A Short vievv of the Persian Monarchie and of Daniels weekes Beeing a peece of Beroaldus workes with a censure in some points LONDON Imprinted by Thomas Orwin 1590. A short view of the Persian Monarchie and of Daniels weekes being a peece of Beroaldus workes THe Persian Monarchie is first named siluerie because the people of God after the Temple restored and the Citie Ierusalem walled liued peaceablie vnder the Persians But how long this continued or how manie Kings it had neither the Historiographers of our time nor the prophane doo sufficientlie know which thing they doo declare in their diuers and vncertaine Histories showed foorth and published by them to the world of these matters But wee because we know the former Persian Kings out of the holie Scripture and the latter the prophane histories dooth mention of this matter therefore we are able more certainlie to determine than either Herodotus or Iosephus or Manetho or Metastenes or Ctesias from whō the true report of these matters is vsed to be cited Concerning the time and continuance of the Persian Monarchie we cannot doubt seing the beginning is apparāt out of the holy scripture and wee vnderstand from prophane Stories the ouerthrowe to bee by Alexander the Great Therefore let vs first speake of the time wherein the Persian Empire bare sway then of the Kings who gouerned that siluer Emperie which succeeded the golden Monarchie of the Babylonians The Persian Monarchie begins from that yeare in the which Cyrus the great was first aduaunced by God to the rule of Asia after Darius the Mede whom the holie Oracles call the King of Persia and endeth and is determined in the death of Darius the sonne of Arsanes for then no man resisting the Wealth of the Persians came to Alexander the great and Asia which before obeied the Persians became subiect to him Now the first yeare of Cyrus the greater or of the King of the Persians falls into the third yeare of the fourescore Olympiade which was from the beginning of the world three thousand foure hundred seuentie two and was the yeare since Rome was built 295. fortie yeares after the Kings were banished and exiled the Citie which wee vnderstand to be certaine laying down the times in order as they bee expounded in the holie Scripture and the Olympiades conferred and laide together with these and also the yeares of the continuance of the Citie of Rome And those things which haue been otherwise defined by prophane Writers and Writers of our time we haue obserued to be vnture Yet the death of Darius the last King of the Persians the prophane Historie referres to the first yeare of the hundred thirteenth Olympiade and that yeare is the fift of Daniels nineteenth weeke and the yeare of the Citie built foure hundred and fiue twentie and the yeare of the world three thousand three score two From which account of time we vnderstand that the Persian Monarchie is to haue allotted to it for the continuance a hundred and thiritie yeares although otherwise hereof other men haue determined But we cannot misse because we haue the time of the deliuerance from Babilon which is the beginning of the Persian Empire certainlie set downe and defined by the holie Scripture and the times which follow as the death of Darius the last King of Persia and of Alexander the great set downe faithfullie those who dissent from vs we are able by good reason to disprooue that especiallie seeing the exact time is set downe in the Scripture when Cyrus the greater began his Empire and the death of Alexander the great which fell in the next Olympiade from the death of Darius is agreed confessed and determined of manie Historiographers For then there was a more assured obseruation of the Greekish Historie manie learned and notable men hauing comprehended them in their writings agreeing in the setting downn of the accoūt of those times But those things which fell out before these times haue not so faithfullie been by Writers collected whereby it commeth to passe that the prophane storie is verie obscure which obscuritie we are able to dispearse to make cleere by that computation of time which we haue laide downe because this is grounded from a most vndoubted obseruation gathered from holie scripture which is not necessaire for vs at this time to handle more at large seeing it hath been handled before In the which treatise we haue set downe the exact account of time determined in the holie scripture which as it may bee referred to prophane stories if it hath little beene obserued by former Writers may yet now bee vnderstood by the table of this Chronicle continued and successiuely drawen downe from the beginning of the world euen vnto our times Now concerning the Kings of Persia who ruled these hundred thirtie yeares the place of Daniel which is in his eleuenth chapter and second verse is of great vse to the vnderstanding of the truth which is in this sort Beholde yet three Kings shall stand vp in Persia and the fourth shall be richer than they all and when he is growen great through his riches hee shall