748.

AC to the God of war, whom he called his father. About A. the time of Rome's infancy, happened the fall of the first Assyrian empire, through the softness of Sardanapalus. The Medes, a warlike people, animated by Arbaces their governor, set all the subjects of that ef feminate prince an example of despising him. All revolted against him; and he perished at last in his capital city, where he was forced to burn himself alive with his women, his eunuchs, and his riches. From the ruins of that empire we behold three great kingdoms arise. Arbaces, or Orbaces, by some called Pharnaces, gave liberty to the Medes, who after a pretty long anarchy, had some very powerful kings. Be747. sides this, immediately after Sardanapalus, we see a se- 7. cond kingdom of the Assyrians appear, whereof Nineveh continued the capital, and a kingdom of Babylon. These two last kingdoms were not unknown to profane authors, and are celebrated in sacred history. The second kingdom of Nineveh was founded by Tilgath, or Tiglath, son of Pilezer, called, for that reason, Tiglath pileser, to whom some give also the name of Ninus the younger. Baladan, by the Greeks named Belesis, established the kingdom of Babylon, where he is known by the name of Nabonassar. Hence the era of Nabonassar, famous with Ptolemy and the ancient astronomers, who reckoned their years from that prince's reign. It is proper here to take notice, that the word era signifies a number of years begun at a certain period distinguished by some great event. Ahaz, an im740. pious and wicked king of Judah, being sore pressed by 14. Rezin king of Syria, and the Pekha, son of Remaliab, king of Israel, instead of having recourse to God, who raised up those enemies to punish hiro, sent and invited Tiglath-pileser, the first king of Assyria, or of Nineveh, who reduced the kings of Israel, to the lowest extremity, and totally ruined that of Syria; but at the same time ravaged the kingdom of Judah, which had implored his assistance. Thus the kings of Assyria learned the road to the Holy Land, and resolved the conquest

714.

40

4. of it. They began with the kingdom of Israel, which A. F. 721. Shalmaneser, son and successor of Tiglath-pileser, ut- 33. terly destroyed. Hoshea, king of Israel had relied on the aid of Sabacon, otherwise named Sua, or So, king of Ethiopia, who had invaded Egypt. But that mighty conqueror was not able to deliver him out of the hand of Shalmaneser. The ten tribes, among whom the worship of God was extinguished, were carried away to Nineveh, and being scattered among the Gentiles, were so lost, that there is no longer any vestige of them to be found. Some few were left behind, who were mixed with the Jews, and made a small part of the king715. dom of Judah. At this time happened the death of $9, Romulus. He was ever at war, and ever victorious: but in the midst of wars he laid the foundations of religion and laws. A long peace afforded Numa his successor opportunity of finishing the work. He formed the religion, and civilized the savage manners of the Roman people. In his time colonies from Corinth, and some other cities of Greece, founded Syracuse in Sicily, Crotona, Tarentum, and perhaps some other cities in that part of Italy, to which former Grecian colonies, who had overspread the country, had already given the name of Great Greece. Meanwhile, Hezekiah, the most pious and righteous of all the kings since David, 710. reigned in Judea. Sennacherib, son and successor to 44, Shalmaneser, besieged him in Jerusalem with an innumerable host, which was cut off in one night by the hand of an angel. Hezekiah, delivered in so wonderful a manner, served God with all his people, more 698. faithfully than ever. But after that prince's death, and under his son Manasseh, the ungrateful people forgot 687. God, and fell into many disorders. The popular state 67 was then forming among the Athenians, and they began to elect annual Archons, the first of whom was Creon. Whilst impiety increased in the kingdom of Judah, the power of the kings of Assyria, who were to be its scourges, advanced under Esar-baddon, the son of 681. Sennacherib. He united the kingdom of Babylon with

56.

73.

2King.

24.

2.

AC that of Nineveh, and equalled in the greater Asia the 677. empire of the first Assyrians. Under his reign the Cuvil. thites, a people of Assyria, afterwards called SamariEzr.iv. tans, were sent to inhabit Samaria. These joined the worship of God to that of idols, and obtained of Esarhaddon an Israelitish priest, who taught them the service of the God of the country, that is, the ceremonies of the law of Moses. God, not willing that his name should be utterly abolished in a land which he had giv2King en to his people, left his law there for a testimony; but 27, 28, their priest gave them only the books of Moses, which the twelve revolted tribes had retained, in their schism. The scriptures composed afterwards by the prophets, who sacrificed in the temple, were had in detestation among them; which is the reason the Samaritans, receive only the Pentateuch to this day.

&C.

A. R..

lib. i. c.

27.

