When this was past, and the covenant confirmed with many, unto the expiration of the whole time limited, the daily sacrifice was to cease, and an overflowing desolation was to come upon the city and temple. This the Jews themselves acknowledge to be the destruction brought upon them by the Romans, nor do any of them extend the four hundred and ninety years any farther. It remains, therefore, that the Messiah came before that desolation; which is that we undertook to demonstrate from this place.

42. There are yet some arguments that remain, to the same purpose with those foregoing; but before we proceed unto them, it will be necessary to consider the computation of the times, which we are here directed unto by the angel. I have already manifested that our argument from this place is not concerned in the exact chronological computation of the time heré limited, as to its precise beginning and ending, with the commensuration of it unto the times, seasons, and accounts of the nations of the world; for whenever the time mentioned began, all men agree that it is long since expired, namely, at or before the desolation of the city and temple. Now, all that we undertook to prove, which also is sufficient unto our present purpose, is, that before that season the Messiah was to come and to be cut off; which we have done, and cleared our argument from all further concernment in this account. But yet, that it may appear that there is no entanglement cast upon this testimony by the chronological difficulties which are pretended in the computation of the time here determined, as also that there are no such difficulties therein but what are fairly reconcilable unto all that is affirmed in the text, before we proceed to the consideration of our remaining arguments, they also shall be considered and stated in the ensuing Exercitation.

EXERCITATION XV.

COMPUTATION OF DANIEL'S WEEKS.

1. Chronological computation of the times determined in Daniel's weeks-Difficulty thereof acknowledged. 2. Beginning before the reign of Cyrus rejected. 3. Double beginning of the kingdom of Cyrus; that over Persia; that over the Babylonian monarchy. 4. Foreign accounts to be suited unto the Scripture. 5. Beginning of the reign of Cyrus over Persia, when; over the whole empire, when-The space of time from thence to the destruction of Jerusalem five hundred and ninety-nine years. 6. Duration of the Persian empire; of the empire of the Seleucidæ, to the rule of Jonathan among the Jews. 7. Duration of the Egyptian kingdom, or reign of the Ptolemies. 8. Rule of the Asmonæans and Herod the Great-From the birth of Christ to the destruction of Jerusalem. 9. From the first decree of Cyrus to the destruction of Jerusalem, five hundred and ninety-nine years. 10. Precise end of Daniel's weeks, the death of the Messiah. 11. Thirty

seven years taken from the former account-Opinion of Reynolds; 12. Examined and rejected-Meaning of "cut off;" limited, not abbreviated— Vulgar Latin and Montague noted. 13. Opinion of the Jews rejected. 14. Account of Beroaldus, Broughton, Genebrard, Willet―The decree of Cyrus not intended in the prophecy. 15. Of the life and age of Nehemiah-He came not up with Zerubbabel. 16. Another decree than that of Cyrus must

be sought. 17. The decree of Darius-What Darius that was-Hystaspes— Not the decree intended. 18, 19. This Darius not Nothus; proved against Scaliger. 20. The decrees of Artaxerxes to Ezra and Nehemiah examined. 21. Longimanus, not Memor, intended. 22. Decree unto Ezra proved to be the decree mentioned.

1. THIRDLY,1 THAT there is some difficulty in finding out the true and exact computation of the time here limited all chronologers and expositors do confess; neither is there any thing that belongs unto the account of the times mentioned in the Scripture that hath been debated of old or of late with more difference of opinion or diligence of endeavour. And the Holy Ghost himself by the angel seems to intimate this difficulty unto Daniel in the double caution given him about it in the preface of the revelation made unto him,

