the exclusion of Alexander's posterity from the conquests of their father, and the division of his vast empire among four of his generals; in this partition Cassander obtaining Macedon and Greece and the western parts; Lysander having Thrace, Bithynia, and the northern regions; while Ptolemy possessed Egypt and the south; and Seleucus gained Syria and the eastern provinces.

THE ROMAN EMPIRE.-In the vision of Nebuchadnezzar this empire seems to be viewed in its three periods. The legs. all of iron, appear to describe it in its strongest and most flourishing period. under the consular government, and perhaps the early emperors; the feet, partly iron and partly clay, would well describe the empire as weakened and divided by the mixture of barbarous nations, and ultimately by the separation into two empires, the eastern and western, while the ten toes, also partly iron and partly clay, some strong and some weak, describe the ultimate breaking up of the iron empire into as many kingdoms. In the present chapter the same empire is represented by a strong and terrible wild beast, diverse from the rest, with iron teeth, and afterwards ten horns. In the next vision (viii. 9. &c.) mention is made of a little horn which should spring up from one of the four representing the Macedo-Grecian kingdoms, which should wax exceeding great towards the south and east, and the pleasant land (of Judea), magnifying itself against the Prince of the Host, taking away the daily sacrifice, and overthrowing the sanctuary. In the explanation of this which the angel gives (verse 23, &c.) this horn is explained to mean “a king (a kingdom or government of any kind) of fierce countenance," who should do as described. On the explanation of this, interpreters are divided. Most of the old commentators refer it to Antiochus Epiphanes and his persecutions; but the prevailing opinion among the most es eemed modern interpreters is. that this representation can, in all its circumstances, only apply to the Romans, of whose empire and history this therefore is to be taken as a third description. This point is fully discussed in Bishop Newton's Dissertations,' xv.

THE TEN KINGDOMS, represented by the ten toes of the image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and by the ten horns of the wild beast. The ten kingdoms are determined with little difference by the various writers who have attended to the subject. The following list is that which Dr. Hales gives from Machiavelli, "the best, because the most unprejudiced authority, in his History of Florence, lib. i., with their respective dates, furnished by Bishop Lloyd.”

1. Huns (Hungary), A.D. 356. 2. Ostrogoths (Masia-Italy), 377. 3. Visigoths (Pannonia), 378. 4. Franks (Gaul), 407. 5. Vandals (Africa), 407. 6. Suevi (Spain), 407. 7. Burgundians (Burgundy), 407. 8. Heruli (Italy), 476. 9. Saxons (Britain), 476. 10. Longobards (Danube), 483; Lombardy, 526.

In such attempts as this at furnishing a precise list of the several powers represented by the ten toes and the ten horns, there may be differences of opinion and even mistakes, but the general result will remain unaffected. We may conclude this rapid sketch with the words of Bishop Newton:-"What an amazing prophecy is this, comprehending so many various events, and extending through so many successive ages, from the first establishment of the Persian empire, upwards of 530 years before Christ, to the general resurrection! What a proof of a Divine Providence, and of a Divine Revelation! for who could thus declare the things that shall be, with their times and seasons, but He only who hath them in his power: whose dominion is over all, and whose kingdom endureth from generation to generation !” 9. “I beheld till the thrones were cast down.”—Properly, "till thrones were set," or "placed," for the Ancient of Days and his assessors.

CHAPTER VIII.

1 Daniel's vision of the ram and he goat. 13 The two thousand three hundred days of sacrifice. 15 Gabriel comforteth Daniel, and interpreteth the vision.

In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.

2 And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river

of Ulai.

3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than 'the other, and the higher came up last.

4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.

5 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of

1 Heb. the second. * Or, none touched him in the earth.

the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his

power.

:

7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.

8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones 'toward the four winds of heaven.

9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the 'pleasant land.

10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.

3 Heb. a horn of sight. Or, against the host.

11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and "by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression,

and it cast down the truth to the ground;

and it practised, and prospered.

13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto 10 11that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be "cleansed.

15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.

