from these times is not to be omitted because the Iewes by the demonstration of them may be cōuinced to yeeld yet at the length vnto Christ and rest themselues in Christianitie and leaue off to blaspheame To which purpose wee must not onelie ioyne Daniels seuens but also Iaacobs prophecie which is in this sort in the 49. of Genesis 10. The Scepter shall not be taken from Iuda nor a Ruler out of his loynes till Silo come that is his son to wit Iuda and he shalbe the expectation of the Gētiles For that this ver is thus to be interpreted the Rabbines also confesse the truth compelling them for they say Silo signifieth Beno that is His sonne which is the Messias Christ the Lord the sonne of Iuda For Christ the Lord rose from Iuda as is confirmed and taught by the Scriptures Heb. 8. 14. To this the Prophecie and testimonie of Aggey the Prophet beeing added is of no small force in which the ancient Rabbines acknowledge the presence of Christ the Lord to bee signified with the which hee was to beautefie the second Temple which place is cited out of the 2. Aggey the 8. And I will mooue all Nations and the desired shall come to all the
saw this who in his booke of the account of times the 7. chapter writeth after this manner Christ was not staine immediately after the 62. seauens but in the ende of the seuentieth seauen which so farre as we can coniecture he separated from the other because he was to speak more of this hereafter For both Christ was crucified in that and of a faithlesse people he was denied not onely at his passion but continuallie from the time when Iohn began to preach him The halfe of the last seauen was the 15 yeare of Tiberius Caesar when after the baptisme of Christ the cleansing by sacrifices amongst the faithfull began to be contemned Thus farre Beda More of Bucholcerus the Reader may fetch frō himself The Conclusion This Treatise was thought needfull in this time wherein some would make this Prophecie of Dan. 9 to bee worse than nothing as speaking of a certaine number of yeres to mens opinion hethertoo but not so to bee vnderstood Therein the Iewes woulde triumph ouer all Christians that viged this prophecie for describing Christs time and Christian should ken small thankes for that newe opinion as also little to them that cannot see this point to be of speciall vse Here Strangers opinions were brought to stay the rashnes of the vnlearned who thinke all things new that they know not The Writer of the obseruations vpon this translated by I A. a friend of his in an Apologie of his owne writeth more at large vppon that The Lord giue iudgement in all points FINIS * Rather from Darius named in vers 1. * That he was the 4. it shalbe shewed hereafter There be seuerall Kings of those names but for time in this order Artaxerxes to whom an epistle was writtenn against the Iewes soone after their returne Assuerus and Darius Artaxerxes There Artaxerxes Assuerus are seuerall men and the former is named last because to him was ioyned the narration of the letter which caused the temples worke to bee staied The Ebrewes who shoulde haue skill in their owne stories hold this Darius to bee the sonne of Ester This Artaxerxes and Assuerus whom being two he nameth one person may bee known not only by this Authour but also by Dan. 10. 11 to haue had a short reigne and Darius vnder whom the Temple was built was of antiquitie holden most commonly excepting some one or two learned to begin his reigne no whit aboue thirtie yeares from Babels fall but rather shorter much though a shorter time should hardly be graunted But 107. yeares frō Cyrus as some would should be too much for 50000. being men at Cyrus Monarchie to be workefull for the Temple * Heere And might be held as the Hebrues holde it for which is Here his iudgmēt staggreth Any man may know by the text and the time that Darius also Arraxerxes grāting authoritie to build the temple the worke being finished in Darius sixt yeare after that Ezra the the sonne of Saraiah comming to Ierusalem frō Babel is the seauenth of Artaxerxes either the two termes must needes as Hebrues assuredly hold signifie one person or the two must reigne at once * This is most holden and plaine The selfe same man as by the Scripture examined anie may see and Hebrues with maine Latines holde * The time for the yeare seauenth vpon the sixt and the name of Artaxerxes that went before in the second of Darius graunting the building of the Temple show the two names signifie but one King as was touched before Seraias case best discusseth the whole time of the Persiās For seeing Seraias was killed by Nabucadnezzar 52. yeares before Cyrus tooke Babylon and Esdras is commonly graunted to haue seene the Persians last reigne It is as much as olde age can suffer in one mans life aged 50. yeares before that the Persians should reigne in that mans life 130 yeares more For so he must match Isaacks yeares 180 and that so hee did or came neare it may be proued by manie likelihoods It is but a bare conjecture for to imagine that Esdras omitted his father or grandfathers two or three betwixt him and Seraias No man hath authoritie to forme more than is to the Bible “ Zorobabel was aliue the yere before and yonger than he Who was also Darius Pius Longimanus seemeth to be that brother of Xerxes of whose quiet reigne Iustine writeth Herodotus writeth that the sonne of Atossa Ester is she gate the Kingdom though he took one brother for the other * This would not soone be graunted nor at all he was elder than Lōgimanus and ruler of the wars of Greece and not with the Iewes Ezra 4. * The particular Kings of Persia neuer were neuer will be knowen by Writers For times touching scripture of 49. yeares for the chiefe worke of walling lerusalem to that Aben Ezra wilagree and no Hebrue wil grant that they reigned aboue 130. yeres but rather cōe farre short And flout manie closely in Seder Olam as grosely deceaued that giue the Persians 250. yeares though not the most part were so much deceiued The fiue generations of Iosuahs posteritie to Iuddue will compell them to graunt nere that somme but to more than that no likelihood can vrge “ This somme will not soone be disprooued though the particular Kings be not agreed vpon which yet 〈◊〉 neuer agreed vpon not anie learned Christians for the Bible is compelled to take notice of Metastenes a forged author yet deceaued manie * Not all the Kings because they touch not the common weale * To teach the vanitie of this consent wee may mark out of Pausanias other accounts for men of that age as Oebotas is in Olympiade the sixt and Xenophō in 25. but in Triclinius in 79. both winners of the footerace Of Xenophō Pindarus made an Ode Infinite varietie of Writers disanulleth this cōsent Nay rather later in part than he for he seemeth to touch the Persiās ouerthrow to haue been for hindring of the Temple Ezra 6. 13. Dan. 11. The power of Persia raised against Greece was to look for a sharp punishment frō him whose eies were a flame of fire for the sorrow caused to Daniels people * The terme weekes much entangleth the weake and requireth a comment in English for a terme plaine in Ebrue or Greeke * Daniel praied for restoring of the Citie and the Angel accordingly ioineth to the grant ofreturne the building of the Citie that wee should not seek for sundrie times to take the beginning of our account vnles whē God maketh a thing plaine we will be finding out inuentions The very matter dooth still driue him to grāt these two names to mean one King or two beginning reigne together Esters sonne he shuld be thoght that so fauored the Iewes If any cā speak better thā this to the text of Daniel he shall doo verie well to helpe the world with it Iosephus regarded custom of speach rather thā truth sometimes vnwares he