I call it in regard of all that which for declaration of other matters might bee sayd herein which were the worke of a huge volume and great toyle These writers then for many partes of Scripture are diligently to be sought into and not as some rash braines imagine to bee cast away as vnprofitable in the Lordes schoole house but especially for Daniell aboue all In other places they may seeme profitable but heere they are necessary euen by Hieroms iudgement who in a preface to his commentaries on this booke affirmeth the manifold Histories of Greeke and Latine Authors to bee necessary for the vnderstanding of Daniels Prophesies These helpes therefore I minde to vse for vnfolding the 4. last verses of the 9. Chapter of Daniell containing an entire prophesie of the estate of the holy City after the Iewes returne from the building thereof vnto the vtter destruction of the same by Vespasian the Emperor of Rome and therein of the comming of Iesus Christ the Lord of life aboue 500. yeres before Which is a most certaine argument of Diuine wisedome in Daniell from heauen and a proofe of that which Balthasar had heard that the spirit of the holy Gods was in him whereby also he foreshewed many yeares before the destruction of the Babylonian Empire by the Medes and Persians the Persians ouerthrow by Alexander and the great troubles which long after that time the Iewes suffered vnder Antiochus Epiphanes All this skill came from God for the knowledge and foretelling of thinges to come is that which God onely hath left in his owne power and challengeth to himselfe in the Prophet Esay I make knowne those things saith God which haue not yet hapned The Heathen Poet Sophocles could see this thus writing in the Tragedie of Aiax the whip bearer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many things saith hee may bee knowne of men when they see them come to passe but of thinges to come yet vnseene there is no prophet I am not ignorant that Porphyrius a Tyrian Philosopher a wicked and vngodly Iew of the kindred and sect of the Sadduces an Infidell an enemie of Christ a hater of God and his word who wrote fifteene bookes against the Christians to weaken and extenuate the trueth and authoritie of Daniels Prophesie deuised this shift to say that the Iewes long afore Daniels time seeing these thinges done committed them to writing vnder Daniels name thereby to win credit to their bookes This fine deuise of Porphyrie is nothing else but a vaine cauill For it is well knowne that the comming of Christ is spoken of by Daniell in diuers places which can not bee saide to haue beene written by the Iewes who first had seene the comming of Christ seeing that they neyther at that time when hee came acknowledged him and euer since haue beene so farre from beleeuing in him that vsually to this day they euen curse his memorie Porphyrius herein hath beene answered at large by the learned Fathers Methodius Eusebius Caesariensis and Apolinarius withstanding his blasphemie And Hierome for learning as noble as any in one short sentence most wittily and pithilie turneth all his reasoning against Daniell for Daniell against himselfe Porphirii impugnatio testimonium veritatis est Tanta enim in hoc Propheta dictorum fides inuenta est vt propterea incredulis hominibus videatur non futura dixisse sed praeterita narrasse Porphyrie his impugning of Daniell saith Hierome is a testimonie of his trueth because the sayings of this Prophet haue beene found so certaine and of so great credit that therefore vnbeleeuers haue iudged him rather to tell things past thē to speak of things to come But if there were nothing else at all to be saide yet euen this one prophesie of Daniell which I haue in hande touching the desolation of Ierusalem the trueth and certaintie whereof was at the length verified by the euent it selfe at such time as Titus destroyed the Temple and Citty were enough to stoppe the aduersaries mouthes Yea though all the Infidell Porphyries in the world with all their cunning shifting stand together they shall neuer be able to auoid the force of this prophesie but that it must needes argue a diuine spirit in Daniell For they cannot here say that the Iewes after they had seene the Temple destroyed by the Romanes forged a prophesie thereof in Daniell his name Because euen Christ himselfe in the 24. of Matthew alleadgeth this prophesie of Daniel concerning the desolation of the holy Citie in the flourishing time thereof about 37. yeares before it was fulfilled Whereby it is euident that this prophesie was commonly knowne read in the Church of God among the Iewes as written by Daniell long before the euent had shewed the trueth thereof So Daniell yet standeth a diuine prophet of the Lord inspired with heauenly knowledge of thinges to come from aboue and seeing that in one thing truely foretold this is prooued of him there is no cause at all to doubt of the rest This is a sure foundatiō of diuinitie a sound stay of religion a strong prop of faith to be reposed in the vndoubted trueth of GOD his word a mightie vpholder of the prouidence of God against all the Atheistes and Epicures of