Of the Times of the Birth and Passion ofChrist.
The times of the Birth and Passion ofChrist, with such like niceties, being not material to religion, were little regarded by theChristiansof the first age. They who began first to celebrate them, placed them in the cardinal periods of the year; as the annunciation of the VirginMary, on the 25th ofMarch, which whenJulius Cæsarcorrected the Calendar was the vernal Equinox; the feast ofJohnBaptist on the 24th ofJune, which was the summer Solstice; the feast of St.MichaelonSept.29, which was the autumnal Equinox; and the birth ofChriston the winter Solstice,Decemb.25, with the feasts of St.Stephen, St.Johnand theInnocents, as near it as they could place them. And because the Solstice in time removed from the 25th ofDecemberto the 24th, the 23d, the 22d, and so on backwards, hence some in the following centuries placed the birth ofChristonDecemb.23, and at length onDecemb.20: and for the same reason they seem to have set the feast of St.ThomasonDecemb.21, and that of St.MatthewonSept.21. So also at the entrance of the Sun into all the signs in theJulianCalendar, they placed the days of other Saints; as the conversion ofPaulonJan.25, when the Sun entredAquarius; St.MatthiasonFeb.25, when he entredPisces; St.MarkonApr.25, when he entredTaurus;Corpus ChristionMay26, when he entredGemini; St.JamesonJuly25, when he entredCancer; St.BartholomewonAug.24, when he entredVirgo;SimonandJudeonOctob.28, when he entredScorpio: and if there were any other remarkable days in theJulianCalendar, they placed the Saints upon them, as St.BarnabasonJune11, whereOvidseems to place the feast ofVestaandFortuna, and the goddessMatuta; and St.PhilipandJameson the first ofMay, a day dedicated both to theBona Dea, orMagna Mater, and to the goddessFlora, and still celebrated with her rites. All which shews that these days were fixed in the firstChristianCalendars by Mathematicians at pleasure, without any ground in tradition; and that theChristiansafterwards took up with what they found in the Calendars.
Neither was there any certain tradition about the years ofChrist. For theChristianswho first began to enquire into these things, asClemens Alexandrinus,Origen,Tertullian,Julius Africanus,Lactantius,Jerome, St.Austin,Sulpicius Severus,Prosper, and as many as place the death ofChristin the 15th or 16th year ofTiberius, makeChristto have preached but one year, or at most but two. At lengthEusebiusdiscovered four successive Passovers in the Gospel ofJohn, and thereupon set on foot an opinion that he preacht three years and an half; and so died in the 19th year ofTiberius. Others afterwards, finding the opinion that he died in the EquinoxMar.25, more consonant to the times of theJewishPassover, in the 17th and 20th years, have placed his death in one of those two years. Neither is there any greater certainty in the opinions about the time of his birth. The firstChristiansplaced his baptism near the beginning of the 15th year ofTiberius; and thence reckoning thirty years backwards, placed his birth in the 43dJulianyear, the 42d ofAugustusand 28th of theActiacvictory. This was the opinion which obtained in the first ages, tillDionysius Exiguus, placing the baptism ofChristin the 16th year ofTiberius, and misinterpreting the text ofLuke, iii. 23. as ifJesuswas only beginning to be 30 years old when he was baptized, invented the vulgar account, in which his birth is placed two years later than before. As therefore relating to these things there is no tradition worth considering; let us lay aside all and examine what prejudices can be gathered from records of good account.
The fifteenth year ofTiberiusbeganAug.28,An. J.P.4727. So soon as the winter was over, and the weather became warm enough, we may reckon thatJohnbegan to baptize; and that before next winter his fame went abroad, and all the people came to his baptism, andJesusamong the rest. Whence the first Passover after his baptism mentionedJohnii. 13. was in the 16th year ofTiberius. After this feastJesuscame into the land ofJudea, and staid there baptizing, whilstJohnwas baptizing inÆnon,Johniii. 22, 23. But when he heard thatJohnwas cast into prison, he departed intoGalilee,Mat.iii. 12. being afraid, because the Pharisees had heard that he baptized more disciples thanJohn,Johniv. 1. and in his journey he passed thro'Samariafour months before the harvest,Johniv. 35. that is, about the time of the winter Solstice. For their harvest was betweenEasterandWhitsunday, and began about a month after the vernal Equinox.Say not ye, saith he,there are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest; meaning, that the people in the fields were ready for the Gospel, as his next words shew[1].Johntherefore was imprisoned aboutNovember, in the 17th year ofTiberius; andChristthereupon went fromJudeatoCanaofGalileeinDecember, and was received there of theGalileans, who had seen all he did atJerusalemat the Passover: and when a Nobleman ofCapernaumheard he was returned intoGalilee, and went to him and desired him to come and cure his son, he went not thither yet, but only said,Go thy way, thy son liveth; and the Nobleman returned and found it so, and believed, he and his house, John iv. This is the beginning of his miracles inGalilee; and thus farJohnis full and distinct in relating the actions of his first year, omitted by the other Evangelists. The rest of his history is from this time related more fully by the other Evangelists than byJohn; for what they relate he omits.
From this time thereforeJesustaught in the Synagogues ofGalileeon the sabbath-days, being glorified of all: and coming to his own cityNazareth, and preaching in their Synagogue, they were offended, and thrust him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which the city was built to cast him headlong; but he passing thro' the midst of them, went his way, and came and dwelt atCapernaum,Lukeiv. And by this time we may reckon the second Passover was either past or at hand.
All this timeMatthewpasseth over in few words, and here begins to relate the preaching and miracles ofChrist.WhenJesus, saith he,had heard thatJohnwas cast into prison, he departed intoGalilee; and leavingNazareth, he came and dwelt atCapernaum, and from that time began to preach and say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, Matth. iv. 12. Afterwards he called his disciplesPeter,Andrew,JamesandJohn; and thenwent about allGalilee,teaching in the Synagogues,—and healing all manner of sickness:—and his fame went thro'out allSyria; and they brought unto him all sick people,—and there followed him great multitudes of people fromGalilee, and fromDecapolis, and fromJerusalem, and fromJudea, and from beyondJordan, Matth, iv. 18, 25. All this was done before the sermon in the mount: and therefore we may certainly reckon that the second Passover was past before the preaching of that sermon. The multitudes that followed him fromJerusalemandJudea, shew that he had lately been there at the feast. The sermon in the mount was made when great multitudes came to him from all places, and followed him in the open fields; which is an argument of the summer-season: and in this sermon he pointed at the lilies of the field then in the flower before the eyes of his auditors.Consider, saith he,the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yetSolomonin all his glory was not arayed like one of these. Wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven, &c.Matth.vi. 28. So therefore the grass of the field was now in the flower, and by consequence the month ofMarchwith the Passover was past.
Let us see therefore how the rest of the feasts follow in order inMatthew's Gospel: for he was an eye-witness of what he relates, and so tells all things in due order of time, whichMarkandLukedo not.
Some time after the sermon in the mount, when the time came that he should be received, that is, when the time of a feast came that he should be received by theJews, he set his face to go toJerusalem: and as he went with his disciples in the way, when theSamaritansin his passage thro'Samariahad denied him lodgings, and a certain Scribe said unto him,Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest, Jesussaid unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head, Matth. viii. 19. Luke ix. 51, 57. The Scribe toldChristhe would bear him company in his journey, andChristreplied that he wanted a lodging. Now this feast I take to be the feast of Tabernacles, because soon after I findChristand his Apostles on the sea ofTiberiasin a storm so great, that the ship was covered with water and in danger of sinking, tillChrist rebuked the winds and the sea, Matth. viii. 23. For this storm shews that winter was now come on.
