Draft sections of the 'Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended' and of a treatise on Daniel: section c Drafts on chronology and Daniel: section c Isaac Newton c. 6,715 words The Newton Project Falmer 2013 Newton Project, University of Sussex

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 after 1710, mainly in English, c. 6,764 words, 8 ff. 8 ff.

mainly in English

Section C of a huge collection of disordered fragmentary drafts on ancient history in which Newton correlates Jewish, Greek and Egyptian chronology. Much of the historical material later found its way into the posthumous 'Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended' (1728). These papers also contain a draft interpretation of the visions of Daniel.

 Draft sections of the 'Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended' and of a treatise on Daniel: section d [Yahuda Ms. 25.1d]Yahuda Ms. 25Draft sections of the 'Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended' and of a treatise on Daniel: section b [Yahuda Ms. 25.1b] Yahuda Ms. 25.1c, National Library of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel IsraelJerusalemNational Library of Israel Yahuda Mss Yahuda Ms. 25.1c SL226

Bought at the Sotheby sale by Gabriel Wells for £90 and presumably acquired by Yahuda not long afterwards.

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 after 1710 England English Latin Greek Hebrew Holograph ReligionChronology Tagged transcription begun by Kees-Jan Schilt Tagged transcription completed by Kees-Jan Schilt Checking begun by John Young Checking completed by John Young Proofed by Robert Iliffe Code audited by Michael Hawkins
Ms. 25.1c (p. 252-261)1r Chronological Observations upon yethe foregoing Interpretation

This Chronology depends principally upon the history of the Iews delivered in the books of Ezra & hNehemiah. And this history consists of these parts: the return of the Iews from captivity & laying the foundation of the Temple in yethe reign of Cyrus. & the finishing of the Temple in the reign of Darius, the return of Ezra & his companions from captivity in yethe seventh year of Artaxersxes & building of the wall & City by Nehemiah soon after.

1. Of the History of the Iews in the reign of Cyrus & Cambyses. & Darius Hystaspis

This history is conteined partly in the three first chapters of yethe book of Ezra & by five first five verses of yethe 4th & partly in the book of Nehemiah from the 5t vers of the 7th chapter to yethe 9th verse of the 12th For Nehemiah copied all this out of the Chronicles of the Iews as may appear by reading the place & considering that yethe men Priests & Levites who sealed the covenant in yethe 24th day of the seventh month were the very same wthwhich the those who returned from captivity in the first year of Cyrus & ytthat all those who returned sealed it This you will perceive by yethe following comparison of their names.

The Priests who returned Nehem. 12.The Priests who sealed Nehem. 10Nehemiah. Ezra 2.2NehemiahSerajahSerajah*AzariahIeremiahIeremiahEzraEzra Nehem. 8*PashurAmariahAmariahMallúc vel Melicu. v. 2, 14MalchiahHattushHattushShechaniah alsalias Shebaniah v. 3, 14Shebaniah*MallucRehum alsalias Harim v,. 3, 15HarimMeremothMeremothIddoObadia, or Obdia*DanielGinnetho vel Ginnethon. v. 4, 16Ginnethon*Baruch*MeshullamAbijahAbijahMiaminMiaminMaadiahMaaziahBilgahBilgaiShemajahShemaiahThe Levites who returnedThe Levites who sealedIeshuaIeshuaBinnuiBinnuiKadmielKadmielSherebiah שרביהShebaniah שבניה levi mutationeIudah or Hodaviah. Ezr. 2.40 & 3.9.Hodiah. Ωδουϊα sept.

The Levites Kadmiel & Hodaviah or Iudah here mentioned, are recconed chief fathers among the people who returned with Zerubbabel at first (Ezra 2.40) & they assisted as well in laying the foundation of the Temple (Ezra 3.9) as in reading of the Law & making & sealing the Covenant Nehem 8.7 & 9.5 & 10.9, 10.

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Comparing therefore the return of yethe history of yethe Iews und books of Ezra & Nehemiah, the history of the Iews under Cyrus & Cambyses & Darius Hystaspis will be that they returned from Captivity to Ierusalem & Iudah every one to his city under Zerubbabel in yethe first year of Cyrus with the holy vessells & a commission to build the Temple & came to Ierusalem & Iudah every one to his City & & dwelt in their cities of Iudah & till yethe seventh month & then coming to Ierusalem they first built the Altar & on the 1st day of yethe 7th month began to offer the dayly burnt offerings & read in the book of the law & they kept the feast of Tabernacles & on the 24th day of this month they kept a solemn fast & sealed a covenant & thenceforward the rRulers of the people dwelt at Ierusalem & yethe rest of yethe people cast lots to dwell one in ten at Ierusalem & yethe rest in the cities of Iudah & in the second year of their coming in yethe 2d month they laid the foundation of the Temple, but yethe the adversaries of Iudah troubled them in building & hired counsellours against them all the days of Cyrus & [untill the reign of afterwards, vizt the reign of Cambyses] untill yethe reign of Darius king of Persia. 2. Of the History of the Iews in the reign of Darius Hystaspis. But in the second year of his reign by the prophesying of ZHaggai & Zechariah they returned to the work & by the help of a new Decree from Darius finished it on the 3d day of the month Adar in the sixsixt year of his reign & kept the Dedication wthwhich joy & the Passover & Feast of unleavened bread.