the world Which Josephus verie well perceiuing and in the end of his 10. booke of antiquities disputing against this kind of men fetcheth his reason from the sure truth of Daniels Prophesies The errour saith hee of the Epicureans hereby is reprooued which take Gods prouidēce in gouerning things out of this life beleeuing the world to be carried by his owne force without a guide or ouerseer Wherefore considering Daniels prophesies I cannot but condemne the foolishnes of those men which deny that God hath any care of mens affaires For how could it come to passe that the euent should answere his prophecies if all thinges in the world were done by chance Caluin also in the first book of his institutions Doth not Daniell saith he so prophesie of thinges to come by the space of 600. yeares as though he wrote an Historie of things alreadie done and commonly knowne Good men by the diligent meditation hereof shall bee abundantly furnished to quiet the barking of the vngodly for this euidence is clearer then that it can be subiect to any cauils This was the iudgement of Iosephus Caluin against Atheists and prophane Epicures to their shame and ouerthrow taken from the certaintie of Daniels foreshewing things to come Euen this one prophecie of Daniels weekes is a verie hammer to beate them downe to the ground and a wier scourge as it were to teare them all in peeces And therefore of all true Christians to be had in great reuerence and the vnderstanding therof to bee desired as pearles and diligently sought for as hid treasure To the finding out hereof two thinges are most requisite the one is a iust account of the times the other a true interpretation of the wordes in the
A TRVE CHRONOLOGIE OF THE TIMES OF THE PERSIAN Monarchie and after to the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romanes WHEREIN BY THE WAY briefly is handled the day of Christ his birth with a declaration of the Angel Gabriels message to Daniel in the end of his 9. chap. against the friuolous conceits of Matthew Beroald Written by EDVVARD LIVELIE Reader of the holie tongue in Cambridge AT LONDON Printed by Felix Kingston for Thomas Man John Porter and Rafe Iacson 1597. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD MY VERY HOnorable good Lord my Lord the Archbishop of Canterburie his Grace THE knowledge of former times most reuerend by prophane authors recorded for the great profit and delight thereof hath not without cause beene alwaies highlie esteemed of the best wisest men in Heathen common wealths guided only by natures law the word of life not knowne amongst them This keepeth the memorie of thinges done of old and in spite of death preserueth still in some sort as it were the life of Noble ancestors who by their prowesse and wisedome for guiding the course of mans life aright haue left most worthie examples and notable patternes of vertue behind them To Christians it hath this more to commend it selfe that it bringeth much light to the vnderstanding of God his worde and greatlie auaileth to the aduancement of that trueth wherby soules are wonne to the Lorde wherefore I cannot but meruaile at the shall I terme it follie or rather madnes of those men which for the continuance of the Persian Monarchie and the raigne of the seueral kings therin are bold to reiect the true histories of ancient writers who liuing in the times thereof haue set forth the same for the ages to come The cause and maine ground whereof is nothing else but their owne error in misunderstanding holie Scripture by wrested interpretation making flat contradiction betweene the spirite of God and prophane truth So not onelie wrong is done to those excellent men who by their paines haue deserued well but also euen the certaintie of Gods worde it selfe by this meanes is weakned made doubtfull and called into question For it is not possible that one truth should be repugnant to another Now because truth as Augustine writeth in his second booke de doctrina Christiana is the Lordes wheresoeuer it is found therefore euerie Christian in dutie bound to stand for the maintaining thereof against all aduersaries so farre forth as his strength will serue I haue according to my pore talent vndertaken the defence of the true Historie Chronologie of the Persian times against the aduersaries thereof and withall an exposition of the Angell Gabriels message to Daniel agreeable thereunto The one that is my account of the times in fast perswasion I hold so sure as that I stedfastlie beleeue scarse 2. yeres vnder or ouer if any at all will be easily disprooued which in so great a number were a small matter in regard of those mens conceipt who are bold at one dash to chop off no lesse then a hundred yeares For the other I meane my exposition by reasō of interpreters disagreement among themselues hauing not like euidence I referre my selfe to learnings skill the iudgement of cunning Linguists and sound Diuines In English rather then in Latine I haue chosen to set foorth this treatise for no other cause in the world but one That as my owne Countriemen in their natiue language by reason of Mathew Beroald the first brocher