following Mr. Dean (9) fpeaks of him alfo as ftill Governour there, telling us withal as a thing most likely that Nehemiah continued in his Government to the time of his death; but when that hapned it is no where faid. But whenever that was, here were now fome thirtyfeven years pait in Mr. Dean's account of Nehemiah's Life, and Government, as we are thus brought into the fixteenth year of the reign of Darius Nothus. And Nehemiah might poffibly live longer, and govern at Jerufalem, as being now fuppos'd (r) to be but seventy years old.

However, as for the remaining three years (s) of Darius's reign, even if it were fuppos'd that he had an evil eye against the Jews, and there is nothing in History that I know of looking this way, yet if he had, his hands were then full with the Egyptians, and the Arabians, and the Medes, and alfo in Greece (t).

And as for Artaxerxes Mnemon, who was the next King of Perfia, great were the perplexities of his reign for the first four years of it, occafion'd by the rebellion of his younger brother Cyrus. And He was no fooner cut off (z), but in the next year (w) there was work enough for him in Leffer Afia: which continued beyond the expi ration of our prophetick period of feven Weeks, or forty nine years in the eighth year of his reign (x). And we are not any farther concern'd with his reign. But hitherto forafmuch as for any thing that we find, or have the leaft reafon to fufpect to the contrary, the Jews had long been, and now were, in a perfect state of Tranquillity and whether Nehemiah were living, or dead, they might be now as it were fui juris (y). However, they had doubtless full opportunity all this while of rebuilding their City, that is, of restoring it again to its ancient ftrength, ftructure, and grandeur: the great work this which either in their Walls, or in their Streets they had hitherto from time to time under their hands, even from Nehemiah's coming thither among them in the twentieth year of the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus King of Perfia, with his royal Commiffion thereunto immediately authorizing God's people.

And

(9) See Con. Hift. P. 426. (r) See Dr Prid. Con. Hift. p. 426. Jofephus [Ant. xi. 5] tells us that he died loaded with years. (s) For he reign'd 19 years. [Ptol. Can. (t) See Dr Prid. Con. Hift. p. 427. (u) Viz. in the fourth year of Artaxerxers, in the year before A. D. 401. (m) In the fifth of Artaxerxes the Lacedemonians join'd with the Athenians against the Perfians. (x) See Dr. Prid. Con. Hift: p. 439.. (y) Under the Government of the High-Prieft; an Oath of Fidelity being however taken to the Perfian King, and a tributary acknowledgment of his Sovereignty being made yearly by them; for this we find from Jofephus [Ant. xi. 8] was the State of their Government when Alexander in the year before A. D: 332, came to them from the Siege of Tyre. He, it seems, had fent in that hege to Jaddns to furnish him with neceffaries for his Army: who in anfwer pleaded his Oath to Darius. And in their favours asked of him, the Jews defir'd no more than his continuation of the privileges which they had before enjoyed under their great Governour Nehemiah, and after his death doubtless, 'till Alexander's coming among them, viz. the free exercise of their Country Laws, and Religion, and an exemption from tribute every feventh year, because therein they did not fow: which he readily granted. ---Dr Prideaux [in Con. Hift. Vol. 1. p: 427] hath indeed imagin'd that after the death of Nehemiah, the Country of Judea was thenceforth wholly fubject to the Governour of Sy

rias

And thus we have gone through this firft period of Weeks; from its Beginning to its Ending, as refpectively in the other Hypotheses which have been here under confideration, so alfo in the rife, continuation, and accomplishment of this the predicted Event thereof in the letter of this Prophecy. And having fo done, we have alfo done with the first part of this Treatife.

ria, and that under him the High-Prieft had the regulating all Affairs therein. But this is mere Conjecture, and what there is no ground for. And Dr Prideaux hath elsewhere told us the contrary [viz. in Vol. ii. p. 662] in the following words, The Tribe of Judah returning from their captivity into their own Land, had there their SCEPTRE and LAWGIVER again reftor'd to them. For being there imbodyed again under the fame Conftitution of Government, they had again PRINCES of their own to be RULERS over them, and the Administration of Justice under them by their OWN LAWS in the fame manner as before, and fo they CONTINUED to have without INTERRUPTION, excepting only the three years and an half of Antiochus's perfecution, &c.-------The Jews were therefore furely after Nehemiah's death fui juris: and not fubject to the Governour of Syria, but merely under the Government of their High-Priests, they however making their acknowledgment to the Kings of Perfia, as above.