Now this Darius was not Darius Nothus but Darius Hystaspis as I gather by these arguments. First considering that yethe second year of this Darius [when by the prophsyingprophesying Haggai & Zechary they Iews returned to yethe work] was yethe 70th of yethe desolation of yethe City (Zech. 1.12 & 7.5) wchwhich is true of Darius Hystaspis & ytthat at that time there were men living who had seen the first Temple (Haggai 2.3) whereas yethe second Temp year of Darius Nothus was 167 years after the desolation of the City. aAnd further if the finishing of the Temple be deferred to yethe sixt year of Darius Nothus, Ieshua & Zerubbabel must have been yethe one High Priest the other Capitain of yethe people for 112 years together, besides their ages before; wchwhich is surely too long. For in the first year of Cyrus the chief chief Priests were Seraiah, Ieremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo, Genetho, Abijah, Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, Shemajah, Iojarib, Iedaiah, Sallu, Amock, Hilkiah, Iedaiah. These were Priests in yethe days of Ieshua, and the eldest sons of them all were Priests in yethe days of Iojakim (Merajah yethe son of Serajah, Hanamiah yethe son of Ieremiah Meshullam the son of Ezra &c) were chief Priests in yethe days of Iojakim the son of Ieshua (Nehem 12) & therefore the High Priesthood of Ieshua was but of an ordinary length.

2 Of the History of the Iews in the reign of Xerxes & Artaxerxes Longimanus Artaxerxes Longimanus.

I place the Histories of Ezra & Nehemiah in yethe reign of this Artaxerxes not in that of Artaxerxes Mnemon. For during all the Persian Monarchy there were six High Priests in continuall succession of father & son namely Ieshua, Iojakim, Eliasib, Iojada, Ionathan, Iaddua, & if by an equal division of the times of their Priesthood theirre be allotted about 34 years to each, so that all together may take up the whole time of that Monarchy wchwhich stood 200 years the High Priesthood of Eliasib & by consequence the days of Ezra & Nehemiah will fall in with the reign of the first Artaxerxes. For Ezra & Nehemiah flouished in the High Priesthoods of Iojakim & Eliasib Nehem 3.1 & 12.26 & 13.28 But if Eliasib & Nehemiah be placed in yethe second year reign of the second Artaxerxes, since they lived beyond the 32th year of that King (Nehem 13.28) there must be at least 157 years allotted to the three first High Priests and2r and but 43 to yethe five last, a division too unequal. For the High-Priesthoods of Ieshua Iojakim & Eliasib were but of an ordinary length, that of Iesshua fell in with one generation of the chief Priests & that of Iojakim with the next generation (as we have shewed already) & that of Eliasib fell in with the third generation. For at the dedication of the wall Zechariah yethe son of Shemaaiah Ionathan the son of Shemaiah was Priest one of the Priests (Nehem 12.35) & Ionathan & his father Shemaiah wasere contemporaryies to Iojakim & Ieshua & his father Ieshua (Nehem. 12.6, 18.) I observe further that in the first year of Cyrus Ieshua & Bani or Binnui were chief fathers of the Levites (Nehem 8.10 & Ezra 2.4 & 3.9) & that Iozabad the son of Ieshua & Noadiah yethe son of Binnui were chief Levites in the seventh year of Artaxerxes when Ezra came to Ierusalem (Ezra 8.33) so that this Artaxerxes began his reign before the end of the second generation. And that he reigned in yethe time of yethe third generation is confirmed by two instances more. For Meshullam the son of Berechiah yethe son of Meshezabeel & Azariah the son of Maasejah the son of Anamiah were fathers of their houses at the repairing of the wall (Nehem 3.4, 23) & their Grandfathers Meshezabeel & Hananiah subscribed the covenant in the reign of Cyrus Nehem 10.21, 23. Yea Nehemiah himself this same Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah was then Tirshatha & subscribed it (Nehem. 10.1 & 8.9 & Ezra 2.2, 63) & therefore in the 32th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus was above 120 years old & if you produce his age to yethe 32th of Artaxerxes Mnemon he will be above 180 years old, an age surely too great. The same may be said of Ezra if he was that Priest & Scribe who read the Law Nehem 8. For he is the son of Serajah the son of Azariah the son of Hilkiah the son of Shallum &c (Ezra 7.1) & this Serajah went into captivity at the burning of the Temple & was there slain (1 Chron. 6.14) & 2 King. 25.18) & from his death to yethe 20th year of Artaxerxes Mnemon is above 200 years, an age too great.

