who caried them prisoners vnto other strange countreies and set strangers to dwell in Samaria CHAP. VI. Of the continuance of the kings of Iuda after the kingdome of Israel was destroied Samaria taken and the 10. tribes of Israel carried captiue by Salmanassar into Assyria THis time reigned in Ierusalem Ezechias a godly zealous king who destroied idols and brake in peeces the brasen serpent he tooke away the high places cut downe the groues the altars their images and idols and walked before God vprightly and in the 14. yeere of his reigne came Senaherib with an huge host to Iuda spoiling and destroying Libna Lachis and other cities laide siege to Ierusalem threatned the king and blasphemed God most horribly challenging the gods of the nations and defying the God of Israel preferring the armies of flesh and the strength of his hoste But his bragging boasting was sharply punished by the Angel of God who slew at that time of the Assyrians an hundreth foure score and fiue thousand and Senacherib him selfe before his idoll Niseroch whom he worshipped preferred before the liuing God was slaine of his owne sonnes Adramelech Sarezer the iust iudgement of God for blasphemie After this Ezechias fell sicke and was restored to health in signe whereof God brought the Sunne 10. degrees backe in Achas diall this good king repaired the Temple instructed the Leuites in the religion he and all his princes of Iuda frequented the Temple sacrificed daily to their God oblations of thanks giuing and he commanded all the Nobles of Israel and Iuda from Dan to Bersheba to repaire to Ierusalem to keepe the Passeouer to the Lorde which Passeouer was so great that the like was not in Israel This Passeouer vnder Ezechias was 775. yeeres after the Passeouer of Moses and 775. yeeres before the Passeouer of Christ our Sauiour in the Newe Testament Now after that Ezechias had destroied idolatrie and had appointed Priestes and Leuites according to the commandement of God praied for his people and prouided for the Leuites liuings and ordained ouerseers to distribute to euery Leuite his portion Israel prospered all the daies of Ezechias and all things went well with Iuda But Ezechias being deade Manasses his sonne succeeded him not in religion nor in godlines for he followed not his father Ezechias in vertue but his Grandfather Achas in all kinde of vices for this most wicked king restored idolatrie in Israel vsed great crueltie and he erected altars to Baal and set vp images in groues he practised witchcraft and sorcerie and frequented the companie of them that had familiar spirits and those that were soothsayers This king did much euill in the sight of God he martyred the Prophet of God Esay and consecrated his sonne in fire to his idoll he shed innocent blood and filled Ierusalem with iniquitie Beholde such a good father to haue such a wicked sonne But the Lord God stretched ouer Ierusalem the line of Samaria the plummet of the house of Achab and promised to destroy Iuda as he had destroied Israel so he did with Manasses and gaue him to Assur and to his Captaines who brought him in fetters and bound in chaines to Babylon But when he was in tribulation in Babylon he called then vpon God and God heard him and deliuered him and restored him to his kingdome so merciful is God when he is called vpon for by this God instructed him to know him selfe and to humble him selfe before God whome he much abused You may read in the bookes of the Kings in the Chroniches the histories of the kings of Israel at large Manasses died and left behind him Amon his sonne who reigned 2. yeeres in Ierusalem he forsooke God also walked in the waies of Achas and he was slaine by his owne seruants which conspired against him in his owne house the people made Iosias his sonne king ouer Iuda who beganne to reigne in Ierusalem in the 8. yeere of his age and in that age he was instructed by God to haue care ouer the people of Israel he sent messengers vnto all the townes cities and countries territories to cal the Priests the Leuits the Nobles and all men of what degree soeuer to come to Ierusalem where he him selfe read the bookes of Moses vnto the people with oblations and sacrifices vnto God for the sinnes of Israel and those Priests that were not of Aarons stocke that serued idols and images he commanded them to be slaine and whatsoeuer he found in Israel of the reliques of Ieroboam he destroied and burned the bones of the false prophets vpon the altars that Ieroboam erected his zeale was prophesied of by Iaddo 300. yeeres before Iosias was borne Iosias hauing repaired the Temple and hauing found the booke of the Law he maketh a couenant with the Lord that he and his people should walke before God vprightly and iustly After that he killed their Priestes he brought downe their idols he slew the coniurers sorcerers and soothsayers and he burned the Priestes of Baal called Chemarims whome the kings of Iuda had founded to burne incense in high places euery place of Iuda to the Sunne to the Moone to the planets and to all the hostes of heauen His zeale encreased more and more he threw downe the altars of Achas and the altars of Manasses hee had put also downe the horses the charets which the idolatrous kinges had dedicated to the Sunne he ouerthrewe the abominable idolatrie of Salomon in the mount of Oliues called also in the Chronicles the mount of corruption where Salomon builded vp altars and groues to Ashtaroth the idoll of the Sidonians for Chemosh the idol of the Moabites for Milchom the idol of the Ammonits In Iosias time all Iudea flourished with the seruice of God and the lawes of the Countreies were put in practise for there was in euery citie among the Hebrewes a chiefe Magistrate as a Prince or Iudge to determine causes in equitie iustice among the people But in the Metropolitane Citie which was Ierusalem were 70. wise graue men whose court or consistorie was kept in Gazith The Iewish Talmudists named these Sanhedrin these passed both in nomber in dignitie other Magistrates these first gouerned in Silo after in Ierusalem elected by Moses by the expresse word of God these were Iudges for life death according to the custome lawes of the Hebrewes they were to condemne offendors 4. kind of waies by running vpon a man to death by stoning by burning and by strangling That day that these iudged any offender to death they obstained from meate These Councellers continued vntill Herods time and kept their Court at Gazith Beside these Sanhedrioth which were 71. were also twelue Princes ouer the people of euery tribe of Israel one which gouerned the whole twelue tribes of the people Some write that in euery Citie were
Prophets but most of all in dignitie and honour for that lineally from Sem which first builded Hierusalem the Messias and Sauiour of the world according to the flesh descended though the historie taketh no beginning but frō the calling of Abraham out of Chaldea into the land of Canaan so called first after the land of Israel thirdly of Iudea fourthly last called after Christ our Sauiours death The holy land or the land of Palestina the inhabitants thereof were called accordingly Cananites Hebrewes Israelites Iewes of whom either to speake or to write of their lawes their Iudges their Kings or of their ceremonies or of their common wealth it was not lawfull neither for the Graecians nor for the Romanes and so affirmed by Iosephus that Demetrius Phalerius did auere before Philodelphus king of Alexandria that the Greekes nor the Latinists might translate handle or so much as to presume to write of any Hebrew historie being but prophane men as Theopompus Theodecta with others which were made blind by their arrogancie and became mad An other cause doeth Eusebius alleage that neither Greekes nor Latines were in time to write of the Hebrues histories for the greatest brag of the Greekes as Iosephus saieth and the most ancient historie of the Graecians is Homers worke they began to flourish in the time of Cyrus after that the Assyrians the Chaldeans and the Egyptians and many other kingdoms of the East were decaied and their empires lost at which time the temple in Ierusalem was by Cyrus permitted to be reedified 80. yeeres before the last permission by Artaxerxes surnamed Longimanus for Plato of whom Numenius the Pithagorean doth report is called of him Moses Attica lingua loquens euen that learned Philosopher doth confesse that the Graecians had their knowledge frō the Chaldeans and from the Egyptians and began to be famous and great after these great kingdomes were destroyed The seuen Sages were the first wise men knowen or commended in Greece which was in Cyrus time at what time Solon liued 200. yeres before Plato which was the infancie of Greece and the first schoole of their Philosophie Now the Hebrewes being the most auncientest people euen from Hebers birth vntill Christes death which was after Christes death 2000. yeeres odde they inhabited the land called Syria called likewise Phoenicia and now in latter yeeres called Iudea of this countrey doeth Iosephus write at large both of the nature of the people and of the goodnesse of the soile Hecateus the Abederit a good Philosopher and a great writer flourishing in the time of Alexander the great made a booke in describing and commending of Iudaea I wil them to read the 16. booke of Strabo that would know the situation of Iudea where the Reader shall be satisfied with the ful description of Iudea Iosephus a Iew borne being taken prisoner by Vespasian the Emperor at the last destructiō of Ierusalem at the which time he wrote a great volume containing 20. bookes of the antiquities of the Iewes he wrote other 7. bookes of the warres of the Iewes a man of great industrie learned in the Hebrew and Greeke tongue and very expert in the Iewish histories saieth that Egyptians were enuious to the children of Israel for so were they called after Iacobs time which by long wrastling with the Angel of the Lord was named Israel for first they were called Hebrewes from Hebers time vntil Iacob which was 478. yeeres and odde secondarily Israel from Iacob vntill the destruction of Samaria at what time ten tribes of Israel were by Salmanassar king of Assyria Senacheribs father brought captiue vnto Assyria in the time of Osea the last king of Israel 1026. yeeres as Bucholcerus affirmeth and from the destruction of Samaria vntill the last destruction of Ierusalem by Titus Vespasian they were called Iewes 786. yeeres Now the malice of Egypt towards Israel was such that they kept them in bondage 430. yeeres and euer after they were by God deliuered they still wrought euil against them and persecuted them with continuall hatred disliking their religion abhorring their ceremonies disdaining and much enuying the felicitie of the Iewes with the which the God of Israel by power and great miracles did aduance them to the abolishing of idolatrie and contemning of their false gods which the Egyptians the Chaldeans the Assyrians did adore and therfore the blessing of God was according to the promise vpon the Hebrewes first afterwards called Israel Iewes and continued frō Abraham to whom the promise was made vntill the time of the Messias the full accomplishment of the promise So these people bathed in blisse and being but a litle countrey few people from Dan to Berseba and of no estimation became by Gods fauour strong mightie conquerors of the greatest kings of the world So he said the Lord of all out of Sion shall my Law proceed and from Ierusalem my word This litle citie of Ierusalem chosen of God to be his seate though often for sinne destroyed and the people plagued yet still comforted to the stay of Gods Church It is written that Dauid the second king of Israel gaue these words to Salomon his sonne before he died Behold Praeparaui impensas domus Domini auritalenta centum millia argenti mille millia talentûm And againe it is writtē in the Chronicles that gold and siluer were as plentie in Ierusalem as stones in the street in the time of Salomō for there was in the temple of Salomon as Budaeus noteth 27. millions in ready coyne This made other kingdomes to enuie the prosperitie of the Hebrewes for by iust account of Budaeus there was left before vnto Salomon by Dauid his father ten times more treasures and substance in Ierusalem then Darius the great king of Persia left vnto Alexander the great in Babylon when he conquered it this was the promise which God performed to Abraham and to his seed for euer This godly Patriarch to whom the promise was made was 50. yeeres of age when Noah died 40. yeeres before Sodome and Gomorrha were destroied At 75. yeeres was Abraham called from Vr a towne of Chaldea in the last yeeres of Ninus the first king of the Assyrians Now while Abraham obeied God from time to time from place to place exercising himselfe in the obedience of GOD famine grew in the land of Canaan so that he with few Hebrewes were forced to flee into Egypt where hee continued three yeeres at what time he taught them knowledge of the starres read Astronomie and taught in Egypt Artes and Sciences as Iosephus saieth for Abraham was brought vp in Astrologie with the Chaldeans where hee dwelt with his father Thare in Vr and from whence the Egyptians had their learning and knowledge for Egypt was as yet scant in the world knowen where some of the Hebrewes staied after Abrahams departure and multiplied in
hundred sixtie two yeeres and Iuda which continued three hundred ninetie three yeeres but both Iuda and Israel forsooke God and followed idolatrie vntill GOD at length by his iust iudgement destroyed them vtterly for the rigour of Roboham in following of lewd counsell made the people to rebell the house of Dauid against the house of Israel hee folowed women and had eighteene wiues and threescore concubines hee had eight and twentie sonnes and three score daughters Roboham forsooke the Lord and therefore Susack king of Egypt came vp against Ierusalem ransackt the Citie spoyled the Temple and tooke the treasures of the Citie and of Robohams house this was the first destruction and affliction of Ierusalem for Roboham had transgressed the commandements of God for no calamities could come to Israel no countrey might annoy them no king could hurt them But when the Lord gaue them ouer for sinne this Susack king of Egypt came in the fift yeere of Roboham with twelue hundred chariots with three score thousand horsemen and the people were innumerable that were with him as Iosephus saieth foure hundreth thousand footemen came from Egypt with him Lubins Sukimes people of Affrica called also Troglodites he had Aethiopians Egyptians with diuers other more nations he tooke the strong cities of Iuda and caried their treasure to Egypt After the time of Roboham who raigned 17. yeeres succeeded him in Ierusalem his sonne Abia against whom Ieroboam straight after Robohams death came in armes with great expedition they both prepared for the battell the greatest armie that euer was in Israel Abia had foure hundred thousand chosen men Ieroboam had eight hundred thousand men and the battell met and fought and for that Abia trusted in the Lord who is the stay of all kingdomes and the giuer of all victories hee had such a victorie ouer Ieroboam that Israel fled before Iuda and God deliuered them vnto the hands of Abia being yong of yeeres and too tender to execute such a charge and to gouerne such an armie so that the slaughter was great euē fiue hundred thousand chosen men slaine so that Iudea preuailed against Israel at that time because they depended vpon the Lord of their fathers so Ieroboam was brought vnder at that time Hee was so pursued by Abia his strong Cities taken his men slaine himselfe hardly escaped the Lord plagued him that he could not recouer strength in Israel againe all the dayes of his life For because God made him a king of a seruant and he neglected the seruice of God and forgot his benefits therefore he was iustly punished for Dan and Bethel was the first and the greatest cause of his fall I neuer read in prophane histories of such a number neither in the historie of the Church foure hundred thousand souldiers in one armie and eight hundred thousand in the other Ieroboā after he had raigned in Israel 22. yeres died See you the anger of God for idolatrie in seruing worshipping the calues of Dan and Bethel for God gaue Israel ouer vnto their last destruction which was in the time of Salmanasser Senacheribs father for Iuda deuoured Israel and Israel deuoured Iuda that both at length were destroyed and ouerthrowen Iuda by Nabuchadonosor Israel by Salmanasser both Ierusalem and Samaria made euen to the ground in the time of Zedechias the last king of Iuda and Osea the last king of Israel Then succeeded Ieroboham in Israel Nadab their second king the naturall sonne of Ierobohā wicked malicious cruel following his fathers steps in idolatrie all wickednes But God stirred vp one tyrant to punish an other for Nadab did offend in prouoking the people to commit idolatrie with his golden calues and as hee was most busie in besieging a towne belonging to the Philistims named Gibbethon he was slaine of Baasha according to the Oracle of God before spoken The sinne of Ieroboam was great and therefore Baasha was appointed by God to destroy all the house of Ieroboam he slewe Nadab and reigned in his steede In Iuda nowe reigned Asa a wise godly and discreet man an obseruer of the lawes of God a walker in his waies and in Israel Baasha the 3. king reigned warre grewe betweene Baasha king of Israel and Asa king of Iuda Ramah was builded by Baasha to that purpose that none might goe in or out to Asa king of Iuda who followed the example of Ieroboam But Asa assembled all Iuda and tooke the stones of Ramah and the timber thereof and builded Mizpah and Geba two great townes in Iuda the warres continued betweene the house of Israel and the house of Iuda But still the Lorde had respect to Dauid and to his stocke for Baasha and all his posteritie had the like ende as Ieroboam had and his house But Asa walked right before God he destroied idolatrie tooke away the altars of the strange gods and brake downe the images and cut in peeces the groues hee deposed his mother Maacha from her regencie and threwe downe her idols which she had made in a groue Asa brake it stampt it and buried it at the brooke of Cedron commanded Iuda to seeke the Lord and to serue him for he knewe like a godly king that in abolishing of idolatrie and aduauncing true religion the rest and quietnes of kingdomes stoode For when Zareus king of Aethiopia came against him with an huge armie of ten hundreth thousand to Maresa a towne of Iuda Asa praied vnto God when he should goe to fight and acknowledged all victories to come from God and therefore obtained the victorie ouer the Aethiopians slewe them and pursued them to Gerar and there was no warre in Iuda vnto the 35. yeere of Asa. Yet he was reproued by the Prophet for his couenant with Benhadad king of Syria and likewise offended God to trust in Physicions to helpe his disease not to seeke helpe at Gods hands About this time Elias and Elizeus were borne in the middle age of the world Capetus Siluius nowe reigned the 9. king ouer the Latines Eutropius calleth this king Epidus In Assyria gouerned Ophrateus and in Lacedemonia the fift king Doristus at what time Smyrna was builded in Samos in king Asas time Nepher Cherres reigned in Egypt king for 4. yeeres and after him succeeded a king in Egypt called Amenophis who reigned 9. yeeres In Athens gouerned Phorbas the 5. Iudge and in Corinth ruled Basis the 5. king after whom their kings were called Bacidae as the Romane Emperours were named Caesares In these daies Hiel the Bethelite did build Iericho which fel before in the daies of Iosua at the sounding of the trumpets and shouting of the Israelites But the iudgement of God followed Ieroboams house according to the Prophet saying to Nadab and to Baasha that slewe Nadab That dogges should eate him that died in the citie and the fowles