After thisChristdid many miracles, andwent about all the cities and villages ofGalilee, teaching in their Synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness, and every disease among the people, Matth. ix. he then sent forth the twelve to do the like,Matth.x. and at length when he had received a message fromJohn, and answered it, he said to the multitudes,From the days ofJohnthe Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence; and upbraided the cities,Chorazin,Bethsaida, andCapernaum, wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not,Matth.xi. Which several passages shew, that from the imprisonment ofJohntill now there had been a considerable length of time: the winter was now past, and the next Passover was at hand; for immediately after this,Matthew, in chap. xii. subjoins, thatJesus went on the sabbath-day thro' the corn, and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat,—rubbing them, saithLuke,in their hands: the corn therefore was not only in the ear, but ripe; and consequently the Passover, in which the first-fruits were always offered before the harvest, was now come or past.Lukecalls this sabbathδευτεροπρωτον, the second prime sabbath, that is, the second of the two great feasts of the Passover. As we callEasterday highEaster, and itsoctavelowEasterorLowsunday: soLukecalls the feast on the seventh day of the unlevened bread, the second of the two prime sabbaths.
In one of the sabbaths following he went into a Synagogue, and healed a man with a withered hand,Matth.xii. 9.Lukevi. 6. And when the Pharisees took counsel to destroy him,he withdrew himself from thence, and great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all, and charged them that they should not make him known, Matth. xii. 14. Afterwards being in a ship, and the multitude standing on the shore, he spake to them three parables together, taken from the seeds-men sowing the fields,Matth.xiii. by which we may know that it was now seed-time, and by consequence that the feast of Tabernacles was past. After this he wentinto his own country, and taught them in their Synagogue, butdid not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Then the twelve having been abroad a year, returned, and toldJesusall that they had done: and at the same timeHerodbeheadedJohnin prison, and his disciples came and toldJesus; and whenJesusheard it, he took the twelve and departed thence privately by ship into a desert place belonging toBethsaida: and the people when they knew it, followed him on foot out of the cities, the winter being now past; and he healed their sick, and in the desert fed them to the number of five thousand men, besides women and children, with only five loaves and two fishes,Matth.xiv.Lukeix. at the doing of which miracle the Passover of theJewswas nigh,Johnvi. 4. ButJesuswent not up to this feast; butafter these things walked inGalilee, because theJews at the Passover before had taken counsel to destroy him, and stillsought to kill him, John vii. i. Henceforward therefore he is found first in the coast ofTyreandSidon, then by the sea ofGalilee, afterwards in the coast ofCæsarea Philippi; and lastly atCapernaum,Matth.xv. 21, 29. xvi. 13. xvii. 34.
Afterwards when the feast of Tabernacles was at hand, his brethren upbraided him for walking secretly, and urged him to go up to the feast. But he went not till they were gone, and then went up privately,Johnvii. 2. and when theJewssought to stone him, he escaped,Johnviii. 59. After this he was at the feast of the Dedication in winter,Johnx. 22. and when they sought again to take him, he fled beyondJordan,Johnx. 39, 40.Matth. xix. 1. where he stayed till the death ofLazarus, and then came toBethanynearJerusalem, and raised him,Johnxi. 7, 18. whereupon theJewstook counsel from that time to kill him: andthereforehewalked no more openly among theJews, but went thence into a country near to the wilderness, into a city calledEphraim; and there continued with his disciplestill the last Passover, in which theJewsput him to death,Johnxi. 53, 54.
Thus have we, in the Gospels ofMatthewandJohncompared together, the history ofChrist's actions in continual order during five Passovers.Johnis more distinct in the beginning and end;Matthewin the middle: what either omits, the other supplies. The first Passover was between the baptism ofChristand the imprisonment ofJohn, Johnii. 13. the second within four months after the imprisonment ofJohn, andChrist's beginning to preach inGalilee,Johniv. 35. and therefore it was either that feast to whichJesuswent up, when the Scribe desired to follow him,Matth.viii. 19.Lukeix. 51, 57. or the feast before it. The third was the next feast after it, when the corn was eared and ripe,Matth, xii. 1.Lukevi. 1. The fourth was that which was nigh at hand whenChristwrought the miracle of the five loaves,Matth. xiv. 15.Johnvi. 4, 5. and the fifth was that in whichChristsuffered,Matth.xx. 17.Johnxii. 1.
Between the first and second PassoverJohnandChristbaptized together, till the imprisonment ofJohn, which was four months before the second. ThenChristbegan to preach, and call his disciples; and after he had instructed them a year, lent them to preach in the cities of theJews: at the same timeJohnhearing of the fame ofChrist, sent to him to know who he was. At the third, the chief Priests began to consult about the death ofChrist. A little before the fourth, the twelve after they had preached a year in all the cities, returned toChrist; and at the same timeHerodbeheadedJohnin prison, after he had been in prison two years and a quarter: and thereuponChristfled into the desart for fear ofHerod. The fourthChristwent not up toJerusalemfor fear of theJews, who at the Passover before had consulted his death, and because his time was not yet come. Thenceforward therefore till the feast of Tabernacles he walked inGalilee, and that secretly for fear ofHerod: and after the feast of Tabernacles he returned no more intoGalilee, but sometimes was atJerusalem, and sometimes retired beyondJordan, or to the cityEphraimby the wilderness, till the Passover in which he was betrayed, apprehended, and crucified.
Johntherefore baptized two summers, andChristpreached three. The first summerJohnpreached to make himself known, in order to give testimony toChrist. Then, afterChristcame to his baptism and was made known to him, he baptized another summer, to makeChristknown by his testimony; andChristalso baptized the same summer, to make himself the more known: and by reason ofJohn's testimony there came more toChrist's baptism than toJohn's. The winter followingJohnwas imprisoned; and now his course being at an end,Christentered upon his proper office of preaching in the cities. In the beginning of his preaching he completed the number of the twelve Apostles, and instructed them all the first year in order to send them abroad. Before the end of this year, his fame by his preaching and miracles was so far spread abroad, that theJewsat the Passover following consulted how to kill him. In the second year of his preaching, it being no longer safe for him to converse openly inJudea, he sent the twelve to preach in all their cities: and in the end of the year they returned to him, and told him all they had done. All the last year the twelve continued with him to be instructed more perfectly, in order to their preaching to all nations after his death. And upon the news ofJohn's death, being afraid ofHerodas well as of theJews, he walked this year more secretly than before; frequenting desarts, and spending the last half of the year inJudea, without the dominions ofHerod.
Thus have we in the Gospels ofMatthewandJohnall things told in due order, from the beginning ofJohn's preaching to the death ofChrist, and the years distinguished from one another by such essential characters that they cannot be mistaken. The second Passover is distinguished from the first, by the interposition ofJohn's imprisonment. The third is distinguished from the second, by a double character: first, by the interposition of the feast to whichChristwent up,Mat.viii. 19.Lukeix. 57. and secondly, by the distance of time from the beginning ofChrist's preaching: for the second was in the beginning of his preaching, and the third so long after, that before it cameChristsaid,from the days ofJohnthe Baptist until now, &c. and upbraided the cities ofGalileefor their not repenting at his preaching, and mighty works done in all that time. The fourth is distinguished from the third, by the mission of the twelve fromChristto preach in the cities ofJudeain all the interval. The fifth is distinguished from all the former by the twelve's being returned from preaching, and continuing withChristduring all the interval, between the fourth and fifth, and by the passion and other infallible characters.