I consider further that Ezra (chap. 4) names Cyrus, – *, Darius, Ahasverus (or Achswerus or Asswerus Tobit 14 Asveres) & Artaxerxes in continual order as successors to one another & these names agree to Cyrus, – *, Darius Hystaspis, Xerxes & Artaxerxes Longimanus & to no other Persian Kings. When th Ezra had told how the people of the land in yethe days of Cyrus weakened the Iews hands of Iudah & troubled troubled Iudah & hired counsellours against them to frustrate their purpose in building the temple all the days of Cyrus untill yethe & further untill yethe reign of Darius, before he proceeds to tell how the people they built the Temple was built in yethe reigne of this king he proceeds to tell how they pu wrote accusations against yethe Iews to Ah same people hindred the Iews also in the reigns of Achswerus & Artaxerxes the not in building yethe Temple for that was finished before, but in building yethe City & the wall & then returns back Some here take this Artaxerxes to be des not the successor but the predecessor of Darius Hystaspis, in whose reign the temple was built, not not considering that in theis reign of this Artaxerxes the Iews were busy in building the City & the wall (Ezra 4.12) & by consequence had finished the Temple before. Ezra describes first how the Ipeople of the land hindred the land hindred the building of yethe Temple all the days of Cyrus & further till the reign of Darius & after yethe Temple was built2v built how they hindred the building of the city in the reign of Achaswerus & Artaxerxes & then returns back to yethe story of the Temple in yethe reign of Cyrus & Darius. And this will is confirmed by the book comparing the book of Ezra wthwhich yethe first book of Esdras. For if in yethe book of Ezra you omit the story of Achswerus & Artaxerxes & in that of Esdras you omit the same story of Artaxexrxes & ytthat of the three wise men the two Books will agree so that yethe book of Esdras was originally copied of out of fragments scattered leaves from the sacred wr (if you except the story of the three wise men) was originally copied from fragments of the s writings of good authority. except the story of yethe three wise men. Now the story of Artaxerxes wchwhich (wthwhich that of Ahaswerus) in yethe book of Ezra interrupts the story of Darius, does not interrupt it it in the book of Ezdras but is there incserted into yethe story of Cyrus between the first & second chapter of Ezra & all the rest of the story of Cyrus & that of Darius is told in yethe book of Ezsdras in continual order wthwhichout any interruptiōon. So that the Darius yethe in yethe book of Ezra precedes Achswerus & Artaxerxes & the Darius wchwhich in the same book follows them is by yethe book of Esdras one & the same Darius, & I take the book of Esdras to be the best interpreter of the book of Ezra. So then the Darius mentioned next after Cyrus between Cyrus & Achsuerus is Darius Hystaspis & his successors therefore Achswerus & Artaxerxes who succeed him are Xerxes & Artaxerxes Longimanus & they who the Iews who came up from Artaxerxes to Ierusalem & began to build the city & the walls Ezra 4.13 are Ezra wthwhich his companions. Which being understood the history of yethe Iews in the reign of those Kings wisll be as follows.