PART

康

FH

PART the SECOND,

WHICH

Treateth of the Seven Weeks, and Sixty two Weeks: As the faid two Numbers of Weeks together conftitute the second Period of this Prophecy.

CHAP. I.

Concerning the BEGINNING of the Seven Weeks, and Sixty two Weeks.

W

E come now to confider the fecond Period of this Prophecy confifting of fixty nine weeks; viz. of threefcore and two Weeks in reckoning grafted in upon the foregoing seven Weeks (a). And thefe according to our propofed method, We are to confider in the twofold refpect, First of their Beginning, Secondly of rheir Ending.

And First, Of their Beginning.

And this from what hath been said of the beginning of the first feven Weeks is already evident: As the fame Arguments which

have

(a) As in Reckoning they neceffarily muft be, because it is expresfly faid in the Text, (Dan. ix. 25.] that from the going forth of the Commandment-----shall be feven Weeks, and fixty two Weeks: that is, 7 Weeks for the Event there expresfly fpecified of rebuilding ferufalem: and 62 Weeks, [v. 26.] for the cutting off the Meffiah at the end of them. But there is but One and the fame Beginning here fpoken of, from whence should be reckon'd the two refpective Periods, which are here folemniz'd with these Events. Therefore the 62 Weeks are evidently to be reckon'd upon the foregoing 7 Weeks to the conftituting a period of 69 Weeks; as Chrift was no otherwife cut off after 62 Weeks from the going forth of the Prophetick Commandment than as those 62 Weeks are reckon'd upon the foregoing feven Weeks taking their beginning from the going forth of fuch Commandment.

have proved our beginning of the said seven Weeks do neceffarily prove the beginning of these fixty nine weeks alfo, as fixty two weeks in reckoning immediately following upon those seven weeks together make fixty nine Weeks.

But farther, in order to discover the true Beginning of these fixty nine weeks, we may look to the fure Ending of them. And thence by reckoning upwards fo many weeks to the time of the going forth of the here predicted Commandment, we shall not fail of coming this way also to the knowledge of the true Beginning of

them.

Now the Scripture Ending of these fixty nine Weeks, and that alone can be the true Ending of them, is certainly according to the Prophecy, as we fhall fee anon (b), fome time in that year which immediately preceded the Paffover in which the Meffiah was cut off, or Chrift our Paffover (c) was facrificed for us. For according to this Prophecy Our Saviour Chrift could not survive a whole year after the expiration of these fixty nine Weeks, or four hundred and eighty three Years: as it will be hereafter (d) fhewn. And he could not die but at Paffover, as it will be also fhewn (e). And Finally, it will be fhewn (f) that he died in the very Paffover after the expiration of these fixty nine Weeks in a reckoning of time from the going forth of the Prophetick Commandment to rebuild the Wall, and Streets of Jerufalem. And therefore from the going forth of fuch Commandment, which as I have formerly Thewn was in the twentieth year of the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus King of Perfia, did the late most learned Bishop Lloyd in perfect agreement with the express letter of this Prophecy date his Beginning of these Weeks.

And the Bishop had otherwile the greatest reason for fo doing, as no Reckoning whatsoever from the going forth of any of the other three preceding Commandments whether by Solar, or Lunar Years (g), can poffibly throw out fixty nine Weeks of Years, or four hundred and eighty three Years, as they ought to do to agree with the Prophecy, between these two exprefs prophetick terms, to which we are pinned down in the Text for the Beginning and Ending of these Weeks. And Confequently None of thofe preceding Commandments can with any agreeableness to the Prophecy give a beginning to these Weeks.

