in a roll, according to the ancient manner, but it having the vowel points annexed, and the writing being fresh and fair, without any decay, both thefe particulars prove the novelty of that copy. But fuch forgeries are no uncommon things among the Papistical fect.

But, though Ezra's government over all Judah and Jerufalem expired with this year, yet his labour to ferve the church of God did not here end; for ftill he went on as a preacher of righteoufnefs, and a fkilful fcribe of the law of God, to perfect the reformation which he had begun, both in preparing for the people correct editions of the fcriptures, and alfo in bringing all things in church and state to be conform to the rules thereof. And this he continued to do as long as he lived; and herein he was throughly aflifted and fupported by the next governor; who coming to Jerufalem with the fame intention, and the fame zeal for promoting of the honour of God, and the welfare of his people in Judah and Jerufalem, as Ezrą did, he ftruck in heartily with him in the work; fo that Ezra went on ftill to do the fame things by the authority of the new governor which he before did by his own. And by their thus joining together in the fame holy undertaking, and their mutual affifting each other therein, it exceedingly profpered in their hands, till at length, notwithstanding all manner of oppofitions both from within and from without, it was brought to full perfection, 49 years after it had been begun by Ezra. Whether Ezra lived fo long or not is uncertain: but what he did not live to do was completed by the piety and zeal of his fucceffor; with an account of whofe tranfactions I fhall begin the next book.

THE

OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT

CONNECTED,

IN

THE HISTORY

OF

THE JEWS AND NEIGHBOURING NATIONS,

FROM

The Declension of the Kingdoms of ISRAEL and JUDAH,
to the Time of CHRIST.

BOOK VI.

HE who fucceeded Ezra in the government of Judah and

Anno 445.

Jerufalem, was a Nehemiah, a very religious and most execllent perfon; one that Artax. 20. was nothing behind his predeceffor, faving his learning and great knowledge in the law of God. He came to Jerufalem in the 20th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, and, by a commiffion from him, fuppreffed that of Ezra, and fucceeded him in the government of Judah and Jerufalem. And he had in that commiflion, by an exprefs claufe therein inferted, full authority given him to repair the walls and fet up the gates of Jerufalem, and to fortify it again in the fame manner as it was before it was dismantled and destroyed by the Babylonians. He was a Jew, whofe ancestors had formerly been citizens of Jerufalem; for there, he faith, was the place of his father's fepulchres. But as to the tribe or family which he

C

a Nehemiah ii. b Nehemiah ii. 1. & V. 14.

was

Nehemiah ii. 3.

b

was of, no more is faid, but only that his father's name was Hachaliah; who feemeth to have been of thofe Jews, who, having gotten good fettlements in the land of their captivity, chofe rather to abide in them, than return into their own country, when leave was granted for it. It is moft likely, that he was an inhabitant of the city of Shufhan; and that it was his dwelling there that gave his fon an opportunity of gaining an advancement in the king's palace: for he was one of the cupbearers of King Artaxerxes, which was a place of great honour and advantage in the Perfian court, because of the privi lege it gave him of being daily in the king's prefence, and the opportunity which he had thereby of gaining his favour, for the obtaining of any petition which he fhould make to him: and that especially fince the times of his attendance always were, when the king was making his heart merry with the wine which he ferved up unto him; for this is the beft opportunity with all men, for the obtaining any boon that fhall be defired of them, because they are always then in the best humour of complying. And it was at fuch a time that he asked the government of Judea, and obtained it. And by the like advantages of his place, no doubt, it was, that he gained thofe immenfe riches which enabled him for so many years, out of his own private purfe only, to live in his government, with that splendour and expence, as will be hereafter related, without burdening the people at all for it. And no doubt it was by the favour of Queen Efther, as being of the fame nation and people with her, that he obtained fo honourable and advantageous a preferment in that court. However, neither the honour and advantage of this place, nor the long fettlement of his family out of his country,. could make him forget his love for it, or lay aside that zeal which he had for the religion of his forefathers, who had formerly dwelt in it. For though he had been born and bred in a ftrange land; yet he had a great love for Sion, and an heart throughly fet for the advancing of the profperity of it, and was in all things a very religious obferver of the law of his God. And therefore, d when fome came from Jerufalem, and told him of the ill state of that city, how the walls of it were fill in many places broken down, and the gates of it in the fame demolished ftate as when burnt with fire by the Babylonians, and that, by reafon hercof, the remnant of the captivity that dwelt there lay open, not only to the incurfions and infults of their enemies, but alfo to the reproach and contempt of their neighbours, as a weak and defpicable people; and that they were

C

a Vide Briffonium de Regno Perfiae, lib. 1. § 93.
b Neh. ii. 1.
& Nebi.