16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, "Gabriel, make this man to understand the

vision.

:

17 So he came near where I stood and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man for at the time of the end shall be the vision.

18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and "set me upright.

know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.

20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

21 And the rough goat is the king of

22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.

23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors "are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.

24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the "holy people.

25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by "peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.

27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it. 7 Or, against. Or, the host was given over for the transgression against the daily sacrifice. 10 Or, the numberer of secrets, or, the wonderful numberer. 11 Heb. Palmoni. 12 Or, making desolate. 13 Heb. evening morning.

19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee

8 Or, from him,

14 Heb, just fied. 15 Chap. 9. 21. 16 Heb. made me stand upon my standing. 17 Heb. are accomplished.
18 Heb. people of the holy ones. 19 Or, prosperity. 20 2 Mac. 9.9.

Verse 2. "At Shushan, in the palace."-There is no doubt that Susa, which we afterwards find as one of the royal cities of Persia, is here intended. As we find a Babylonian palace there in the time of Belshazzar, it would seem that the district was at this time subject to his empire, although it appears always to have been regarded as a part of Persia, and although the ancient classical writers, and the modern Orientals, give a Persian origin to the city. It appears to have existed as a city from very ancient times; and is said to have been first made a residence of the Persian court by Cyrus: that is to say, the kings resided there during the whole or part of the winter, the climate and local position rendering the temperature remarkably mild in that season, but so warm in summer, that the court then removed to Eebatana, the elevated position and more northern situation of which rendered its summers comparatively cool and supportable, while the severity of its winter cold compelled a return to the mild region of the plain. The city seems to have been greatly improved by Darius Hystas pis; and here the Persian kings deposited their treasures and the records of their kingdom; though it seems from Scripture that Ecbatana had a share of both. Descriptively, we know little about its ancient condition except that, as Strabo states, it was built entirely of brick, like Babylon; and was of an oblong figure, 120 stadia in circumference. The palace was accounted one of the most magnificent royal residences in the world, and the fortress was so strong that, according to Polybius (Hist. lib. v. 249), Molon, after having won the city, was unable to take the fortress, but raised the siege in despair. The wealth treasured up at Susa was immense. In that interesting account where Aristagoras comes before Cleomenes, to tempt him to foreign conquests, having with him a brazen tablet, "on which was engraved the entire circuit of the earth, with all its seas and rivers," he points, among other places, to Susa, saying, "On the banks of the Choaspes stands Susa, where the great king fixes his residence, and where are his treasures. Master of that city, you may boldly vie with Jupiter himself for riches." (lib. v. c. 48.)

There has been some considerable dispute concerning the site of the ancient Susa. It had usually been placed at Shuster: but Major Rennel, in his Geography of Herodotus, preferred to find it at Shus, a site commencing about 36 miles more to the west, or nearer to Babylon. This conclusion was contested with considerable warmth by Dr. Vincent, in his Commerce and Navigation of the Ancients.' But Sir John Macdonald Kinneir, who had the advantage of being

