reconciliation by the great humiliation of him- And when the princes and rulers looked also, whom all men obey; but women are su- *The reader is to note, that although the speeches or papers of these three of the king's guard, are much the same in our third Book of Esdras, chap. iii, and iv. as they are in Josephus; yet the introduction of them is entirely different. While in our Esdras the whole is related as the contrivance of the three of the king's guard themselves and even the mighty rewards are spoken of as proposed by themselves, and the speeches are related to have been delivered by themselves to the king in writing. While all is contrary in Josephus. I need not say whose account is most probable. The matters speak for themselves; and there can be no doubt but Josephus's history is here to be very much preferred before the other. Nor indeed does it seem to me at all unlikely, that the whole with me," said the king, "and shalt be called was a contrivance of king Darius's, in order to be de- store the vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had pillaged, and carried to Babylon. "And this," said he, "is that request which thou now permittest me to make, on account that I have been judged to be wise, and to have understanding." So the king was pleased with what he said, and arose, and kissed him; and wrote to the toparchs and governors; and enjoined them to conduct Zorobabel, and those that were going with him to build the temple. He also sent letters to those rulers that were in Syria and Phoenicia, to cut down and carry cedar trees from Lebanon to Jerusalem; and to assist him in building the city. He also wrote to them, that all the captives who should go to Judea should be free: and he prohibited his deputies and governors from imposing any king's taxes upon the Jews. He also permitted, that they should have all that land which they could possess themselves of without tribute. At the same time he enjoined the Idumeans and Samaritans, and the inhabitants of Colesyria, to restore those villages which they had taken from the Jews; and that, besides all this, fifty talents should be given them towards the building of the temple. He also permitted them to offer their appointed sacrifices, and promised whatsoever the high-priest and the priests wanted, and those sacred garments wherein they used to worship God, should be made at his own expence: and that the musical instruments which the Levites used in singing hymns to God should be given them. Moreover he charged them, that portions of land should be given to those that guarded the city, and the temple, as also a determinate sum of money every year, for their maintenance: and withal he sent the vessels. And all that Cyrus intended to do before him, relating to the restoration of Jerusalem, Darius ordained should be done accordingly. When Zorobabel had obtained these grants * See Ezra ii. 1-70. Nehemiah vii. 6-70. This number of 4,620,000 in Josephus's present copies, is one of the grossest errors that is in them; and ought to be corrected from Ezra ii. 64. 1 Esd. v. 40, and Neb. vii. 66, who all agree the general sum was but about 42,360. It is also very plain, that Josephus thought, when Esdras afterward brought up another company out of Babylon and Persia, in the days of Xerxes, they were from the king, he went out of the palace; and, looking up to heaven, he began to return thanks to God for the wisdom he had given him, and the victory be had gained thereby; even in the presence of Darius himself." For," said he, "I had not been thought worthy of these advantages, O Lord, unless thou hadst been favourable to me." When therefore he had returned thanks to God for the present circumstances he was in, and had prayed to him, to afford him the like favour for time to come, he came to Babylon; and brought the good news to his countrymen of what grants he had procured for them from the king. When they heard this, they also gave thanks to God that he had restored the land of their forefathers to them again. So they betook themselves to drinking and eating; and for seven days they kept a festival, for the rebuilding and restoration of their city. After this they chose themselves rulers, who should go up to Jerusalem, out of the tribes of their forefathers, with their wives, and children, and cattle, who travelled to Jerusalem with great pleasure, under the conduct of those whom Darius sent along with them: and they made a cheerful noise with songs, and pipes, and cymbals, the rest of the Jewish multitude accompanying them with rejoicing. And thus did these men go a certain and determinate number out of every family: though I do not think it though I do not think it proper to recite particularly the names of those families; * that I may not take off the mind of my readers from the connection of the historical facts, and make it hard for them to follow the coherence of my narrations. But the sum of those that went up, above the age of twelve years, of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, was four † hundred and sixty two myriads, and eight thousand. The Levites were seventy-four; the number of women and children mixed together, was forty thousand seven hundred and forty-two. And besides these, there were also, as well as these, out of the two tribes, and out of them only; and were in all no more than a seed, and a remnant; while an immense number of the ten tribes never returned; but as he believed, continued then beyond Euphrates: chap. 5. Of which multitude of Jews beyond Euphrates, he speaks frequently elsewhere. Though, by the way, he never takes them to be idolaters; but looks on them still as observers of the laws of Moses. singers singers of the Levites one hundred and twenty-eight; porters one hundred and ten; and of the sacred ministers three hundred and ninety-two. There were also others who said they were of the Israelites, but were not ablegislator had ordained and after that they ofto shew their genealogies, six hundred and sixty-two. Some there were also who were expelled out of the number and honor of the priests, as having married wives whose genealogies they