In yethe After yethe Temple was built & the Darius was dead the enemies of yethe Iews in yethe beginning of the reign of his successor Achswerus or Xerxes wrote unto him an accusation against thesem Iews But (Ezra 4.6) but in yethe seventh year of his successor Artaxerxes Ezra & his companions went up from Babylon & with many Iews wthwhich offerings & Vessels for the Temple & power to bestow on it out of yethe Kings Treasure for yethe House of God what should be requisite (Ezra 7.) Whence the Temple is said to be finished according to yethe commandmtcommandment of Cyrus & Darius & Artaxerxes the King of Persia (Ezra 6.14) Their commission was also to set Magistrates & Iudges over the land & & thereby becoming a new Body Politick they were encouraged to attempt the rebuilding of yethe wall of Ierusalem. & its wall. And thence Ezra saith in his prayer that God had extended mercy to them in the sight of the Kings of Persia & given them a wall reviving to set up the house of their God, & to repair the desolation thereof & to give them a wall in Iudah & in Ierusalem. (Ezra 9.9.) But twhen enemies of yethe they had begun to repair the wall their enemies wrote &c & But their enemies of the Iews wrote against them to yethe King. Be Artaxexrxes & the King gave order that they should ce Be it known, say they, unto yethe King that if yethe Iews yethe came up from thee to us are come into Ierusalem building the rebellious & the bad City & have set up the walls thereof & joyned the foundations &c Whereupon And yethe King wrote back that yethe Iews should cease & yethe City not be built untill another commandment should be given from him, whereupon their enemies went up to Ierusalem & made them cease by force & power (Ezra 4.) But in yethe 20th year of the King E Nehemiah hearing that yethe Iews were in great affliction & distress & that yethe wall of Ierusalem (that wall (wchwhich had been newly repaired) was broken down & the gates thereof burnt wthwhich fire ob (Nehem 1.3 & Ezra) & that he obteined leave of the King to go & builtd the City & the Governours house (Nehem 1.3 & 2.176, 8, 17) but after he had built the wall the people in the City were but few & the houses were unbuilt (Nehem. 7.1, 4) And In this condition he left Ierusalem in yethe 32th year of the King & after some time returning back reformed such abuses as had been committed in his absence (Nehem 13.) And here ends yethe sacred history of yethe Iews except that in the original manuscript of the Chronicles the Genealogy of the Priests & Levites was recorded till about yethe end of the Persian Monarchy (Nehem 12.22, 23

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Chap Of the sacred history of the Persian Empire.

Vid. printed Chron. p. 3585 &c This history is described in yethe books of Ezra & Nehemiah & to adjust it wthwhich prophane history has perplext learned men. I shall not stand to adjust recite other men's opinions but propose as shortly as I can what I take to be yethe truth.

I opbserve therefore 1st that Ezra & Nehemiah lived flourished in yethe times of one & yethe same Artaxerxes. For the Ezra theis Ezra the scribe was wthwhich Nehemiah at yethe deditcation of yethe wall of Ierusalem Nehem 12.36.

2. Between Cyrus & Alex During the That During all yethe Persian Monarchy there were six High Priests in a continual succession of father & Son, namely, Ieshua Iojakim, Eliashipb, Iojada, Ionathan, Iaddua,. & That if by an equal division of their times of their priesthood there be allotted about 34 years to each, so that all together may take up the whole time of that monarchy wchwhich stood 200 years, the high Priesthood of Eliashib will fall in with almost all the reign of the first Artaxerxes. But t And that Nehemiah floureished in yethe reign of High Priesthood of Eliashib Eliashib, Nehem 3.1 & 13.28. But if Eliasib & Nehemiah be d placed in yethe reign of yethe 2d Artaxerxes, he will since they lived beyond yethe 32th year of that king Nehem 13.28) there must be at least 157 years allotted to yethe three first High Priests & but 43 to yethe five last, a division too unequal.

3 The times ages t ages times of yethe three first of these high Priests fell in wthwhich yethe ordinary generations of yethe other rest of the all the other chief Priests Priests & so mentioned in Nehem. 12. & so were but of an ordinary length. For in yethe high-priesthood of Ieshua the chief Priests were Serajeh, Ieremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluc or Melicu, Hattush, Shechaniah or Shebaniah, Rehum or Harim, Meremoth, Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah, Miamein, Maadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, &c Nehem. 12.1 Iojarib Iedaiah And th in the high-priesthood of his son Iojakim the their immediate sons were yethe chief Priests were their immediate eldest sons, Merajah, Hananiah, Meshullam, Iehohanan, Ionathan, Ioseph, Adna, Helkai, Zechariah, Meshullam, Zichri, * Piltai, Shammua, Iehonathan, &c. This Iehonathan or Ionathan was son of Shemaiah above mentioned And in the high priesthood of Eliashib the highpriesthood was at yethe dedication of the wall, Zechariah yethe son of Ionathan Iehonath yethe son of Shemaiah was one of the Priests Nehem. 12.35. So then4r then these threthree ages were but ordinary ones & therefore scarce reach beyond the age reign of the first Artaxerxes.