of the new Chronologicall History of the Persian Empire translated into English and some other bookes doe read the wrong in danger thereby to bee seduced So likewise in the same their mother tongue by this my paines they may see the right so hold themselues therein from going astray This my labour I am bolde to present vnto your Grace sundrie reasons moouing me thereunto For hauing in intent sought herein the vpholding of truth to the good of my Countrie and the benefitte of Christ his Church amongst vs the chiefe care wherof for these matters appertaineth vnto your Grace I feared not the checke of vnseemely boldnes if by the honour of your Graces name I should seeke to commend the same Your great loue of learning and kind good will to Students hartned me on But aboue all my especiall motiue hereunto was the earnest desire of my heart to shew some token of my dutifull remembrance of your great kindnes heretofore so many waies shewed vnto mee That I was first scholler and after fellow of Trinitie Colledge in Cambridge it proceeded of your louing minde and fauorable good wil vnto me besides other benefits many some greater then the forme which were too long to recite In regard whereof if it may please your Grace to accept of this acknowledgement of my dutie I shall account the same my duty doubled Thus with my hartie desire of your Graces happy estate long to cōtinue to the glory of God the good of his Church and the wealth of this land your own sounde comfort I most humbly take my leaue of your Grace this 24. day of Nouember in the 1597. yere of Christ our Lord. Your Graces most bounden EDVVARD LIVELIE A TRVE CHRONOLOGIE OF THE TIMES OF THE PERSIAN MONARCHIE CIcero if euer any other was one which verified that doctrine of the blessed Apostle Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians that the wisedome of God of the wisest of the world was accounted foolishnes The learning of the Grecians all artes pertaining to humanitie beeing held together to vse his owne tearme in a certaine kindred betweene themselues hee had in great price The knowledge thereof he admired the professors he honoured and by quicke conceit and sharp wit together with earnest trauaile and diligent study therein he grew to that ripenes of deepe knowledge and sweet speech wise counsell whereby he became the rare ornament of his countrie the precious iewell of his age and the great glorie of the world far beyond al before him neuer ouertooke of any after him But touching true diuinity the people of God with the word of life amongst them they were no better esteemed of him then Paul and his preaching was of the learned Philosophers of Athens being mocked for his labour and acounted a babling toole Let his owne mouth make proofe hereof in an Oration which he made for Lucius Flaccus beeing at that time accused amongst other matters for detayning great summes of gold sent yearely vpon deuotion by an vsuall custome out of Italie and some other prouinces of Rome to Ierusalem This action of his client withstanding the Iewes herein he greatly commendeth Ierusalem the holie and glorious seate of God his seruice hee calleth a suspitious and backebyting Citie The deuout worship of God and the holy religion of the Iewes he termeth barbarous superstition by great contempt in regard of the glorie and ancient customes of the Roman Empire in the end he concludeth
them a people not accepted of God because they had beene ouercome by the enemie and put to their tribute This was the reckoning which Tullie made of them who by diuine knowledge of God his worde were the onelie wise people in the world Deut 4. whereby it appeareth that in his eyes the prophane learning of men was deemed more excellent then the wisedome of God Amongst his sciences no place was left for diuinitie The knowledge of God his word was too base for that companie Much better was the doome of the ancient Fathers of the primitiue Church by the light of God his spirit who vsed all other artes and learning as helps and handmaids to the vnderstanding of diuine scripture beeing Ladie and Mistris of all to the which all humane wisedome oweth dutie and seruice Augustine a rare instrument for the benefite of GOD his Church came notably furnished with much other reading to the studie of diuinity His skill therein he prooued not onely by writing of the liberall sciences but also alleadging of Poets and other Authors and fitting their sayinges to the phrase of holy scripture to make it more plaine wherof one commeth now to my mind in his bookes of speeches taken out of a secular Author as hee termeth him Et scuta Latentia condunt They hide the priuie or secret lying shieldes meaning such as not before but after the hyding lay secret and hid This hee maketh serue for the vnderstanding of a like speech in the 25. chapter of Genesis in the Greeke bible of Esay and Iacob whose birth a little before was mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the young men grew They were new borne babes farre from that ripenes of yeares to bee called young men and therefore the action of growing in this place goeth before the