APPENDIX. Having shown from the text, Daniel x. 21, that the eleventh and twelfth chapters of Daniel are "noted," according to the sense of that text, in Danl. vii. viii, and ix., and consequently that Daniel's prophecies are all connected for the perfection of one design, it is now proper, (since we were assisted in our labor by a division of the eleventh and twelfth chapters, which might then have appeared arbitrary,) to inquire after the fulfilment of the prophecy of those chapters; whereby we may determine, whether the divisions heretofore instituted among, and the applications made of, them, were, or were not, correct.* Let us, therefore, commence with the opening of the prophetic instructions, in CHAPTER XI. 1st verse. Darius reigned about two years after the conquest of Babylon. His first business was to secure the interests of his kingdom, by the appointment of one hundred and twenty princes, and over these three presidents, of whom Daniel was made chief. (Danl. vi. 1, 2.) The friendship which he had for Daniel was remarkable; (see Danl. vi.) and his decree that 'the God of Daniel is the living God,' and also his remark, "Thy God The divisions referred to, may be found in table, pp. 78, 79. To introduce the scripture here and in the like cases following, would be to swell this volume needlessly. The reader will please refer to his Bible. whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee"show that he had some religious sentiments, and was, in some sense, prepared and willing to declare the truth. It could not be otherwise than that Daniel, enjoying the eminent confidence and favor of Darius, would exert an influence to induce kindness towards the Jewish people. Indeed, it appears that those sentiments towards the Jews, which, in the first year of Cyrus, (the successor of Darius,) resulted in a decree "to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem," (Ezra i. 3,) were cherished in the reign of Darius; and this, also, according to the first verse of this chapter, by the immediate influence of the angel, who is now showing Daniel out of the scripture of truth. 2d verse. Cyrus, the nephew and son-in-law of Darius the Median, was now king. His successors were— 1. Cambyces, his son, called Ezra iv. 6, Ahasuerus, 2. Smerdis, the magian, called Ezra iv. 7. Artaxerxes, 3. Darius Hystaspis, who married Cyrus's daughter, 4. Xerxes, the son of Darius Hystaspis. Xerxes riches were inexhaustible. He raised an army of more than 5,000,000 persons, to invade Greece; and though being affrighted to his ships by the tragedies of Thermopylæ, he yet hoped for decided and distinguished victory; but the engagement near Salamis ruined his fleet, and he and his queen fled to Babylon. In his flight he left the command of the land forces with Mardonius, who was forced to a battle at Platæa, and his army subdued, on the same day that the remainder of the Persian fleet was destroyed at Mycale. "Thus ended the greatest enterprise that ever had been attempted, with the greatest overthrow that had ever been witnessed," and the Greeks were secured from foreign invasion until the time of Philip of Macedon. 3d verse. Alexander. He reigned but twelve years, yet he conquered the world. He at first was generous, but at last became entirely Persian in his luxurious habits, morose, vain and tyrannical. None of his most serviceable and worthy friends dared oppose him. Clytus, who had saved his life, and Callisthenes, the brave, fell by his fury. (See Note iv. at the end of the book.) 4th verse. Alexander died in the full strength of his kingdom in Babylon, by excess and debauchery, in the 33d year of his age, (Æ 32 years and 8 months,) B. C. 323. In the course of about fifteen years, his mother, brother, wives and sons, comprising his whole family, perished; chiefly by treachery and murder, instigated by Cassander. The government was originally divided after him, among thirty-three of his more prominent generals, who took the name of satrapies, and who, by feuds and quarrels, oppressed their subjects and murdered and suppressed each other. After the royal family had become extinct, the famous battle fought by them at Ipsus, B. C. 301, decided the fate of the kingdom and divided it into four parts, under Lysimachus, in the north-Thrace, Seleucus, in the east-Syria, Ptolemy Lagus, in the south-Egypt, and Cassander, in the west-Macedonia. 5th verse. Ptolemy Lagus, surnamed Soter, the king 5 of the south, extended his dominions during his reign and was a popular monarch. Seleucus Nicator, who, 66 according to Arian, was the greatest and most powerful of the princes who inherited the Macedonian empire after the death of Alexander," at first received Babylon as his province, but soon added "Media and some of the neighboring provinces ;" and, after the final division of Alexander's dominions, "became master of Syria," north of Egypt, and "built a city there, which he called Antioch, in honor of his father, and made it the capital of his" kingdom. (See Note v. at the end of the book.) 6th verse. The reign of Antiochus Soter, successor of Seleucus Nicator, is here passed over in silence. Antiochus Theos, successor of Antiochus Soter, to terminate a bloody war which broke out in the third year of his reign between himself and Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt, successor of Ptolemy Lagus, agreed to banish his wife, Laodice, and her children, and to marry Berenice, daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus ; with the provision, that "the male issue of the marriage were to succeed to the crown." "Ptolemy died two years after this, and Antiochus repudiated Berenice and restored Laodice." Laodice, "resolving to secure the succession, poisoned Antiochus, and placed her son," Callinicus, on the throne, and despatched Berenice and her son and many of her Egyptian attendants, 246 years before the Christian era." * 66 7th verse. Ptolemy Euergetes, successor of Ptolemy Philadelphus, early engaged in a war against Antiochus Theos, for his unkindness to Berenice, his sister. In *“Arm,” signifies ability for protection or defence.' |