pleasures he commaunded fire to be put to his pallace I meane that pile of wood which he made for his graue and so ended his life and the Empire together in fire to escape his enemies thus ended the monarchie of Assyria after one thousand two hundreth and fourtie yeeres continuance Behold the euents of the kingdoms of the world how God gaue them alwayes vp to the enemies when they flourished most in glory and were most in force power Euen so was Chaldea and Assyria the only empires of the world which farre excelled all other kingdomes when it was ouerthrowen by Cyrus insomuch that the great and mightie king Nabuchodonosor the onely Hercules by Megasthenes so named of the East kingdomes who aduanced himselfe vp vnto the heauens who was compared for his great magnificence and glorious pompe of his huge empire for the pride of his minde and insolencie of his state to the starre Lucifer for the brightnes beautie and glorie of his Empire his greatnes was such that hee had diuine honours done vnto him but his pride and pompe was layde in the pitte For in the time of Nabuchodonosor the Chaldeans and Assyrians flourished for they were kings of the Arabians of the Egyptians of all Syria and for the glorie and greatnes of their kingdome it passed all others farre and being the first kingdome of the world was called the golden kingdome aureum seculum the other three Monarchies were called Argenteum seculum the siluer age beganne in Cyrus time in Persia the brasen age in Macedonia in the time of Alexander and last the Iron age among the Romanes beganne in Iulius Caesars time described in Daniel by the foure beastes For all Nabuchodonosors power strength states and kingdomes lost all within threescore and tenne yeeres of this his great possession and power Euen so the kings of Egypt which flourished in like strength and claimed the like maiestie lost their kingdome in the midest of their glory and were ouerthrowen by Cambyses To bee short because God would bee knowen vnto his people whom the wicked neuer confessed to bee the God of victorie he deliuered Pharao and all Egypt into the handes of Nabuchodonosor and for his pompe and pride herein thinking that it was his owne strength his owne force and power hee deliuered Nabuchodonosor and his posterities with all the Empire of Assyria and Chaldea into the handes of Cyrus whose kingdome flourished much aboue the rest vntil Darius sirnamed Codomanus whose wealth force and kingdomes were such that he made nothing of all the world beside God gaue him ouer into the handes of Alexander the great whose greatnesse continued not long for the like vnthankefulnesse to God for his kingdome passed to the Romanes Thus God appointed the weakest sometime to vanquish the strongest and raised vp the meanest to ouercome the mightiest Thus was Egypt subdued by the Chaldeans the Chaldeans by the Persians the Persians by the Macedonians the Macedonians by the Romanes and the long empire of the Romans their pompe and their glorie taken away by the Germanes and the Germanes rather prouinces to be called then an Empire so wickednesse preuailed that Turkes Canes Sophies with such infidels of long time flourished Then Arbaces and Phul Belochus deuided these Empires Phul Belochus helde Babylon and Niniue Arbaces possessed Media and Persia for his part But to write of Chaldea first this Phul Belochus though he dwelt in Babylon and raigned asking there eight and fourtie yeeres yet the name of the Monarchie continued still in Assyria for that the most part of the other Kings had their mansion in Niniue and therefore after Sardanapalus time called the newe kingdome of Assyria Nowe Belochus being settled king in Babylon called also the king of Assur hee came against the lande of Israel and mooued warres against Manahem then king but being pacified with a thousand talents of siluer he returned to Babylon without any harme done and there died when he had raigned eight and fourtie yeeres After him succeeded his sonne Phul Assur named in Scripture Tyglat Phul Assur this infidel God stirred vp against Israel for their sinnes hee tooke all these Cities and coastes Aron Abel Bethmecha Asor Gilead and Galilee and all the land of Nepthali and caried them vnto Assyria this king raigned three and twentie yeeres as both Functius and Melancthon write yet Metasthenes would haue him to raigne twentie and fiue yeeres After this succeeded Salmanasser the thirde king of newe Assyria hee likewise was by God appointed a scourge for the sinâ—…s of Israel and the idolatrie of Samaria hee came from Niniue vnto Samaria besieged it three yeeres and tooke it and caried all Israel captiue vnto Assyria and put them in Halah and in Habor cities of the Medes for at that time the Medes and the Persians were subiect vnto the Assyrians Thus were the 10. tribes caried captiue away from Samaria vnto Assyria in the ninth yeere of Hosea king of Israel after the building of Samaria 210. yeres the whole kingdome of Israel was destroyed when it had continued from the first yeere of Roboam the sonne of Salomon to the last yeere of king Hosea two hundreth fiftie and three yeeres as Functius affirmeth Then Salmanassar filled al the cities of Samaria with men from Babylon and from Hamath in stead of the children of Israel for the kings of Samaria enuied so much the kings of Iuda the state of Ierusalem the pompe of the high priest and the magnificence of Salomons temple that the kings of Samaria builded temples erected two idolatrous altars in Dan and Bethel where they sacrificed vnto the golden calfe and honoured idols of Baal yet God raised good men as Elias and Elizeus Amos and Osea by whom the Church of God in this wicked kingdome was still preserued This king Salmanasser brought the Medes and Persians subiect vnto Assyria and destroyed the Moabites as the Prophet Esay afore tolde there is mention made of this king in the tenth chapter of Osea where the Prophet sayeth As Salmanasser destroyed Betharbell in the day of battaile the mother with the children was dashed in pieces so shall Bethel doe vnto you Vnder this king Salmanasser was Israel scattered like sheepe for the Lyons dispersed them first the king of Ashur that was Salmanasser hath deuoured him and last Nabuchodonosor hath taken his bones the one caried the tenne tribes of Israel the other caried the two tribes of Iuda prisoners vnto Babylon This Salmanasser is named of Ptolome Nabonasser he raigned in the eight Olympiad when Romulus was king in Rome Ezechias was king in Iuda and Osea king in Israel before the captiuitie of Iuda one hundreth thirtie and three yeeres so long was betweene the destruction of Ierusalem and Samaria for Salmanasser did raigne seuen yeeres king in Assyria before hee had besieged Samaria which is to bee noted to auoyde errours in accompt From the
seuen of euery tribe But this good king was slaine in Mageddo by Necho king of Egypt who went vp at that time against the king of Asâ—…hur wherein Iosias did offend God because he consulted not with the Lord before he sought with Necho In Iosias time in the 13. yere of his reigne Ieremie began to prophesie the destruction of Ierusalem he foreshewed of the captiuitie of Babylon of the miserie of the Iewes of the famine and of the last ruine by Nabuchadonosor and howe afterward that king could not be quiet but was troubled with one dreame and other seeking soothsayers wise men of Babel coniurers sorcerers to interprete his visions dreames his vision of the 4. beastes of the 10. hornes of the battel betweene the Ramme and the Goate of the great image whose head was gold c. In Iosias time reigned in Media Phaortes the 6. king of the Medes and in Lidia reigned Ardis the 6. king of the Lidians for as I wrote before Lidia Media and Rome began welnigh together In Babylon reigned Nabuchodonosor the first of that name and the father of Nabuchodonosor the Great yet some take exception against the first Nabuchodonosor saying that there was none such as Beroaldus affirmeth He was the 3. king of the Chaldeans after Merodachs time In Rome gouerned Tullius Hostilius their 3. king who was now in warre with the Sabines and in Macedonia Philip the 6. king about which time the Grecians vsed first the Oracle called Dodonium oraculum Nowe in Locretia reigned Zaleuchus a famous Law maker and more famous for the keeping of his lawes being made euen against his owne sonne that should succeede after him king as in an other place you may read more Sibylla which is called Herophila was of great fame in Samos at this time Herodotus writeth that Batius the first king of Cyrena builded Zoan and after builded Cyrenes and furnished the same with people of Tyre and of Greece In the beginning of Iosias gouernment florished the great Historiographer Archilochus whose authoritie for time is with the best approued for he wrote a booke entituled De temporibus with whom at one time liued Simonides and Aristoxenes the Musition Iosias began to reigne in the 30. Olympiad and died in the 37. Olympiad and 16. Iubile of the Iewes After Iosias Ioachim his sonne succeeded for Necho king of Egypt after hee had killed Iosias in Mageddo hee gaue the kingdome to this Ioachim called also Eliachim paying 100. talents of siluer and one talent of gold for yeerely tribute vnto Egypt But Necho within a while was ouerthrowen in battell by Nabuchodonosor the great and the tribute which the Iewes paied vnto Necho now being slayne in the field by the king of Chaldea was paied to Nabuchodonosor But I haue writteÌ„ of this Ioachim of his sonne that succeeded him called also Ioachin or Iechonia of Nabuchodonosor in the histories of the Chaldeans how they were subdued by Nabuchodonosor whom God raised to destroy the rest of Israel the tribe of Iuda and the tribe of Beniamin With this Iechonia was Daniel Ananias Azaria and Misael caried captiue to Babylon of whom Nabuchodonosor had care to instruct them in the Chaldean tongue whereby they might serue the king and be in fauour It was the kings will that they should bee of Zedechias bloud of the best fauour and of the best complection Some write that this captiuitie began from the 3. yeere of Ioachim vnto the 20. yeere of Cyrus Some other write that it began from the preaching of Ieremie which was the 13. yeere of Iosias vnto the first yeere of Cyrus and others in the eleuenth yeere of Zedechias They would not heare Ieremie the Prophet who did foreshew the calamitie and miserie that should come vpon Ierusalem but they despised him imprisoned him and burned his bookes vntill an huge infinite armie of the Chaldeans laid siege to Ierusalem 18. moneths and that it was at length taken and destroied after much famine and plague during the time of these 18. moneths after that 21. kings of Dauids tribe raigned in Ierusalem for the space of 500. yeeres and odde counting as Iosephus saith beginning from Sauls raigne which was of another tribe The wonders which were seene before Ierusalem was destroied besides the threatning of the Prophets were such as might well perswade the Iewes of their calamities and miseries not then beleeued but afterwards felt The first time they saw right ouer the citie of Ierusalem a firie burning Comete most like a bloodie naked sword flourishing to and fro ouer the citie which continued for the space of one whole yeere The 2. wonder was a sudden cleere shining light as bright as day light being in the night time This light onely shined about Salomons Temple and about the sacrificing altars the which the Iewes construed to be their better fortune wherin they were deceiued The 3. wonder was that an Oxe being brought to the Temple to bee slaine and sacrificed vpon a festiuall day according to the Iewish maner that it brought foorth against the course of nature a Lambe in the middest of the temple which was terrible and monstrous The 4. wonder was that the East brasen gate of Salomons Temple being so great and so heauie with iron barres and great brasen bolts that Vix à viginti viris clauderetur the very wordes of Iosephus that 20. strong men could scant shut that gate opened of it selfe most willingly The barres loosed the bolts yeelded that some of the ignorant Iewes prognosticated the opening of the Temple should bee some great good thing to come The fift wonder was seene vpon the 21. day of May which seemed to be an hoste of men armed running on horsebacke and in charets aboue the Citie in the skies a little before Sunne setting The sixt wonder when the priests went vnto the temple in the feast of Pentecost as they were woont to do by night to celebrate diuine seruice they vpon a sudden felt the ground quiuer vnder their feete and the temple shooke and a voyce speaking Migremus hinc let vs depart hence Yet a more horrible wonder there was the daily crying and exclaiming of a countrey man Iesus the sonne of Ananus who for 7. yeeres and 5. moneths before the destruction ceased not in euery corner of the Citie in euery streete and specially in the temple vpon the Sabboth day saying Vox ab oriente vox ab occidente vox à quatuor ventis vox in Ierosolymam templum vox in omneÌ„ hunc populum continuing still this cry though he was punished by the magistrates and brought before Albinus the Roman which was then Caesars deputie in Ierusalem in somuch as he was thought to be some furious foole that he was left after whipping alone who cried Vae vae ciuitati vae phano vae populo and last of all he
of Cyrus which he also established by the meanes of Zorobabel in pleasing the king for his probleame as it is written in Esdras But God still exercised his people with some crosses because of their stubbernes for from the time they came home vnder Zorobabel they had maried with the Gentiles and offended God vntill the comming of Esdras from Darius with authoritie to build to repaire and to inhabite Ierusalem for so doth Bucholcerus in his Chronicles write saying that Daniel doeth comprehend in two words Ierusalem inhabitabitur aedificabitur the whole summe of Esdras bookes Nowe in the time of Darius of Cambyses before him and of Cyrus before Cambyses God stirred vp diuers excellent men to helpe his people to restore his Church and to builde his city againe as Zorobabel Esdras Nehemias with others whose care delight and zeale are extant in their owne bookes which they wrote For after their returne from Babylon there was peace and tranquilitie in Iudea vntil Ochus time for Nehemias liued 130. yeres and saw being very old a new broile and a greater calamitie of his coūtrey for though the posteritie of Dauid cōtinued vntil the time of the Machabees as gouernors Iudges of the people not naming themselues kings for the reuerence and feare which they bare vnto the kings of Persia. Salathiels sonne first gouernor of the Iewes after the captiuitie of Babylon Zorobabel of whom mention is made in Zacharie ruled Israel wisely discreetly 50. yeres Resa Mesulla the 2. gouernour in whose time Nehemias and Esdras came from Babylon to Ierusalem After him succeeded Iohanna Benresa the third Iudge who gouerned Israel 53. yeres The 4. was Iudas Hircanus the first of that name and thought of Melancthon to be so called for that Ochus king of Persia brought with him a nomber of the Iewes to Hircania and therfore Iudas was sirnamed Hircanus This iudged Israel when Alexander conquered Darius raigned 14. yeres Then Ioseph the first ruled the Iewes 7. yeeres The 5. ruler after Ioseph came Abner to gouerne the Iewes in whose time Ptolomeus the sonne of Lagi the first king of Egypt after Alexander the great vnder pretence to do sacrifice vpon the Sabboth day tooke the towne spoiled the temple slew imprisoned the Iewes and brought to Egypt infinite treasure Now after this Abner the 6. Iudge since the time of Alexāder succeeded of Dauids stock frō Abner to Ianna Hircanus the 2. who was the last of 15. gouernors ouer the Israelites after the captiuitie for they cōtinued euen vnto the time of the Machabees After this Haman plaied his part and thought to haue al the Iewes slaine cōmanded a gallowes to be made for Mardocheus the historie hereof is found in the booke of Esther for about the time of Cyrus death the gouernment was then altered in Rome Consuls were made after the building of Rome 244. yeres in the 67. Olympiad in the beginning of the 9. Iubilie at what time Cambises had subdued Egypt brought them subiects to the lawes of Persia After Cambises Darius went against the Getes and ouerthrew them and his chiefe captaine Zopirus sonne Megabisus vanquished the Thracians and subdued the Peonians and tooke Perinthus During this time the Lacedemonians had warres against Policrates the tyrant of Samos The Philosopher Pythagoras and Hippocrates the Phisition liued this time While the Iewes as you heard were in planting themselues in Ierusalem againe the Graecians were busie one with another Tyrants ruled Greece and gouerned by the bloodie law of Draco for Hipparchus and Hippias vsed tyrannie in Athens and were slayne both by Hermodius and Aristogiton Aristagoras a tyrant reuolted and rebelled against Darius which mooued Darius in