Neh. v. 14-19.

in

in both these respects in great afliction and grief of heart; the good man, being fuitably moved with this reprefentation, applied himself in fafting and prayer unto the Lord his God, and earneftly fupplicated to him for his people of Ifrael, and the place which he had chofen for his worfhip among them. And, having thus implored the divine mercy against this evil, he refolved next to make his application to the king for the redreffing of it, trusting in God for the inclining of his heart thereto; and therefore, when his turn came next to wait in his office, the 2 king obferving his countenance to be fad, which at other times used not fo to be, and afking the caufe thereof, he took this opportunity to lay before him the diftreffed ftate of his country; and, owning this to be a caufe of great grief and fadnefs unto him, he prayed the king to fend him thither to remedy it; and, by the favour of Queen Efther, he had his petition granted unto him: for it being particularly remarked, in the facred text, that the queen was fitting by the king, when Nehemiah obtained this grant, it fufliciently intimates that her favour was aflifting to him herein. And accordingly a royal decree was iffued out for the rebuilding of the walls and gates of Jerufalem, and Nehemiah was fent thither with it, as governor of the province of Judea, to put it in execution. And, to do him the more honour, the king fent a guard of horfe with him, under the command of fome of the captains of his army, to condu& him in safety to his government. And he wrote letters to all the governors on this fide the river Euphrates, to further him in the work on which he was fent; and alio gave his order to Afaph, the keeper of his forests in thofe parts, to allow him as much timber out of them as should be needed for the finishing of it. However, the Ammonites, the Moabites, and the Samaritans, and other neighbouring nations round, did all they could to hinder him from proceeding therein. And to this they were excited, not only by the ancient and bitter enmity which thofe people bore to the whole Jewith nation, because of the different manners and different religions which they were of, but most especially at this time, because of their lands: for, during the time that the Jews were in captivity, thefe nations, having feized their lands, were forced to reftore them on their return. For which reafon they did all they could to oppose their refettlement; hoping, that if they could be kept low, they might find an opportunity, fome time or other, of refuming again the prey they had loft. But Nehemiah was not at all difcouraged hereat: for having, on his arri val at Jerufalem, made known to the people the commiffion with which he was fent, he took a view of the ruins of the old walls, and

Neh. ii.

Neh. ii. 6.

с

Jofephus Antiq. lib. 11. c. 4.

and immediately fet about the repairing of them; dividing the people into feveral companies, and affigning to each of them the quarter where they were to work; but referving to himself the reviewal and direction of the whole; in which he laboured fo effectually, that all was accomplished by the end of the month Elul, within the compafs of 52 days, notwithftanding all manner of oppofition that was made against him, both from within and from without. For, from within, feveral false prophets, and other treacherous perfons, endeavoured to create him obftructions; and, from without, Sanballat the Horonite, Tobias the Ammonite, Gefhem the Arabian, and feveral others, gave him all the difturbance they were able, not only by underhand dealings, and treacherous tricks and contrivances, but alfo by open force; fo that, while part of the people laboured in carrying on the building, the other part flood to their arms to defend them against the affaults of fuch as had defigns against them. And all had their arms at hand, even while they worked, to be ready, at a signal given, to draw together to any part where the enemy fhould be difcovered to be coming upon them. And by this means they secured themfelves against all the attempts and defigns of their enemics, till the work was brought to a conclufion. And when they had thus far finished the walls and fet up the gates, a public dedication of them was celebrated with great folemnity by the priests and Levites, and all the people.

The burden which the people underwent in the carrying on of this work, and the inceffant labour which they were forced to undergo, to bring it to fo fpeedy a conclufion, being very great, and fuch as made many of them faint and groan under it, and exprefs a defpair of being able to perfect it; to revive their drooping fpirits, and make them the more caly and ready to proceed in that which was farther to be done,

e

t

care was taken to relieve them from a much greater burden, the oppreflion of ufurers, which they then in great mifery lay under, and had much greater reason to complain cf. For the rich, taking advantage of the neceflities of the meaner fort, had exacted heavy ufury of them, making them pay the centefima for all monies lent them, that is, one per cent. for every month, which amounted to twelve per cent. for the whole year; fo that they were forced to mortgage ther lands, and fell their children into fervitude, to have wherewith to buy bread for the fupport of themfelves and their families;

Neh. v. 1. Vide Salmafium de Teonore Trapezitico.