4. At yethe seventh year of Artaxerxes when Ezra came to Ierusalem ZIozabatd the son of Ieshua & Noadiah yethe son of Binnui were Levites Ezra 8.33. And their fathers Ieshua & Binni fl were Levites of chief note at the return of the captivity under Cyrus yethe therefore could no

4 The reading of yethe law & keeping sealing yethe covenant, Nehem. 8, 9, 10, was al in yethe first of these generations in yethe time of the first priesthood of yethe first generations of these generations. as you may perceive by comparing yethe names of the Priests & Levites who subscribed sealed wthwhich it, Nehem. 10, wthwhich those who returned from yethe Captivity under Cyrus Nehem. 12 Now And yethe feast of Tabernacles then kept was the first festast wchwhich they kept after that return Nehem. 8.14. & therefore kept in yethe first year of yethe return Ezra 3.4. Now at that time Ieshua & Bani or Binnui were chief fathers of yethe Levites of chief note Nehem 8. & 10 & Ezra 2.40 & 3.9 & thi Iozabad yethe son of Ieshua & Noadiah yethe son of Binnui were chief Levites Ezra in yethe seventh year of Artaxerxes when Ezra came to Ierusalem. Ezra 2.40 & 8.33. This Artaxerxes therefore began his reign There were two Nehemiah's & the first was the Tirshatha at yethe first return from captivity Nehem. 8.9, & foundeding a library gathered together the acts of yethe Kings & the Prophets & of David wro before the end of yethe priesthood of the second generation. & so was And 5 And hence we have tw that the reigned in the time of yethe third generation is yet confirmed by two instances more. For Meshullam the son of Berechiah yethe son of Meshezabeel, & Azariah yethe son of Maasejah the son of Ananiah were fathers of their houses iat the repairing of the wall Nehem. 3.4, 23, & their grandfathers Meshezabeel & Azariah Hananiah subscribed the Covenant in yethe reign of Cyrus Nehem 10.21, 23. Yea Nehemiah himself, this same Nehemiah yethe Son of Hachaliah, was then Tirshatha & subscribed it Nehem 10.1. & 8.9. & Ezra 2.2, 63, & therefore was thus in yethe 32th year of Artaxerxes was above 120 years old & if you produce his ages to yethe same 32th year of yethe 2d Artaxerxes he will be above 180 years old, an age surely too great. The same may be said of Ezra if he was that Priest & scribe who read the law Nehem 8. For he is yethe Son of Seraijah yethe son of Azariah yethe son of Hilkiah yethe son of Shallum &c Ezra 7.11 & this Saraiah wthwhich his eldest son Iozadatk went into captivity at yethe burning of the Temple & was there slain 1 Chron 6.14 2 Kings. 25. 18. And from his death to the 20th year of yethe 2d Artaxerxes is above 200 years.

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5. It conclude was therefore So then it was in the reign of the first Artaxerxes that Ezra & Nehemiah came to Ierusalem & therefore since yethe second Darius reigned after this Artaxerxes it must be in yethe reign of the first Darius ytthat the Temple was fir built. For yethe second year of Darius wherein in wchwhich yethe foundation was laid, was the sixt seventithseventieth of yethe captivity (Zech. 1.12 & 7.5) & at that time there were were men living who had seen the first Temple (Haggai 2.3) & if the finishing of the Temple be deferred to yethe 6t year of yethe second Darius, Ieshua & Zerubbabel must both of them have been the one Ca High Priest yethe other of Capitain of yethe people for 112 years together besides their ages before: wchwhich surely is too long a time.

6. They that refer these things to yethe second Darius & second Artaxerxes ground their opinion on yethe order of five five Persian Kings named in order Temples being built in the reigne of the last of the five Persian Kings in Ezra Cyrus, Darius, Ahasuerus or Xerxes, Artaxerxes, & Darius in yethe reign of yethe Ezra 4 Ezra 4 & named in order Ezra 4. & And in this I agree wthwhich them that Ahasuerus Achswerus or Axerxes is Xerxes but I say that yethe last Darius is yethe same wthwhich yethe first. For yethe letters to Ahasuerus & Artaxerxes there mentioned concern not yethe building of yethe Temple but yethe building of yethe City after yethe Temple was finished And Ezra when he had related these letters about yethe City returns back to relate yethe building of yethe Temple in yethe reign of the first Darius.