armes against the Ionians and ouerthrew them and tooke their chiefe citie called Miletum A litle after Miltiades the chiefe captaine of Athens by the councel of Callimachus the famous Graecian ouerthrewe Darius king of Persias lieutenant called Hippias in the battell of Marathon where he slewe 6300. Persians as both Thucidides and Iustine doe report This ouerthrow of the Persians was at that very time when Tarquinius superbus made his last battel with the Romane Dictator Posthumius where he was put to flight and after died in exile Aristides surnamed the Iust was banished this time from Greece and Alcibiades called backe to Athens from his banishment Now Nehemia causing the law of Moses to bee read as an ordinance to serue God and reproouing them for their disobedience in ioining themselues with strangers they were in some quietnesse for a time though sometime murther and slaughter were betweene themselues committed for the which cause Bagoses the generall of Artaxerxes armie vnderstanding that the high Priest slewe his brother in the Temple being a deare friend to Bagoses he plagued the Iewes againe for the space of seuen yeeres and reuenged his death with slaughter and tribute he placed Iaddus in the office of the priesthood in his fathers place This high priest had to his brother one named Manasses which was sent to Samaria by Darius the last king of Persia. A little while after this Alexander the great after that his father Philip died hauing brought his armie ouer the Grecians sea called Helespont vnto the riuer of Granicus hauing subdued the Lydians Tyre besieged and taken Thebes wasted and spoiled al Asia he ouerthrew Darius the king of Persia carying his souldiers through Caria inuaded Pamphilia came ouer Euphrates vnto Syria tooke Damascus besieged Tyre and Sidon and he wrote to Hierusalem to the hie Priest Iaddus that his souldiers might haue passage without interruption and also requiring the tribute that was paied to Darius to be paid to him and to the crowne of Macedonia for that Alexander had vanquished Darius and had caried the Empire of Persia vnto Greece they of Hierusalem were frighted and much amased what to doe But cōcluding among themselues they opened the gates and the hie Priest came out with all the Priestes the Elders and Nobles of the Citie in most solemne sort to meete Alexander out of Hierusalem vnto a place named Sapha and saluted Alexander most humbly being in precious garments and pontifical robes with his sacred mitre whereupon was written the name of the God Iehoua The solemnitie and state whereof made Alexander to light from his horse and to yeelde to the hie Priest more honour and reuerence then his countreymen the Macedonians thought wel of so great a king so mightie a cōquerour euen Alexander the great to humble himselfe to a silie priest Parmenio demaunding the cause of Alexander why he honoured the priest somuch he answered that he reuerenced God whom the hie Priestrepresented at that time for I dreamed of these men euen as I behold them nowe when I was yet in Macedonia This Priest exhorted me then to be of good courage and bade me goe forward with my armie to Persia. Thus with great honor
the Machabees you may reade vntill contention grewe betweene the Samaritanes and the Iewes in Alexandria concerning the religion and holines of their temples which was with great malice followed standing one with an other in defiance vntill the matter was to be iudged before Ptolomeus Philometor king of Egypt the Iewes hauing one Andronicus a learned Iewe to open the priuiledge authoritie of the Temple of Hierusalem the Samaritans had also one Sabbeus a wise discreete man to pleade for the Temple of Samaria For there dwelled amōgst the Iewes at that time 3. sects of religion the first were called Pharises the 2. Saduces the 3. Esseni The Pharises acknowledged the iudgement of God to come with the reward of good and euill confessing the immortalitie of the soule The Saduces cleane contrary holding an opinion stoute against the Pharises in all points The Esseni supposed al things to be gouerned by fate and that nothing could happen to man but by destinie After this Ionathan sent to Sparta and to Rome to renewe the couenant betwene the Iewes and the people of Sparta for it was founde and knowen in their Chronicles that the Spartians came of the generation of Abraham In the meane time one Triphon that was tutor to Alexanders sonne named Antiochus a very yong man expected to be king in Syria in the roome of his father considering how falsly and traiterously he was slaine by the meanes of Ptolomeus his father in lawe and Demetrius to whom Cleopatra his wife was wrongfully giuen in mariage This Triphon by the colour of this title to yong Antiochus Sedetes sonne to Antiochus Epiphanes became very ambicious of the kingdome himselfe layd wait to kil Ionathan and take him by deceite and hauing also heard howe Demetrius calamities encreased by the Parthians sawe an easie way to obteine the kingdome by killing of the yong king Antiochus to whome he promised faith and seruice to restore him to his kingdome for that his father Alexander was wrongfully deposed and slaine For as soone as Triphon had slaine Ionathan and his two sonnes and also king Antiochus hee straight wayes maketh warres vpon Simon the brother of Ionathan who succeeded in his roome to defend the Iewes promising to followe the steps of his father and of his brethren for Simon was well beloued of the Iewes and therefore in great authoritie proceeded with the like courage as his brethren did to warre vpon the enemies and came in armes against Gazara Iamnia and Ioppa wasted them and spoyled them layde siege to Ierusalem and wanne the castle pursued Triphon which then vsurped the kingdome of Syria to the castle of Dora from whence he secretly fled vnto Apania a citie in Phenicia where he was slaine by Antiochus friendes within 3. yeeres after he had falsly vsurped Syria After this grew strife betweene Antiochus and Simon and therefore Cendebaeus was appointed Captaine by Antiochus against Simon but Simon preuailed in all his actions prospered in al his warres and conquered his enemies for the space of 8. yeeres vntill Ptolome who maried Simons daughter conspired against him slewe him and his 2. sonnes at a banquet and sent secretly to kill Iohn named likewise Hircanus the sonne of Simon But he hauing intelligēce that his father and his 2. brethren were slaine and that Ptolome had sent to slay him also he preuented that and slewe them and fled to a castle called Dagon Now Hircanus possessing the office of his father not forgetting the villenie and cruel murther of this Ptolomeus thought to reuenge it when time would serue In the meane season Antiochus sirnamed Pius being mindeful of iniuries receiued of Hircanus father Simon came with a great hoste to Iudea in the 162. Olympiad compassed the Citie Ierusalem with his armie kept Hircanus close within the citie not daring to looke out but after that Hircanus had promised 500. talents to Antiochus to depart in peace hee opened the graue of Dauid where he founde 3000. talents of siluer of the which he satisfied Antiochus which within a short time after was slaine amongst the Parthians in whose place succeeded his brother Demetrius Hircanus When he had heard that Antiochus was dead he came presently with an armie to Syria destroyed the temple in Samaria which Alexander the great permitted to be builded tooke Samega before called Samaria with the citie Sicima and many townes beside where the nations of the Cutheans dwelt which Salmanassar brought with him to inhabite Samaria in stead of the 10. tribes which he caried captiue away to Babylon for after that Samaria was destroyed first by Salmanasser the Samaritans were called Chutheans a people of Babylon and of Caldea Now it was plagued by Hircanus besieged by Aristobulus and Antigonus the sōnes of Hircanus that after one yeres siege they broght Samaria euen to the groūd and caused riuers lakes to ouerflow the place where Samaria was that no man knewe where Samaria stood so wicked a seate and so vngodly a towne full of all horrible idolatrie and blasphemie For Samaria had bene twise builded first by Omri which was destroyed by Salmanasser king of Syria after builded by Manasses the brother of Iaddus the hie Priest by the meanes of his father in lawe Sanabalat chiefe gouernour vnder Darius builded a Church to encounter with Hierusalem in mount Garizin at Samaria where from Babylon and from Assyria men and women came to dwell willing to receiue the lawes of Moses but not to forsake their Idols At what time Onias builded the 3. temples in AEgypt this was the sonne of that Onias which was the hie Priest at Hierusalem whom Antiochus Epiphanes king of Syria slewe at his ransaking of Hierusalem at what time hee destroyed the citie spoyled the temple and put vp the Image of Iupiter Olympus vpon the altar of the Lord this 3. temple continued at Heliopolis in Egypt 330. yeres Reade more of this in the Machabees Beside al this I meane the tabernacle the hie hilles called excelsa the 3. temples they had certaine other meetings and seruing of God though not in temples yet in places that resembled the temple Of this no mention is made neither in the historie of the Iudges nor of the Kings and therefore it seemeth that after the Iewes were captiuated into Babylon and their kingdome destroyed many of them being dispersed some to Egypt some to Asia and some to Europa met together as many as were in one citie or countrey hauing no temples but places by themselues made like temples which were called after Synagogues and so continued for after the 70. yeeres of captiuitie the Iewes being permitted by Cyrus to returne and to reare their temple for strangers that dwelt in other Prouinces as at Alexandria Silicia Asia and in diuers other places and yet Iewes borne when they came to Hierusalem either to the feast which was thrise a yeere or vpon any
other busines of their owne they went into the Synagogues appointed and made for them and not into the temple which was onely for the citizens of Hierusalem for both were frequented in our Sauiours time proued by himselfe saying I haue taught in the temple and in so many Synagogues in Galilee Asia mentioned so that one temple was in Hierusalem and many Synagogues and so many that I finde in an Hebrew cōmentary 480. Synagogues were within the city of Hierusalem and diuers other Synagogues dispersed through all Iudea but God commanded that he should be but in one place worshipped which was first in Silo in the tribe and mount of Ephraim after in Hierusalem in mount Sion in the tribe of Iuda Of the vse of the Tabernacle after the temple was by Salomon builded the Talmudists write many fables which I omit to recite Samaria being thus the second time destroyed by Aristobulus and Antigonus the Pharisees corrupt euil and seditious men much enuied the prosperitie of Hircanus his sonnes perswading the people to hate him but Hircanus after that hee had done great seruice for the Iewes and brought all things in quietnes he foresawe things to come and after he had gouerned Israel 31. yeres leauing behinde him 5. sonnes he died All this while there was no king in Iudea since the captiuitie of Babylon 481. yeeres but now after Hircanus time Aristobulus his eldest sonne succeeded him in gouernment who by report of slaunderers and backbiters caused his brother Antigonus whom he loued very dearely to be killed being most falsly accused of his enemies he left his owne mother to perish for famine and put the rest of his brethren in close prison But after a while his conscience did accuse him and tortured him in such sort that Aristobulus commaunded to bee brought to the place where Antigonus his brother was slaine and being caried to the place hee vomited blood in such abundance that he cried and said O corpus impudens quousque retinebis animam quam materni ac fraterni manes flagitant and so with torment hee died leauing behinde him his wife Solome whome the Greekes call Alexandra shee enlarged the sonnes of Hircanus which Aristobulus layed in prison one of them named Iannaeus which was also called Alexander not well thought of by his father but nowe made king after his brothers death by the meanes of Alexandra Aristobulus wife he as soone as hee had obteined the gouernement vsed the like tricke as his brother did before him hee caused one of his two brethren to be slaine and the other hee esteemed with honour This being done he went with an armie against the citie of Ptolomais at what time Ptolome sirnamed Lathurus was driuen by his mother Cleopatra out of Egypt and being at Cyprus she forced him thence so that Ptolome the sonne and Cleopatra the mother vsed their policie and exercised their tyrannie one against another When Cleopatra had gotten the citie Ptolomais after a long siege her sonne againe being driuen out of Egypt Alexander king of the Iewes renewed friendship with Cleopatra for that her sonne Ptolome had plagued Iudea Now being ayded by Cleopatra hee tooke Gadara and a strong fort called Amathuta to whome Demetrius Euserus gaue battell and discomfited his armie and fled himselfe to the mountaines hee straight gathered some strength and hauing gotten 6000. souldiers againe in a readines pursued after Demetrius who for feare fled at that time After this the Iewes being sundry times thus afflicted by their owne crueltie and tyrannie they conspired against Alexander and were in armes oft times but still ouerthrowne Such was Alexanders hard happe that sixe yeeres he was molested afflicted and persecuted of his owne nations and subiects that hee slewe of them from time to time about 50000. and yet still moued hee them to hate him so that being demaunded by him of the people what they would haue him to doe they with one consent saide Hang thy selfe Alexander hauing taken the citie Betoma after much slaughter and blood he brought the wealthiest and chiefest men of the citie in bandes and fetters prisoners to Ierusalem where he commanded before his face where he sate in a high rome of his palace 800. of the greatest and chiefest men to be hanged and before they were hāged he likewise cōmanded that their wiues and children should be flaine before their eyes While this tragedy was played at Ierusalem by Alexander Antiochus Griphus was slaine by the falshod of Heracleon after whom succeeded his sonne Seleucus made warres with his vncle Antiochus sirnamed Cizicenus whom Seleucus tooke in battel and slew Alexander was at that time called of the Iewes for his tyrannie for his sirname Thracida for while Alexander liued 8000. Iewes liued out of their coūtrey banished came not to Iewry during the time of Alexāder which was 27. yeres The Iewes were miserably hādled vnder this king for Ptolome Lamyrus slew 30000. Iewes at one time he made the captiues and prisoners to eat the flesh of their own countreymen being slaine in the warres of Alexander Himself slew 600. of his subiects being moued allured to seditiō against their king by the Pharisees a sect of the Iewes that extremely hated Alexander Now his wife Alexandra called Salomine the time of her first husband Aristobulus she raigned quietly after her husband 9. yeres Alexander had 2. sonnes Hircanus and Aristobulus and though that Hircanus was the elder brother heire to the crowne yet did Aristobulus gather an army and inuaded Iudea while yet Alexandra his mother liued Antipater the Idumean and Aretas king of Arabia tooke part to ayde the elder brother Hircanus Alexander had giuen councel to his wife before hee died to speake faire to the Pharisees who could much perswade the people and also to conceale his death vntill she had gotten the castle of Ierusalem considering his life to be offensiue to the people and to make no accompt of his burial but let the people vse their discretion She vsing this her husbands aduice became in great fauour with the people in the meane season Aristobulus fortified himselfe being by nature very quicke industrious made himselfe strong and hauing corrupted the Romane Scaurus then Pompeius the great Embassadour to be his friend to the Senators Hircanus againe sent to Rome opening his iniuries accusing and declaring the infidelitie and corruption of his Embassador crauing their ayde and helpe being the elder brother to haue his right Vpon this cōplaint Pompey being then in Armenia against Tigranes and comming to Damascus being newly by Metellus and Lolius taken he repared to Ierusalem with an hoste of souldiers at what time Caius Anthonius restored to Hircanus the gouernment and the office of the high Priest hee caried captiue with him to Rome Aristobulus with his 2. sonnes Alexander and Antigonus This furie of domesticall sedition this tyrannie and