young mens age to signifie that being little children At the length after much growing vp in age they became young men In his second booke De doctrina Christiana hee declareth at large that humane sciences and the learning of the gentiles and prophane histories are very helpfull and profitable to the vnderstanding of holy scripture The learned father Hierom also in many places bringeth much light great seruice from diuerse and sundry prophane writers to the vnderstanding of God his woorde In his commentaries on Esay the thirteenth chapter declaring the true meaning of the prophets woordes there vttered concerning the desolation of Babylon which other leauing the truth of historie expounded allegorically hath these woordes Audiuimus Medos audiuimus Babylonem inclytam in superbia Chaldaeorum nolumus intelligere quod fuit quaerimus audire quod non fuit Et haec dicimus non quòd tropologicam intelligentiam condemnemus sed quòd spiritualis interpretatio sequi debeat ordinem historiae Quod plaerique ignorantes lymphatico in scripturis vagantur errore We haue heard saith he of the Medes wee haue heard of Babylon the glorious city of the Chaldeans we will not vnderstand that which hath bin but we seeke to heare that which hath not beene Neither say I this to condemne tropologicall vnderstanding but that spirituall interpretation ought to follow order of historie which the most parte being ignorante of by mad wandring doe range about in the scriptures The same father being by some blamed as too much addict to the study of Secular knowledge in an epistle of his to on Magnus a Roman Orator taketh vpon him the defence and commendation thereof by the examples of the best and most excellent christian fathers before him I must needes therefore greatly commend the wisedome of our forefathers in ordering our vniuersities VVhere young schollers are first trained vp in the studies of humanity before they enter into God his schoole that by that meanes comming furnished and ready stored with many helpes from their former learning they may find a more easie waye and speedy course in that most graue race of diuine knowledge which is yet behinde for them to runne And surely so it is and euery one shall finde the experience hereof in himselfe It is not to be spoken how much and how cleare light the diligent study and reading of Latin and Greeke writers yeeld to the knowledge of holy scripture Which by some few examples I will let the reader vnderstand The Eleans in time of pestilence brought vpon them by exceding great abundance of flies call vpon their God Myiagrus which being by sacrifice once appeased all those flies forthwith perish This Pline reporteth in his tenth booke the eight and twentith chapter Whereunto for confirmation may be added that which is recorded by Pausanias in the first booke of his Eliaca that Hercules sacrificing in Olympia was mightily troubled with a huge multitude of flies till such time as he had done sacrifice to Iupiter apomytos by whose power all those flies were soone after dispersed And hereof he sayth that the Eleans vse to sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to Iupiter Apomytos which driueth away flies Sotinus also in his Polyhistor the second chapter maketh mention of Hercules his chappell in the beefe market at Rome into the which after sacrifice and prayer made to the God Myiagrus hee entred by diuine power without flies All these testimonies serue to vnderstand the reason of the name Baalzebub in scripture giuen to the God of Ecron in the first chapter of the second booke of the Kings signifying the god of flies or the flies Iupiter If it be true that Augustine affirmeth in his questions vppon the booke of iudges that Baal is Iupiter so called as should seeme by those reportes of Plinie Pausanias and Solinus of the power which was attributed vnto him in driuing away flies whereof hee is termed Myiagrus that is a chaser of flies and Apomyius as it were a defender or preseruer from flies Horatius in his last Satyre telleth of one Rufus Nasidienus who had inuited to a great supper Mecaenas a chiefe Lord in the Emperour Augustus Caesars Court with many other noble men of Rome that whenas in the middest of supper the daintiest dishes being now set vpon the borde the hangings aloft by chance suddenly brake and daubed that honorable company with cobwebs and powdred the costly meates and wines with filth and filled all full of choaking dust Posito capite vt si filius immaturus obisset flere Holding downe his head he wept bitterly as it had been for the vntimely death of a deare sonne So then the casting downe of Cain his countenance in the fourth of Genesis argued sorrow And the virgins of Ierusalem at the destruction of their citie hanging downe their heads to the ground in the Lamentations of Ieremy the second chapter thereby declared their conceaued griefe The prophet Dauid at such time as he fled from his sonne Absolon and likewise all the men that were with him euery one couered his head and wept Haman also being made an instrument to honour Mardochaeus whome hee hated to the