7. Or, to speak what I more suspect, these letters order of yethe books o leaves of yethe books of Ezra & Nehemiah habs been changed since yethe first writing & these two letters inserted in a wrong place. For these books & the first book of Esdras consist of the same sheets parts of history set together in different orders & these story of the Temple is there continued without the interposition of these letters. I suspect therefore that after when Antiochus Epiphanes had burnt yethe sacred writings & made it death for any man to conceale them & Iudas Maccabeus had recollected what he find could afterwards find: some of the sacred writings (as the book of yethe Chronicles of yethe Kings of Israel) were6r were lost & others found only in scattered leaves & put together sometimes in a wrong order. For tis agreed that yethe a latter part of yethe book of Zacchary now extant was written by Isaiah. part of the prophessyprophesy of Isaiah is now added to yethe book of Zacchary. And some suspect ytthat by yethe like accident in in some leaves of yethe book of Iob & & in yethe have been set together in wrong order & that in yethe book of Samuel the story of Davids playing before Saul to drive away his evil spirit & becoming his Armor bearer & Saul's loving him greatly has been set before the story of Davids killing GoliahGoliath when Saul knew him not but asked again & again whose son he was. Certainly the 1st book of Esdras is made up of the same leaves pieces of history wthwhich ytthat of Ezra & Nehemiah but set into in another order: & no man would have joyned them in a wrong order had yethe right order been then known. I will not understake to rectify the sacred books but out of them & yethe 1st book of Esdras I will try to set down only say direct how yethe history Iew history of yethe Persian Empire may be read in one continuall order of time.

In order to this

In order to this I would distinguish yethe books of Ezra into several joint severall joynts or parts & then consider how they are to be set together. The first joynt I reccon the first chapter of Ezra, the second the second chapter to yethe end of yethe last vers but one, the third that vers & yethe 3d chapter to reach thence to yethe to yethe end of yethe 7th vers of yethe third chapter, yethe fourth thence to the end of yethe 5t vers of the 4th chapter, yethe fift thence to yethe end of yethe 23d vers of yethe same chapter yethe sixt thence to yethe end of yethe book, the seventh thence to yethe last vers but one of yethe seventh chapter of Nehemiah, the eighth thence to yethe end of yethe three next chapters, the ninth thence to yethe end of yethe next chapter yethe 10th thence to yethe end of yethe 12th chapter & yethe 11th thence to yethe end of yethe book. For the first & second joynts are found divided from another in Esdras: Tthe second is followed by the 48th in Nehemiah, but ought to be followed by the ninth: The eighth ought to come in between the third & 4th, & Tthe fift is wantintging in Esdras between yethe 4th & sixt & between the 10th & 11th some sheets leaves seem to have been lost.

Now the history will become continued & clear & consonant to profanephane history if the joynts be read in this order, the first, the second, the ninth, the third, the eighth, the fourth, the sixt, the fift, the seventh, the ninth, yethe eighth the 10th & 11th. And this will appear by these three things corrections alterations.

First that yethe 11th chapter of Nehemiah ought in ninth joynt ought in point of time to be inserted between the two last verses of the second chapter of Ezra, that is the ninth joynt between the second & third joynts. as also between the seventh & eighth. For-

Ez The Book of Ezra.

Now in the first year of Cyrus – – – Ezra 1, 2. – – – – So the Priests & yethe Levites & some of the people & the singers dwelt & yethe porters & yethe Nethenims dwelt in their cities & all Israel in their cities. And the rulers of the people dwelt at Ierusalem: the rest of yethe people also cast lots to bring one of ten to dwell in Ierusalem the holy City & nine parts to dwell in other Cities – – – – – – – – – – – – Nehem. 11. – – – – – – – And of the Levites were divisions in Iaudah & Benjamin.

First read yethe two first chapters of Ezra. For so far the narration is

First then I would insert yethe 11th chapter of Nehemiah between the two last verses of yethe second chapter of Ezra. For it conteins a relation how all the people upon their first first return from captivity were under Cyrus distributed themselves by lot at IerusalenIerusalem to go thence into their several cities where they were found in yethe seventh month beginning of yethe next article. This I gather partly by out of 1 Chron. 9 where I this 11th chapter of Nehemiah is in part repeated & the people at this distribution are said to be yethe first inhabitants that dwelt in their possessions in their cities 1 Chron 9.2: & partly by6v by the names of those who inhabitants who east when who were concerned in this distribution. For for Akkub & Talmon the chief of the Porters were there were there & so was the Levite Mattaniah the son of Mica the son of Asaph who was over the thanksgiving Nehem 11.17, 19 & these returned from yethe captivity wthwhich Zerubbabel. Ezra 2.42 Nehem. 12.8.

Secondly that the 8th 9th & 10th chapters of Nehemiah 8th joynt ought ought in point of time to be inserted between the seventh & eighth verses of yethe 3d chapter of Ezra: that is the 8th joynt between yethe 3d & 4th joynts. For the reading of the law began yethe same day of yethe wthwhich yethe sacrifices at the first return, as I shewed above by comparing yethe names of those who subscribed yethe covenant wthwhich compared wthwhich the names of those who first returned from yethe captivity. For Ezra read yethe law in yethe seventh month next after Zerubbabels return Nehem 7.73 & 8.1, 2.

