The history of the world

§. IIII. Sundrie opinions of the Kings which raigned in Babylon during the 70. yeeres.

WHat Kings raigned in Babylon, during these 70. yeeres of the captiuity, and how long each of them did weare the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, it is a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of no great importance to know, for as much as neither their acts were notable in the age wherin they 〈◊〉〈◊〉, nor the length of their raignes, any way helpefull to the concordance of times, fore-going or succee∣ding. [unspec 10] The conquests recounted by Xenophon of Syria, Arabia, (or rather some part* 1.1 of it) Hyrcania, Bactria, and perhaps of some other Countries, may seeme fruits of the victories obtained by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Great (or by some of his Ancestors) in the former part of his life, before he betooke himselfe to ease, and to the sump∣tuous building of his great Babel, for the house of his Kingdome, and for the honor of his Maiestie, where it may seeme that he and his Heires kept a great state, and did very little. The idle behauiour of the Assyrian Souldiers, in such skirmishes as af∣terwards they had with the Medes, doth argue no lesse. For whereas vnder 〈◊〉〈◊〉, they were so stout and industrious, that (to omit other proofes) they attempted, and finished, that hardie 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of worke, of winning the strong Citie of [unspec 20] Tyre, by ioyning it vnto the continent, filling vp the deepe and broad channel of the Sea, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it from the maine with a mole, or 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and other matter, the reparation whereof, when the Sea had washed it away, was the very greatest of Alexanders works in the times following, they became timorous, that they durst not approach 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the enemy than their bowes would carrie, but were readie to turne their backs, as soone as any, though inferiour in numbers, aduenturing with∣in the distance offered to charge them.

Now as their actions from the end of Nebuchadnezzars warres, till the ruine of* 1.2 their Empire, were not worthie to be recorded; so was the distinction of their times, and raigne of their seuerall Kings, vnworthy of the great labour that hath [unspec 30] in vaine been taken in that businesse. For when it is granted, that the captiuitie of Iuda, ending with that Empire, lasted 70. yeeres, we may as reasonably forbeare to search into the particular continuance of two or three slouthfull Kings, as we are 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to be ignorant of the ages of the Patriachs, and their children, liuing in the Aegyptian seruitude; resting satisfied in both with the generall assured summe.

Yet for as much as many haue trauelled in this 〈◊〉〈◊〉, vpon desire (as I take it) to approue the beginning and end of the 70. yeeres, not only by the raignes of o∣ther Princes, ruling else-where, but by the times of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 themselues: I wil not refuse to take a little paines in collecting their opinions, and shewing what I thinke, may best be held for likely, if the certaine truth cannot be found. [unspec 40]

The opinions are many, and greatly repugnant, both in recounting the Kings themselues, and in setting downe the yeeres of their seuerall raignes. The first (as I take it) the surest, is theirs, who meerely follow the authoritie of the Scriptures, without borrowing any helpe from others. These name onely three Kings, Ne∣buchadnezzar, Euilmerodach, and Balthasar. Neither haue they only the silence of Daniel, who names none other to be their warrant, but the prophecie of Ieremie 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and in a manner purposely teaching the very same. For God, by the mouth of that Prophet, shewing that he being absolute Lord of all, would dispose of all, according to his owne will, and making it knowne that he had some Coun∣tries here named, into the hands of the King of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, saith thus: And all Nations* 1.3 [unspec 50] shall serue him, and his Sonne, and his Sonnes Sonne, vntill the very time of his Landcome also; then many Nations and great Kings shall serue themselues of him. These wordes expressing the continuance of the Chaldaean Empire, and number of the Kings, will hardly be qualified with any distinction. But indeede I finde no other 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of

qualification to be vsed herein, than such as may grow out of mens desire to recon∣cile the Scriptures vnto profane authors. And this desire were not vniust, if the con∣sent of all histories were on the one side, and the letter of the holy Text were single on the otherside.

But contrariwise, the Authors which are cited in this case, are so repugnant one to the other, and the proofes of their different reports are so slender and vnsuffici∣ent, that the succession of these Princes, had it not bin thus deliucred in Scriptures, but onely set downe by some Author of equall credite with the rest, might verie well haue found and deserued as good beliefe, as any of those things which they* 1.4 haue deliuered in this point. For some there are, who following Iosephus, deriue [unspec 10] that Empire, as by descent from father to sonne, through fiue generations; begin∣ning with Nabuchodonosor the great, and giuing to him 43. yeres, to Euilmerodach 18, to Niglisar the sonne of Euilmerodach 40, to Labosardach the sonne of Niglisar 9. mo∣neths, and lastly to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (whom Iosephus intimates to be of the race of Nabu∣chodonosor, without naming his father) 17. yeeres. And this opinion (saue that he forbeares to reckon the yeeres, and plainely calls Balthasar the sonne of Labo∣sardach) Saint Hierome doth follow, alledging Berosus, and Iosephus as a sectator of Berosus for his Authors; though Berosus, as he is cited by Iosephus, report the matter farre otherwise. For he tells vs that Euilmerodach the sonne of Nabuchodonosor did* 1.5 raigne but 2. yeeres, being for his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and lust, slaine by his sisters husband [unspec 20] 〈◊〉〈◊〉, who occupied the kingdome after him 4. yeeres, and left it to his owne sonne Labosardach, who being an 〈◊〉〈◊〉-conditioned boy, was at the end of 9. moneths slaine by such as were about him, and the kingdome giuen to one Naboni∣dus, who held it by the election of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and left it vnto Cyrus after 17. yeeres. This relation ill agrees with that of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and both of them as bad with the Scriptures, in number either of yeeres, or of generations; yet the particularities which they handle, haue procured vnto them some authoritie, so that the names which they haue inserted, are taken as it were vpon trust. There is a third opinion, which makes the three last kings brethren, and sonnes of Euilme∣rodach; and this may well enough agree with the Scripture: though I had rather [unspec 30] beleeue Xenophon, who saith that the last king of Babylon was immediate successour* 1.6 to his father. But whereas the Author of the Scholasticall Historie, who is foun∣der of this opinion, placeth betweene him that tooke Ierusalem, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, another Nabuthodonosor: plaine it is that he hath, out of any Historie sacred or pro∣fane, as little warrant to guide him, as we haue reason to follow him. Eusebius, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Seuerus, and Theodoret, vpon better ground, haue supposed, that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and Balthasar were brethren and sonnes of the great Nabuchodonosor. This is built on the fift chapter of Daniel, wherein Balthasar (for of Euilmerodach there is none that euer doubted) is often called Nabuchodonosor his sonne. And so common grew this explication, that Saint Hierome called it the vulgar opinion. But the place of Ie∣remie [unspec 40] before cited, prooues that Balthasar was not the sonne indeede, but the grand∣child of that great conquerour, though by the phrase very common in Scriptures, and familiar in those Easterne languages, he was called the sonne.