The learned Mr. Dean of Norwich as he hath begun thefe Weeks from the feventh of Artaxerxes, hath herein endeavour'd to help his Hypothefis by making the whole feventy Weeks of this Prophecy to end in the death of Chrift, and the fixty nine of them

to

(b) viz. in the following Chapter. (c) I Cor. v. 7. (d) viz. in the next Chapter. (e) ib. (f) ib. (g) From the first of Cyrus to the cutting off of Chrift are 568 Years; from the fecond of Darins to the said fact 552 Years; and from the feventh of Artaxerxes to the fame 490 Years. But the Prophetick Period now before us is but 483 Years. Thus all thefe Reckonings exceed by Solar Years, much more by Lunar Years, when reckon'd from the going forth of any of these three Commandments in favour of Jerufalem,

to have had their ending at his Coming feven years before, viz. in his coming to his Miniftry. But these being in both thefe respects mistaken Endings of thefe Weeks, as we fhall fee hereafter (b), Mr. Dean's now mention'd beginning of these Weeks becomes neceffarily also a mistaken Beginning.

Mr. L. alfo hath begun his five hundred years period (which he hath found in this Prophecy of the Seventy weeks) from the fe venth of Artaxerxes (i). But his is fuch an atbitrary, and indeed unjustifiable seventh of that King's reign as the Learned can not admit of, because

First, it is abfolutely inconfiftent with Ptolemy's (k) feventh of that King's reign. And this puts Mr. L. quite befide the mark in his Expofition of thele Weeks, were there no other Objection against his Beginning of them. For whereas the learned Dr. Prideaux hath alfo fixt his beginning of these Weeks in the 7th of Artaxerxes, yet he is entirely confiftent with Ptolemy's year thereof: as the Year of the Julian Period, with which he hath made the faid 7th of Artaxerxes coincident, is truly the Year 4256 (). On the other hand Mr. L. hath ftretched a point in Chronology here fo far as to differ about fome fix years from Dr. Prideaux, as the Year of the F. P. 4250 (m) is Mr. L's Year thereof, with which he hath made coincident the 7th of Artaxerxes: And Confequently herein also is a like difference with Ptolemy's Canon. And

Secondly, tho' other Authorities are alledg'd by Mr. Z. in justification of himself here, yet the whole centers in Ctefias: from whom Mr. L. hath affign'd but thirty one years to the reign of Darius Hyftafpis, whereas Ptolemy hath giv'n him thirty fix years; and fo many Herodotus had alfo giv'n him long before. And the five years thus taken off from the reign of Darius Hyftafpis Mr. L. hath thrown into the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus, to the encreafing the years of his reign, and therein to the anticipating, or ma→ king to come fo much earlier the first year of the reign of King Artaxerxes, and confequently his feventh also for the fake of his Hypothefis: to which I fhall speak more particularly prefently. But

Alafs

First, as touching the contracted reign of Darius Hyftafpis in the 5 years cut off from it upon the authority of Ctefias what is his Authority here ?------Mr. L. is not ignorant of the opinion of the Antients concerning him (2). Nor is he less flighted by the Moderns (o).

(b) viz. in the following Chapter.

(i) Chron E. P. 71. (k) In Canoné.

Mr.

Or the Year before A. D. 458. (m) Or the Year before A. D. 464. (n) Mĩ L. himself hath noted it, p. 78. Chron. Effay. (0) Sir F. Marfham in particular in the following words. Ctefia jamdudum non elt infufpecta fides. [p. 75. fo. Edit. Lond. 1672.] Commenta Ctefia plurimis graviffimis Scriptoribus impofuerunt. [p. 477.] Ctefias parum fide dignus. [ib.] Ita de illo cenfuit magnus Ariftoteles. [ib.] Haud temere fequendus eft. [ib.] -----The learned Dr. Prideaux hath thus giv'n us his opinion of hlm. [Con. Hift. P. 437] We find but a poor Character of Ctelias among the Antients, Ariftotle in Hift.

Anim