stirre vp all against the King of Graecia From this place of Daniel wee vnderstand that Persian King which afflicted Graecia with warre to bee the fift Monarch of the Persians from Cyrus the greater but the fift King in order from Cyrus by those things which he did from the monuments of prophane Writers wee doo finde to bee Xerxes for the Angel opened these things to Daniel in the third yeare of King Cyrus as it is cap. 10. ver 2. Because therefore besides Cyrus there were yet to bee 3. Kings of Persia after whom the fourth was to inuade Graecia by warre whom al prophane histories doo witnes to be Xerxes by good right therfore we say that Xerxes the terror of Graecia was the 5. Emperor of the Persians from Cyrus the greater Now who were Kings in the times which fell out betwixt these the holie writings doo suggest vnto vs who doo pursue and faithfullie expound the Historie of those Mesne times so farre as their knowledge concernes the Church of God by these names of Assuerus Darius Artaxerxes wee haue these Kings expressed in holy Writ who that they may be distinguished from other Kings who had likewise the same names they are to be assigned and set out by those epithites and surnames which may bee most agreeable and fit the present matter and historie which wee repeate out of Esdra and Nehemiah To Assuerus therefore wee will adde the surname of Artaxerxes Darius we will name Assyrius and we will surname Artaxerxes Pius for he bestowed a great care on the Church of God as afterwards shalbe vnderstood And that wee may proceede orderlie let vs first handle Assuerus who is made knowen vnto vs from Esdras historie In the which historie the 4. chapter and 6. verse The Enemies of the people of God
saluation purchased by Christ the Lord the three and thirtieth yere of his age But that three thirtieth yeare of the Lord vnexpired falleth into the eighteenth Y. of Tiberius Caesar because in the fifteenth yere of Tiberius beginneth the thirtie of the Lord whereby the one and thirtieth yeare of our Lord falleth into the sixteenth yeare of Tiberius and his thirtie two yeare runneth into the seuenteenth yeare of Tiberisn then the three and thirtieth yeare of the Lord must needes be referred to the eighteenth yeare of Tiberius which because they be grounded on the testimonies of holie Scripture and not on the vncertaine opinions of men they appeare to bee true and certaine But that the Lord Iesus Christ accomplished two and thirtie yeares a halfe on earth the auncient Church also acknowledged as reuerent Bed a hath witnessed in his booke of the Nature of things the fortie seuenth chapter whose words are these For the faith of the Church if I am not deceiued embraceth this that the Lord liued in the flesh somewhat more than two and thirtie yeares vnto the time of his passion because he was baptized at thirtie yeres as the Euangelist Luke witnesseth and preached three Y. an halfe after his baptisme as Iohn teacheth in his Gospel not onely by the time of the Passeouer but also in his Reuelation Daniel also in his vision appointeth the very same propheticallie Surely the holy apostolike Church of Rome testifieth that she reckoneth this faith euen by those notes which she vseth yerely to write in her waxe things where calling into the peoples minde the time of the Lords passion noteth alwaies three and thirtie yeare lesse than Dionysius reckoneth from his incarnation These things Beda deliuereth of the age of the Lord Iesus But I am ignorant what place of the Reuelation teacheth it but we may think that this was confessed in olde time by some receiued Cabala or tradition Eusebius in his 8. booke second chapter of the demonstration of the Gospell confirmeth this saying Surely it hath been recorded in written Storie that all the time of the teaching and dooing of miracles of our Sauiour was three yeares and a halfe which is truly the halfe of one seauen In a sort Iohn the Euangelist will declare this to them who shall attentiuely consider his Gospell Thus farre Eusebius Afterwards Abbas Vspergensis saith in the life of Tiberius The three and thirtieth yeare of his incarnation our Lord Iesus suffered in his flesh and rose again Also Nicephorus Callistus concludeth the first booke of his histories thus This first booke of histories conteineth three thirtie yeres the beginning taken from the two and fortieth yere of the reigne of Augustus Caesar now wexing old in the which our Lord Iesus Christ with flesh came foorth of the holie Virgine but the ende ending in the eighteenth yeare of Tiberius Caesars reigne which truly is from the creatiō of the world 5538. but was from the birth of our Lord three and thirtie These out of manie may suffice from which it is apparant that the time of the life of the Lord Iesus on earth was well knowen to the auncient Fathers Whereof yet the Diuines of our time doo so dispute that a matter of it selfe plaine enough they doo so enwrap and infolde that it is very hard for them to vnloose themselues from their trifling lets Therefore in the eighteenth yeare