practically acquainted with both sites, after recapitulating the arguments or both sides, determines for Rennel's alternative, and supplies additional reasons, which may be considered to have set the question at rest. We shall therefore consider Shus to represent the Susa of ancient times. Of the ruins we have no better description than that which Kinneir himself has supplied. They are very extensive, stretching not less perhaps than twelve miles from one extremity to the other. They extend as far as the eastern bank of the Kerah; occupy an immense space between that river and the Abzal; and, like the ruins of Babylon, Ctesiphon, and Kufah, consist of hillocks of earth and rubbish, covered with broken pieces of brick and coloured tile. The largest and most remarkable of these mounds stands at the distance of about two miles from the Kerah. The first is, at the lowest computation, a mile in circumference, and nearly 100 feet in height; and the other, although not quite so high, is double the circuit of the former. These mounds bear some resemblance to the pyramidal heaps of Babylon; with this difference, that, instead of being entirely made of brick, they are formed of clay and pieces of tile, with irregular layers of brick and mortar, five or six feet in thickness, to serve, it would seem, as a kind of prop to the mass. Large blocks of marble covered with hieroglyphics are not unfrequently discovered here by the Arabs, when digging in search of hidden treasure; and at the foot of the most elevated of the pyramids stands the Tomb of Daniel, a small, and apparently modern building, erected on the spot where the relics of that prophet are believed to rest. Sir John Kinneir adds to this account, which is from him, "The city of Shus is now a gloomy wilderness, infested by lions, hyenas, and other beasts of prey. The dread of these furious animals compelled Mr. Monteith and myself to take shelter for the night within the walls that encompass Daniel's tomb." With respect to this tomb, the following further information from Sir John Malcolm's History of Persia,' may be acceptable:-"It is a small building, but sufficient to shelter some derveishes, who watch the remains of the prophet, and are supported by the alms of pious pilgrims, who visit the holy sepulchre. These derveishes are now the only inhabitants of Susa; and every species of wild beast roams at large over that spot, on which some of the proudest palaces ever raised by human art once stood" (vol. i. pp. 255-6). He adds in a note, "Though the building at the tomb of Daniel be comparatively modern, nothing could have led to its being built where it is, but a belief that that was the real site of the prophet's sepulchre."

"The river of Ulai."-Diodorus and Arrian concur with Daniel in describing the Ulai, or Euleus, as the river of Susa; but Herodotus names the Choaspes in that character: we might therefore be led to conclude that the same river is intended by these different names. Kinneir says, "If we admit the ruins of Shus to be those of ancient Susa, the Kerah will correspond with the description of the Choaspes, but not to that of the Euleus; for the latter entered the Persian Gulf by a channel of its own, while the Kerah flows into the Shat-ul-Arab." Knowing, however, how much the courses of ancient streams have been altered in this region, we are not ourselves inclined to lay much stress on this objection, and are still disposed to consider the Choaspes and Euleus as identical, and answering to the modern Kerah. However, as the ruins at Shus are situated at the point where the rivers Kerah and Abzal make their nearest approach to each other, and these ruins extend over much of the distance between them, the alternative is open of supposing that the Choaspes and Euleus were different streams, both rivers of Susa; the former being represented by the Kerah, and the latter by the Abzal. The kings of Persia drank no other water than that of the Choaspes, a sufficient quantity being carried for them wherever they went.

5. "The goat had a notable horn."-This has been explained in the general note, and is universally admitted to describe Alexander. It is rather a curious coincidence that when this conqueror claimed to be the son of Jupiter Ammonwho was worshipped under the figure of a ram, and who, when represented in the human figure, had rams' horns on his head-he assumed, as far as he could, the symbols which denoted his assumed parentage, causing his head to be sometimes represented as horned. One such representation we have copied as a suitable illustration. It is also remarkable that the Oriental Mohammedans still recognize the horns of Alexander, without being aware of the origin of the symbol. In their writings he is frequently mentioned by the title of "The Horned," without any addition.

1 Or, in which he, &c. Jer. 25. 12, and 29. 10. 3 Deut. 7. 9. Nehem. 1. 5. Baruch 1. 15. 7 Levit 26. 14, &c. Deut. 28. 15, &c. ; and 29. 20, &c.; and 30, Levit 26. 14, &c. Deut. 28. 15. Lam. 2. 17. Heb. intreated we not the face of the, &c. 12 Heb. whereupon thy name is called. 18 Heb. cause to fall. 14 Chap. 8. 16.

22 And he informed me, and talked with | Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

18

23 At the beginning of thy supplications the "commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.

24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and "prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the

and threescore and two weeks: the street "shall be built again, and the "wall, even in **troublous times.

26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war "desolations are determined.

27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and "for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

18 Heb. to make thee skilful of understanding. 17 Heb. word. 18 Heb. a man of desires. 19 Or, to restram. 20 Or. to seal up. 21 Heb. prophet. Heb, shall return and be built. 23 Or, breach, or, ditch. 24 Heb. in strait of times. 25 Or, and shall have nothing. 25 Or, it shall be cut off by desolations. 27 Or, with the abominable armies. 28 Matt. 24. 15. Maik 13. 14. Luke 21. 20.