Now since the first summer ofJohn's baptizing fell in the fifteenth year of the EmperorTiberius, and by consequence the first of these five Passovers in his sixteenth year; the last of them, in whichJesussuffered, will fall on the twentieth year of the same Emperor; and by consequence in the Consulship ofFabiusandVitellius, in the 79thJulianyear, and year ofChrist34, which was the sabbatical year of theJews. And that it did so, I further confirm by these arguments.
I take it for granted that the passion was on friday the 14th day of the monthNisan, the great feast of the Passover on saturday the 15th day ofNisan, and the resurrection on the day following. Now the 14th day ofNisanalways fell on the full moon next after the vernal Equinox; and the month began at the new moon before, not at the true conjunction, but at the first appearance of the new moon: for theJewsreferred all the time of the silent moon, as they phrased it, that is, of the moon's disappearing, to the old moon; and because the first appearance might usually be about 18 hours after the true conjunction, they therefore began their month from the sixth hour at evening, that is, at sun set, next after the eighteenth hour from the conjunction. And this rule they calledיהJah, designing by the lettersיandהthe number 18.
I know thatEpiphaniustells us, if some interpret his words rightly, that theJewsused a vicious cycle, and thereby anticipated the legal new moons by two days. But this surely he spake not as a witness, for he neither understoodAstronomynorRabbinicallearning, but as arguing from his erroneous hypothesis about the time of the passion. For theJewsdid not anticipate, but postpone their months: they thought it lawful to begin their months a day later than the first appearance of the new moon, because the new moon continued for more days than one; but not a day sooner, lest they should celebrate the new moon before there was any. And theJewsstill keep a tradition in their books, that theSanhedrimused diligently to define the new moons by sight: sending witnesses into mountainous places, and examining them about the moon's appearing, and translating the new moon from the day they had agreed on to the day before, as often as witnesses came from distant regions, who had seen it a day sooner than it was seen atJerusalem. AccordinglyJosephus, one of theJewishPriests who ministred in the temple, tells us[2]that the Passover was kepton the 14th day ofNisan,κατα σεληνηνaccording to the moon, when the sun was inAries. This is confirmed also by two instances, recorded by him, which totally overthrow the hypothesis of theJewsusing a vicious cycle. For that year in whichJerusalemwas taken and destroyed, he saith, the Passover was on the 14th day of the monthXanticus, which according toJosephusis ourApril; and that five years before, it fell on the 8th day of the same month. Which two instances agree with the course of the moon.
Computing therefore the new moons of the first month according to the course of the moon and the ruleJah, and thence counting 14 days, I find that the 14th day of this month in the year ofChrist31, fell on tuesdayMarch27; in the year 32, on sundayApr.13; in the year 33, on fridayApr.3; in the year 34, on wednesdayMarch24, or rather, for avoiding the Equinox which fell on the same day, and for having a fitter time for harvest, on thursdayApr.22. also in the year 35, on tuesdayApr.12. and in the year 36, on saturdayMarch31.
But because the 15th and 21st days ofNisan, and a day or two ofPentecost, and the 10th, 15th, and 22d ofTisri, were always sabbatical days or days of rest, and it was inconvenient on two sabbaths together to be prohibited burying their dead and making ready fresh meat, for in that hot region their meat would be apt in two days to corrupt: to avoid these and such like inconveniences, theJewspostponed their months a day, as often as the first day of the monthTisri, or, which is all one, the third of the monthNisan, was sunday, wednesday or friday: and this rule they calledאדוAdu, by the lettersו , ד , אsignifying the numbers 1, 4, 6; that is, the 1st, 4th, and 6th days of the week; which days we call sunday, wednesday and friday. Postponing therefore by this rule the months found above; the 14th day of the monthNisanwill fall in the year ofChrist31, on wednesdayMarch28; in the year 32, on mondayApr.14; in the year 33, on fridayApr.3; in the year 34, on fridayApr.23; in the year 35, on wednesdayApr.13, and in the year 36, on saturdayMarch31.
By this computation therefore the year 32 is absolutely excluded, because the Passion cannot fall on friday without making it five days after the full moon, or two days before it; whereas it ought to be upon the day of the full moon, or the next day. For the same reason the years 31 and 35 are excluded, because in them the Passion cannot fall on friday, without making it three days after the full moon, or four days before it: errors so enormous, that they would be very conspicuous in the heavens to every vulgar eye. The year 36 is contended for by few or none, and both this and the year 35 may be thus excluded.
Tiberiusin the beginning of his reign madeValerius GratusPresident ofJudea; and after 11 years, substitutedPontius Pilate, who governed 10 years. ThenVitellius, newly made President ofSyria, deprived him of his honour, substitutingMarcellus, and at length sent him toRome: but, by reason of delays,Tiberiusdied beforePilategot thither. In the mean timeVitellius, after he had deposedPilate, came toJerusalemin the time of the Passover, to visit that Province as well as others in the beginning of his office; and in the place ofCaiaphas, then High Priest, createdJonathasthe son ofAnanus, orAnnasas he is called in scripture. Afterwards, whenVitelliuswas returned toAntioch, he received letters fromTiberius, to make peace withArtabanusking of theParthians. At the same time theAlans, by the sollicitation ofTiberius, invaded the kingdom ofArtabanus; and his subjects also, by the procurement ofVitellius, soon after rebelled: forTiberiusthought thatArtabanus, thus pressed with difficulties, would more readily accept the conditions of peace.Artabanustherefore straightway gathering a greater army, opprest the rebels; and then meetingVitelliusatEuphrates, made a league with theRomans. After thisTiberiuscommandedVitelliusto make war uponAretasKing ofArabia. He therefore leading his army againstAretas, went together withHerodtoJerusalem, to sacrifice at the publick feast which was then to be celebrated. Where being received honourably, he stayed three days, and in the mean while translated the high Priesthood fromJonathasto his brotherTheophilus: and the fourth day, receiving letters of the death ofTiberius, made the people swear allegiance toCaiusthe new Emperor; and recalling his army, sent them into quarters. All this is related byJosephusAntiq.lib.18.c.6, 7. NowTiberiusreigned 22 years and 7 months, and diedMarch16, in the beginning of the year ofChrist37; and the feast of the Passover fell onApril20 following, that is, 35 days after the death ofTiberius: so that there were about 36 or 38 days, for the news of his death to come fromRometoVitelliusatJerusalem; which being a convenient time for that message, confirms that the feast whichVitelliusandHerodnow went up to was the Passover. For had it been the Pentecost, as is usually supposed,Vitelliuswould have continued three months ignorant of the Emperor's death: which is not to be supposed. However, the things done between this feast and the Passover whichVitelliuswas at before, namely, the stirring up a sedition inParthia, the quieting that sedition, the making a league after that with theParthians, the sending news of that league toRome, the receiving new orders from thence to go against theArabians, and the putting those orders in execution; required much more time than the fifty days between the Passover and Pentecost of the same year: and therefore the Passover whichVitelliusfirst went up to, was in the year before. ThereforePilatewas deposed before the Passover A.C. 36, and by consequence the passion ofChristwas before that Passover: for he suffered not underVitellius, nor underVitelliusandPilatetogether, but underPilatealone.