last by the Romans Cornelius Festus Sillas sonne and Furus Centurio entred first the Citie and after the whole Romane armie rushed in and slew 22. thousand Iewes spared the temple and the sacred treasures therein defiled not the Sanctuarie neither touched Pompey the golden table neither tooke away with him one penie of the 2000. talents which was the treasure of the temple But Crassus in short time after going against the Parthians in his voyage spared neither treasure nor the temple Ierusalem was builded in Iudea by Sem the sonne of Noah and was by him first named Solima or Salem a citie most famous and the soile it selfe most fertile and so by God blessed and preserued from the first building in the time of Sem vnto the last ouerthrowe of the same by Titus the Romane Emperour being 2177. yeeres Iosephus doeth describe the situation and building of this towne that it was builded vpon two hilles the one hill higher then the other Dauid the first king of the tribe of Iuda in whose time for that he fortified the higher hill after his dayes it was called Castellum Dauid the lower hil was called Acra ouer against this hil Acra they began afterwards to drawe another hill to enlarge this citie and to ioyne the temple within the same for the temple was builded on a hard high rocke for that it might the better be seene that the state and magnificence thereof might be beholden and seene aboue the towne and aboue the high towres of the walles for Hierusalem was compassed with three seuerall walles fronted one against another with such high strong towers that some of them were 70. cubites higher then the walles as the tower called Psephina likewise the tower of Hippicos was fourescore and fiue cubites high The second towre called Phasaelis after Herods brothers name was fourescore and tenne cubites high the thirde named after his wiues name Mariannes which farre excelled the rest whose large descriptions you shall reade in Iosephus a Iewe borne and brought vp in Ierusalem vntil the destruction thereof where he was taken prisoner by Titus there it is set forth to the ful the situation of the citie the beautie of the temple the strength of the walles the height and largenesse of the towres the port and state of the gates the full description of the foure hilles which Hierusalem was builded on and other things which now I omit for the circuite of Hierusalems walles was no more but thirtie and nine furlongs This towne was nothing like in bignesse to Babylon or to Niniue but farre greater in fame and in victories for Hierusalem had triumphed and sawe the ende and last destruction of the Caldeans Assyrians Egyptians Arabians and Persians for litle Iudea endured the force and power of the three first Monarchies which was the Assyrians the Persians and the Grecians though it was before conquered fiue seuerall times by the iust iudgement of God for their transgression and sinne yet by the mercie of God saued and preserued as is before mentioned vntil thirtie eight yeres after Christs death All that while that they serued God and followed the steppes of their forefathers I meane Abraham Isaac Iaacob Daniel Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias they preuailed against all nations they conquered all Countreys and brought all the kingdomes of the worlde to admire their vertues to feare their force and to seeke fauour and friendship at their handes though they were sometime touched for their stiffenecked stubbernes and too much iniquities as in Egypt in the wildernes and after they had possessed the land of Promes for still they offended the Lorde for the which these seuerall fiue conquests were had ouer them The first was by Nabuchodonosor the great king of Babylon the second by Asocheus king of Egypt the thirde time by Antiochus the great king of Syria the fourth by Pompeius the great and the fift and last was by Titus Vespatian In the which last subuersion and ouerthrowe of Hierusalem wee reade in Iosephus being then a present souldier in the warres the calamities and great miseries that then fel on the citie of Ierusalem and on the inhabitants thereof Their hunger and famine was so great that one did eate an others vomite the fathers did eate their children and the mothers fed on their owne babes in the cradle in so much that stinking carions and dead bodies which died for hunger in the streete was meate of great daintines in Ierusalem They were constrained to eate beastes dung dried leather girdles shoes and skinnes which couered their shields yea they sought their foode in Iakeses many slewe and butchered one another in the citie Besides this the plague was so hote amongst them that lodgings houses temples and all the streetes in Ierusalem were filled with dead bodies The slaughter was such as within 18. moneths siege 110000. were slaine within the citie and most of them strangers and Gentiles which came vp to the feast according to the custome of the Iewes where suddenly they were taken and besieged you must thinke by famine and by the sword During which time 97000. were taken prisoners and captiues there were found of the Iewes in priuies and Iakeses and hiding themselues in caues sinkes and holes of the earth aboue 2000. Some sent of these to the nomber of 70. thousand to Egypt as bond slaues there to moile like beastes in intollerable toile some solde more cheape then dogs for Egesippus witnesseth that 30. Iewes were solde for a penie and those were yong boyes vnder sixteene yeeres OF THE FIRST ORIGInall of the CHALDEANS first called Arphaxades after the name of Arphaxad the thirde sonne of SEM which was the first kingdome of the world of their continuance gouernment and last destruction by Darius Medius and Cyrus NOw hauing ended the historie of the Hebrewes the posteritie of Arphaxad the thirde sonne of Sem I will followe Assur the second sonne of Sem who builded Niniue from whom and after whose name the Assyrians are called whose history I haue now in hand In the hundreth thirtie and one yeere after the flood when people had multiplied in the land of Shinear olde Noah taught the people to seeke new seates and dwellings instructed the newe worlde the first age after the flood in the course of the Sunne the Moone and the starres and in all other things wherein Noah was most perfite hee declared to his people what he knewe and sawe in the first age and deuided the world into three parts Asia Africke and Europe and sent his sonnes to seeke aduentures Cham he sent to Egypt and to Africke with his company Sem to Asia and Iaphet with his people to Europe of whom I will speake where their historie is handled Now I will begin the historie of the Chaldeans who after that the people were dispersed at the building of Babel and had scattered into euery partes of the worlde were the first that
Egypt so that the king of Egypt came no more out of his lande as it is written against the king of Babylon hee layde siege to Tire and wasted all the regions there about he brought vnder the king of Babylon all Libya the most part of Asia vnto the land of Armenia This king grewe so great that Philostratus doeth so set him in his histories that he passed Hercules in force and power Strabo saith that the Chaldeans esteemed more of Nabuchodonosor then the Grecians did of Hercules Nabuchodonosor made kingdomes to shake the earth to tremble and the whole worlde a forest and left almost no where vnconquered but Iudea where after all his other warres and conquests hee sendeth his deputie Nabuzaradan generall of his armie he commeth with a huge armie of the Chaldeans a great band of Aramites of Moabites of Ammonites for Nabuchodonosor had heard that Iehoiakim had rebelled after hee had payed tribute for three yeeres This was the cause of the destruction of Iehoiakim after he had raigned three yeres he was deceiued much trusting to haue ayde by Necho king of Egypt and so lost both the kingdome and himselfe This was the iudgement of God for the sinnes of Manasses and the idolatrie of Iuda not weighing the crying out of Ieremie though night and day he perswaded them to yeelde vp the Citie and to followethe Lorde for Ierusalem was full of innocent blood and therefore God vsed these wicked tyrants to execute his commandement After this Iehoiakin the sonne of Iehoiakim when he had reigned three moneths being 18. yeeres of age Nabuchodonosor fearing least he shoulde become false and so reuenge his fathers death came against him he and his mother his princes and his seruants yeelded to Nabuchodonosor by the councell of Ieremie And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah king in stead of his nephewe Iehoiakin and changed his name to Zedechia who likewise offended the Lord and would not be councelled by Ieremie but hee and his people mocked the messengers of God despised his word and misused his Prophets so long that Nabuchodonosor came and slue their young men with the sworde kild all and spared none But for the rest of Nabuchodonosors tyranny his crueltie and slaughter specially of Iewes they are read in the fourth booke of Kings Chap. 24. and 25. in in Esai in Ieremie This king is euery where mentioned with the Prophets and in Ecclesiasticall histories Likewise Iosephus orderly setteth downe his seuerall warres against Ierusalem first in the eleuenth yere of Iechonias he came with great force and slue the most part in Ierusalem killed the king and buried him in sepulchro asini threw him dead vnburied out of the Citie according to the prophecie of Ieremie saying Iehoiakim shal be buried as an asse is buried euen drawne and cast foorth without the gates of Ierusalem like a carrion neither shall any lament him neither mourne for him he tooke also the chiefe men of the Citie euen 3000. and carried them vnto Babylon amongst whom Ezechiel being yet a very young man was lead likewise captiue This was before tolde of by Ieremie the Prophet but not beleeued The second time hee came against Iehoiakin whom Nabuchodonosor aduaunced vnto his fathers seate but fearing hee would reuoult by being mindfull of his fathers death hee tooke him his mother his familie his nobles and others to the number of tenne thousand eight hundred thirtie and two and carried them vnto Chaldea yet Nabuchodonosor sware to the king to his counsell that he would spare them vpon their submission to the which the king by the perswasions of the Prophet Ieremie yelded but the tyrant kept no promise With this king Daniel Anania Azaria and Misael being of the kings stocke were taken prisoners and commaunded by the king that they shoulde bee brought vp in the Chaldean tongue to serue the king afterward The third and last comming of Nabuchodonosor was against Zedechia the last king of Iuda hee layde siege to Ierusalem eighteene moneths during which time great famine and plague with manifolde miseries more befell them and at last the destruction of the Citie men women and children slaine before the King his Princes and Nobles put to the sworde the wealth and treasure of the Citie caried to Babylon the Temple burned the King himselfe taken his children killed before the kings face then his eyes put out and caried in chaines to Babylon where hee died most miserably in prison Thus God did put his sworde in Nabuchodonosors hand as an instrument of his wrath to punish sinne Of this matter more is spoken of in the historie of the Iewes otherwayes called the Hebrewes When Nabuchodonosor had reigned fourtie three yeeres Metasthenes saith fourtie fiue yeeres the Chaldean historie reporteth that hee prophecied the destruction of Babylon being by Daniel taught and by God called to bee one of his chiefe instruments in his Church In a little before hee died hee confessed the glory and maiestie of God saying I giue thankes vnto the most High I prayse and honour him that liueth for euer who restored vnto me my kingdome my honour and my vnderstanding whose works are all trueth and his wayes iudgements for nowe I confesse that he is able to abase those that walke in pride he liued in Tarquinius Priscus time the fift king of Rome and in the eighteene Iubilee of the Iewes and in the fourtie nine Olympiads In the time of Nabuchodonosors father Dracos lawes was written in Athens Solon Thales Milesius florished the seuen Sages of Greece liued this time the Prophet Ezechiel beganne to prophecie in Babylon the fift yeere of the captiuitie For as you shall reade of the Medes and Persians and of the Romanes that they were made by God executours instruments and hammers for so the Lord spake of them saying Thou art my hammer and weapons of warre for with thee will I breake the nations and with thee will I destroy kingdomes by thee will I breake man and woman and by thee will I breake young olde you shall finde this phrase often rehearsed by God in the mouthes of the Prophets so God calles Nabuchodonosor his seruant saith I wil put my sword in Nabuchodonosors hand so Senaherib so Salmanasser and so Satan himselfe is Gods seruant to worke his will to obey his commandement and to execute his iudgements After this Nabuchodonosor succeeded his sōne Euilmerodach he reigned 30. yeres he reigned one yere together with his father it seemeth that this Euilmerodach was instructed by Daniel to feare God for after that Nabuchodonosor had turned to the Lord began to be a benefactor to the Church to the mēbers thereof this his sonne likewise when he became king of Babylon after his father in the first yere of his reigne brought Iehoiakin king of Iuda out of prison hee restored him to libertie and aduanced him to
changed betweene 12. Princes which should equally gouerne the whole kingdome of Egypt so did for 15. yeres as Diodorus affirmeth After this one of the 12. princes obtained into his owne hand the whole kingdome and gouerned 54. yeres after augmenting the confines of Egypt by the ayde of certaine Grecians which against their wils were driuen into Egypt by a tempest with whom Psammiticus entred into friendship and came thereby to be king of Egypt To these Grecians did the king giue a countrey to dwell in farre from Nilus with these Greekes Psammiticus cōmaunded that certaine yong gentlemen of Egypt should be brought vp in the Greeke tongue which afterward made Egypt acquainted therewith While yet Psammiticus was one of the 12. magistrats before he became king these 12. consented to make some monument in memory of their gouernment therefore they erected many huge strange works as pillars porches labirinths Piramides temples other sumptuous buildings they also studying how to passe these monuments inuented to make a Labirinth vpō the lake of Meris not far frō the city of Crocodiles for so the Egyptians had cities according to the names of those fowles fishes and beastes which they had honored for their gods and had erected temples for sacrifices in these cities and though the temple of Diana in Ephesus the temple of Iuno in Samos were huge monstrous for their bignes yet the Piramides of Egypt were farre more greater But the Labirinth far excelled this greatest Piramides for within this Labirinth were chambers parlers halles and other roomes to the number of three thousand whereof an hundreth and fiftie were made vnder the ground and the other aboue ground with such artificiall worke with the pictures and likenes of all kinde of creatures that it farre excelled all the monuments of Egypt and the place whereupon it was made and builded was a lake of three thousand sixe hundreth furlongs which are three hundreth seuentie and fiue miles which is more wonderfull then the Labirinth it selfe Herodoti fabula But now to the king Psammiticus againe who hauing long layd siege to Azotum a citie of Syria and after many yeeres ouerthrowen for it was the longest siege that euer endured which may be read of Psammiticus died after whom succeeded his sonne Necho of whom the Prophets make true mention and therefore Herodotus Diodorus and others may be the better spared being prophane writers because hee and his doings is mentioned in the sacred histories of whom the Prophets write that the wrath of God was ripe to giue iudgement against Egypt at this time for Egypt had so long offended the Lorde with their vaine superstition and idolatrie Now Necho was cried out vpon by the Prophet Ezechiel which was by the riuer Perath and gaue sentence against all Egypt in this sort Howle and crie woe be vnto Egypt the sworde shall come vpon Egypt and feare shall come vpon Aethiopia Pathros shall be desolate and fire shall be in Zoan which is Taphnis Thus the Prophet cried out againe I will powre out my wrath vpon Shin which is named in histories Pelusium and I will destroy the multitude of No the yong men of Auen which is otherwise called Heliopolis and of Phibeseth which is also named of olde Pubastum shall fall by the sworde CHAP. III. Of the last kings of Egypt by the name of Pharaos which continued a thousand two hundreth yeres and of the first conquering of Egypt by Cambyses the second king of Persia. THis time great warres grewe betweene the Assyrians and the Egyptians the greatnes of both these kingdomes which then were the onely kingdomes of the world were destroyed by the sword for so the Prophet saide that Egypt should be the reward of the king of Babylon for his labour which he tooke against Tyrus and so it was performed in Necho after much mischiefe that he had done to Israel he was deliuered into the hands of Nabuchodonosor for so the Lord said I will strengthen the armes of Nabuchodonosor and the armes of Pharao shal be weakened Of this Necho and Aprie the last Pharaos mentioned in Scripture had full triall for Necho raigned seuenteene yeeres and left behind him a sonne named Psammis which raigned 6. yeeres and making warre with the Aethiopians died About this time Phaortes king of the Medes with al his army was ouerthrowen by the Assyrians at what time the Scithians entred into Asia spoiled and wasted almost to the countrey of Palestina Tullus Hostilius the third king of Rome died in the beginning of the raigne of Necho Herodotus doth place Apries the sonne of this Psammis This king for a time prospered like his grandfather Psammiticus but I wil admit Herodotus to speake of this king Apries for the like cause as before for I finde that he is called in Ieremie Hophra To this king many of Ierusalem fled from the hand of Nabuchodonosor where they were as well entertained as with Nabuchodonosor for so the Prophet said that the sword should follow them into Egypt and Pharao should destroy all that fled from Nabuchodonosor who at that very time tooke the citie and brought all Iuda captiue into Babylon though Ieremie perswaded the contrary yet they of Iuda vowed to burne incense vnto the Queene of heauen and vnto the gods of Egypt but the God of Abraham and Isaac gaue them ouer to the sworde and destroyed them with famine And after that Apries had fedde his tyrannie against the Iewes and had slaine the Prophet Ieremie afterward he ouerthrew Sidon besieged Tyre and had done great harme in Iudea and the word of the Lord came vnto him saying I will giue Pharao Hophra king of Egypt into the handes of his enemies and into the hands of them that seeke his life euen into the hands of Nabuchodonosor Though Herodotus affirmeth as other prophane histories doe that Apries was after the ouerthrow of Sydon forsaken of his people and vanquished by Amasis at Memphis and caried captiue from Memphis into Sais into his owne pallace before But now Amasis raigned king in Egypt and ruler of Apries throne thus Apries after he had raigned thirtie fiue yeeres died by the handes of his enemies During the raignes of these two last kings Necho and Apries which was fiftie three yeres many destructions of countreys and cities happened as the destruction of Niniue and also Assyria by Ciaxeres king of the Medes the destruction of Hierusalem and all Iudea by Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon and the warres betweene the Chaldeans and the Egyptians which continued seuen and twentie yeeres the victorie whereof fell to the king of Babylon as the Prophet before had sayde I will giue the lande of Egypt into the hande of Nabuchodonosor for wages to his Armie This time raigned in Rome Ancus Martius the fourth king and Tarquinius Priscus the fifth king Europus raigned now the seuenth king of Macedonia