Maioraltie at Athens being the first of the 75. Olympiad as hath been sufficiently alreadie declared by the testimonies of Diodorus Siculus Dionysius Halicarnassaeus Diogenes Laertius and Suidas what doth it else but make further proofe of the same Herodotus his meaning against Scaliger But what shall we then say to the eclipse of the Sunne mentioned by Herodotus which as Scaliger writeth prooueth that warre to haue been sooner by one yeare H. Bunting dissolueth this doubt by acknowledging that eclips to haue happened in the spring time of that yeare wherein Xerxes went to Sardes which Herodotus by some error as he thinketh transposed to the yeare following when Xerxes went from Sardes into Greece an easie slip in Historie Now to come to Thucidides whereas hee writeth that the tenth yeare after the Persians ouerthrow at Marathon they came againe with a huge armie to subdue Greece he meaneth that yeare to be the tenth wherein Xerxes hauing gathered his armie together marched to Sardes which was the very beginning of that warre for that was the first leading of his armie against the Grecians and in that yeare he made a bridge from Asia to Europe for the passage of his armie ouer and digged downe the hill Atho to make the seas meete for his Ships to passe through and sent his Ambassadors into Greece to demaunde land and water which was a kinde of proclayming warre against such as refused to be subiect vnto him These things all were done in the tenth yeare after the Marathon fight and in the next which was the first of the 75. Olympiad were Xerxes his battailes fought at Thermopylae and other places of Greece being the eleuenth from that Marathon warre euen so acknowledged by Scaliger himselfe in that booke in the chapter of the Persians ouerthrowe at Marathon howsoeuer after he seemeth to be of another opinion and to make it the tenth not vnderstanding Thucidides aright Yea but Eratosthenes Diodorus Siculus and Plutarch three excellent writers referred the passage of Xerxes into Greece to the first yeare of the 75. Olympiad and so his battaile at Thermopylae to the second yeare thereof Eratosthenes indeede I graunt reckoning from the first Olympiad to Xerxes passing into Greece 297. yeares reacheth to the beginning of the second yeare of the 75. Olympiad and goeth a yeare further then other Yet so as if any thing be here amisse it is mended in his next account from Xerxes to the Peloponnesian warre the distance whereof he maketh 48. yeares which with the former 297. are in all 345. from the first Olympiad to the first summer of the Peloponnesian warre which is a most perfect reckoning receiued and agreed on so there is no great matter of difference Now touching Diodorus Siculus his words are so manifest against that assertion of Scaliger as maketh me meruaile that he should be so deceiued in mistaking them First the worde which he vseth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he warred or led his armie being much more large then he passed ouer Againe hauing described the yeare by the number of the Olympiad 75. the first yeare thereof and the chiefe officer of Athens Callias and the Romane Consuls he setteth downe for that yeare so described the battailes of Xerxes at Thermopylae at Artemysium at Salamis and his flying out of Greece and the leauing of Mardonius there with a great hoast And in the second yeare of that Olympiad being the yeare of Xantippus his Maioraltie at Athens he placeth the victory of Pausanias against Mardonius at Plateae and the departure of Xerxes from Sardes to Susa after the ouerthrow of his forces by sea and by land so that there is no doubt at all by Diodorus Siculus but that Xerxes his fighting at Thermopylae happened in the first yere of the 75. Olympiad according to the testimonies and consent of auncient Historiographers before declared As for Plutarch howsoeuer that is gathered of his wordes in one place there cited by Scaliger yet otherwhere he sheweth himselfe of another minde For in the life of Aristides the battell at Plateae which happened the very next yeare after Xerxes his discomfiture hee referreth to the second of that Olymp. that by the iudgement of Scaliger himselfe so expounding the place in his first booke treating of the Theban period If then the next yeare after Xerxes inuading Greece be the second of the 75. Olympiad by Plutarch needes must the yeare of Xerxes fighting in Greece by him bee the first which is agreeable to others Chronologie and the verie trueth The same Plutarch in the life of Numa maketh some doubt of the Olympick reckoning beeing committed to writing in regard of the beginning thereof verie late by Hyppias of Elis without any sure ground whereunto of necessitie we must yeeld credit This obiection is answered by Temporarius in his Chronologie that though it were graunted that Hyppias erred in setting downe the true and exact time of the first Olympiad yet that hindereth the true Chronologie and order of times following nothing at all which is very true for set the case that that Olympiad which Hyppias made the 40. in number was not so much but onely the 30. and so the first 40. yeares short at the least of