Verse 2. "I...understood by books," &c.-Daniel thus calls the prophecies of Jeremiah, referring particularly to the 25th and 29th chapters. The information conveyed would be very interesting, were it only that it informs us that the later prophets possessed and studied the writings of their predecessors, and anxiously watched the times of their fulfilment.

24. "Seventy weeks”—These weeks, commencing from the going forth of the decree to restore Jerusalem. Every one sees that "weeks" are not to be literally understood. They are weeks of years, each week answering to seven years, and the whole therefore amounting to 490 years, and consequently extending from the year 420 B.c. to 70 A.D., corresponding exactly to the respective dates of the decree of Cyrus to restore Jerusalem, and of its final destruction by the Romans. This entire period of seventy weeks of years, is in the ensuing verses historically divided into sixty-two, seven, and one weeks, and the one week subdivided into a half week. The following observations on these divisions are from Hales, who however acknowledges his obligations for the adjustment of the chronology of the seventy weeks, to Hans Wood, Esq., of Rossmead, co. Westmeath, Ireland, published by him (1787) in an anonymous commentary on the Revelations. "After the sixty-two weeks, but not immediately, the Messiah was cut off;' for the sixty-two weeks expired A.D. 14; and the one week, or passion week in the midst of which our Lord was crucified, A.D. 31, began with his public ministry, A.D. 28, and ended with the martyrdom of Stephen, A.D. 34. The passion week began, therefore, two weeks (14 years) after the sixty-two weeks, or at the end of sixty-four weeks; and there were five weeks. or thirty-five years, after the passion week to the destruction of Jerusalem. So that the seventy weeks must be chronologically divided into sixty-four, one. and five weeks; for the one week of the prophecy is evidently not the last of the Jewish war, and cannot therefore follow, in the order of time, the sixty-two and seven weeks. The commencement of the war, which ended with the ruin of the city and temple, seems to be fixed at the expiration of the 62+7=69 weeks, or 483 years; and accordingly the Jewish war commenced in the last, or seventieth week, A.d. 65, during the administration of Gessius Florus, whose exactions drove the Jews into rebellion, according to Josephus. Ant. xx. 10, 1."

as

In the prefatory note to this book, we have intimated the general expectation which this prophecy led the Jews to entertain of the appearance of the Messiah, about the time when he actually did appear, although they knew him not. The prophecy was therefore understood by them as Christians have always understood it. So clear indeed is its specification of the time of the Messiah's appearance, that, says Gill (quoting T. Bab., Bava Bathra, fol. 15. 1)—" One of the Rabbins, who lived about fifty years before the coming of Christ, asserted that the coming of the Messiah, as signified by Daniel, could not be deferred longer than those fifty years." In fact. all the history of the Jews about that time evinces the prevalence of this belief among them. But the Messiah they expected was one who should appear a conquering king, and establish a Jewish monarchy all over the world, being blind to the fact that his kingdom was not of this world. It was this persuasion that chiefly animated them in their war with the Romans. This is testified by Josephus (vii. 12), who states-"That which chiefly excited them to the war was an obscure oracle, found in the holy writings, that about this time, one coming out of that land should rule over the whole world; which they interpreted of one of their own nation, and many of their wise men were deceived therein. But this oracle signified the empire of Vespasian." This was a very convenient and courtly explanation for the Jewish priest to find. Suetonius and Tacitus also state that there was in the world at this time a general fame that one coming out of Judea should rule over the whole world. This belief could only have come from the Jews, who had it from Daniel; and the succession of Vespasian, the general commanding against the Jews, to the Roman empire, suggested that application of it to him which even Josephus sanctions, though his sincerity in making it may very well be questioned.

27. "In the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease."—"In the midst" means any time between the commencement and completion. It is a remarkable fact that, according to Josephus, the sacrifice and oblation, meaning every offering made by fire, did cease before the city was taken. Indeed the Temple was destroyed twenty-seven days before the latter event.