declaring that not ordinary ,וְהָבֵן בַּמַּרְאֶה and בִין בַּדָּבָר 23 .chap. ix

wisdom, diligence, consideration, and understanding, are to be used in the investigation of the time here determined; nor is it necessary to suppose that Daniel himself exactly understood the beginning and ending of the time or weeks mentioned. The hiding of the precise time intended was also greatly subservient unto the providence of God, in the work he had to do by the Messiah, and what the people were to do unto him The general notation of it sufficed for the direction of the godland the conviction of unbelievers; as it doth unto this day. And may be we shall not find any computation. that will exactly answer in all particulars and fractions to a day, month, or year; and that either because of the great darkness and confusion of some of the times falling under the account, or else because perhaps it was not the mind of God that ever the time should be so precisely calculated, or that any thing which he revealed for the strengthening of the faith of his church should depend on chronological niceties. It shall suffice us, then, to propose and confirm such an account of these weeks, which, infallibly comprising the substance of the prophecy, contains nothing in it contrary to the Scripture, and is not liable unto any just and rational exception. And herein I shall not examine all the several accounts and computations that by learned men of old or of late have been given (being eleven or twelve in number), but only mention those which carry the fairest probability, and the greatness of whose authors or abettors calls for our consideration.

2. In the first place, we may wholly lay aside the consideration of 1 See for the division to which this numeral belongs, page 316.—ED.

them who would date the weeks from any time whatever before the first year of the reign and first decree of Cyrus. Among these are Lyra, Brugensis, Galatinus, and he from whom he borrowed his computation, Raymundus Martini. These fix the beginning of the weeks on the fourth year of Zedekiah, as they say, when Jeremiah gave out his prophecy about the Babylonish captivity, and the return from it at the end of seventy years; indeed the fourth year of Jehoiakim, and not of Zedekiah, as is apparent, Jer. xxv. 1, 11. Of the like nature is the account of Solomon Jarchi among the Jews, who dates the time limited from the destruction of the temple by the Chaldeans. But both these accounts are expressly contrary to the words of the angel, fixing the beginning of the time designed on the going forth of a decree for the building of Jerusalem. To these we may add all that would extend these weeks beyond the destruction of the city and temple by Titus, as some of the Jews would do, to comprise the prophecy of their second fatal destruction by Hadrian, which is no way concerned in it.

3. The seventy weeks mentioned, then, we must seek for between the first year of Cyrus, when the first decree was made for the reedification of the temple, and the final destruction of it by the Romans. This space we are confined unto by the text. The seventy

from the going forth of - מִן־מֹצָא דָבָר לְהָשִׁיב וְלִבְנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַם weeks are

over the Babylonish ath of Darius Medus.

kingdom of Cyrus ere limited; for whilst

the word to cause to return and build Jerusalern," verse 25. Now the kingdom of Cyrus had a double first year-the one absolutely of his reign over Persia, the other of his rule monarchy, which he had conquered after the The first year it is of this second date of which may have any relation unto the time he was king of Persia only, he could have nothing to do with the Jews, nor make any decree for the building of the temple, both the people and place being then under the dominion of another. Besides, Ezra i. 1, 2, where it is said that he made his decreel in the first year of his reign, himself plainly declares that he had obtained the eastern monarchy, by the conquest of Babylon: "The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth;" which words can in no sense be applied unto the kingdom of Persia supposing the monarchy of Babylon still to continue. The whole spice of time, then, here limited is seventy weeks, Dan. ix. 24. The beginning of these seventy weeks is "the going forth of the decree" (or "word") to restore and to build Jerusalem," verse 25. The first decree or command that could have any relation unto this matter was that made by Cyrus in the first year of his empire. We must, then, in the first place, find out the direct space of time between the first year of Cyrus and the destruction of the temple, and then inquire whether the whole, or what part of it, is denoted by these seventy weeks.

4. Some, I confess, there are who contend that there is no consideration to be had of that computation of time which we find amongst the heathen writers, nor of those stated epochs by which they limited and distinguished their computations; for whereas, say they, we have certainly the term of this duration of time, its beginning and ending fixed,—namely, the first of Cyrus and the death of the Messiah, -it is positively determined that between them were seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety years, unto which all other accounts are to be squared and made proportionable. Indeed, the conclusion were unquestionable, if the premises were certain. If the terms be rightly fixed in the first of Cyrus and the death of the Messiah, there must be but four hundred and ninety years between them; for, whether we understand the reason of it or no, all foreign accounts must be suited unto what of infallible truth is stated in the Scripture.