his account It is not a pin matter The order and account of the times comming after for all that may be most perfect and sure without missing one minute which I wil declare by a familiar example The yeare wherein our gracious Queene began her happie raigne according to the computation of the Church of England was the 1558. of our Lorde but in truth the 1558. this yere by our account 1597. is in very indeed by exact reckoning 1598. The cause wherof was the errour of Dionysius called Paruus Abbas who was the first inuenter of this account supposing Christs birth to haue beene later by one yeare then indeede it was and so making that the first of our Lorde which was the second as is confessed and acknowledged of the best learned and most skilfull Chronologers of our age This error in the first yeare of Christ is no let at all to the exact reckoning of all the yeres following For there is the same distance of yeares from the 1558. to the 1597. by the vsuall account which is from the 1559 to the 1598. by the true account Yet to speake my minde howsoeuer Dionysius missed in the reckoning of the yeares of Christ I hold it out of controuersie that Hippias erred not vnto whose time the memory of the Olympiads had beene preserued from foure yeares to foure yeares from the beginning thereof in times of knowledge places of fame where was great concourse of people keeping the account therof not in their mindes onely but also in writinges as is most like And whether hee erred or no for the Persian times and after it is no matter as I haue declared before seeing the error in the first is constant in all the rest if any error
is true yet making it the 72. of Christs birth he therein erreth and is at strife with himselfe for how can this possibly stand that the second sommer of the 212. Olympiad should be the 72. yere from the third winter of the 194 Olympiad wherein Christ was borne H. Bunting in his Chronologie did hit the marke right affirming that Ierusalem was destroyed in the 71. yeare of Christ the 822. of Rome Vespasian the second time and his Son Titus being Consull the second yere of the 212 Olympiad The day wherein the Temple was set on fire by Iosephus is obserued euen the 10. of August Conflagrante nouissimo templo numerabantur a nauitate Christi 70. anni cum diebus 221. From the natiuitie of Christ to the burning of the last Temple were 70. yeres and 200. and one and twentie dayes saith Laurence Codoman in his Chronicles of holy scripture which is most certainely true and confirmed of him againe in the fourth booke of his chronologie toward the end of the 29. chapter where notwithstanding he also hath his errour in numbring 105. yeres to that time from the beginning of Herods raigne at his taking of Ierusalem beeing at the least 106. full yeares with three weekes ouer For Ierusalem was taken of him about the beginning of the fourth yeare of the 185. Olympiad Wherein M. Agrippa and Canidius Gallus were Consuls the seauenteenth day of the Iewes fourth month called Tamuz answering in parte to our Iune and partlie to Iulie as appeareth by Iosephus in the end of his fourteenth book of antiquities compared with Ben Gorion his fourth booke the 23. chapter The Temple by Titus his souldiers was fired the ninth day of their next moneth called Ab as we read in the end of his seder olam rabba and the eight day of the next moneth following the Citie it selfe was set on fire by them Vnto which time Iosephus from Herods beginning before mentioned counteth 107. yeares in his 20. booke of Antiquities the eight chapter beeing no more but 106. yeres with seauen weekes more Therefore according to the vsuall custome of Historiographers he reckoneth a part of the last yeare for the whole and his meaning is that the burning of the citie hapned in the 107. yere after Herods beginning to raigne and that the distance betwixt the one and the other was 107. yeres running on so as the last of them was not yet compleat By that which hitherto hath beene prooued it appeareth that from the beginning of the Persian Monarchie and the first yeare of Cyrus to the end of the Iewes common wealth in the second of Vespasian were 628. yeares so much time more as had past partly before the second yeare of the 55. Olympiad to the beginning of Cyrus and partlie after the end of the first yeare of the 112. Olympiad to the eight of September following wherein the holie City of God Ierusalem was set on fire that if account be made from the entrie of that 55. Olympiad to the time wherein the Citie was burned the whole space is euen 629. yeres with some two monethes more or there abouts Thus I end my reckoning of the times within the compasse whereof Daniels weeks haue runne out their course which is the first help requisite to the vnderstanding of Daniels meaning The second now followeth that is a true interpretation of his wordes for though the fulfilling of those weekes is contained within the reach of those 629. yeares and odde monethes before spoken of yet in what time thereof they began or ended that is a controuersie to the discussing whereof this second help may happely bring some light