God, in the work which he had to do by the Messiah, and in what that people were to do unto him. The general notation of it, sufficed for the direction of the godly, and the conviction of unbelievers, as it doth unto this day. And it 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 comprizing the substance of the prophecy, contains nothing in it contrary to the Scripture, and is not liable unto any reasonable exception. And herein I shall not examine all the 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 names of whose authors or abettors, call for our consideration.

§ 2. In the first place, we may wholly lay aside the consideration of 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, Burgensis, Galatinus, and he from whom he borrowed his computation, Raymandus 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 comprize the prophecy of their second fatal destruction by Hadrian, which is no way concerned in it.

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

מן מצא דבר להשיב ולבנות ורושלם the seventy weeks are

from the going forth of the word to cause to return and build Jerusalem, ver. 25. Now the kingdom of Cyrus had a double first

year. The one absolutely of his reign over Persia, the other of his rule over the Babylonian monarchy, which he had conquered after the death of Darius Medus. Now it is the first year of this second date of the kingdom of Cyrus, which has relation unto the time here limited; for whilst 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, in Ezra i. 11. where it is said, that he made his decree 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 space of time then here limited is seventy weeks, ver. 24. The beginning of these seventy weeks is the goingforth of the decree or word to restore or build Jerusalem, ver. 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 end fixed, namely the first of Cyrus, and the death of Messiah, it is thus positively determined, that between them were seventy weeks, or four hundred 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 490 years between them: for whether we understand the reason of

it or not, all foreign accounts must be suited unto the infallible truth which is stated in the Scripture.

But these things are much questioned; for some 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, and there be many more, that do peremptorily deny that it is to take its 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 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 Scripture account, 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 490 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, partly through the silence, and partly through the disagreement of ancient historians, it is utterly impossible to state exactly, as to those lesser fractions, the times that are passed 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 Nabonidus, 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. 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 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 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 twenty-seventh 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 Codomanus. For Cyrus reigned after this three years: Cambyses and Smerdes 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 twenty-three; Arses three; Darius Codomanus seven: in all two hundred and two years.

ten.

After his death Alexander beginning his reign in the third year of the 112th 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 Æra 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 Philopater twelve, Antiochus Epiphanes twelve, Eupator two, Demetrius Soter In the second year of this Demetrius, which was the 153d of the account of the Seleucidæ, was Judas Maccabæus slain, being the one hundred and sixty-ninth year after the death of Darius Cos domanus, 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 expelled out of his kingdom by Alexander Vales (Balas); in the second year of whose reign, ten years after the death of Judas, Jonathan his brother took upon him the supreme government of the people of the Jews, and began the reign of the Hasmonæans. So that the time of the Grecian empire in Syria from the death of Darius Codomanus, unto the liberty of the Jews and erection of a supreme government amongst them, was one hundred and seventy-nine years, which being added to two hundred and two years of the Persian empire, makes up three hundred and eighty-one years.

§ 7. To the same issue comes also the account by the other branch of the Grecian empire in Egypt. For Alexander reigned, as we said, after the death of Darius six years, Ptolemæus Lagus thirty-nine; Philadelphus thirty-eight; Euergetes twenty-four; Philopater nineteen; Epiphanes twenty-three; Philometor thirty; in whose thirtieth year began the rule of the Has

monæans.

§ 8. The power of the Hasmoneans, with that of Herod the great, who obtained the kingdom by means of their divisions, continued until the birth of Christ one hundred and forty years. For Jonathan began his reign in the second year of the one hundred and fifty-seventh Olympiad, as may be seen, by adding the VOL. I.

Seleucian Era to the one hundred and fourteenth Olympiad, wherein Alexander died; and our Lord Christ was born in the second year of the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad, in the last year, or the last save one of Herod the great. This sum of one hundred and forty-eight years, being added to the fore-mentioned, from the beginning of the empire of Cyrus, which is three hundred and eighty-one years, makes up in all five hundred and twenty-nine years. From the birth of our Lord Christ in the second year of the one hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad, to the destruction of the city and temple, in the third year of the two hundred and eleventh Olympiad, are seventy years; which makes up the whole sum before mentioned of five hundred and ninety-nine years, from the first of the empire of Cyrus, unto the destruction of Jerusalem. Petavius and our Montacue reckon from the first of Cyrus, unto the eighteenth of Tiberius, wherein our Lord Christ suffered, five hundred and ninety-four years, which differs very little from our account. For take from them twenty-seven years of the reign of Cyrus, before the first of his empire, and add unto them thirty-seven for the continuance of the city and temple after the death of Christ, and the sum remaining will exceed our account only four years, or five at the most.

But the computation we have fixed on, being every way con sistent with itself, and the stated Eras of the nations, and abridging the time to the shortest duration that will endure the trial, we shall abide by it. Now the number of five hundred and ninety-nine years, exceeds the time limited in this prophecy of four hundred and ninety, the whole space of one hundred and nine years.

§ 9. Hence it evidently appears, that the seventy weeks of Gabriel, or the four hundred and ninety years, are not commensurate to the whole space of time between the first decree of Cyrus in the first year of his general empire, and the final desolation of the city and temple by Titus. One hundred and nine years must be taken from it, either at the beginning, or at the ending, or partly at the one, partly at the other.

§ 10. We shall first consider, the end of them, which being clear in the prophecy will regulate, fix, and state the beginning. Two things in general are insisted on in this prophecy. 1st, The coming of Messiah the Prince, his anointing unto the work which he had to do, and his cutting off, as we before declared. 2d, The ceasing of the daily sacrifice, with the destruction of the city and temple by war and a flood of desolations. Now these things happened not at the same time; for the city and sanctuary were destroyed thirty-seven years after the cutting off, or death of the Messiah. We are therefore to inquire to which of these it was that the time specified in the prophecy