all countreis and became the only kingdom of force power whose fame and renowne was spread ouer the whole world After him succeeded Ciaxares the 7. king of the Medes this passed all the kings of Media before him and obscured the fame of his predecessors this king is named in Daniel Darius Medus as Melancthon doeth note This was he that subdued Asia and deuided Asia into nations countreys prouinces and kingdoms and the first among the Medes that deuised spearemen bowmen and horsemen and taught the Medes many warlicke feates he vanquished all the regions about Media and gathered all the force hee could against the Lydians and after brought all his armies ouer the riuer Halis and went to reuenge his fathers death Phaortes vpon the Assyrians besieged Niniue and as Eusebius testifieth he tooke the citie of Niniue and conquered the most part of Assyria except Babylon and fewe prouinces about Babylon It is written in Ruffinus that while Ciaxares layed siege to Niniue Madies king of Scythia came with great power against this Ciaxares with whom he encountred and put him to the worst scattered his armie and wan the field and remoued their siege frō Niniue in so much that the Scythians ruled gouerned al Asia for 28. yeres but afterward slaine and ouerthrowen by the Medes About this time Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon layed siege to Ierusalem tooke Zedekias the king burned the citie and destroyed the temple and the most part of the best Iewes were caried captiue into Babylon where Ezechiel began to prophecie both against Egypt and Babylon where likewise he prophecied the rebuilding of Ierusalem and the restoring of the Iewes after 70. yeres captiuitie There folowed in Media Astiages the 8. and last king of the Medes who raigned ouer the Medes 35. yeeres hauing onely one daughter named Mandanes of this her father thought so wel that he iudged no man among the Medes worthy of his daughter but gaue her in mariage to Cambyses king of Persia which then payed tribute vnto the Medes and were broght vnder their monarchie by cōquest Now Astiages the king being in his town Ecbatana dreamed of his daughter Mādanes in this sort he thought in his dreame that his daughter made so much water at one time as filled al the streets of the city Ecbatana that it did ouerflow all Asia who when he awaked mused much at this dreame fearing the successe thereof tooke order with one Harpagus a friend of his that when his daughter Mādanes should be brought to bed the child should presently be killed This cōmandement of the king troubled Harpagus insomuch that he himself detested so foule an act caused one named Mitridates a heardman of Astiages to come to his house to whō he imparted the kings cōmandement charging him to take the child and to bring him to some place where the childe might die to auoyde the displeasure of the king This poore man obeying Harpagus tooke the child delighted much in his fauour thinking in his heart that he was of some great parentage tooke it with him and hauing that time by his wife a childe borne dead hee tooke it and made as though it were Cambyses sonne buried him in a desart place and cōmanded his wife to bring vp Cyrus as her owne childe Now when Harpagus was throughly certified that Cyrus was killed buried by this his trusty friēd who saw the place where the dead childe was buried supposing it to be Cyrus Harpagus therof was very glad told the king that in al things his cōmandement was executed The king was merie al things very quiet and he doubted nothing While this Astiages was lustie and frolike Cyrus grew in the meane while to some stature being about tenne yeeres of age hauing some cause to be brought before Astyages he had some impression in his head and conceiued by imagination considering the time that Cyrus should haue bene killed and the age of Cyrus then present hee beganne to examine the matter with Harpagus and Harpagus with Midridates vntill the trueth was found Astiages being much disquieted with this Harpagus was troubled in minde fearing some mischance should happen vnto him by the meanes of this Cyrus of whom he dreamed as you heard commaunded him out of his sight and to goe vnto Persia to his father Cambyses and to his mother Mandanes and there vpon his allegeance to stay Cyrus began to feele his stomacke being very young to be very great yet for that time he obeyed the king and went to Persia where he consulted with Harpagus about the recouerie of the kingdome of Media For when Cyrus had heard how that Astiages had commaunded Harpagus to kill him and to haue him out of the way hee thought now being in yeeres fully to reuenge the said wrong he gathered his power together and had his souldiers in armes and was ready with his force to march against Astiages The bruite and great report of Cyrus preparation came to the eares of king Astiages who not being therewith a little frighted sent messengers vnto Cyrus commanding him vpon his allegeance to repaire to king Astiages To whom answere was made by Cyrus that Astiages should see Cyrus before hee wished to see him and that Cyrus would come before Astiages would haue him to come This answere of Cyrus being giuen to the king he straight commanded all Media to be in armes and with great hast with no lesse feare made his souldiers readie Nowe Harpagus hauing determined to flee from his charge being generall of the Medes vnto Cyrus When both the armies came to ioyne in battell Harpagus perfourmed promise with Cyrus forsooke the Medes and came to the Persians This first battell by reason of Harpagus and diuers noble men more of Media which reuolted was ouerthrowen by Cyrus Astiages againe gathered his force renewed his armie and came in field himselfe being general in person against Cyrus where hee was with all his souldiers ouerthrowen and his kingdome taken from him and the Empire of Media which before gouerned Persia is nowe againe brought by Cyrus vnto Persia. This was the vncertaine state of the worlde then sometime conquerours and sometime straight conquered as before you haue read of Assyria and Chaldea sometimes the Assyrians mastered the Chaldeans and againe the Chaldeans ouercame the Assyrians and so of the Medes and of the Persians for now the Persians are become lords of Media Lydia Chaldea Assyria all Asia and the most part of the East which the Medes hitherto for the space of an hundreth and thirtie yeres gouerned Asia about the riuer Halis Thus Media after it had in all continued three hundreth and fiftie yeeres from Sardanapalus vntill Cyrus time by Cyrus was ouerthrowen in the thirtie and fifte yeere of the raigne of Astiages two hundreth yeeres after the building of Rome at what time
the Scythians who likewise had no houses but their wagons in the which they carie their wiues their children and themselues into any coūtrey where they take warre in hand Nowe of the Arabians trafique and marchandise and of their frankincense myrrhe and many other kinde of spices of their birdes Phoenix and Cynomolgies of their precious stones of their hilles sweete riuers and other rare things in Arabia I referre you to Strabo he leaueth nothing vntoucht within Arabia But I wil returne to Mahomet a poore man of a base and meane parentage brought vp a seruant to feede and to attend camels a young man of a wonderfull craftie subtile wit hauing married his mistresse and thereby growen wealthie he vsed the company of one Sergius a Monke with whom he was taught to accuse the Iewes as wicked cruel tyrants to kill a great Prophet and to accuse the Christians of ignorancie and of much simplicitie scoffing them for their superstitious ceremonies and meere fantasies in their religion as he said of their God Christ. This Mahomet vomited his malice in such sort that not onely Asia but Affricke and Europe were by him infected hee settled himselfe in the richest regions of all Arabia named Scenites where in short time through the craft and subtiltie of his fained religion and by the dayly accesse of a white pigeon in the eare to eate graines of wheat which he vsed to deceiue the simple supposing the pigeon to bee some spirit from God that instructed Mahomet in all good discipline and religion that whatsoeuer Mahomet did it was taken as done by a prophet He grew of such credite within Arabia that he made lawes and decrees he altered the whole course of the Arabians gouernment and brought the Saracens to beginne their yeeres and their accompt from the beginning of Mahomets raigne For as the Grecians were wont to nomber yeeres by their Olympiads the Romanes by their Lustrum so the Arabians and the Saracens vsed their accompt by Hegira begunne in the time of Mahomet at what time he escaped hardly the hands of the chiefe men in Arabia called Philarchi who thought to kill Mahomet for his newe doctrine against the religion of the Arabians But after he had escaped he gathered a great armie by meanes of many that tooke him and honoured him as a diuine prophet and entred with force and maine strength againe vpon his enemies and had the victory ouer them From the which time the Arabians beganne to accompt their yeeres in memorie of the escape of Mahomet by flight which the Arabians call Hegira and after by Mahomet commaunded in the time of Heraclius the Emperour and Pope Honorius in the yeere of our Sauiour sixe hundreth twentie and one to bee kept of the Saracens and of the Arabians in great honour and accompt and to beginne all their accompts trafiques and marchandise by Hegira And as wee vse the yeere of our Lorde at the very day that he was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgine by the holy Ghost so the Arabians from the time of this Hegira by Mahomet commaunded vsed their yeeres MAhomet the great prophet and the only Prince of Arabia began his gouernment in the yeere of our saluation 624. At what time Heraclius gouerned as Emperour in Constantinople he raigned nine yeres died and was honoured as a God to this day among the Saracens After this Mahomet raigned in Arabia Ebubezer three yeeres during which time he subdued the citie of Gaza and brought that prouince altogether vnder the Arabians who at this beganne to be sirnamed Amiras a name of dignitie as Caesars among the Romanes or Pharaos among the Egyptians this raigned the first Amiras The second Amiras was called Haumar which raigned 12. yeeres this enlarged the countrey of Arabia from Egypt vnto the riuer Euphrates this brought Persia subiect to Arabia and forced Hormisda their last king to take his flight and to leaue behinde him all his treasures and all the wealth of Persia. This Amiras tooke Caesarea a citie in Palestina after he had besieged it seuen yeeres by his lieutenant Muhanias who was his Generall from the confines of Egypt vnto Euphrates This Haumar after hee had destroyed the temple of Hierusalem caused the Crosse which hee found in the temple to be set vp in Mount Oliuet to scoffe there the Christians who beganne at that very time to worship euery where the Crosse that was the first Crosse and the first time that the vse of Crosses beganne from that in Mount Oliuet But after much harme done by this Haumar hee was slaine by a Persian woman named Margaret as hee was praying kneeling before the newe erected idole of Mahomet After this Haumar succeeded Hotaman the fourth Amiras this inuaded Affrica possessed diuers places and filled many townes with Saracens at what time Muhanias the chiefe Generall of all the Arabians territories sailed with a great nauie into Cyprus inuaded the whole Isle and tooke the citie Constantia and the citie Aradus and at his returne came to Rhodes destroyed the huge and monstrous image of Phoebus called Colossus Solis accompted one of the seuen wonders of the world While Muhanias was in warres with the Cyprians and the Rhodians the very same time another Prince of Arabia named in the Chronicles Busor inuaded Isauria destroyed the countrey made a great slaughter of the people and brought fiue thousande captiues prisoners into Arabia but within fewe dayes Hoaman was slaine through the treasonof his owne housholdes and chiefe friends This time raigned king in Fraunce Clodoueus the second of that name which Clodoueus was called Lewes the first and in Constantinople raigned Emperour Constans which was sonne to Constantius the third who had a great ouerthrowe in battell by sea by Muhamias with his armie of Saracens Eugenius then was elected the tenth Pope of Rome Hali who gouerned the Saracens after Hoaman with Muhamias for 3. yeeres at what time he was slaine by a conspiracie of souldiers after whose death Muhanias became the fift Amiras ouer the Arabians who gouerned foure and twentie yeeres and kept his court all that time at Damascus This Muhanias grew mightie and strong inuaded Affrica slew fourescore thousand Africanes spoyled the territories of the Romanes entred into their confines but the Romanes forced him to flee pursued him and compelled him to seeke the Romanes fauour paying three thousand pound in golde and fiftie Saracens for yerely tribute Constantine the fift sirnamed Pogonatus held then the Empire at Constantinople Gizid the sonne of Muhanias succeeded his father and raigned after him 3. yeeres this had not such successe as Muhamias his father had but after Gizid succeeded Habdella the seuenth Amiras against whom Marnan was elected the eight Amiras who died within nine moneths after and left his sonne Habdimelech to be the ninth Amiras this raigned two and twentie yeeres The Saracens about this time inuaded so
Asia euen to flee to Ptolomey where he was claptin prison frō whom he secretly stale away and fled but being taken by theeues was slaine About that very season his brother Seleucus by a fall he had frō his horse lost both his life and kingdom after he had raigned king of Asia and Syria 20. yeeres and so these two brethren by discord lost both Syria and Asia After this Seleucus came succeeded his sonne Seleucus Ceraunos the 5. king of Asia and Syria he after he had raigned 3. yeeres was slaine by one of his owne noblemen named Nicanor Then followed Antiochus surnamed the great the 6. king of Syria who indeed was so great that he wanne to his kingdome more then any of his predecessors and hauing long warres in Egypt with Ptolome Philopater by him for all his greatnes he had an ouerthrow or two But this Philopater died and left behind him a young sonne whom he committed for the safegard of his kingdome to the Romanes commending both his sonne in his minoritie his kingdome into the fidelity of the Senators for all kings in their distresse fled vnto the Romanes as to a sanctuary of refuge Now Antiochus the great in his minde contemned the Romanes made warres in Egypt vpon this yong king to whom the Senators sent Embassadors commanding him to auoyde Egypt not to warre vpō the yong king whom the Senators of Rome tooke to their tuition Antiochus esteemed not much the threatning of the Senators but rather despised the messengers making his armie ready against the Romanes hauing by this time Hannibal who by Scipio Affricanus was ouerthrowen at the battel of Zama which was the last ouerthrow of Hannibal for the Carthagineans had lost Sicilia Sardania Spaine and Hanibal was driuen out of Italy to Affrike and frō Affrike to Asia vnto king Antiochus where he was with great curtesie receiued By this time the Senate had intelligence that Nabis the tyrant had inuaded diuers countreies of Greece subdued manie cities and therefore they wrote vnto Titus Flaminius that Greece should be set at libertie from Nabis as Macedonia was from Philip. The greatnes of the Romanes was such that they thought to execute all warres by their commandement yet the name of Hannibal caried great reputation with all men and specially with the Romanes who had for 16. yeeres well tried his valure Antiochus at the first made much account of Hannibal for had he followed Hannibals aduise in his warres against the Romanes afterward as he did at the first Antiochus had done farre better for Hanibals counsell was that Antiochus should make warre with the Romanes in Italy for said he Italians must ouercome Italy and Romanes must conquere Rome Hanibal hated the Romanes and therefore he studied how to set forward Antiochus and perswaded Antiochus who trusted still in peace that as the Romanes had gotten the most part of Europe and Affrike so would they not giue ouer vntill they would get Asia if they might The authoritie and credit of Hanibal made Antiochus so to yeeld that Hanibal himself was sent to Syria to leuie a great nomber of ships he was made general of Antiochus army by sea together with one Apollonius This battel by sea had no good successe the victory fel to the Romans Apollonius fled and as Plutarch saith we find that Hanibal did nothing worth the memory After this battel assoone as Antiochus was ouercome by the Romans Hanibal fearing he should be deliuered to the Romans fled to Prusias king of Bythinia at whose hands he was required againe by Tit. Flaminius Now king Antiochus hauing lost 50. thousand footmen and 4000. horsmen was forced to desire peace which the Senate graunted him vpon conditions that he should auoid forth of Europe and Asia and medle no further but within the precinct of Taurus and also that hee should pay to the Romanes tenne thousand talents and 30. pledges for the assurance of his prouinces and lastly that hee should deliuer Hanibal who had bene the only procurour of the battel These conditions being performed by Antiochus the Senate gaue all those cities of Asia which Antiochus had lost to Eumenes king Atalus brother they gaue also to the Rhodians diuers other cities for that they had assisted the Romanes against Antiochus After this great victorie Lucius Cornelius Scipio returned to Rome and with great glory triumphed and then obtained the like name in Asia as his brother had before in Affrike which was to be called Scipio Asiaticus for that he conquered Antiochus the great at Magnesia had driuen him out of Asia euen as his father the elder Scipio was called for subduing of Hanibal and the driuing out of Hanibal of Affrike Scipio Affricanus All this while the Iewes were so much troubled betweene the kings of Egypt and the kings of Syria that they found that same true but specially by the king of Syria and therefore the Iewes rather did ioyne their force to the Egyptians against the kings of Syria for while Antiochus held warres with the Romanes Scopas king Ptolomey Epiphanes general was in Coelosyria possessed Samaria other cities of Iudea and molested the Iewes at that time much vntill Antiochus ouerthrew Scopas at the flood Iordan destroyed his army got those cities which Scopas had and entred into Ierusalē where he was fully pleased with rewards and satisfied with money with whom they had peace for Iudea as I said before had peace and quietnes frō Alexander the great vntil Antiochus the great which was 100. yeres and odd About this time 3. notable triumphes were at Rome the one by Scipio forth of Affricke before whose chariot Asdrubal was led the other by Metellus foorth of Macedonia before whose chariot Andriscus was led this was that false named and coūterfaited Philip the thirde triumph was by Metellus sirnamed Mummius ouer the Corinthians before whom were caried the brasen ensignes and painted tables and other sumptuous ornaments of that famous citie CHAP. II. Of that wicked and most blasphemous king Antiochus Epiphanes sonne to Antiochus the great and the type of Antichrist of his vsurpation and tyrānie of the kingdom of his sacking and crueltie in Ierusalem of his bloody warres and persecutions of Christians DVring the warres of Antiochus the great with the Romans ciuil warres began in Greece againe betweene the Athenians and the Aetolians Of these warres reade Polibius and Plutarch in the life of Philopomen Likewise Mithridates king of Parthia waged battel with the Sinopians About this time Siphax king of Numidia was after sundrie battels by Masinissa ouerthrowen and driuen out of his kingdome This time Pharnaces the fourth king of Parthia conquered those people called Mardi astoute nation as Iustine saith In the time of Antiochus the great there happened in one yeere 57. earthquakes insomuch that Rhodes and Caria were so shaken thereby that the