Now it is observable that the high Priesthood was at this time become an annual office, and the Passover was the time of making a new high Priest. ForGratusthe predecessor ofPilate, saithJosephus, madeIsmaelhigh Priest afterAnanus; and a while after, suppose a year, deposed him, and substitutedEleazar, and a year afterSimon, and after another yearCaiaphas; and then gave way toPilate. SoVitelliusat one Passover madeJonathassuccessor toCaiaphas, and at the nextTheophilustoJonathas. HenceLuketells us, that in the 15th year ofTiberius,AnnasandCaiaphaswere high Priests, that is,Annastill the Passover, andCaiaphasafterwards. AccordinglyJohnspeaks of the high Priesthood as an annual office: for he tells us again and again, in the last year ofChrist's preaching, thatCaiaphaswas high Priest for that year,Johnxi. 49, 51. xviii. 13. And the next yearLuketells you, thatAnnaswas high Priest,Actsiv. 6.Theophiluswas therefore made high Priest in the first year ofCaius,Jonathasin the 22d year ofTiberius, andCaiaphasin the 21st year of the same Emperor: and therefore, allotting a year to each, the Passion, whenAnnassucceededCaiaphas, could not be later than the 20th year ofTiberius, A.C. 34.
Thus there remain only the years 33 and 34 to be considered; and the year 33 I exclude by this argument. In the Passover two years before the Passion, whenChristwent thro' the corn, and his disciples pluckt the ears, and rubbed them with their hands to eat; this ripeness of the corn shews that the Passover then fell late: and so did the Passover A.C. 32,April 14, but the Passover A.C. 31,March 28th, fell very early. It was not therefore two years after the year 31, but two years after 32 thatChristsuffered.
Thus all the characters of the Passion agree to the year 34; and that is the only year to which they all agree.
[1]I observe, thatChristand his forerunnerJohnin their parabolical discourses were wont to allude to things present. The old Prophets, when they would describe things emphatically, did not only draw parables from things which offered themselves, as from the rent of a garment, 1Sam.xv. from the sabbatic year,Isa.xxxvii. from the vessels of a Potter,Jer.xviii, &c. but also when such fit objects were wanting, they supplied them by their own actions, as by rending a garment, 1Kingsxi. by shooting, 2Kingsxiii. by making bare their body,Isa.xx. by imposing significant names to their sons,Isa.viii.Hos.i. by hiding a girdle in the bank ofEuphrates,Jer.xiii. by breaking a potter's vessel,Jer.xix. by putting on fetters and yokes,Jer.xxvii. by binding a book to a stone, and casting them both intoEuphrates,Jer.li. by besieging a painted city,Ezek.iv. by dividing hair into three parts,Ezek.v. by making a chain,Ezek.vii. by carrying out houshold stuff like a captive and trembling,Ezek.xii, &c. By such kind of types the Prophets loved to speak. AndChristbeing endued with a nobler prophetic spirit than the rest, excelled also in this kind of speaking, yet so as not to speak by his own actions, that was less grave and decent, but to turn into parables such things as offered themselves. On occasion of the harvest approaching, he admonishes his disciples once and again of the spiritual harvest,Johniv. 35.Matth.ix. 37. Seeing the lilies of the field, he admonishes his disciples about gay clothing,Matth.vi. 28. In allusion to the present season of fruits, he admonishes his disciples about knowing men by their fruits,Matth.vii. 16. In the time of the Passover, when trees put forth leaves, he bids his discipleslearn a parable from the fig tree: when its branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh, &c.Matth.xxiv. 32.Lukexxi. 29. The same day, alluding both to the season of the year and to his passion, which was to be two days after, he formed a parable of the time of fruits approaching, and the murdering of the heir,Matth.xxi. 33. Alluding at the same time, both to the money-changers whom he had newly driven out of the Temple, and to his passion at hand; he made a parable of a Noble-man going into a far country to receive a kingdom and return, and delivering his goods to his servants, and at his return condemning the slothful servant because he put not his money to the exchangers,Matth.xxv. 14.Lukexix. 12. Being near the Temple where sheep were kept in folds to be sold for the sacrifices, he spake many things parabolically of sheep, of the shepherd, and of the door of the sheepfold; and discovers that he alluded to the sheepfolds which were to be hired in the market-place, by speaking of such folds as a thief could not enter by the door, nor the shepherd himself open, but a porter opened to the shepherd,Johnx. 1, 3. Being in the mount ofOlives,Matth.xxxvi. 30.Johnxiv. 31. a place so fertile that it could not want vines, he spake many things mystically of the Husbandman, and of the vine and its branches,Johnxv. Meeting a blind man, he admonished of spiritual blindness,Johnix. 39. At the sight of little children, he described once and again the innocence of the elect,Matth.xviii. 2. xix. 13. Knowing thatLazaruswas dead and should be raised again, he discoursed of the resurrection and life eternal,Johnxi. 25, 26. Hearing of the slaughter of some whomPilatehad slain, he admonished of eternal death,Lukexiii. 1. To his fishermen he spake of fishers of men,Matth.iv. 10. and composed another parable about fishes.Matth.xiii. 47. Being by the Temple, he spake of the Temple of his body,Johnii. 19. At supper he spake a parable about the mystical supper to come in the kingdom of heaven,Lukexiv. On occasion of temporal food, he admonished his disciples of spiritual food, and of eating his flesh and drinking his blood mystically,Johnvi. 27, 53. When his disciples wanted bread, he bad them beware of the leven of the Pharisees,Matth.xvi. 6. Being desired to eat, he answered that he had other meat,Johniv. 31. In the great day of the feast of Tabernacles, when theJews, as their custom was, brought a great quantity of waters from the riverShiloahinto the Temple,Christstood and cried, saying,If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth in me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water, John vii. 37. The next day, in allusion to the servants who by reason of the sabbatical year were newly set free, he said,If ye continue in my word, the truth shall make you free. Which theJewsunderstanding literally with respect to the present manumission of servants, answered,We beAbraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayeth thou, ye shall be made free?John viii. They assert their freedom by a double argument: first, because they were the seed ofAbraham, and therefore newly made free, had they been ever in bondage; and then, because they never were in bondage. In the last Passover, whenHerodled his army thro'JudeaagainstAretasKing ofArabia, becauseAretaswas aggressor and the stronger in military forces, as appeared by the event;Christalluding to that state of things, composed the parable of a weaker King leading his army against a stronger who made war upon him,Lukexiv. 31. And I doubt not but divers other parables were formed upon other occasions, the history of which we have not.[2]Joseph. Antiq. lib. 3. c. 10.