Annius his Metasthenes hits very rightly the 70. yeres of captiuity, giuing to Nabu∣chodonosor 45. yeeres, to Euilmerodach 30. yeeres, and to the three sonnes of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, nephews of Nabuchodonosor 14. yeeres; that is, to Reg-Assar the eldest sonne three yeeres, to Lab-Assar Dach the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sonne sixe yeeres, and to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the third sonne fiue.

To this accompt 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with the Scriptures, both in the whole summe of yeeres, and in the number of generations, I haue sometime subscribed, as not da∣ring [unspec 50] to reiect an appearance of truth, vpon no greater reason than because the Au∣thor was of Annius his edition. Yet could I not satisfie my selfe heerein; both for that none of the Ancient, and few such of the moderne Writers as deserue to be re∣garded, haue consented with this Metasthenes; and for that in making 〈◊〉〈◊〉

succeede vnto his brother in the kingdome, and not vnto his father, he is wholly a∣gainst 〈◊〉〈◊〉, whose Historie of the elder Cyrus in his Assyrian warre I can not slightly value in many respects, and especially because it is very agreeable to the Scriptures, in the taking of Babylon, while the king was at his drunken feast.

Seeking therefore diligently into all circumstances that might giue any light in this obscuritie, I found manifest proofe, that the time allotted vnto Balthasar, by Annius his Metasthenes, was farre short of the truth, which is enough to render all* 1.7 suspected that he hath said in distributing what part of the 70. yeeres hee pleased a∣mong the rest. For in the third yeere of Balthasar, Daniel saw a vision, after which he was sicke certaine dayes, but when hee rose vp, he did the kings businesse: from [unspec 10] which businesse, that hee did afterwards withdraw himselfe, and liue retired, so long that he was forgotten in the Court, it appeares plainely, both by the many words which the old Queene vsed to set out his sufficiencie, and by the Kings asking of him, when he came into his presence, whether he were Daniel. Now to thinke* 1.8 that a man of such account and place as Daniel had held, could in two yeeres haue beene worne out of remembrance, were in my iudgement a very 〈◊〉〈◊〉 conceipt, which rather than I would entertaine, I can well be contented, to thinke the whole* 1.9 storie (thus related) a part of Annius his impostures.

Out of these reports of Iosephus, Berosus, and others, many new opinions are fra∣med, by coniectures of late Writers. For the endurance of the captiuitie being 70-yeeres, [unspec 20] and these yeeres extending vnto the first of Cyrus, in which course of time Nebuchadnezzar, his sonne and grand-child, must haue raigned; it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 seemed need∣full to supply the yeeres of these three descents, by inserting some, whose raignes might fill vp the whole continuance of the captiuitie, with which the time allotted by Berosus and others, to Euilmerodach and Balthasar, ioyned vnto the yeeres fol∣lowing the nineteene of Nebuchadnezzar, (wherein Ierusalem was laid desolate) are nothing euen.

Therefore Mercator and others following him, fashion the yeeres of Euilmero∣dach in this sort. They say, that the 18. yeeres giuen to him by Iosephus in the tenth of his Antiquities, should be read and numbred 28. yeeres, and the two yeeres [unspec 30] that Berosus hath allowed to Euilmerodach should be written 23. in the first number the figure of (1) is mistaken for the figure of (2) and in the latter there should haue bin added the figure of (3) to that of (2:) this granted (to wit) that Euilmerodach raigned 28. yeeres, whereof fiue together with his father, and 23. after his death, and the same number of 23. added to the 25. which Nabuchodonosor liued after the destruction of Ierusalem, make 49, then 4. yeeres of Niglisar according to Berosus, 9. moneths of Labassardach his sonne, and 17. yeeres of Labonidus or Balthasar make vp the number of 70. yeeres to the first of Cyrus. But whether by errour in figures, or in words, the numbers be vtterly mistaken, in all copies extant; vpon how weake a foundation doe they build, who haue nothing to helpe them, saue onely the bare [unspec 40] names of two vnknowne Kings, found in Authors manifestly corrupted, and such as if they had beene entirely extant, were not worthy, to haue that place of Ieremie called into dispute, in regard of their authoritie?

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. Cyro∣pag. lib. 1. & 1. 3
• * 1.3

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 27. v. 7.
• * 1.4

  Iosephus 〈◊〉〈◊〉. lib. 10. cap. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.5

  Ios. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Ap∣pian. lib. 1.
• * 1.6

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. libr. 4.
• * 1.7

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉. verse 1. & 27.
• * 1.8

  Dan. c. 5. v. 11, 12, & 13.
• * 1.9

  Dan. 2. 49.