huge idole of Phaebus called Colossus solis fell In these dayes an infant was borne hauing a head like a sow and many other mōstrous things fel in the time of Antiochus as Liui reporteth Eratosthenes the philosopher florished in this time The Romans were so strong in these dayes as Carthage Numidia and all Affricke were subdued Greece Macedonia Pontus and all Asia were conquered all kings of the world almost came then to Rome to see the maiestie of the Romanes to behold their triumphes and to offer themselues in seruice The end of this great king was to be slaine by rude countrey people as he would rob the temple of Belus he that thought to conquere the stoute Romanes was conquered by silie and simple men of Syria he that brought all Greece and Asia vnder his becke had this his death by his rashnesse and folly and as Melancthon saith of Antiochus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of an ill beginning proceedeth an ill ending When this Antiochus so was killed he left behinde him 3. sonnes and one daughter maried to Ptolomey of whom Philometor was borne his sonnes were named in this sort Seleucus sirnamed Philopater was the eldest who raigned 12. yeeres of whom we reade nothing worth the memory a man giuen to all vices to all idlenes lust wickednes and powling of his subiects This history is onely written in the Macabees where Simon vttereth what treasure was in the temple and how Heliodorus was sent by the king to take them away but hee was striken of God and had the repulse with such terrible sightes and strokes that Heliodorus wished death rather then life vntill the high Priest Onias prayed for him Of this Seleucus Daniel saide In loco Antiochi stabit vilis questor c. for there was nothing left vnspoken by Daniel before hand which should happen afterward This Seleucus beganne to raigne after his father in the 125. yeere of the Grecians raigne in Syria after the building of Rome 566. After this Seleucus died Antiochus sirnamed Epiphanes the second sonne of Antiochus the great being a pledge then in Rome with Demetrius hearing that his father was dead hee secretly fled from Rome and came with al force vnto Syria vsurped the kingdome and draue Seleucus sonne out of his countrey this began his gouernment in the 130. yeere after Alexander the great his death Polibius affirmeth this man to bee such as no wickednes escaped him craftie and subtile furious and ful of al mischiefe and of the best writers named the type of Antichrist Of the furie of this Antiochus and of other kings of Syria Daniel doth fully describe them and doth foreshewe their tyrannie against Iudea Reade the 11. of Daniel where he prophecieth against the kings of Syria together with the Persians Grecians Egyptians and Romanes howe all these should afflict Iudea This Antiochus in the beginning of his raigne beingfully acquainted with the Romanes power hauing bene so long in Rome a pledge for his father dissembled with the Senators and bare himselfe a friend vnto the Romanes for feare more then for loue after that he had filled Ierusalem with blood and had killed Onias the high priest a holy godly man he tooke money of Iason which was Onias brother and made him high priest who receiued Antiochus with al reuerence duetie into Ierusalem who slew the best citizens spoiled the towne and robbed the temple this was his first voyage to Ierusalem the high priest Iason which Antiochus had made plaied the tyrants part slew his owne citizens and made hauocke in Ierusalem of his owne countreymen friends and kinsmen but this king and this priest had the like reward by God appointed shame and confusion Read the Machabees and you shal haue the historie before you that Iason after he had wandered from citie to citie like a vagabond hated of all people and beloued of none being banished from Ierusalem died most miserablie in Arabia being accused before the king then named Areta Some write that he fled from Arabia to Egypt But I wil returne to that cruel monster king Antiochus who after he had dissembled with the Romans pretended care and gouernment ouer the yong Philometor king of Egypt being his sisters sonne for Cleopatra the daughter of Antiochus the great was married to Epiphanes who had giuen her for her dowrie Coelosyria Samaria Iudea and Phenicia by whom this Philometor was gotten This yong king being yet in his minoritie and tender of yeeres and by his father when he died committed to the fidelitie of the Senators of Rome whom he made tutors ouer his sonne Antiochus Epiphanes clayming some title to ouersee the yong king his nephew led an armie frō Syria vnto Egypt vnder pretence of loue care towards his nephew the yong king but he more thirsted for the kingdom then he esteemed the king he laied garisons in Memphis and filled all the cities of Egypt with souldiers specially Pelusiū and other strong cities Philometor misdouted these endeuors of Antiochus and so suspecting his vncle to be one that waied more the kingdom then the king he fled to his yonger brother to Alexandria sent to the Romans for aide against Antiochus who perceiuing that they were put in trust to haue some care of this king by his fathers last wil and testament to them cōmitted they determined to send Popilius frō the Senators to cōmand Antiochus as his father before him was cōmanded to depart out of Egypt and to suffer king Philometor to enioy his kingdom quietly While this Romane ambassador was preparing to come Antiochus hasted his purpose in folowing fast at the heeles of Philometor which was the elder brother therfore by succession king of Egypt he shipped in Cyprus and from thence to Coelosyria thēce to Egypt and so passing ouer Nilus to Leusnies a citie not farre from Alexandria where the Romane ambassador Popilius met him and deliuered the minde of the Senators in writing to him which being read he paused and said that he would consider further and cōsult with his friends to answere the Senators Popilius hauing a white sticke in his hand made around circle about king Antiochus saying Answer the Romans before thou go out of this circle that I may declare to the Senators thy words Antiochus was so amased at the stoute words of Pōpilius that he was constrained to say I will doe that which the Senators would haue me to doe And so he was forced in great furie to depart out of of Egypt but hee reuenged his wrath vpon the poore Iewes hee so plagued Iudea with spoile and slaughter and caused them to forsake their true and ancient religion which they had from Moses hee burned the bookes of Moses and of the Prophets he made the idole of Iupiter Olympus to be set vp and to be worshipped and commaunded all idolatrie and wickednes to be had in Ierusalem
in reuerence This proude king entred into the temple of Salomon after hee had made such a slaughter of yong and olde of women and children that within three dayes 80. thousand were slaine and 40. thousand taken prisoners Menelaus the traitour the high priest a murtherer before of Onias and now a traitour to his countrey brought Antiochus into the citie guided him from place to place that after hee had taken 800. talents away from the temple he gate him away to Antiochia thinking in his pride to make men saile vpon the drie land and to walke vpon the sea The filthinesse and abomination of this beast is set foorth in the Macabees in the second booke the fift and sixt chapters from the beginning vnto the ende This was the second comming of Antiochus to Iudea and to Ierusalem in the eight yeere of his raigne two yeeres after his first being in Ierusalem whose comming and whose doings were by the Prophet Daniel before spoken for he saide that this tyrant should continue 3500. dayes in wasting and spoyling of Iudea in prophaning the temple in killing and murthering of Gods people The nomber of these dayes are sixe yeeres and sixe monethes so long endured this wolfe After this Habuit mercedem God rewarded him for he died in such torments that his bowels were eaten with wormes and himselfe brought in such miserie that he died according as he liued after hee had raigned twelue yeeres During his time the warres continued in Macedonia betweene Perseus the last king and Titus Aemilius the Consull and at length the conquerour of Perseus Prusias king of Bythinia came with his sonne Nicomedes to Rome where he commended his sonne to the Senators About this time Terentius flourished Nowe when Antiochus surnamed Eupator had entred in his fathers seate in the 150. yeere of the Greekes being in Syria and in the beginning of the 26. Iubilee he folowed his fathers steppes came with an armie to Ierusalem and besieged the castle of Sion but while he laied siege his generall Lysias tolde him that his kingdome was inuaded by the enemies Then he concluded peace with Iudea and returned in all haste into Syria brought Menelaus that wicked and cruell high priest with him who after much mischiefes done died at Beroea a towne of Syria Antiochus had not reigned but one yeere but Demetrius Soter fledde from Rome where he had bene a pledge during the whole gouernment of his brother Antiochus Epiphanes which was twelue yeeres and during some yeeres of his graundfather Antiochus the great he came to Syria entred the Citie of Tyrus where his souldiers apprehended both the king and his generall Lysias whom Demetrius commaunded to be killed before hee should see them though Eupator was his sisters sonne This Eupator ended his life after hee had reigned but two yeeres In the meane time Onias the sonne of Onias the high priest which was also slaine by Menelaus who succeeded him this Onias being of the Iewes surnamed the iust lamenting much the miserable estate of Iudea fled into Egypt to king Pto. Philometor and hauing licence of the king he builded a temple in the citie of Heliopolis to the likenesse of the temple in Ierusalem according to the saying of Esai In that day shall the altar of the Lord be in the middest of the land of Egypt and the Lord shal be knowen of the Egyptians and the Egyptians shall knowe the Lord. In that day Assur shall come to Egypt and Egypt into Assur This Demetrius sent Alcimus against Iudas Machabeus who by flatterie entred into Ierusalem and slue three score of the chiefe and greatest men of the citie after gathered a number of wicked persons together who did much harme in Iudea to whome king Demetrius sent Nicanor with an hoste of souldiers to ayde Alcimus This Nicanor blasphemed God prophaned the temple threatned the Iewes and came to Bethoron where Iudas Machabeus gaue him battell and ouerthrewe him This Demetrius was no lesse cruell to the Iewes then either his father or his brother were before him hee played the beare vntill Alexander Epiphanes Antiochus Eupators sonne came to the Citie of Ptolomais Iustine saith that this Alexander was a base man borne named Prompalus and that hee was made by others to take this name vpon him and to say that he was Antiochus sonne Atalus king of Asia Ptolome Philometor king of Egypt and Ariarathes king of Capadocia counselled Prompalus to inuade Demetrius kingdome which was done and a battell giuen in the which Demetrius was slaine after he had reigned tenne yeeres Now after Alexander had the victorie of Demetrius he claimed to be the king of Syria by succession fayning himselfe to be Antiochus Eupators sonne hee maried Cleopatra king Philometors daughter of Egypt the mariage was celebrated in the Citie of Ptolemais This Alexander was not ayded by these kings for any great affection they bare him but for the hatred they had towardes Demetrius who was so ambitious proude and cruell in the beginning of his reigne that these three kings of Egypt of Asia and Arabia had susteined losse and harme before Demetrius was ouerthrowen by Alexander he had two sonnes whom hee sent with great treasures to a friende of his named Gindius to auoide the daunger of the warres the elder of them was named Demetrius after his fathers name who hearing of his fathers death and of the riot and lust of this Alexander a man giuen to al vices and wickednesse came into Syria being aided by the king of Creete and possessed certeine Cities in Syria he appointed his generall one Appolonius who too much trusting his owne force and courage was in the first battell by Ionathas ouerthrowen Ptolome within a short time came with a great armie to see his sonne in lawe in Syria to whom all the cities opened their gates to welcome their king of Egypt they rather thinking that hee came to make peace betweene Demetrius and Alexander but Ptolome imagined howe hee might deceiue them both for a kingdome hee placed his souldiers in diuers Cities of Syria and because Alexander was then in Cicilia hee tooke occasion to offer him warres by taking his daughter away from him whome hee gaue in mariage againe to Demetrius Alexander hearing that his wife was taken from him and maried to Demetrius his mortall enemie summoned his father in lawe to battell wherein he had the ouerthrowe and was forced to flie to Arabia where Alexander was taken and slaine and his head sent by the king of Arabia to Egypt to king Ptolome Thus was Prompalus otherwaies named Alexander throwen downe from the throne of his kingdome deceiued by fortune and reuenged by iustice This reward he had to faine him selfe Antiochus sonne and falsely to alter his name from Prompalus vnto Alexander that Ptolome who ayded him to the kingdome and gaue his daughter in mariage to him the same Ptolome
droue him out of the kingdome and had both his head and his crowne giuen him But Philometor enioyed not long these great honors for within three dayes after he had receiued Alexanders head Ptolome died so long he ware the crowne of Syria When the Syrians heard that Alexander was dead in Arabia and Ptolome dead in Egypt they slue all the souldiers of Ptolome which were left in garisons in the Cities of Syria and receiued Demetrius Nicanor to be their king which was Demetrius Soters sonne Nowe when Demetrius had recouered his kingdome againe he fel in short time in as great contempt with all men for his slouthfulnesse as his father before him was for pride and to auoide that fault he waged warres with the Parthians to whom he gaue two seuerall ouerthrowes by the aide of the Bactrians and the Persians but afterward he was taken and sent prisoner into Hircania to Arsaces king of Persia. While Demetrius was in these warres Ionathas the high priest was by deceipt slaine by Trypho also he slue young Antiochus ouer whom he was tutour and reigned three yeeres king in Syria Cleopatra Demetrius wife fearing the tyrannie of this Trypho and knowing her husband to bee captiue in Hircania shee maried Antiochus Soter her husbands brother shee being then in the citie of Seleucia Antiochus leuied an armie came to Syria pursued Trypho from whom reuoulted all his souldiers and he himselfe fled Antiochus possessed Syria quietly and calling to mind the pride of his father the slouthfulnesse of his brother for which faultes they were both hated of their subiects hee vsed great diligence and faire meanes to winne those cities which had reuoulted from his brother yet according to his predecessours the kings of Syria he beganne shortly after this good mind to molest Iudea he besieged Hircanus the high priest in Ierusalem but he tooke money and remoued his siege In the twelfth of his reigne Antiochus beganne to warre against Phrahartes king of the Parthiās leuied an armie of eightie thousand men Phrahartes had Demetrius the brother of Antiochus in custodie with him to whom his father Arsaces had promised him before he died to restore him to his kingdome and thereupon gaue his daughter in mariage The king of Parthia was ouerthrowen and driuen to slight in two or three battels leauing al Parthia wasted and spoyled by Antiochus In the meane time Demetrius was sent by Phrahartes to his kingdome while Antiochus was absent from Syria In this warres of Parthia Antiochus came to Babylon where many kings gaue him the meeting for hee waxed great and strong and there hearing that his brother Demetrius was commen to Syria from Parthia and was receiued againe to his kingdome he made haste to returne with his souldiers to Syria but Phrahartes had prepared an armie vpon the way to meete him and to giue him battell where Antiochus was slaine CHAP. III. Of the last destruction of Asia and Syria through their ciuill dissention and long warres one with another the onely cause of their bondage afterward to the Romanes vnder whom they liued as subiects and all Asia and Syria made Prouinces vnder Rome WHen the king of Parthia had the victorie hee much repented him that he let loose Demetrius but hee coulde not helpe it When Demetrius had bin from his kingdome thirteene yeeres captiue but with great honour for that he maried Arsases daughter king of Parthia his