[1]I observe, thatChristand his forerunnerJohnin their parabolical discourses were wont to allude to things present. The old Prophets, when they would describe things emphatically, did not only draw parables from things which offered themselves, as from the rent of a garment, 1Sam.xv. from the sabbatic year,Isa.xxxvii. from the vessels of a Potter,Jer.xviii, &c. but also when such fit objects were wanting, they supplied them by their own actions, as by rending a garment, 1Kingsxi. by shooting, 2Kingsxiii. by making bare their body,Isa.xx. by imposing significant names to their sons,Isa.viii.Hos.i. by hiding a girdle in the bank ofEuphrates,Jer.xiii. by breaking a potter's vessel,Jer.xix. by putting on fetters and yokes,Jer.xxvii. by binding a book to a stone, and casting them both intoEuphrates,Jer.li. by besieging a painted city,Ezek.iv. by dividing hair into three parts,Ezek.v. by making a chain,Ezek.vii. by carrying out houshold stuff like a captive and trembling,Ezek.xii, &c. By such kind of types the Prophets loved to speak. AndChristbeing endued with a nobler prophetic spirit than the rest, excelled also in this kind of speaking, yet so as not to speak by his own actions, that was less grave and decent, but to turn into parables such things as offered themselves. On occasion of the harvest approaching, he admonishes his disciples once and again of the spiritual harvest,Johniv. 35.Matth.ix. 37. Seeing the lilies of the field, he admonishes his disciples about gay clothing,Matth.vi. 28. In allusion to the present season of fruits, he admonishes his disciples about knowing men by their fruits,Matth.vii. 16. In the time of the Passover, when trees put forth leaves, he bids his discipleslearn a parable from the fig tree: when its branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh, &c.Matth.xxiv. 32.Lukexxi. 29. The same day, alluding both to the season of the year and to his passion, which was to be two days after, he formed a parable of the time of fruits approaching, and the murdering of the heir,Matth.xxi. 33. Alluding at the same time, both to the money-changers whom he had newly driven out of the Temple, and to his passion at hand; he made a parable of a Noble-man going into a far country to receive a kingdom and return, and delivering his goods to his servants, and at his return condemning the slothful servant because he put not his money to the exchangers,Matth.xxv. 14.Lukexix. 12. Being near the Temple where sheep were kept in folds to be sold for the sacrifices, he spake many things parabolically of sheep, of the shepherd, and of the door of the sheepfold; and discovers that he alluded to the sheepfolds which were to be hired in the market-place, by speaking of such folds as a thief could not enter by the door, nor the shepherd himself open, but a porter opened to the shepherd,Johnx. 1, 3. Being in the mount ofOlives,Matth.xxxvi. 30.Johnxiv. 31. a place so fertile that it could not want vines, he spake many things mystically of the Husbandman, and of the vine and its branches,Johnxv. Meeting a blind man, he admonished of spiritual blindness,Johnix. 39. At the sight of little children, he described once and again the innocence of the elect,Matth.xviii. 2. xix. 13. Knowing thatLazaruswas dead and should be raised again, he discoursed of the resurrection and life eternal,Johnxi. 25, 26. Hearing of the slaughter of some whomPilatehad slain, he admonished of eternal death,Lukexiii. 1. To his fishermen he spake of fishers of men,Matth.iv. 10. and composed another parable about fishes.Matth.xiii. 47. Being by the Temple, he spake of the Temple of his body,Johnii. 19. At supper he spake a parable about the mystical supper to come in the kingdom of heaven,Lukexiv. On occasion of temporal food, he admonished his disciples of spiritual food, and of eating his flesh and drinking his blood mystically,Johnvi. 27, 53. When his disciples wanted bread, he bad them beware of the leven of the Pharisees,Matth.xvi. 6. Being desired to eat, he answered that he had other meat,Johniv. 31. In the great day of the feast of Tabernacles, when theJews, as their custom was, brought a great quantity of waters from the riverShiloahinto the Temple,Christstood and cried, saying,If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth in me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water, John vii. 37. The next day, in allusion to the servants who by reason of the sabbatical year were newly set free, he said,If ye continue in my word, the truth shall make you free. Which theJewsunderstanding literally with respect to the present manumission of servants, answered,We beAbraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayeth thou, ye shall be made free?John viii. They assert their freedom by a double argument: first, because they were the seed ofAbraham, and therefore newly made free, had they been ever in bondage; and then, because they never were in bondage. In the last Passover, whenHerodled his army thro'JudeaagainstAretasKing ofArabia, becauseAretaswas aggressor and the stronger in military forces, as appeared by the event;Christalluding to that state of things, composed the parable of a weaker King leading his army against a stronger who made war upon him,Lukexiv. 31. And I doubt not but divers other parables were formed upon other occasions, the history of which we have not.
[2]Joseph. Antiq. lib. 3. c. 10.
Of the Prophecy of the Scripture of Truth.
The kingdoms represented by the second and third Beasts, or the Bear and Leopard, are again described byDanielin his last Prophecy written in the third year ofCyrusoverBabylon, the year in which he conqueredPersia. For this Prophecy is a commentary upon the Vision of the Ram and He-Goat.
Behold, saith[1]he,there shall stand up yet three kings inPersia, [Cyrus,Cambyses, andDarius Hystaspes]and the fourth[Xerxes]shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength thro' his riches he shall stir up all against the realm ofGrecia. And a mighty king[Alexanderthe great]shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided towards the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity[but after their death,]nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be pluckt up, even for others besides those.Alexanderthe great having conquered all thePersianEmpire, and some part ofIndia, died atBabylona month before the summer Solstice, in the year ofNabonassar425: and his captains gave the monarchy to his bastard brotherPhilip Aridæus, a man disturbed in his understanding; and madePerdiccasadministrator of the kingdom.Perdiccaswith their consent madeMeleagercommander of the army,Seleucusmaster of the horse,Craterustreasurer of the kingdom,Antipatergovernor ofMacedonandGreece,Ptolemygovernor ofEgypt;Antigonusgovernor ofPamphylia,Lycia,Lycaonia, andPhrygia major;Lysimachusgovernor ofThrace, and other captains governors of other Provinces; as many as had been so before in the days ofAlexanderthe great. TheBabyloniansbegan now to count by a newÆra, which they called theÆraofPhilip, using the years ofNabonassar, and reckoning the 425th year ofNabonassarto be the first year ofPhilip.Roxanathe wife ofAlexanderbeing left big with child, and about three or four months after brought to bed of a son, they called himAlexander, saluted him King, and joined him withPhilip, whom they had before placed in the throne.Philipreigned three years under the administratorship ofPerdiccas, two years more under the administratorship ofAntipater, and above a year more under that ofPolyperchon; in all six years and four months; and then was slain with his QueenEurydiceinSeptemberby the command ofOlympiasthe mother ofAlexanderthe great. TheGreeksbeing disgusted at the cruelties ofOlympias, revolted toCassanderthe son and successor ofAntipater.Cassanderaffecting the dominion ofGreece, slewOlympias; and soon after shut up the young kingAlexander, with his motherRoxana, in the castle ofAmphipolis, under the charge ofGlaucias,An. Nabonass.432. The next yearPtolemy,CassanderandLysimachus, by means ofSeleucus, form'd a league againstAntigonus; and after certain wars made peace with him,An. Nabonass.438, upon these conditions: thatCassandershould command the forces ofEuropetillAlexanderthe son ofRoxanacame to age; and thatLysimachusshould governThrace,PtolemyEgyptandLybia, andAntigonusallAsia.Seleucushad possest himself ofMesopotamia,Babylonia,SustanaandMedia, the year before. About three years afterAlexander's death he was made governor ofBabylonbyAntipater; then was expelled byAntigonus; but now he recovered and enlarged his government over a great part of theEast: which gave occasion to a newÆra, calledÆra Seleucidarum. Not long after the peace made withAntigonus,Diodorussaith the sameOlympicyear;Cassander, seeing thatAlexanderthe son ofRoxanagrew up, and that it was discoursed thro'outMacedoniathat it was fit he should be set at liberty, and take upon him the government of his father's kingdom, commandedGlauciasthe governor of the castle to killRoxanaand the young kingAlexanderher son, and conceal their deaths. ThenPolyperchonset upHercules, the son ofAlexanderthe great byBarsinè, to be king; and soon after, at the sollicitation ofCassander, caused him to be slain. Soon after that, upon a great victory at sea got byDemetriusthe son ofAntigonusoverPtolemy,Antigonustook upon himself the title of king, and gave the same title to his son. This wasAn. Nabonass.441. After his example,Seleucus,Cassander,LysimachusandPtolemy, took upon themselves the title and dignity of kings, having abstained from this honour while there remained any ofAlexander's race to inherit the crown. Thus the monarchy of theGreeksfor want of an heir was broken into several kingdoms; four of which, seatedto the four winds of heaven, were very eminent. ForPtolemyreigned overEgypt,LybiaandEthiopia;AntigonusoverSyriaand the lesserAsia;LysimachusoverThrace; andCassanderoverMacedon,GreeceandEpirus, as above.