Lastly that yethe 4th chapter from yethe 6t verse to yethe 23th verse inclusively conteins fift joynt ought to come between the sixt & seventh. For in The chief Levites who re The chief fathers of yethe Levites who returned wthwhich Zerubbabel & stood up to lay yethe foundations of yethe Temple were Ieshua Kadmiel & Hodaviah, Hodajah of Iudah Ezra 2.40. & these were chief in explaining the law to the people when Ezra & read it Nehem. 3. & in making the covenant Nehem. 3 & 4. And yethe names of them ytthat subs thes Priests & Levites who returned wthwhich Zerubbabel subscr sealed it as you may see by the following comparison of their names

The Priests who returned, Nehem. 12.The Priests who sealed, Nehem. 10.Nehemiah. Ezra 2.2NehemiahSerajahSerajah*AzariahIeremiahIeremiahEzraEzra, Nehem. 8*PashurAmariahAmariahMalluc alias Melicu. v.2, 14.MalchiahHattushHattushShechaniah alias Shebaniah, v. 3, 14.Shebaniah*MallucRehum vel Harim v. 3, 15.HarimMeremothMeremothIddoObadia*DanielGinnetho vel Ginnethon, v. 4, 16Ginnethon*Baruch*MeshullamAbijahAbijahMiaminMiaminMaadiahMaaziahBilgahBilgaiShemajahShemaiahThe Levites who sign returnedThe Levites who sealedIeshuaIeshua7r Binnui KadmielKadmiel Sherebiah שרביה.Shebaniah שבניה levi mutatione. Iudah or Hodaviah Ezr. 2.40 & 3.9.Hodiah. Ωδουϊα sept.

Thus you see all the chief Priests & Levites who returned wthwhich Zerubbabel (besi & some others besides) sub sealed the covenant & therefore it was made soon after yethe return, And being & therefore by consequence yethe first year as was because at yethe revival of yethe feast of Tabernacles as was shewed above. Nehem 8.14. Ezr. 3.4

The third alteration is that to place the fift joynt be placed next after the sixt that is the Letters to Ahashuerus & Artaxerxes at yethe end of the book of Ezra. For the fourth & sixt joynts are continued in yethe book of Esdras. & yethe fourth being about, by interposing the fift & the sixt set in another place before yethe 4th, so that it was a fragment wchwhich the Collector knew not how to place. By placing the it 4between the 4th & 6t the story of building yethe temple is interrupted by yethe story of building the city. This was of a later date & therefore is misplaced & ought to come afterwards. In the letter to Artaxerxes there is no mention of building yethe Temple as there would have been surely, had yethe Iews been then about that & therefore tis of a later date.. The letter represents that the Iews wchwhich came up from Artaxerxes to Ie were then come to Ierusalem building yethe rebellious & bad city & had set up yethe walls thereof & joyned the foundations: & therefore it was writ against Ezra & his companions not long some time after their commiing from yethe King to Ierusalem upon occasion of their attempting to restore the C repaire the City. These being For these were the only men who came up from this King to do these things. And hence when yethe enemies of yethe Iews had by this letter procured yethe Kings order that yethe city should not be built till he gave a new commandment & made them cease by force & power, Nehemiah soon after enquiring of yethe state of yethe Iews at Ierusalem hears that they were in distress great reproach & affliction & reproach & ytthat yethe wall of Ierusalem was broken down & yethe gates burnt wthwhich fire This was news to him in the 20th year of the King & therefore done not long many months before by the enemies of Nehemia Ezra, as he had procured by vertue of the Kings letter. as above. For these reasons therefore I will subjoyn these letters to yethe story of Ne Ezra as an introduction to the story of Nehemiah.