returne to Syria was in the sixe hundred twentie seuen yeere after the building of Rome and hee reigned afterward foure yeeres for in the fourth yeere after his returne from Parthia where hee had bene thirteene yeeres captiue he leuied an armie against Hircanus but Demetrius woonted and intollerable pride was such that the Syrians by no meanes coulde abide him and therefore they sent to Egypt to king Ptolome that he would appoint them a king of the blood and house of Seleucus Such were the maners of the Syrians that vpon any broile or diffidence they had in their king the kings of Egypt shoulde be their shield and defende them and by that meanes onely diuers kings of Egypt became kings of Syria The people of Syria hauing sent to Egypt Ptolome prepared Alexander Zebenna with a great hoste against Demetrius from whom most of his subiects reuoulted and therefore the easier to be vanquished as it came to passe in the very first battell betweene him and Zebenna This Zebenna was one Protarchus sonne a meane man and such a one as Prompalus was of whō you reade before These false pollices and craftie deuices are alwayes in courtes about kings and princes as in Macedonia a false Philip and after him againe a fained Perseus so in Syria a false Prompalus and after him a false Zebenna of whom reade the fable in Iustine and in Functius When this Alexāder Zebenna had ouercome Demetrius he enioyed the kingdome of Syria two yeres quietly but shortly he waxed so proud and arrogant that he litle esteemed king Ptolome who only made him king in Syria Ptolome hearing of these newes recōciled himselfe first to his sister Cleopatra who had bin maried to both the brethren Antiochus and Demetrius kings of Syria and straight after sent an armie to ayde Gryphus who was by his mother appointed king which gaue battel to Zebenna ouerthrew him and forced him to flee to Antioch where for want of money to pay his souldiers he robbed the temple of Iupiter from thence he was driuen by the countrie to take his flight Againe his souldiers forsooke him and left him he was taken and brought to Griphus and by commaundement slaine Nowe Griphus hauing obteined his fathers kingdome doubted nothing of his mother Cleopatras treason being busie in other affaires of his kingdome vntill hee was made acquainted with his mothers intent of whō he had some triall both towards his father whom shee betrayed being her husband his brother whō also she slue being her owne sonne her ambitions impietie was so found that when she offered a cuppe of drinke to her sonne the king she was cōmaunded to drinke the same her selfe and so the poyson with the which she thought to poyson her sonne was made to be her owne draught and her owne death After this Griphus reigned king in Syria eight yeeres very quiet before Cizicoenus his brother beganne to warre he was his brother by the mother side borne by his vncle Antiochus Sedetes while the state of Syria was thus afflicted with continuall warres betweene brethren and brethrens children Ptolomeus Physcon died who left behinde him the kingdome to his wife and to his sonne of whō I haue entreated in the historie of Egypt But now the ciuill warres being in Syria betweene Antiochus Griphus Demetrius Nicanors sonne and Antiochus Cizicenus Antiochus Sedetes sonne though they were brethrē by the mothers side cousin germaines by the fathers yet their
their conquests were great their victories infinite but after the dignities of the Cōsuls were eclipsed by the greatnesse crueltie of the Emperours the state of Rome also beganne by a little and a little to loose her former fame and to decaye in credite for that they esteemed money more then men This vice of auarice excluded all kinde of vertues out of Rome and receiued into the Citie hidden hatred priuate wealth and yong councell whereby the lady of the whole worlde sometime is become now by auarice to be the handmaid of Spaine and Fraunce yea to be led by euery citie of Italie Thus was the glory of Rome brought vnder her owne seruants to be a captiue euen as Babylon Ierusalem Egypt and other kingdomes of whom the Prophets haue spoken prophecied the reward of their wickednesse idolatrie and horrible superstition The like destruction the Romanes must looke to haue as the Affricanes had after them the Chaldeans the Hebrewes and the Egyptians for their idolatrie and contempt of God The like ende and destruction as had the Persians the Medes the Macedonians and the Greekes must the Romanes by the prophesie of Daniel expect for I will the Reader to reade Daniel Esai Ieremie and Ezechiel of these great kingdoms before time for some destroyed and consumed and I will returne to the historie Now after that good Emperor Cocceius Nerua had reigned but one yeere foure moneths and nine dayes hee adopted Traiane to the Empire a Spaniard and not an Italian as many would haue it a godly Emperor a good man of whom many good things are written amongst the which he is most commended in two principal things sanctitas domi fortitudo for is he was patient in all traueiles and in all aduersities hee was very diligent in ciuill causes and very expert in militarie discipline hee was most liberall to his souldiers and beneficiall vnto all men he much honoured all learned men he onely of all other Emperors obserued iustice and practised the same to his people hee gouerned the weale publique in such sort that hee ought worthely to bee preserued aboue all other princes hee enlarged the borders and marches both in length and breadth of the Romane Empire which frō the time of Augustus was but defended and conserued by other Emperors vntil this time he is thus cōmended in Eutropius that his courtesie and sobrietie farre excelled his martiall feates hee was so familiar that he would ride goe and sit with his familiars hee would also banquet amongst them without esteeming of himself more then of another he openly and secretly enriched not onely his friendes but those whom he well heard of and aduaunced them to honors with whom he had small acquaintance hee infranchised many cities hee did so many great good things aswell in repairing ruinous Townes and Cities as also in building newe Cities Townes in diuers coūtries that in a maner he builded a new world againe for he builded sixe great Temples 1 To Apollo 2 To Mars 3 To Iupiter 4 To Aesculapius 5 To Ceres 6 To Berecynthia And therefore he was reputed in al the whole world of all men and likened vnto some god which had some diuine power to finish and to perfect a ruinous cōmon wealth being by his predecessors Nero Caligula Heliogabolus Domitianus and others welnigh wholy destroyed and defaced So much preuailed in him the fame of perfect goodnesse that at the election of any prince in Rome after Traians dayes the Senators and the people would wish him to be as fortunate as Augustus and in behauiour of vertue and goodnesse to be like the good Traiane who both for his goodnes vertue was also called Pater patriae as Augustus was for that hee subdued Dacia recouered Armenia which the Parthians had wonne he reduced vnder the obeysance of Rome Spaine Moscouia Arabia and the inhabitants of Cholcos hee had great warres in all the East countries and brought Assyria and Mesopotamia vnder his hand He reduced many kingdomes to be prouinces vnder the Romanes hee wanne Seleucia and Babylon and prepared a nauie for the redde Sea that thereby hee might spoyle and destroy the borders and coastes of Iudea About this time the Temple of Pantheon in Rome was burned he triumphed ouer the Danes and ouer the Scythians and brought Rome againe to her former fame and glory as it was in the time of Octauius Augustus The two mirrors of Rome liued in Rome and dyed with the like loue and fame after they had purchased great glory and renowme both for ciuill and marciall policie Traiane was canonised and was the first emperour buried within the Citie his bones were put in a golden cuppe and set vnder a pillar which mounted in height to an hundred fourtie foure foote Hee reigned nineteene yeeres whose facts and worthinesse are rife in memorie If you list to reade further of them looke in Capitolinus amongst all the emperours this you shall finde to excell the rest In Traianes time fell the fourth persecution of the Christians in whose time also dyed Iohn the Euangelist after whose death florished his scholers and disciples Papias and Polycarpus and Ignatius In Traians time happened such an earthquake that foure great Cities in Asia fell flatte to the grounde three in Galatia and two in Greece Traiane dyed of the flixe at Seleucia a towne of Isauria whē he had liued sixtie three yeeres after whom succeeded Aelius Adrianus the fifteenth emperour an Italian borne he was sisters sonne to Traiane and yet not adopted to the Empire by Traiane but by meanes of Plotina Traians wife hee was singularly learned both in the Greeke and in the Latine hee was excellently seene in Musicke and Geometrie and was so expert in Astronomie that hee made yerely Prognostications for him selfe hee excelled in diuers artes as in caruing grauing paynting cutting eyther in brasse or in marble Iustine writeth of this emperour that hee coulde write talke with his friendes aske questions and answere matters at one time hee gaue him selfe wholly to purchase peace and quietnesse and woulde often say that hee did more good in Rome by idlenesse then his predecessours by weapons for hee purchased peace during the whole time of his Empire In his time the Christians were sore persecuted vntill certeine learned of the Christians wrote bookes vnto the Emperour Adrian for mercie in sparing of Christian blood whereupon the Emperour wrote diuers Epistles to Iudea and to all prouinces belonging to the Empire of Rome that no Christian should be apprehended for religion sake at what time Ierusalem was named Aelia after that he had quieted the Iewes by his Sendrus and slue of them fiue thousand The Emperours name Aelius Adrianus for after that the Emperor Adriā wrote his letter to Minutius to stay his persecution certeine heretikes began to trouble the Church as Saturnius
much as the Image of Iupiter This could not be suffered and therefore Caesars Image was taken away for this cause and others which Caligula supposed against the Iewes for that he hated them extreemely Great slaughter was in Ierusalē Agrippa being cast into close prison by Tiberius is now not onely released and set at libertie but also made king of Lysania and chiefe in the Tetrarchie in the place of Herode before him but both Herod and Agrippa were exalted into these great honours as scourges and tortures to the Christians whom they persecuted to the death for now the Apostles were dispersed preaching the Name of Iesus in all countreys Iohn in Asia Andrew in Scythia Thomas in Parthia Peter in Gallatia Bythinia Pontus and Cappadocia Paul also after his conuersion doubted no danger feared no death but boldly and constantly preached In omnem terram exiuit sonus eorum that many godly men were stirred by their preaching to followe Christ first at Caesarea and then at Antioch for there were first Christians conuerted Many wonders were done by the Apostles through the name of Iesus the more that tyrants persecuted them the more increased the doctrine of the Church the more they were slaine by the sworde the more they increased in nomber by the word for at the stoning of Stephen the first Martyr many dispersed themselues into sundrie places At the beheading of Iames the brother of Iohn at the hanging of Philip the Apostle at Hieropolis at the martyring of Iames sirnamed the Iust called also the brother of Christ in Iudea these with infinite more Martyrs in the first persecution made the whole worlde amazed at their constancie and faith though the deuil stirred his apostles and sent them abroade likewise as aduersaries to the Church of God Simon Magus the Samaritane sorcerer flourished at Rome vnder Claudius the Emperour hauing all diuine honours attributed vnto him with his Image set vp and his Epigram Simoni deo sancto hauing before seduced many in Samaria and in other places from the trueth This Simon Magus the first causer of heresie after whom succeeded a monster likewise of Samaria professing himselfe to be the Messias whom the Iewes looked for saying that he came from heauen to earth to saue mankinde with such other blasphemies as Eusebius setteth forth at large Of these and of others I shall speake when I entreate of heretiques among whom Simon was the first fountaine and chiefe head of heresie so that Satan did set forward his church with al care and trauaile obiecting himselfe with his disciples against our Sauiour in all doctrine as long as it pleased God to licence him This time Tiberius Claudius raigned the first Emperour in Rome and in like order as his predecessor Caligula persecuted the Church Vnder this Emperour great famine happened in all parts of the world at what time Paul and Barnabas relieued the brethren at Ierusalem and in other places persecution grew more and more euen then in somuch that Paul and Peter were pursued from place to place vntill they came to bee martyred at Rome the one beheaded and the other hanged yet had they established the Church before their death Marcus the Euangelist and the disciple of Peter preached Christ in Egypt and taught in Alexandria so that many were conuerted and beleeued Hee was the first bishop of Alexandria and taught in the regions about vntill Pentapolis and after was lead with a halter about his necke and burned by Idolaters vnder Traiane the Emperour Matthewe being before one of the 70. disciples and after ioyned by drawing of lots into the nomber of the twelue Apostles in the place of Iudas the traitor taught and preached to the sauage people in Aethiopia about the riuer Phasis where hee left his bones in testimonie of the Gospel in the citie of Sebastopolis by the temple of the Sunne Euen so Luke borne in Antioch a Phisition by profession a follower of Paul by whose admonition hee wrote the Actes of the Apostles preaching and teaching the Gospel euery where died at Ephesus So that in those dayes the Apostles and the other disciples which then followed the Apostles were so persecuted by tyrants that mightily trauailed among the people of God to reduce them from the Church as Aegyptus a false prophet who by subtiltie and craft of the deuill seduced thirtie thousande Iewes and brought them from the wildernesse where hee taught them into mount Oliuet thinking thereby to laye siege and to take the citie by the sworde but hee was preuented by Felix the Romane Of this Aegyptus Paul was cried out vpon when the sedition was in Hierusalem Reade the one and twentieth of the Actes when Paul was brought before Felix And now in the time of Domitius Nero vnder whome the second persecution beganne they were more wearie of their slaughter of Christians and of their tyrannie towardes the Church then able to wearie those whome God raised as defenders and gouernours of his people for while this cruel Emperor Nero raigned Felix ruled in Iudea at what time beganne betweene the bishops and the hie Priestes against the people and against the chiefe Citizens of Hierusalem a newe sedition in the which many of the Iewes perished amongst whome Ionathas was slaine The like happened as you heard in the time of Claudius about the feast of Easter that thirtie thousand Iewes were slaine This Nero armed against God and settled to some in Christian blood first charging Felix to kill to murther and to persecute all sort of people but specially the Iewes After he sent Festus to succeede Felix and after Felix Albinus a cruel man by whom much blood was lost was sent from Rome to Ierusalem all persecuters and tormenters of the faithfull in somuch that the congregation of the faithfull at that time in Ierusalem were warned to remooue to Pella a village beyonde Iorden to auoyde the furie and hot persecution of that time for this cruel Nero was not onely contented to be a tyrant farre from Rome but also in the citie of Rome he would see the people of God so martyred before his face some with the sword some with fire and some otherwayes that he was most meerie when he saw much blood and yet was not satisfied vntil he saw Rome on fire it selfe he is named amongst some writers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for while this Emperour raigned in Rome Peter and Paul were martyred But his tragicall actions had their iust reward euen in Rome where hee was Emperour after that he had raigned almost 14. yeeres The contempt of Christ Iesus grew such in Iudea though the Prophets before he was borne preached vnto them the danger of their incredulitie and the Apostles after he was borne taught them and shewed the workes of Christ and Christ him selfe while yet hee liued among them wrought miracles and wonders yet the Iewes in