Seleucusat this time reigned over the nations which were beyondEuphrates, and belonged to the bodies of the two first Beasts; but after six years he conqueredAntigonus, and thereby became possest of one of the four kingdoms. ForCassanderbeing afraid of the power ofAntigonus, combined withLysimachus,PtolemyandSeleucus, against him: and whileLysimachusinvaded the parts ofAsianext theHellespont,PtolemysubduedPhœniciaandCœlosyria, with the sea-coasts ofAsia.
Seleucuscame down with a powerful army intoCappadocia, and joining the confederate forces, foughtAntigonusinPhrygiaand flew him, and seized his kingdom,An. Nabonass.447. After whichSeleucusbuiltAntioch,Seleucia,Laodicea,Apamea,Berrhæa,Edessa, and other cities inSyriaandAsia; and in them granted theJewsequal privileges with theGreeks.
Demetriusthe son ofAntigonusretained but a small part of his father's dominions, and at length lostCyprustoPtolemy; but afterwards killingAlexander, the son and successor ofCassanderking ofMacedon, he seized his kingdom,An. Nabonass.454. Sometime after, preparing a very great army to recover his father's dominions inAsia;Seleucus,Ptolemy,LysimachusandPyrrhusking ofEpirus, combined against him; andPyrrhusinvadingMacedon, corrupted the army ofDemetrius, put him to flight, seized his kingdom, and shared it withLysimachus. After seven months,LysimachusbeatingPyrrhus, tookMacedonfrom him, and held it five years and a half, uniting the kingdoms ofMacedonandThrace.Lysimachusin his wars withAntigonusandDemetrius, had taken from themCaria,Lydia, andPhrygia; and had a treasury inPergamus, a castle on the top of a conical hill inPhrygia, by the riverCaicus, the custody of which he had committed to onePhiletærus, who was at first faithful to him, but in the last year of his reign revolted. ForLysimachus, having at the instigation of his wifeArsinoe, slain first his own sonAgathocles, and then several that lamented him; the wife ofAgathoclesfled with her children and brothers, and some others of their friends, and sollicitedSeleucusto make war uponLysimachus; whereuponPhiletærusalso, who grieved at the death ofAgathocles, and was accused thereof byArsinoe, took up arms, and sided withSeleucus. On this occasionSeleucusandLysimachusmet and fought inPhrygia; andLysimachusbeing slain in the battel, lost his kingdom toSeleucus,An. Nabonass.465. Thus the Empire of theGreeks, which at first brake into four kingdoms, became now reduced into two notable ones, henceforward called byDanielthe kings of theSouthandNorth. ForPtolemynow reigned overEgypt,Lybia,Ethiopia,Arabia,Phœnicia,Cœlosyria, andCyprus; andSeleucus, having united three of the four kingdoms, had a dominion scarce inferior to that of thePersianEmpire, conquered byAlexanderthe great. All which is thus represented byDaniel:[2]And the king of theSouth [Ptolemy]shall be strong, and one of his Princes[Seleucus, one ofAlexander's Princes]shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.
AfterSeleucushad reigned seven months overMacedon,Greece,Thrace,Asia,Syria,Babylonia,Media, and all theEastas far asIndia;Ptolemy Ceraunus, the younger brother ofPtolemy Philadelphusking ofEgypt, slew him treacherously, and seized his dominions inEurope: whileAntiochus Soter, the son ofSeleucus, succeeded his father inAsia,Syria, and most of theEast; and after nineteen or twenty years was succeeded by his sonAntiochus Theos; who having a lasting war withPtolemy Philadelphus, at length composed the same by marryingBerenicethe daughter ofPhiladelphus: but after a reign of fifteen years, his first wifeLaodicepoisoned him, and set her sonSeleucus Callinicusupon the throne.Callinicusin the beginning of his reign, by the impulse of his motherLaodice, besiegedBereniceinDaphnenearAntioch, and slew her with her young son and many of her women. WhereuponPtolemy Euergetes, the son and successor ofPhiladelphus, made war uponCallinicus; took from himPhœnicia,Syria,Cilicia,Mesopotamia,Babylonia,Sustana, and some other regions; and carried back intoEgypt40000 talents of silver, and 2500 images of the Gods, amongst which were the Gods ofEgyptcarried away byCambyses.Antiochus Hieraxat first assisted his brotherCallinicus, but afterwards contended with him forAsia. In the mean timeEumenesgovernor ofPergamusbeatAntiochus, and took from them both allAsiawestward of mountTaurus. This was in the fifth year ofCallinicus, who after an inglorious reign of 20 years was succeeded by his sonSeleucus Ceraunus; andEuergetesafter four years more,An. Nabonass.527, was succeeded by his sonPtolemy Philopator. All which is thus signified byDaniel:[3]And in the end of years they[the kings of theSouthandNorth]shall join themselves together: for the king's daughter of theSouth [Berenice]shall come to the king of theNorthto make an agreement, but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall she stand, nor her seed, but she shall be delivered up, and he[Callinicus]that brought her, and he whom she brought forth, and they that strengthned her in[those]times, [or defended her in the siege ofDaphne.]But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his seat[her brotherEuergetes]who shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress[or fenced cities]of the king of theNorth, and shall act against them and prevail: and shall carry captives intoEgypt, their Gods with their Princes and precious vessels of silver and gold; and he shall continue some years after the king of theNorth.
Seleucus Ceraunus, inheriting the remains of his father's kingdom, and thinking to recover the rest, raised a great army against the governor ofPergamus, now King thereof, but died in the third year of his reign. His brother and successor,Antiochus Magnus, carrying on the war, took from the King ofPergamusalmost all the lesserAsia, recovering also the Provinces ofMedia,PersiaandBabylonia, from the governors who had revolted: and in the fifth year of his reign invadingCœlosyria, he with little opposition possest himself of a good part thereof; and the next year returning to invade the rest ofCœlosyriaandPhœnicia, beat the army ofPtolemy PhilopatornearBerytus; he then invadedPalestineand the neighbouring parts ofArabia, and the third year returned with an army of 78000: butPtolemycoming out ofEgyptwith an army of 75000, fought and routed him atRaphianearGaza, betweenPalestineandEgypt; and recovered allPhœniciaandCœlosyria,Ann. Nabonass.532. Being puffed up with this victory, and living in all manner of luxury, theEgyptiansrevolted, and had wars with him, but were overcome; and in the broils sixty thousandEgyptian Jewswere slain. All which is thus described byDaniel:[4]But his sons[Seleucus Ceraunus, andAntiochus Magnus, the sons ofCallinicus]shall be stirred up, and shall gather a great army; and he[Antiochus Magnus]shall come effectually and overflow, and pass thro' and return, and[again the next year]be stirred up[marching even]to his fortress, [the frontier towns ofEgypt;]and the King of theSouthshall be moved with choler, and come forth[the third year]and fight with him, even with the King of theNorth; and he[the King of theNorth]shall lead forth a great multitude, but the multitude shall be given into his hand. And the multitude being taken away, his heart shall be lifted up, and he shall cast down many ten thousands; but he shall not be strengthned by it: for the king of theNorthshall return, &c.