of Tiberius and the three and thirtieth of Christ the Lord we haue concluded the seuentie seuens of Daniel which to what yeares of the Olympiades or to the Citie of Rome or to the creation of the world they are to bee referred may most certainly be gathered out of the continuance and comparison of times determined by the authoritie of holie Scripture as is noted in the Table But the eighteenth yere of Tiberius is the fourescore 4. yeare from the building of Rome but of the world created three thousand nine hundred sixtie one which notation of time to be diligentlie considered and not to be ouerpassed careles or slothfullie the oracles of the Prophets concerning these matters doo declare But so diligent a care and carefulnesse which the Scripture vseth in noting downe these times shuld sharpen our diligence and shake out of vs all sluggishnes wherefore there is no reason why this our paines should be despised of anie or misliked seeing it consisteth and is grounded on the word of GOD and not on the traditions or opinions of men But by this we vnderstād that the knowledge of these times do chieflie concerne vs because they were written for vs who are come to those acceptable times to that grace which we haue also obteined which trulie now lōg agoe hath been prophecied by the oracles and foretellings of the Prophets For as the Apostle Peter saith in the first chapter of his first epistle Of this saluation the Prophets enquired searched who prophecied of the grace to come on you searching in what time or after what season the spirit of Christ which was in thē did foretel the suffrings which should come to Christ and his glorie to come to whom it was reuealed that not for themselues but for vs they did showe those things which now are declared vnto vs by thē who preach the Gospel vnto vs the holie spirit hauing been sent from heauen which things the Angels desire to behold So Peter the Apostle commendeth the greatnes of the grace communicated vnto vs in his time foretold and foreended by the Prophets that the Angels also doo admire it and doo desire to behold the complement thereof whereof that the elect be not defrauded wee must striue by all meanes The fruite also which floweth from these times is not to be omitted because the Iewes by the demonstration of them may be cōuinced to yeeld yet at the length vnto Christ and rest themselues in Christianitie and leaue off to blaspheame To which purpose wee must not onelie ioyne Daniels seuens but also Iaacobs prophecie which is in this sort in the 49. of Genesis 10. The Scepter shall not be taken from Iuda nor a Ruler out of his loynes till Silo come that is his son to wit Iuda and he shalbe the expectation of the Gētiles For that this ver is thus to be interpreted the Rabbines also confesse the truth compelling them for they say Silo signifieth Beno that is His sonne which is the Messias Christ the Lord the sonne of Iuda For Christ the Lord rose from Iuda as is confirmed and taught by the Scriptures Heb. 8. 14. To this the Prophecie and testimonie of Aggey the Prophet beeing added is of no small force in which the ancient Rabbines acknowledge the presence of Christ the Lord to bee signified with the which hee was to beautefie the second Temple which place is cited out of the 2. Aggey the 8. And I will mooue all Nations and the desired shall come to all the
Gentiles and I will fill the house with glorie saith the Lord of hoasts Thus farre Beroaldus Now that the said seauens of Daniel may the more easelie be vnderstood because many Interpreters both Graecians Latines haue in certaine places departed from the Hebrue text shall be added in this place an interpretation as neere answering the Hebrue words as we can Dan. 9. 24. SEVENTIE SEVENS of yeares are cut out for thy people and for thy holy Citie to consume wickednes to abolish sinnes and to make reconciliation for iniquitie and to bring righteousnes euerlasting and to seale Vision and Prophet to shew CHRIST the HOLIE of HOLIE Know then marke from the outgoing of the Word to returne to build Ierusalem vnto CHRIST the GOVERNOVR shal be seuen seuens of yeares and sixtie two seuens in the other it shalbe restored and builded Streete and Wall and troublous shall these times be In that after the sixtie and two seuens CHRIST shalbe killed and not for himselfe thereupon the Citie and holy place shall hee destroy the GOVERNORS own people to come and their ende shalbe with a Flood and at the ende of warre it shall haue a finall iudgement to desolation But he shal confirme the Testament for manie the last Seauen when in HALFE THAT SEAVEN he shall finish the Sacrifice Oblation Afterwards by an Armie abhominable he shall make a desolation euen till vtter destruction and finall Iudgement flowe vpon the desolate The iudgement of Henrie Wolphius touching Beroaldus may fitly be ioyned here THe fourth Article of the time changed being the seuenth of the olde testament conteineth foure hundred and ninetie yeares Daniels seauentie weekes It beginneth from the first yeare of Cyrus and