contempt of this waxed more stubburne and more insolent The slaughter was such in Iudea that the Saduces began to tickle the people againe with their inuentions that hearing of Festus death Ananias the hie priest before Albinus was come from Alexandria that succeeded Festus the Romane President persecuted many of the Saints in Hierusalem and did put to the sworde euery one that hee suspected to holde the doctrine of the Apostles So that by many tumults and seditions of the Scribes and the Pharisees the tyrannie and crueltie of the hie priestes and the people who euer kindled the Romanes to furie all Iudea was full of blood vntil the last destruction of them and of their countrey of the which they were often warned both by the Prophets and by Christ himselfe but Titus the Emperour was appointed to be their scourge to destroy their proud citie to burne their idolatrous temple and to ende their tyrannie which they vsed against God and his Church During which confusion and ruine of Ierusalem the congregation then remoued by diuine warning to Pella a towne beyoÌ„d Iordan for at that time saith Iosephus were in Ierusalem 30. Miriads of people euery Miriad being 10. hundreth thousand The history is knowen and therefore I referre you to Iosephus of the Iewes Eusebius his Ecclesiasticall historie at what time Achaia Lycia Rhodes Bizantium Samos Thracia and Sicilia were made Prouinces vnder the Romanes CHAP. II. From the third persecution vnder Domitian the 12. Emperor vnto the 6. persecutioÌ„ vnder Sept. Seuerus 22. Emperor of the coÌ„stancie of the faithful Martyrs euerywhere in the Church of God of their godly liues their deaths and their glorious victorie ouer Satan FLauius Domitianus Titus his brother vnder whom another persecution began ouer allthe stocke of Dauid left none of al them that were of kinne vnto Dauid in flesh This shewed himselfe another Nero farre vnlike vnto his father Vespasian or to his brother Titus and therefore named for his tyrannie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This time had raigned in Rome since the Apostles times these 3. bishops Linus which was the first Anacletus which was the second and Clemens which was the thirde Likewise in Antioch andin Alexandria 1. Anianus In Alexandria 1. Euodius In Antiochia Simon 2. Albilius 2. Ignatius and Iustus 3. Cerdo 3. Heros  bishops of Ierusalem were persecuted vnder Domitianus Nowe after this persecution vnder Flaminius Domitianus who banished from Rome all the Philosophers and the Mathematicians who played the wolfe with the flocke of Christ vnder whom Simeon the second â—…shop of Ierusalem was most cruelly tormented and martyred al the remnant that were aliue of the stocke of Dauid and all the Iewes which were any way in flesh kinne vnto our Sauiour Christ After this followed the 4. persecutioÌ„ vnder Traiane which was so hot so terrible that it past far exceeded the 3. other persecutions before vnder Caligula Nero and Domitianus It was such that it mooued Plinius secundus to write vnto Traiane the Emperour in the behalfe of the Christians to mitigate the furie and rage of persecution that raigned euery where in Syria Iudea Alexandria Antioch and all other places considering they did nothing but rise in the morning and meete together to sing Hymnes and Psalmes to praise God for Plini was amazed and quite astonied to see the multitude and nomber of Christians dayly encreasing notwithstanding all the persecutions and slaughter that was most extreemely vsed against them from time to time This caused Traiane the Emperor somewhat more mildely to handle them commaunding that the Christians should not be sought for to be persecuted but yet being founde to punish them for at this time flourished many godly and learned pillars of the Church as Ignatius bishop of Antioche Polycarpus bishop of Smirna Papias bishop of HieropolituÌ„ who suffered diuers kindes of torments and were martyred some deuoured of beastes some with the sworde some with fire some with hanging and many with many new inuented torments For at that time liued many of perillous nature that sought to please euil men and to punish good men The Iewes as men full of madnesse and voyde of the feare of God beganne a tumult againe in Egypt and in Alexandria and slewe both Romanes and Greekes they did vse such tyrannie at Cyrene at Thebes in the 19. yeere of Traianus that Turbo the Romane slewe and droue all the Iewes out of Egypt and Libya So likewise did Lucius Quintinus he slew many thousand Iewes and banished them to Mesopotamia by the commaundement of Martius Yet the Iewes continued vntill the seuere commandement of Adrianus the Emperour who succeeded Traiane who perceiuing their often tumults and seditions to be such as the Romanes coulde haue no rest while any Iewe liued in Iudea he most straightly charged that they should bee driuen out of their countrey and that not one should stay in Iudea And Adrianus commaunded that none should be suffered to dwell in any denne of the earth so that the citie which a litle before hee destroyed and the whole countrey conquered nowe the remnant of the Iewes as men forsaken of God are like vagabonds and roges banished and whipt out of their countrey and strangers are come to their place and the name of Ierusalem changed and called Aelia according to the name of the Romane Emperour This was the last ende of Ierusalem where Eusebius named 15. bishops euen from Christes death vntill the destruction of the citie faithful and constant Christians in spite of many persecutions and therefore I haue set downe their names before you as I found them in Eusebius 1 Iames named Iustus 2 Simon which was martyred vnder Domitianus 3 Iustus 4 Zacchus 5 Tobias 6 Beniamin 7 Ioannes 8 Mathias 9 Philippus 10 Senecas 11 Iustus the 2. of that name 12 Leui. 13 Ephres 14 Ioses 15 Iudas the last bishop of Ierusalem These were Bishops according to the Lawe of Moses of the Circumcision Now by the meanes of Adrianus and his Epistle written to Minutius Fundanus his lieutenant for the stay of this sore and extreeme persecution in all parts of the East the members of Christ had some rest vntill Antoninus Verus another persecutor and a vexer of the Church cleane against the good Emperor Antoniuus Pius his predecessor who wrote into all parts of Asia a litle before his latter ende not onely to spare the Christians froÌ„ persecution but also to fauour them and to ayde them letting them to liue to their God whome they serued commending much their constancie and faith towards their God But while God stirred some good Emperors to fauour his Church and the members thereof the deuil was as careful to raise sects of heretikes most wicked to blaspheme the doctrine of the Church as first Simon Magus and his disciple and successor Menander the Samaritane by whom two great
cities and countreis hauing 24. kings by succession which continued vntil 75. yeeres after the destruction of Troy continued so vntil the Carthaginians began to flourish whom the Romanes afterward cōquered At this time one Pypinus gouerned the Thuscanes and raigned as Manethon writes 56. yeres In the last yeres of this king Tyneus the Prophet Dauid was borne 407. yeres after the children of Israels going out of Egypt and in the 7. Iubile after Moses then began to raigne in Assyria Dercillus he raigned 40. yeres In his dayes began the kingdome of Lacedemonia 83. yeres after Troys destruction the first king of Lacedemonia was called Euristenes who raigned 42. yeeres of him came lineally 2. noble and valiant captains Cleomenes and Leonidas who in their time were most famous for they inuaded the Persians and ouerthrew them at Thermophila About the same yere the Corinthians began likewise to establish a kingdome for the Lacedemonians and the Corinthians began at one time to raigne the first king of Corinth was Alethes and he raigned 35. yeres In the 10. yere of king Dercillus the Arke of the Lord was taken by the Philistines and caried vnto Ashdod one of their fiue principal cities they kept the Arke 7. moneths For when the Israelites were ouercome by the Philistines and the arke taken away Ely the priest hearing that the Israelites were ouerthrowen the arke taken and his two sonnes slaine fel down frō his stoole brake his necke for so the Lord told Samuel before what should become vpō Ely his house Israel stil offended God now not contented with the gouernmēt which God appointed them but cried out for a king God cōmanded Samuel to anoint Saul their king About this time great warres grew betwene the Peloponesians and the Athenians Codrus at that time liued was the last king of Athens for after Codrus there was no king there but gouernours called Metontidae Codrus sonne called Medon was the first Iudge in Athens after the kings Codrus according to the Oracle giuen that the Athenians should haue no victories vnlesse their king were slaine in the battell he disguised himselfe like a common souldier rushed into the midst of the battaile purposely to be slaine that his countrey might haue victorie being the last of the 17. kings hauing ruled Athens 21. yeeres ended his life and his kingdome About this time Samuel was commanded to anoint Dauid king ouer Israel and many learned men would haue Homer about this time to be borne some controuersie is of Homers time Eratosthenes thought it within 100. yeeres after the destruction of Troy and so saith Aristarchus and Cornelius Nepos both affirme that Homer flourished 100. yeeres before the first Olympiad Budaeus saith that Homer liued in the latter yeres of king Dauid so they square about 80. yeres of Homers birth During this time raigned ouer the Latines AEneas Siluius their fourth king After this raigned in Assyria Eupales 38. yeeres in whose time the Peloponesians againe mooued warres against the Athenians Now about this time the promise is made to Dauid that the continuance of his kingdome should for euer endure but with crosses and afflictions for Absalon killed his brother Amnon a litle after and fled vnto the king of Gessur and taried there three yeere By this time Salomon was borne of Bethsaba the wife of Vrias Nathan and Gad were in those dayes Prophets of the Lord. Now raigned in Athens Medon the first Iudge the sonne of Codrus the last king of Athens in Lacedemonia Argis the second king raigned one yeere Arcestratus succeeded the third king of Lacedemonia and gouerned the Lacedemonians 35. yeeres in Corinth likewise Ixon the second king raigned 37. yeeres for both these kingdomes had one beginning and therefore their kingdome is accordingly to be handled for in the last yeres of the kings of Assyrians histories the Grecians began for this vnderstand that the Caldeans Assyrians Egyptians and all the East part of the world which were first inhabited after the flood were euen consumed with sworde and fire before the Grecians or the Romanes were acquainted with the world and therefore the lesse to be spoken of these olde auncient people for want of authorities and had not the holy Ghost lightened prophane histories with true records of the Scripture all antiquities had almost bene put to obliuion for all that are in trueth learned in histories take their light from Moses he is the grand scholemaster of all writers About this time Nicius Fesulanus gouerned the Thuscanes 47. yeres he expelled the people called Phocenses out of Corsica and Nicius builded a towne and named it Nicea after his owne name By this time Salomon grewe great in Gods fauour began to make the temple in Ierusalem excelled all the princes of the world in wisdome gouernment Hiram king of Tyrus at that time sendeth to Salomon and Salomon to him purposing to builde the house of God which temple began to be builded the fourth yeere of Salomons raigne and the 12. of Hiram king of Tyre Salomons friend who procured workemen to worke in Libanon and after the going of Israel out of Egypt 480. yeeres Some thinke that Carthage was builded by Charcedon at that time some thinke of Dido others say otherwise both of the building of Carthage and of the time of building as in the building of Troy and in the building of Rome the like controuersie is that sub iudice lis est Laosthenes the 33. king of the Assyrians is the next king after Eupales and is now in hand to be spoken of in whose time Alba Siluius gouerned the Latines the sixt king for the sirnames of the Latin kings were called Siluij as the kings of Alexandria were called Ptolomei as before I told you of the Caesars of Rome and Pharaos of Egypt About this time the kingdome of Israel for the idolatrie of Salomon was deuided and the ten tribes caried from Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon king of Iuda vnto Ieroboam king of Israel who inuented many wicked things in Israel idolatrie new religion contempt of the true God putting vp for their god the golden calfe thus he and his posterities continued from the fourth yeere of Rehoboam vntil the 19. yeere of Nabuchodonosor which was 390. yeeres at what time the last destruction of Ierusalem and the captiuitie of Iuda was Archippus the third Iudge atthis time ruled Athens where he gouerned 19. yeeres vnder whom flourished Sextus Homerus a citizen of Athens this man gaue new lawes to the Athenians The Thracians were strong by this time and became great on land and seas Smendes king of Egypt to whom Ieroboam fled and with whome he staied vntil Salomon died this Smendes is named in Scripture Sesac this came vp against Ierusalem the fift yere of Rehoboam destroyed the citie spoiled the temple and
tooke all the treasures of the kings house away Thus was Iuda punished for sinne by Sesac king of Egypt a heathen man At Corinth gouerned Pryminas the fourth king he raigned thirtie and fiue yeeres at Corinth In Assyria after Laosthenes raigned Pyrithides 30. yeeres in the 10. yeere of the tenth Iubilee which Iubilee was in the yeere of the worlde two thousand nine hundreth ninetie and three Abia the sonne of Rehoboam raigned three yeres king of Iuda after whom succeeded Asa. In Tyrus raigned now a king called Ascartus who after he had raigned 12. yeeres in Tyrus his brother Astarimus succeeded him and gouerned Tyrus 9. yeeres and hee was slaine by his brother called Phelletes he raigned 8. moneths and was likewise slaine by Ichobalus a priest of the goddesse Astarthes of whome mention is made in the thirde booke of the kings and the 11. chapter This goddesse Salomon honoured much and in Egypt ruled Pseusenses There rose against Asa king of Iuda Sera king of AEthiopia about this time and thought to inuade Iewrie but he was not by Asa but by God put to flight and his armie scattered and slaine Elias and Elizeus were borne this time men singularly beloued of God in the middle age of the worlde for so it is set downe as Melancthon saith by Elias himselfe accompting the age of the world 2000. without the Lawe 2000. by the Law and 2000. by grace which are the dayes of Messias but for sinne shortened and by that rule to be looked for before 6000. yeere Nadab at this time was the second king of Israel and began to raigne after Ieroboam whom Baasha slew in the third yeere of Asa king of Iuda Baasha the third king of Israel builded Rama that it might bee a cause that they of the kingdome of Iuda might not come within the territorie of Israel neither they of Israel might trouble Iuda for the which Asa king of Iuda for feare of Baasha king of Israel maketh couenant with Benhadad king of Aram and therefore is reproued by the Prophet for that he trusted in the king of Aram and not in God who had giuen him victorie before ouer the AEthiopians and Lubins At this time Achia and Sameas prophecied in Israel and Septimus Siluius was king ouer the Latins after whome succeeded Capis Siluius the eight king of the Latins and raigned 28. yeeres by this Capis was Capua builded In Lacedemonia gouerned the sixt king named Agesilaus and ouer the Corinthians Bacis the fifth king of whome the kings of Corinth were afterward named Bacidae the names of these kings for the most part are seldome found amongst writers for they did nothing worth the memorie Now in Assyria raigned Ophrateus 20. yeres he was the 35. king in whose dayes Zambri or Zimbri the seruant of Ela conspired against the king killed him and destroyed al the house of Baasha according to the word of the Lord to Iehu afterward Zambri went to the kings house and burned the pallace of the kings and himselfe with fire then the people of Israel were deuided some folowed Tobni to make him king others folowed Omri and so Omri became the sixt king of Israel He builded first Samaria 200. yeres before Romulus builded Rome At this time raigned Nepher king in Egypt foure yeeres and after him succeeded Amenophis he raigned 9. yeres king in Egypt of whom I wil speake among the kings of Egypt Now died Asa king of Iuda after he had raigned 41. yeeres then folowed in Israel after Omri Achab the 7. king worse then all the other kings before him a great idolater and a tyrant in the fourth yere of this king Achabs raigne began Iosaphat to raigne in Iuda In Achabs time Elias beganne to prophecie whose history beginneth from the 17. of the first of the kings vntill the 3. of the 2. of the kings where he prophecied of the famine that was at hand to come 800. yeres after the famine in Iaacobs time In these daies Hiel the Bethelite builded Iericho Amongst the Latins raigned a king called Tiberinus Siluius of whome the riuer Tiber is nowe named after Tiberinus name for Tiber was called before Albula Then was in Corinth Agelas and Archelaus gouerned the Lacedemonians Eusebius in his histories affirmeth that in this time flourished Licurgus a lawmaker and a great wise man amongst the Lacedemonians After this raigned Ophraganeus Ascrasapes and Sardanapalus in whom ended the historie of the Assyrians And now hauing ended the whole time of 36. kings raigning in Assyria from Belus time vnto Sardanapalus and after him from Bellochus vnto Merodach the raigne of sixe kings during which time it was called the newe kingdome of Assyria and from Merodach vnto Balsasar fiue kings gouernment which was translated from the Assyrians vnto the Chaldeans as you shall reade more being of two gouernements and yet one Monarchie sometime vnder the Chaldeans in Babylon sometime in Niniue vnder the Assyrians vntill both Chaldea and Assyria became subiect first vnto the Medes and after to the Persians Of the Kings of Babylon againe called newe Assyria from Sardanapalus which the Greekes call Tonoscon coleros vntill Balsaar the last king of Babylon CHAP. III. SArdanapalus being giuen to all filthie pleasures feasting banqueting a most riotous glutton a great drunkard disguising him selfe amongst women in womens apparell wading from one vice vnto another so much subiect to beastly abuse that his slouthfull life gaue great oportunitie to Arbaces a valiant captaine of the Medes a man of such magnanimitie being generall of all Media consulting with Belochus the lieutenant of Babylon a man of great experience that both Arbaces and Belochus agreed seeing such occasions offered to ioyne both their forces together against Sardanapalus which being done after two great ouerthrowes giuen to them and Arbaces almost slaine and his people scattered and fled Sardanapalus was yet too strong for them both but the thirde time hee was found with his Assyrians so full of wine and his armie so sleepie after drunkennesse according to their wonted maners that Arbaces againe by night with all his force entred vnto their tentes found them in their beds full of surphets slewe them in such heapes that Sardanapalus fled to his citie of Niniue and his lieutenant was slaine hee was then besieged in Niniue his people forsooke him and went to his enemies Then he perceiuing his great danger sent his three sonnes and his two daughters to Paphlagonia to his friend Cottus with great treasures to auoyd the present perill he was in being full of all desperations he made his owne graue so gorgeous and so sumptuous of such high building that hee brought 150. beds made of pure golde so many tables likewise of golde and after much feasting and banqueting with his Queenes and concubines and with many of his deare friends being in the midest of their