About twelve years after the battle betweenPhilopatorandAntiochus,Philopatordied; and left his kingdom to his young sonPtolemy Epiphanes, a child of five years old. ThereuponAntiochus Magnusconfederated withPhilipking ofMacedon, that they should each invade the dominions ofEpiphaneswhich lay next to them. Hence arose a various war betweenAntiochusandEpiphanes, each of them seizingPhœniciaandCœlosyriaby turns; whereby those countries were much afflicted by both parties. FirstAntiochusseized them; then oneScopasbeing sent with the army ofEgypt, recovered them fromAntiochus: the next year,An. Nabonass.550,Antiochusfought and routedScopasnear the fountains ofJordan, besieged him inSidon, took the city, and recoveredSyriaandPhœniciafromEgypt, theJewscoming over to him voluntarily. But about three years after, preparing for a war against theRomans, he came toRaphiaon the borders ofEgypt; made peace withEpiphanes, and gave him his daughterCleopatra: next autumn he passed theHellespontto invade the cities ofGreeceunder theRomanprotection, and took some of them; but was beaten by theRomansthe summer following, and forced to return back with his army intoAsia. Before the end of the year the fleet ofAntiochuswas beaten by the fleet of theRomansnearPhocæa: and at the same timeEpiphanesandCleopatrasent an embassy toRometo congratulate theRomanson their success against their fatherAntiochus, and to exhort them to prosecute the war against him intoAsia. TheRomansbeatAntiochusagain at sea nearEphesus, past their army over theHellespont, and obtain'd a great victory over him by land, took from him allAsiawestward of mountTaurus, gave it to the King ofPergamuswho assisted them in the war; and imposed a large tribute uponAntiochus. Thus the King ofPergamus, by the power of theRomans, recovered whatAntiochushad taken from him; andAntiochusretiring into the remainder of his kingdom, was slain two years after by thePersians, as he was robbing the Temple ofJupiter BelusinElymais, to raise money for theRomans. All which is thus described byDaniel.[5]For the King of theNorth [Antiochus]shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former; and shall certainly come, after certain years, with a great army and with much riches. And in those times there shall many stand up against the King of theSouth, [particularly theMacedonians;]also the robbers of thy people[theSamaritans, &c.]shall exalt themselves to establish the vision, but they shall fall. So the King of theNorthshall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities; and the arms of theSouthshall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there he any strength to withstand. But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which shall fail in his hand. He shall also set his face to go with the strength[or army]of all his kingdom, and make an agreement with him[atRaphia;]and he shall give him the daughter of women corrupting her; but she shall not stand his side, neither be for him. After this he shall turn his face unto the Isles, and shall take many: but a Prince for his own behalf[theRomans]shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him. Then he shall turn his face towards the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.
Seleucus Philopatorsucceeded his fatherAntiochus,Anno Nabonass.561, and reigned twelve years, but did nothing memorable, being sluggish, and intent upon raising money for theRomansto whom he was tributary. He was slain byHeliodorus, whom he had sent to rob the Temple ofJerusalem.Danielthus describes his reign.[6]Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom, but within few days be shall be destroyed, neither in anger nor in battle.
A little before the death ofPhilopator, his sonDemetriuswas sent hostage toRome, in the place ofAntiochus Epiphanes, the brother ofPhilopator; andAntiochuswas atAthensin his way home fromRome, whenPhilopatordied: whereuponHeliodorusthe treasurer of the kingdom, stept into the throne. ButAntiochusso managed his affairs, that theRomanskeptDemetriusatRome; and their ally the King ofPergamusexpelledHeliodorus, and placedAntiochusin the throne, whileDemetriusthe right heir remained an hostage atRome.Antiochusbeing thus made King by the friendship of the King ofPergamusreigned powerfully overSyriaand the neighbouring nations: but carried himself much below his dignity, stealing privately out of his palace, rambling up and down the city in disguise with one or two of his companions; conversing and drinking with people of the lowest rank, foreigners and strangers; frequenting the meetings of dissolute persons to feast and revel; clothing himself like theRomancandidates and officers, acting their parts like a mimick, and in publick festivals jesting and dancing with servants and light people, exposing himself by all manner of ridiculous gestures. This conduct made some take him for a madman, and call himAntiochusΕπιμενης. In the first year of his reign he deposedOniasthe high-Priest, and sold the high-Priesthood toJasonthe younger brother ofOnias: forJasonhad promised to give him 440 talents of silver for that office, and 15 more for a licence to erect a place of exercise for the training up of youth in the fashions of the heathen; which licence was granted by the King, and put in execution byJason. Then the King sending oneApolloniusintoEgyptto the coronation ofPtolemy Philometor, the young son ofPhilometorandCleopatra, and knowingPhilometornot to be well affected to his affairs inPhœnicia, provided for his own safety in those parts; and for that end came toJoppaandJerusalem, where he was honourably received; from thence he went in like manner with his little army to the cities ofPhœnicia, to establish himself againstEgypt, by courting the people, and distributing extraordinary favours amongst them. All which is thus represented byDaniel.[7]And in his[Philometor's]estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they[theSyrianswho set upHeliodorus]shall not give the honour of the kingdom. Yet he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries[made principally to the King ofPergamus;]and the arms[which in favour ofHeliodorusoppose him]shall be overflowed with a food from before him, and be broken; yea also[Oniasthe high-Priest]the Prince of the covenant. And after the league made with him,[the King ofEgypt, by sendingApolloniusto his coronation]he shall work deceitfully[against the King ofEgypt,]for he shall come up and shall become strong[inPhœnicia]with a small people. And he shall enter into the quiet and plentiful cities of the Province[ofPhœnicia;]and[to ingratiate himself with theJewsofPhœniciaandEgypt, and with their friends]he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers fathers: he shall scatter among them the prey and the spoil, and the riches[exacted from other places;]and shall forecast his devices against the strong holds[ofEgypt]even for a time.
These things were done in the first year of his reign,An. Nabonass.573. And thenceforward he forecast his devices against the strong holds ofEgypt, until the sixth year. For three years after, that is in the fourth year of his reign,Menelausbought the high-Priesthood fromJason, but not paying the price was sent for by the King; and the King, before he could hear the cause, went intoCiliciato appease a sedition there, and leftAndronicushis deputy atAntioch; in the mean time the brother ofMenelaus, to make up the money, conveyed several vessels out of the Temple, selling some of them atTyre, and sending others toAndronicus. WhenMenelauswas reproved for this byOnias, he causedOniasto be slain byAndronicus: for which fact the King at his return fromCiliciacausedAndronicusto be put to death. ThenAntiochusprepared his second expedition againstEgypt, which he performed in the sixth year of his reign,An. Nabonass.578: for upon the death ofCleopatra, the governors of her son the young King ofEgyptclaimedPhœniciaandCœlosyriafrom him as her dowry; and to recover those countries raised a great army.Antiochusconsidering that his father had not quitted the possession of those countries[8], denied they were her dowry; and with another great army met and fought theEgyptianson the borders ofEgypt, betweenPelusiumand the mountainCasius. He there beat them, and might have destroyed their whole army, but that he rode up and down, commanding his soldiers not to kill them, but to take them alive: by which humanity he gainedPelusium, and soon after allEgypt; entring it with a vast multitude of foot and chariots, elephants and horsemen, and a great navy. Then seizing the cities ofEgyptas a friend, he marched toMemphis, laid the whole blame of the war uponEulæusthe King's governor, entred into outward friendship with the young King, and took upon him to order the affairs of the kingdom. WhileAniochuswas thus employ'd, a report being spread inPhœniciathat he was dead,Jasonto recover the high-Priesthood assaultedJerusalemwith above a thousand men, and took the city: hereupon the King thinkingJudeahad revolted, came out ofEgyptin a furious manner, re-took the city, slew forty thousand of the people, made as many prisoners, and sold them to raise money; went into the Temple, spoiled it of its treasures, ornaments, utensils, and vessels of gold and silver, amounting to 1800 talents; and carried all away toAntioch. This was done in the year ofNabonassar578, and is thus described byDaniel.[9]And he shall stir up his power, and his courage against the King of theSouthwith a great army; and the King of theSouthshall be stirrd up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they, evenAntiochusand his friends,shall forecast devices against him, as is represented above;yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat, shallbetray anddestroy him, and his army shall be overthrown, and many shall fall down slain. And both these Kings hearts shall be to do mischief; and they, being now made friends,shall speak lyes at one table, against theJewsand against the holy covenant;but it shall not prosper: for yet the end, in which the setting up of the abomination of desolation is to prosper,shall be at the time appointed. Then shall he return into his land with great riches, and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall act, against it by spoiling the Temple,and return into his own land.