endeth in the ioyfull most famous Iubilee of all Iubilees in the yeare wherein Christ suffred being the truth of that type or figure Daniels words concerning those seauentie seauen are diuerselie interpreted by the learned but in my iudgement of all other most learnedlie and most truelie hath Matthew Beroald in his Cronicle deliuered the minde of the Prophet The seuentie begins from the going foorth of the Word to repaire and reedifie Ierusalem to wit of that Word which is set down in the second of the Chr. and the last verse Neither frō anie other time can this beginning be set down for the Citie Temple are not repayred in one yere Furthermore when the Prophet diuideth the seuens into two parts into seuen and sixtie and two seauens the first Seuen he referres to the troublesome times in the which the street ditch are said to be renued and built againe which is certainlie knowen to haue been finished in fortie and nine yeares Thirdly he doth so interpret the words of the Prophet that is And after sixtie and two seauens Christ shalbe killed that he saith these seuens be ended in the passion of Christ and after this that there was nothing to be looked for but a finall destruction and desolation of the Citie and Temple all which are most notorious And in the 24. ver he doth so describe the ende of the seuens that it cannot otherwise be vnderstood then to fall out in the passion of Christ For he saith To consume impietie to shut vp sinne to purge iniquitie to bring in euerlasting iustice to fulfil vision prophet to annoint the Holie of Holiest Who knoweth not that these things wer performed when Christ said All things are finished To conclude that which is said And in the halfe of the seauen he shall cause to cease oblation and sacrifice is trulie expounded of Christs preaching which he began in the fourth yeare of the last seauen To this may be added a parcell of Bucholcerus words touching the exposition of the last halfe seuen for the vse of them that little are acquainted with this part of Scripture but some words of his where the matter well suffereth shalbe omitted such as would require a long speach vpon them LEt vs come to the declaration of the residue of the 9. of Daniel in the which the ende of the seuentie seuens is described The first seauen seauens are 49. yeares because euerie seauen cōteineth seauen yeares Those former 49. yeares runne out vnder Esdra and Nehemias reedifying the Temple To these let there be added sixtie and two seauens that is to say 434 yeare they surmouut vnto sixtie and nine weekes or 483. There remaineth one seauen that is the last seauen in the halfe whereof Christ did teach three yeare a halfe till by his death vpon the crosse he purged sinne and ended the seuens Diuersitie of exposition grewe by reason of this He shall confirme the couenant for manie in one seauen For that the seauenth yeare or last of the last seauen might be complete manie haue extended the ende of the seauens vnto the preaching of the Apostles and to the 4. yeare after the death of Christ Others haue been of another opinion We by their fauour doo thinke that Daniel plainlie pointed out the person and the course of life of the onely Messias that by great aduise the last seuen is deriued from all the former For the halfe of the last seauen doth belong vnto the Messias and to his wonderfull workes that seauen tolde the Messias to be come in that seauen Christ the Annoynted began to teach he established a new lawe and abrogated the olde hee tooke away sinne cleansed iniquitie fulfilled the prophecies he finished the work of redemption and brought eternall righteousnes Neither can these seuens which Daniel here mentioneth be ascribed vnto the Apostles that is to cleanse sinne to take away iniquitie to bring righteousnes for this is the dutie of the onely Messias to the finishing whereof Daniel saith the last seuen is appointed and he saith this twice first generallie and then speciallie Generallie He shal confirme the couenant in one seauen Speciallie In the halfe of the seauen he shall make to cease the Sacrifice So that is generall After 62. weekes Christ shalbe slaine Where it might be doubted whether immediately after the 62. weekes fullie ended the Messias was to be slaine The particular therefore which teacheth the confirmation of the couenant or Christs preching to be tied to the half of the last seuen expoundeth the generalitie of both Therefore it is not Daniels meaning He will confirme the couenant in one seauen that is to say the last yet running out and continuing Yet least the time of Christs ministerie shuld be referred vnto all the last seauen or to the beginning thereof he addeth by way of correction in the halfe of the last seauen that at once hee might teach Christs ministery should bee referred to the last half of the last seauen Otherwise if 3. yere a halfe be reckoned from the beginning of that seauen and be ended in the midst thereof seauentie weekes should not be accomplished but 69. seauens a halfe that is 487. yere not 490. Reuerent Beda