ble hiftorians, and the computation of Ptolemy, the mathematician. In the facred hiftory it is recorded, "That the people of the land," that is, the difaffected Samaritans, "weakened the hands of the people in Judah, and troubled them in building (the Temple), all the days of Cyrus, even unto the reign of Darius, king of Perfia." This interval comprehends 14 years.

NONE of the Pagan writers has diftinguished Cambyfes by the name of Ahasuerus; and though Smerdis had several names, which are well known, yet that of Artaxerxes was certainly not of the number.

THE oppofition raised by evil counsellors, who had been hired to frustrate the purpose of the builders, prior to the reign of Darius Hyftafpis, feems to have been the project of a tumultuous faction at home, without the knowledge or authority of the Perfian court. If the deputy governors in Samaria, inftigated by the adverfaries of Judah, did transmit to Cambyfes, in the commencement of his reign, a remonftrance against the rebuilding of the Temple, no evidence of his prohibiting the work, by a royal ediƐt, exifts. Improbable it is, that he would reverse a national deed, fo lately and folemnly ratified by his father. His fhort and bustling reign, embroiled with foreign wars, particularly the conqueft of Egypt, left him but few and fhort intervals, for the administration of Perfia; much lefs for interfering with the affairs of remote provinces.

SMERDIS, during the few months of his ufurpation, folicitous to conceal the infamy of his mutilated ears,

and

and to guard against the apprehended danger of a violent death, feldom appeared in public, and difcharged few functions of royalty. Befides, before the Samaritans could obtain an answer to their complaint (if any were produced), he had undergone the punishment due to his impofture and treafon.

THE Conclufion from thefe premifes is, that the refiftence to the building of the Temple, from the time of Cyrus to Darius, proceeded wholly from the malevolence of the Samaritan faction, without the approbation of the intermediate princes, Cambyfes and Smerdis.

BUT in the fecond year of Darius, Tatnai, the Deputy Governor in Samaria, with his companions, tried, though without effect, to hinder the elders of Judah from proceeding to build the house of the Lord. A letter was fent from Samaria to Darius, fetting forth, that the Jews had begun, and were still continuing in that work, under the pretended fanction of authority from Cyrus. The remonftrants fubmitted to the king's good pleasure, whether the national archives fhould be fearched, in order to discover the original of that deThe records were confulted, and the deed found to be authentic. Darius immediately enforced the commiffion by Cyrus, adding ample encouragements to the builders, and denouncing on their enemies grievous pains and penalties. The Jews continued to build, and the house was finished in the fixth year of that reign. This is the fum of what is recorded in the canonical Book of Ezra, concerning the work of the fecond

cree.

Temple.

Temple. Before its dedication the rebuilding of the city was not begun.

On this principle it is prefumed, that the Ahafuerus and Artaxerxes, mentioned in the fixth and feventh verfes of the fourth chapter, were not the predeceffors, but the fucceffors of Darius Hyftafpis; and confequently were Xerxes and his fon, Artaxerxes Longi

manus.

"In the reign of Ahafuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accufation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerufalem." The articles of this accufation are not expreffed. They could not, however, relate to the restoration of the Temple, for that ftructure had been finished full 30 years before the acceffion of Xerxes. Of that complaint the fubject, doubtless, was the rebuilding of the city and this conjecture the words of the text confirm. In the preceding verfes, which treat of the Temple only, the people of Judah alone are mentioned. The city did not then exift otherwife than as a heap of ruins. Now, after the lapfe of 30 years, confiderable progress muft, under the patronage of Darius, have been made in rearing up its defolate edifices. Not without peculiar emphafis does the hiftorian obferve, "That this acculation was written against the INHABITANTS OF JUDAH and JERUSALEM.”

THE hiftory gives no fuller account of the refult of this remonftrance, than of its contents, though they are inferred by implication. It had very probably an effect,

The people of the land, and their counsellors.

fimilar

fimilar to the complaint preferred in the former reign. It was meant for mischief, but productive of good. It is the remark of Jofephus, " That Xerxes inherited not only the kingdom, but also the piety, of his father Darius; for he did all things relative to the divine worship, in imitation of so worthy a pattern, and approved himself a munificent benefactor of the Jews *." Here is a fortuitous, but not indecifive prefumption, that this writer confidered Xerxes as the Ahasuerus in Ezra, iv. 6.

"IN the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bifhlam, &c. a letter against Jerufalem." This remonftrance is explicitly declared to have had for its subject the building of the rebellious and bad city, the walls of which had then been fet up, and the foundations joined. During the fpace of 41 years from the dedication of the Temple, had the Jews, enabled by a royal grant from Darius, and continued by Xerxes, of all the tribute arifing from the lands in Judah, Samaria, and Galilee, proceeded with all dispatch, without much disturbance from their fchifmatical neighbours t. The Samaritans, grudging fo large a contribution, extorted annually for the emo

* Ant. xi. 5. 1.

The words of the grant are, "Moreover, I make a decree, that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expences be given unto these men that they be not hindered." Ezra, vi. 8. By “the tribute beyond the river,” is not meant the whole taxes arifing from all the provinces of the Perfian empire, on the weft of the Euphrates; but, in a more restricted fenfe, the produce of the revenues impofed on the late kingdoms of Judah and Ifrael.

lument

lument of the Jews, repeated their grievances, with petitions of relief, at the commencement of every new reign; and at the acceffion of Artaxerxes Longimanus, the usual expedient was not omitted,, He, implicitly believing the accufation, in its full extent, as fet forth, without hearing the Jews in their own defence, gave orders that the city fhould not be builded, till a new commandment fhould be given from himself. The commiffioners returned, and made the Jews to cease by force and power; nor was this peremptory prohibition reversed before the seventh year of the fame reign t.

2. THE computation of the Annals deviates from the truth of history, in affirming, that Darius Hyftafpis was the prince, who, under the name of Ahafuerus, divorced Vashti and espoused Esther. On the authority of the Septuagint, Jofephus, and the apocryphal book

Ezra, iv. 24.

This arrangement of reigns, events, and dates, from the first of Cyrus, is authorised by the teftimony of the Pagan writers, and, with the help of a few neceffary tranfpofitions, accords in perfect harmony with the reports contained in the books of the canonical and apocryphal Ezra.

This order of times, and incidents, does not incur the cenfure of novelty; though even novelty is not a certain criterion of error. It refts on the authority of the great Sir Ifaac New ton, (Chronol. ch. vi.) and is confirmed by additional remarks and evidences, in a brief effay on the Chronology of fome Paffages, &c. fubjoined to Dr. Wall's Critical Notes on the New Teftament, vol. iii. The author of this Analyfis would have been happy in referring to authorities equally re fpectable in fupport of many other conjectures, for which he alone is refponfible.