TheEgyptiansofAlexandriaseeingPhilometorfirst educated in luxury by the EunuchEulæus, and now in the hands ofAntiochus, gave the kingdom toEuergetes, the younger brother ofPhilometor. WhereuponAntiochuspretending to restorePhilometor, made war uponEuergetes; beat him at sea, and besieged him and his sisterCleopatrainAlexandria: while the besieged Princes sent toRometo implore the assistance of the Senate.Antiochusfinding himself unable to take the city that year, returned intoSyria, leavingPhilometoratMemphisto governEgyptin his absence. ButPhilometormade friendship with his brother that winter; andAntiochus, returning the next springAn. Nabonass.580, to besiege both the brothers inAlexandria, was met in the way by theRomanAmbassadors,Popilius Læna,C. Decimius, andC. Hostilius: he offered them his hand to kiss, butPopiliusdelivering to him the tables wherein the message of the Senate was written, bad him read those first. When he had read them, he replied he would consider with his friends what was fit to be done; butPopiliusdrawing a circle about him, bad him answer before he went out of it:Antiochus, astonished at this blunt and unusual imperiousness, made answer he would do what theRomansdemanded; and thenPopiliusgave the King his hand to kiss, and he returned out ofEgypt. The same year,An. Nabonass.580, his captains by his order spoiled and slaughtered theJews, profaned the Temple, set up the worship of the heathen Gods in allJudea, and began to persecute and make war upon those who would not worship them: which actions are thus described byDaniel.[10]At the time appointed he shall comeagaintowards theSouth, but the latter shall not be as the former. For the ships ofChittimshall come, with an embassy fromRome,against him. Therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant. So shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.
In the same year thatAntiochusby the command of theRomansretired out ofEgypt, and set up the worship of theGreeksinJudea; theRomansconquered the kingdom ofMacedon, the fundamental kingdom of the Empire of theGreeks, and reduced it into aRomanProvince; and thereby began to put an end to the reign ofDaniel's third Beast. This is thus exprest byDaniel.And after him Arms, that is theRomans,shall stand up. Asממלךsignifiesafter the King, Dan. xi. 8; soממנוmay signifyafter him.Armsare every where in this Prophecy ofDanielput for the military power of a kingdom: and they stand up when they conquer and grow powerful. HithertoDanieldescribed the actions of the Kings of theNorthandSouth; but upon the conquest ofMacedonby theRomans, he left off describing the actions of theGreeks, and began to describe those of theRomansinGreece. They conqueredMacedon,IllyricumandEpirus, in the year ofNabonassar580. 35 years after, by the last will and testament ofAttalusthe last King ofPergamus, they inherited that rich and flourishing kingdom, that is, allAsiawestward of mountTaurus; 69 years after they conquered the kingdom ofSyria, and reduced it into a Province, and 34 years after they did the like toEgypt. By all these steps theRomanArms stood up over theGreeks: and after 95 years more, by making war upon theJews,they polluted the sanctuary of strength, and took away the daily sacrifice, and then placed the abomination of desolation. For this abomination was placed after the days ofChrist,Math.xxiv. 15. In the 16th year of the EmperorAdrian, A.C. 132, they placed this abomination by building a Temple toJupiter Capitolinus, where the Temple of God inJerusalemhad stood. Thereupon theJewsunder the conduct ofBarchochabrose up in arms against theRomans, and in the war had 50 cities demolished, 985 of their best towns destroyed, and 580000 men slain by the sword; and in the end of the war, A.C. 136, were banishedJudeaupon pain of death, and thenceforward the land remained desolate of its old inhabitants.
In the beginning of theJewishwar inNero's reign, the Apostles fled out ofJudeawith their flocks; some beyondJordantoPellaand other places, some intoEgypt,Syria,Mesopotamia,Asia minor, and elsewhere.PeterandJohncame intoAsia, andPeterwent thence byCorinthtoRome; butJohnstaying inAsia, was banished by theRomansintoPatmos, as the head of a party of theJews, whose nation was in war with theRomans. By this dispersion of theChristian Jews, theChristianreligion, which was already propagated westward as far asRome, spred fast into all theRomanEmpire, and suffered many persecutions under it till the days ofConstantinethe great and his sons: all which is thus described byDaniel.[11]And such as do wickedly against the covenant, shall he, who places the abomination,cause to dissemble, and worship the heathen Gods;but the peopleamong themwho do know their God, shall be strong and act. And they that understand among the people, shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, and by captivity, and by spoil many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help, viz.in the reign ofConstantinethe great;andat that time by reason of their prosperity,many shallcome over to them from among the heathen, andcleave to them with dissimulation. But of those of understanding there shallstillfall to tryGod's peopleby them and to purgethem from the dissemblers,and to make them white even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.
Hitherto theRomanEmpire continued entire; and under this dominion, the little horn of the He-Goat continuedmighty, but not by his own power. But now, by the building ofConstantinople, and endowing it with a Senate and other like privileges withRome; and by the division of theRomanEmpire into the two Empires of theGreeksandLatins, headed by those two cities; a new scene of things commences, in which which[12]a King, the Empire of theGreeks,doth according to his will, and, by setting his own laws above the laws of God,exalts and magnifies himself above every God, and speaks marvellous things against the God of Gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished.—Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor thelawfuldesire of womenin matrimony,nor any God, but shall magnify himself above all. And in his seat he shall honourMahuzzims, that is, strong guardians, the souls of the dead;even with a God whom his fathers knew not shall he honour them, in their Temples,with gold and silver, and with precious stones and valuable things. All which relates to the overspreading of theGreekEmpire with Monks and Nuns, who placed holiness in abstinence from marriage; and to the invocation of saints and veneration of their reliques, and such like superstitions, which these men introduced in the fourth and fifth centuries.[13]And at the time of the end the King of theSouth, or the Empire of theSaracens,shall push at him;and the King of theNorth, or Empire of theTurks,shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots and with horsemen, and with many ships;and be shall enter into the countriesof theGreeks,and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape out of his hand, evenEdomandMoab, and the chief of the childrenAmmon: that is, those to whom his Caravans pay tribute.He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries, and the land ofEgyptshall not escape;but he shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things ofEgypt; and theLybiansandEthiopiansshall be at his steps. All these nations compose the Empire of theTurks, and therefore this Empire is here to be understood by the King of theNorth. They compose also the body of the He-Goat; and therefore the Goat still reigns in his last horn, but not by his own power.