While Esar-haddon and the Assyrians were so powerfully establishing themselves in the greater Asia, the Medes begun also to render themselves considerable. Dejoces their first king named Arphaxad in scripture, founded the stately city of Ecbatan, and laid the foundations of a great empire. They had placed him on the throne to crown his virtues, and to put an end to the disorders which anarchy occasioned among them. Conducted by so great a king, Herod. they supported themselves against their neighbours, but did not extend their dominion. Rome was adr $71. Vancing, but weakly. Under Tullus Hostilus her es. third king, and by the famous combat of the Horatii and Curiatii, Alba was conquered and destroyed. Its citzens incorporated in the victorious city, considerably enlarged and strengthened it. Romulus was the first who had pratised this method of augmenting the city, into which he admitted the Sabines and other conquered nations. They forgot their defeat, and became loyal subjects. Rome by extending her conquests, formed her soldiery; and under Tullus Hostilius she began to learn that excellent discipline which rendered her afterwards mistress of the world.

A. C.

670.

The kingdom of Egypt, weakened by its long di-AR. visions, was recovering under Psammeticus. This prince, who owed his crown to the Ionians and Carians, allowed them to settle in Egypt, till then shut up to strangers. On this occasion the Egyptians entered into commerce with the Grecians; and from this time likewise the history of Egypt, hitherto mixed with pompous fables through the artifice of the priests, begins, according to Herodote, to have some certainty. Meanwhile the kings of Assyria 95. were growing more and more formidable to all the East. Saosduchin, son of Esar-haddon, called Nebuchodonosor in the book of Judith, defeated, in a 657. pitched battle, Arphaxad king of the Medes. Flush

Herod,

lib.i. c.

98.

ed with this success, he undertook the conquest of 656. the whole earth. With this design he passed the Euphrates, and ravaged all before him as far as Judea. The Jews had provoked God, by giving themselves up to idolatry, after the example of Manasseh; but they had repented with that prince, wherefore God took them also into his protection. The conquests of Nebuchodonosor and Holofernes his general, were stopped all at once by the band of a woman. Dejoces, though beaten by the Assyrians, left his kingdom in a condition of advancing under his successors. Whilst Phraortes, and Cyaxares the son of Phraortes, 612. subdued Persia, and pushed their conquests in the 112. lesser Asia, as far as the banks of the Halys, Judea 611. beheld the wicked reign of Amon, the son of Manas- 115: seb, pass away: and Josiah the son of Amon, wise from a child, laboured to repair the breaches made by the impiety of the kings his predecessors. Rome, whose king was Ancus, Martius, subdued some of the Latins under his conduct; and continuing to make citizens of her enemies, shut them up within the compass of her walls. The people of Veii, already weakened by Romulus, suffered new losses. Ancus pushed his conquests as far as the neighbouring sea, and built the city Ostia at the mouth of the Tiber.

$26.

122.

610.

144.

147.

A. C. At this time the kingdom of Babylon was invaded by A. R. Nabopolasser. That traitor, whom Chinaladan, otherwise Sarac, had made general of his armies against Cyaxares king of the Medes, joined Astyages son of Cyaxares, took Chinaladanin Nineveh, destroyed that great city so long mistress of the east, and mounted his master's throne. Under this ambitious prince Babylon 624 swelled with pride. Judea, whose impiety increased, so. beyond measure, had every thing to fear. Good king Josiah, by his profound humility, suspended for a little the punishment his people had deserved: but the evil waxed greater under his children. Nebuchad607. nezzar II. more terrible than his father Nabopolassor, succeeded him. That prince bred up in pride and continually exercised in war, made prodigious conquests both in the east and west; and Babylon threatened the whole earth with slavery. Its threats soon took effect with regard to the people of God. Jerusalem was given up to the haughty conqueror, who took it three several times: first, in the beginning of his reign, and fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim, from whence are daJe.xxv led the seventy years of the Babylonish captivity men112tioned by the prophet Jeremiah: the second time 10. under Jechonias, or Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim ; and the last time under Zedekiab, when the city was 598. razed to the ground, the temple reduced to ashes, and 156. the king carried captive to Babylon, with Seraiah the high priest, and the greatest part of the people. The most eminent of those captives were the prophets Ezekiel and Daniel. Among them likewise are to be counted the three young men, whom Nebuchadnezzar could neither force to worship his image; nor had power to destroy by fire. Greece was now flourishing, 594. and the seven wise men were rendering themselves illustrious. Some time before the desolation of Jerusalem, Solon, one of those seven sages, gave laws to the Athenians, and established liberty upon the 578. foundation of justice: the Phocians of Iona carried 176.

599.

155.

160.