THE NINTH CHAPTER OF DANIEL THE 24. verse Vers 24. Seuentie weekes are determined vpon thy people and vpon thy holy Citie to sinish wickednesse and to ende sinne and to make reconciliation for iniquitie and to bring righteousnesse euerlasting and to seale vp vision and Prophet and to annoynt the holy of holies Vers 25. Know then and vnderstand from the going forth of the worde to builde againe Ierusalem vnto Messias the Gouernour shall be seuen weekes and threescore and two weekes it shall be builded againe streete and wall and in troublesome times Vers 26. And after those threescore and two weeks shal Messias be cut off and he shal haue no being and the citie sanctuarie shall the people of the come gouernour destroy the end thereof shall be with a flood and vnto the ende of the warre shall be a precise iudgement of desolations Vers 27. And he shall make a sure couenant to many one weeke halfe that weeke he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease and for the ouerspreading of abominations shall be desolation which to vtter and precise destruction shall be powred vpon the desolate FOr the plainer vnderstanding and proofe of this interpretation I haue thought good to set downe cerraine annotations thereon where need shall require In the 24. verse weekes The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a weeke or as wee also terme it a sennet or seuenet which better fitteth the Hebrew hauing that force as likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke and septimana in Latine all so called of the number of seauen but it is to bee obserued that the Hebrew word here vsed signifieth sometime the space of seauen dayes as here in this prophesie the tenth chapter and second verse where Daniel saith that hee mourned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three weeks or seuenets of dayes and in the sixteenth of Deuteronomie the ninth verse where commandement is giuen from Easter to Whitsontide to number seuen weeks or seuenets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And sometime it containeth seuen yeres as in the 29. chapter the 27 verse of Genesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulfill her seuenet and then shee also shall bee giuen vnto thee for the seruice which thou shalt serue me yet seuen yeares more The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in approued Authors is in like manner vsed not onelie for seauen dayes but also euen for seuen yeares space and namely in the end of the seauenth booke of Aristotles politikes where mention is made of such as deuided ages by seuenets of yeares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M. Varro also in his first booke of Images writing se iam duodecimam annorum hebdomadam ingressum esse That hee had now entred into the 12. sennet of yeares expresseth it more plainely and fullie In this signification I take the worde in this place vnderstanding by 70. seuenets 490. yeares hauing proofe thereof from holy Scripture and prophane writer As for those which stretch the worde further to a seuenet of tents or Iubilies or hundreds of yeeres as some haue done their opinion hath neither warrant from God his word nor any likelihood of trewth Are determined The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth properly to cut and by a metaphor from thence borowed to determine as hereafter I shal haue occasion to declare
the first of Ester the ninteenth verse If it seeme good to the king let a royall word goe forth from him that is Let a commandement by the kings authoritie be published In the second chapter of this Prophet the twelfth verse The decree went forth the wise men were slaine In the second booke of the Machabies the sixt chapter and eight verse Thorough the counsell of Ptolomie there went out a commandement into the next cities of the heathen against the Iewes to put such to death as were not conformable to the manners of the Gentiles In the second chapter of Luke the first verse there went out a decree from Augustus Caesar that all the world should be taxed To build againe Ierusalem In Hebrew to returne build Ierusalem Of this a little after toward the end of this verse Vnto Messias the Gouernour The worde Messias in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke and with vs annoynted So these three in signification are all one Messias Christ Annoynted The Hebrew word in the holy Scripture attributed sometime specially to the persō of Christ Iesus our Lord as in the first of Iohn the 42. ver we haue found the Messias And in the second Psalme the second verse The Rulers tooke counsell together against the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and against his Messias or Christ that is against Christ Iesus our Lorde as the place is expounded in the fourth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles Sometime more generally to any annoynted Priest as in the fourth chapter and fift verse of Leuit. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Annoynted Priest shall take off the bullockes blood or to the annoynted Prophets Touch not mine annoynted doe my Prophets no harme Psa 105.15 Or lastlie to the kings and chiefe gouernours of the people Thus Saul in the first of Samuel the 24. chapter and 7. verse and Dauid in the 2. of Samuel the 19. chapter and 22. verse is called the annoynted of the Lord. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying any Ruler or Gouernour is vsed sometime of kinges as in the first of Samuel the tenth chapter the second verse where Saul is called the Gouernour of the Lords inheritance and in the second of Samuel the seauenth chapter Dauid is called the ruler of Gods people and Ezechias in the second booke of the Kings the 20. chapter and fifth verse In all those places this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is vsed Sometime it is giuen to other inferiour rulers or gouernours as in the 2. of Chronicles the 11. chapter and 11. verse Hee repayred the strong holdes and set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Gouernours therin and in the 19. chapter and last verse of the same booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zebadias the Ruler of the house of Iuda shall be for the kings affaires and in the 11. chapter of this Prophet Daniel the 22 verse the Prince and chiefe gouernour of the Jewes is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So there is no let by the force and signification of the word but that it may bee well referred to the chiefe ruler of the Iewes common wealth in Ierusalem after the building thereof Seauen weekes It is great pittie that this message of the holy Angell contayning a most excellent Prophesie from Gods owne mouth should be so peruerted and depraued as it hath beene by those which picke out this sence as though hee said there should be from the out-going of the commaundement to Messias 69. weekes in all A strange interpretation such I dare boldly say it as by the Hebrew text can neuer bee vpheld That interpretation which I haue made leauing a stay or rest at seuen weekes as the halfe sentence being past and continuing the 62. weekes with the other part of the sentence following to the end of the verse and not referred to the former as part of one whole number with them by the Hebrew text is most sure and vndoubted and iustifiable against all the world contayning that which God himselfe in his owne wordes hath vttered neyther more nor lesse but the verie same which Gods Angell deliuered to Daniel by word and Daniel to the Church by writing in the holie tongue and this once againe it is From the going forth of the word to build againe Ierusalem vnto Messias the gouernour shall be seauen weekes and threescore and two weekes it shall be builded againe street and wall and in trouble some times Marke the wordes consider their order and weigh well the rests As I finde in the Hebrew so I haue Englished that is the truth of interpretation be it vnderstood as it may It shall be builded againe Word for word in the original tongue is written It shall returne and be builded which learned Hierome verie learned lie translated thus Iterum aedificabitur It shall bee builded againe This is a familiar phrase in the Hebrew peoples mouth For proofe whereof take a view of these places First of that in Malachie the first chapter and fourth verse We will returne build the desolate places It is as much to say as we wil build them againe also in the 26. chapter 18. verse of Genesis Isaak returned and digged the wels of water which beeing digged in the dayes of Abraham the Philistians after his death had stopped The meaning is therfore that he digged them againe rightly vnderstood by the Greeke interpreters called the 70. thus trāslating it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He digged againe Hierome agreeing thereunto rursus fodit In the sixt chapter of Zacharie the first verse I returned and lifted vp my eyes and saw which Tremellius verie wel translated thus Rursus attollens occulos meos vidi Againe lifting vp my eyes I saw That therefore which some interpreters here haue imagined concerning the returne of the people from the captiuitie of Babilon is to vse the old prouerbe nothing to Bacchus an interpretation farre from Daniels purpose The like reason is of that before written in this verse to returne and build Ierusalem being in sence the same which there I haue translated and Hierome long before me to build againe Ierusalem Moreouer it shall be builded importeth as much as if hee had said it shall continue builded or beeing once builded it shall so remaine by the space of 434. yeares before the desolation thereof come as Saadias and Gershoms sonne expounded the meaning of the word The 26. verse Shall Messias be cut off The signification of the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is much more large then to slay as by the most part of interpreters it is here taken and reacheth to any cutting off eyther by death or banishment or any other kinde of abolishing whereby a thing before in vse afterward ceaseth Ioel. 1.8 The new wine is cut off from your mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amos 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will cut off the inhabitant of