But these things are much questioned. For whereas some do doubt whether the time limited do absolutely expire in the death of the Messiah, and be not rather to be extended unto the destruction of the city and temple, there be many more that do peremptorily deny that it is to take date from the first decree of Cyrus. And so must we also, unless it can be proved that the times mentioned are justly commensurate from thence unto the death of the Messiah; for seeing there were other decrees, as we shall find, to the same purpose, which might be respected as well as that, there is no reason why we should offer violence unto other approved computations, to force them to submit unto the Scripture account, when we first offer violence unto that to make it serve our own opinion. I shall therefore proceed in the way proposed, and first give a just computation of the time from the first year of the empire of Cyrus unto the destruction of the city and temple; and then inquire whether the seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety years, here determined, be commensurate unto the whole, or only unto some part of it; and if to some part only, then to what part of it; and how we are directed by the text to the beginning and end of the computation.

And herein I shall not scrupulously bind myself unto days, or months, or seasons of the year, in any single account, but only consider the full and round number of years, which in such computations, according to the custom of holy writ, is to be observed. `And indeed, what through the silence, what through the disagreement, of ancient historians, it is utterly impossible to state exactly, as to those lesser fractions, the times that are past of old; and we seek for no more certainty in these things than the condition of them will naturally bear.

5. It is generally agreed by all historians and chronologers that Cyrus began his reign over Persia in the first year of the fifty-fifth Olympiad; probably the same year that Nabonidas or Darius Medus

began his reign over Babylon. And this was the year wherein Daniel set himself solemnly to seek the Lord for the delivery of the people out of captivity, he being now come to a kingdom who was so long before prophesied of to be their deliverer, Dan. ix. 1-3. In the twenty-seventh year of his reign, or the first of the sixty-second Olympiad, having conquered the Babylonian empire, he began the first year of his monarchical reign, from whence Daniel reckons his third, which was his last, chap. x. 1; and therein he proclaimed liberty unto the people of the Jews to return to Jerusalem, and to build the temple, Ezra i. 1. The city and temple were destroyed by Titus in the third year of the two hundred and eleventh Olympiad. Now, from the first year of the sixty-second Olympiad unto the third of the two hundred and eleventh Olympiad, inclusive, are five hundred and ninety-nine years; and within that space of time are we to inquire after and find the four hundred and ninety years here prophesied of and foretold.

6. Of this space of time, the Persian empire, from the twentyseventh of Cyrus, or first of the whole monarchy, and the first of the sixty-second Olympiad, continued two hundred and two years, as is generally acknowledged by all ancient historians, ending on and including in it the second year of the one hundred and twelfth Olympiad, which was the last of Darius Codomannus. For Cyrus reigned after this three years; Cambyses and Smerdis Magus, eight; Darius Hystaspes, thirty-four; Xerxes, with the months ensuing of Artabanus, twenty-one; Artaxerxes Longimanus, forty-one; Darius Nothus, nineteen; Artaxerxes Mnemon, forty-three; Ochus, twentythree; Arses, three; Darius Codomannus, seven. In all, two hundred and two years.

After his death, Alexander, beginning his reign in the third year of the one hundred and twelfth Olympiad, reigned six years. From him there is a double account, by the two most famous branches of the Grecian empire. The first is by the Syrian, or era of the Seleucidæ, which takes its date from the tenth year after the death of Alexander, when, after some bloody contests, Seleucus settled his kingdom in Syria, and reigned thirty years. After him reigned Antiochus Soter, twenty-one years; Antiochus Theos, fifteen; Seleucus Callinicus, twenty; Seleucus Ceraunus, two; Antiochus Magnus, thirty-seven; Seleucus Philopator, twelve; Antiochus Epiphanes, twelve; Eupator, two; Demetrius Soter, ten. In the second year of this Demetrius, which was the one hundred and fifty-third of the account of the Seleucidæ, was Judas Maccabæus slain, being the one hundred and sixty-ninth year after the death of Darius Codomannus, or end of the Persian empire, allowing six years to the reign of Alexander, and ten more to the beginning of the kingdom of the Seleucidæ. Demetrius Soter, in the tenth year of his reign, was