Also If n

If you now read over the sacred History according to yethe order presented by these three alterations, you will find it agreable to regular more eaven & intelligible & agreable to profphane history then before8r before & to amount only to this, That in yethe reign of Artaxerxes Cyrus when Zerubbabel came wthwhich yethe people to Ierusalem they went thence by lot into yethetheir cities till the seventh & then began to sacrifice to heare yethe law & to keep yethe feast of Tabernacles. The next year they laid the foundation of yethe Temple but were hindred from finishi building all yethe reign of Cyrus & Campbyses till yethe 2d year of Darius Hystaspis. Then they finished it in four years. But so soon as their friend Darius was dead their enemies wrote in the beginning of yethe reign of his son Ahashuerus or Xerxes wrote an accusation against them to yethe King. So the Iews continued in di distress till yethe seventh year of his son Artaxerxes Longimanus when Ezra by a new degree carryed a bo new body of Iews from captivity to Ierusalem, adorned yethe Temple restored revived the In worship, & polity restored the polity of the nation, &but when they had made good progress in building the City & yethe walls & the work went on fast, their enemies by a new accusation procured yethe Kings order that yethe City should not be built till he gave a new commandment, & thereupon they made them cease by armed force & burnt brake down the wall & burnt the gates. But so soon as this came to yethe ears of Nehemiah, he procured yethe Kings order for building the City & between yethe 20th & 32th years of ytthat King repaired yethe walls & took a register of all the people. Afterwards he returned to yethe king & the people in his absence began to corrupt themselves but before yethe King's death he came again to Ierusalem & reformed them. And here ends yethe Iewish history excepting that the fathers off t genealogy of the Priests & Levites werase written in yethe rRegisters teill yethe end of yethe Persian Monarchy. But these genealogies being lost & yethe Iews having no history of yethe later Kings of Persia, they have made yethe duration of this Monarchy much shorter then it was.

The history being cleared let us now see how it agrees wthwhich yethe Prophesy of Daniel's weeks.

Seventy weeks are de cut out upon thy people & upon thy holy city to finish transgression & to seal up sins & to expiate iniquity & bring in everlasting righteousnes & to seale yethe vision & the prophesy & to annoint yethe most h Holy. There were two returns from captivity, the first under Zerubbabel the second under Ezra & at yethe second when Ezra by addition access yethe addition of the people he brought wthwhich him became a by reviving their worship Iewish worship at Ierusalem, & by ordaining Magistrates in all the land by the Kings to judge & govern them according to 8v to the laws of Moses & yethe King, they became a people or body politick & a holy City. For till they had a polity & government of their own they were neither a people nor a City in the sense of Daniel. And by the death & resurrection of Christ was transgression finished & sins sealed up or absolved & iniquity expiated & everlasting righteousness brought in & this prophesy ended & yethe most Holy annoynted. And from yethe first period to yethe last that is from yethe year of yethe Iulian period 4257 to yethe year 4747 are just 490 years, that is seventy weeks. For Xerxis was slain an 4 Olymp 78 (Diodor. l 11 Euseb. Chron.Sulpitius) Then Artabanus reigned 7 months & Artaxerxes Longimanus began his reign an 1 Olymp 79 (Diodor. l 11. Euseb. Chron.) & his 20th year fell in wthwhich an 4 Olymp 83 (Africanus apud Euseb.) Whence his reign began about yethe end of Summer or in autumn, aAnno. Per. Iul. 42450 ✝ ✝ For his 20th year extended from the ninth month to yethe first month Nehem 1.1 & 2.1 & from yethe first to yethe fift Ezr. 7.7, 8, 9 & therefore his years began in the autumnal half year & Ezra's journey in his seventh year being in spring was aAn. Per. Iul. 4257. The death of Christ is usually referred to yethe of Christ 433 but I had rather refer it to the year following An. Per. Iul. 4747, this being both the sabbatical year & as Eusebius notes, the year of Iubile. affords us For this affords us a reason why yethe disciples first Christians had all things common, Act. 2.44, 45.And [Christ in the beginning the last day of yethe feast of Tabernacles in yethe great day of the feast in saying If any man thirst] it was to yethe drawing out manumission of servants & the drawing of water out of yethe river Siloam in yethe end of yethe feast of Tabernacles in yethe beginning of this sabattical year that Christ alluded to at this time Feast when he spake of making servants free & drinking water of life & rivers of this water flowing out of his belly Iohn 7 & 8 when he said: If a The servant abideth not in yethe house for ever but yethe Son abideth for ever. If yethe son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed. And again If any man thirst let him come unto me & drink He that beleiveth on me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water Iohn 7 & 8.

Know also & understand that from yethe going forth of the commandment to cause to return & to build Ierusalem unto yethe Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks The former part of the Prophesy related to the capt first coming of Christ, this being dated to the coming of yethe Messiah to be Prince. seems to relate to yethe second. For all Daniel's Prophesies reach to yethe end of yethe world & thiere is scarce a prophesy in yethe old Testament concerning Christ yethe does not in something or other relate to his second coming. Nor is ist this a new opinion to apply some part of this prophesy to that second coming. For so did For Irenæus l. 5. c. 25. æ also Iulius Africanus the Chronologer, Hippolytus an Arabian Bishop & Apollinaris BpBishop of Laodicea as Ierom in his commentary on this place mentions This clause therefore being the only I had rather leave to time be explained by time then venture upon a rash interpretation Wha of what I do not yet understand.

Yet