could not produce; nor were they found in the genealogies of the Levites and priests: they were about five hundred and twenty-five. The multitude also of servants, followed those that went up to Jerusalem, seven thousand three hundred, and thirty-seven. The singing men and singing women were two hundred and forty-five. The camels were four hundred and thirty-five; the beasts used to the yoke were five thousand five hundred and twenty-five. And the governors of all the multitude, thus numbered, were Zorobabel, the son of Salathiel, of the posterity of In the second yeart of their coming to David, and of the tribe of Judah and Jeshua, || Jerusalem, as the Jews were there, in the sethe son of Josedek, the high-priest. And cond month, the building of the temple went besides these, there were Mordecai and Sere- on apace. And when they had laid the founbeus, who were distinguished from the multi-dation, on the first day of the second month, tude, and were rulers: who also contributed a hundred pounds of gold and five thousand of silver. By this means therefore the priests, and the Levites, and a certain part of the people of the Jews that were in Babylon, came and dwelt in Jerusalem: but the rest of the multitude returned to their own countries. while they did this they did not please the neighbouring nations: who regarded them with envy and ill will. They also celebrated the feasts of tabernacles at that time, as the le fered sacrifices, and what were called the daily sacrifices, and the ablations proper for the sabbath, and for all the holy festivals, Those also that had made vows performed them; and offered their sacrifices, from the first day of the seventh month. They also began to build the temple, and gave a great sum of money to the masons and carpenters; and what was necessary for the maintenance of the workmen. The Sidonians also were very willing to bring cedar trees from Libanus, to bind them together, and to make an united float of them, and to bring them to the port of Joppa. For that was what Cyrus had commanded at first; and what was now done at the command || of Darius. CHAP. IV. of that year, they appointed, as overseers of the work, such Levites as were full twenty years old, and Jeshua, and his sons and brethren, and Cadmiel, the brother of Judas, the son of Aminadab, with his sons. And by the great diligence of those that had the care of it, the temple was finished sooner than any one would have expected. The priests, then, adorned with their accustomed garments, stood with their trumpets: while the Levites, and the sons of Asaph, stood, and sang hymns to God, according as David had first N the seventh month, after they were de- of all appointed. Now the priests, and Leparted out of Babylon, both Jeshua the vites, and the elder part of the families, recolhigh-priest, and Zorobabel, the governor, sent lecting how much greater and more sumptumessengers every way round about, and ga- ous the old temple had been; and contrasting thered those that were in the country toge-it with the inferiority of the new one, they ther to Jerusalem. * They then built the altar, on the place where it formerly stood; that they might offer the appointed sacrifices upon it to God, according to the laws of Moses. But OF THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE, AND THE FRUITLESS The certain part of the people that now came up from Babylon, at the end of this chapter, imply the same smaller number of Jews that now came up, and will no way agree with the 4,620,000. considered with themselves how much their happy state was sunk below what it had been of old, as well as their temple. Hereupon they were very disconsolate, and proceeded so far * Ezra iii. 1. + An. 519. as to lament and shed tears on those accounts. | Phoenicia, and Sathrabuzanes, with certain But the people in general were contented with their present condition; and because they were allowed to build them a temple, they desired no more; and neither regarded, nor indeed at all tormented themselves with the comparison of that and the former temple; as if this were below their expectations. But the wailing of the old men, and of the priests, on account of the deficiency of this temple, in their opinion, if compared with that which had been demolished, overcame the sounds of trumpets, and the rejoicing of the people. * others, came up to Jerusalem, and asked the rulers of the Jews, by whose grant it was that they built the temple in this manner? since it was more like a citadel than a temple. And for what reason it was that they built cloisters and walls, and those strong ones too, about the city? Zerobabel, and Jeshua the high-priest, replied, that " they were the servants of God Almighty: that this temple was built for him by a king of theirs, that lived in great prosperity, and one that exceeded all men in virtue; and that it continued a long time; but that, because of the impiety of their forefathers, Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonians and of the Chaldeans, took their city by force, and destroyed it, and pillaged the temple, and burnt it down, and transplanted the people whom he had made captives, and removed them to Babylon that Cyrus, who, after him, was king of Babylonia and Persia, wrote to them to build the temple; and committed the gifts and vessels, and whatever Nebuchadnezzar had carried out of it, to Zorobabel, and Mithridates, the treasurer; and gave order to have them carried to Jerusalem, and to have them restored to their own temple, when it was built. For he had sent to them to have that done speedily; and com†manded Senabassar to go up to take care of the building of the temple. Who upon receiving that epistle from Cyrus, came and immediately laid its foundations. "And although it hath been in building from that time to this," said they," it hath not yet been finished, by reason of the malignity of our enemies. If therefore you think proper, write this account to Darius; that when he hath consulted the records of the kings, he may find that we have told you nothing that is false about this matter." When the Samaritans, who were still enemies to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, heard the sound of the trumpets, they came running together, and desired to know what was the occasion of this tumult? and when they perceived that it was from the Jews, who had been carried captive to Babylon, and were rebuilding their temple; they came to Zorobabel, and to Jeshua, and to the heads of the families, and desired they would give them leave to assist in building the temple. "For" said they "we worship your God, and especially pray to him, and are desirous of the same religious settlement; and this ever since Shalmanezer, king of Assyria, transplanted us out of Cuthah and Media to this place. When they said thus, Zorobabel, and Jeshua, the high-priest, and the heads of the families of the Israelites replied, that it was impossible to permit them to be their partners, whilst they only had been appointed to build that temple at first by Cyrus, and now by Darius: + although it was indeed lawful for them to come and worship there if they pleased; and that they could allow them nothing but that in common with them. When the Cutheans § heard this, they had indignation at it, and persuaded the nations of Syria to desire of the governors, in the same manner as they had done formerly in the days of Cyrus, and in the time of Cambyses afterwards, to put a stop to the building of the temple; and to endeavor to delay and protract the Jews in their zeal about it. Now at this time Sisinnes, the governor of Syria, and Ezra iii. 13. + Ezra iv. 1, 2, When Zorobabel and the high-priest had made this answer, Sisinnes, and those that were with him, did not resolve to hinder the building, until they had informed king Darius of all this. So they immediately wrote to him about these affairs; while the Jews were under terror, and afraid lest the king should change his resolution, as to the build Ezra iv. 3. § Samaritans, ing of Jerusalem, and of the temple. There were, however, two prophets at that time. among them, Haggai and Zechariah, who encouraged them, and bade them be of good cheer, and to suspect no discouragement from the Persians for that God foretold this to them. So in dependence on those prophets, they applied themselves earnestly to building, and did not intermit one day. Now the Samaritans, in their epistle to Darius, had accused the Jews of fortifying the city, and building the temple more like a citadel than a temple; and said that their doings were not expedient for the king's af fairs, and besides, they shewed the epistle of Cambyses, wherein he forbade them to build the temple. Darius therefore, when he understood that the restoration of Jerusalem was not expedient for his affairs, and when he had read the epistle that was brought him from Sisinnes, and those that were with him, gave order that what concerned these matters should be sought for among the royal records. Accordingly a book was found at Ecbatana, in the tower that was in Media, wherein was written as follows: "Cyrus the king, in the first year of his reign, commanded that the temple should be built in Jerusalem, and the altar, in height sixty cubits, and its breadth of the same, with three edifices of polished stone, and one edifice of stone of their own country and he ordained that the expences of it should be paid out of the king's revenue. He also commanded that the vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had pillaged out of the temple, and had carried to Babylon, should be restored to the people of Jerusalem, and that the care of these things should belong to Senabassar, the governor, and president of Syria and Phoenicia, and to his associates; that they may not meddle with that place but may permit the servants of God, the Jews, and their rulers, to build the temple. He also ordained that they should assist them in the work, and that they should pay to the Jews, out of the tribute of the country where they were governors, on account of the sacrifices, bulls, rams, lambs, and kids of the goats and fine flour, together with oil, and wine, and all other things that the priests should suggest to them, and that they should pray for the preservation of the king and of the Persians; and that for such as transgressed any of these orders thus sent to them, he commanded that they should be hung on a cross, and their substance confiscated to the king's use. also prayed to God against them, that if any one attempted to hinder the building of the temple, God would strike him dead, and thereby restrain his wickedness.' He When Darius had found this book among the records of Cyrus, he wrote the following answer to Sisinnes, and his associates : King Darius, to Sisinnes the governor, and to Sathrabuzanes, sendeth greeting. Having found a copy of this epistle among the records of Cyrus, I have sent it you: and I will that all things be done as is therein written. Fare ye well." So when Sisinnes, and those that were with him, understood the intention of the king, they resolved to follow his directions for the time to come. So they forwarded the sacred work, and assisted the elders of the Jews, and the princes of the Sanhedrim: and the structure of the temple was, with great .diligence, brought to a conclusion; by the prophecies of Haggai and Zecharaiah, according to God's commands, and by the injunctions of Cyrus and Darius* the kings. Now the temple was built in † seven years' time. And in the ninth year of the reign of Darius, on the twenty-third day of the twelfth month,, which is by us called Adar, but by the Macedonians, Dystrus; the priests and Levites, and the multitude of the Israelites, offered sacrifices : as the renovation of their former prosperity, after their captivity; and because they had the temple rebuilt: a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve kids of the goats, according to the number of their tribe (for so many are the tribes of the Israelites) and this last for the sins of every tribe. The priest also, and the Levites, set the porters at every gate, according to the laws of Moses. The Jews also built the cloisters of the inner temple, that were round about the temple itself. Ezra vi. 17. |