2. Of the second sort are these. 1. Some will haue them beginne in the first yeare of Da∣rius,
at the time when this word came vnto Daniel, so Tertullian lib. aduers. Iudaeos. and
Pintus. 2. some from the time that Cyrus set forth his edict for the peoples returne, as
Clemens Alexandrin. 1. lib. stromat. of this opinion are Calvin, Melancthon, lunius in the
first edition in his annotations vpon this place: H. Br. vpon Daniel: And it shall appeare of
all the rest to be the more probable.
3. Concerning those which set the beginning of these weekes after the raigne of Cyrus:
whereas there were three other edicts beside that of Cyrus, which gaue libertie to build the
Temple and citie, which are mentioned, Ezra. 6. 1. Ezra. 7. and Nehem. 2. hereupon, some
thinke that these 70. weekes must be reckoned from the 2. yeare of Darius Hystaspis, the
3. king of Persia, so Eusebius lib. 8. de demonstr. Evang. Cyrillus cateches. 12. Driedo lib.
3. de sacr. Scriptur. c. 5. par. 4. Iansenius c. 122. concord. Euang. 2. Some take the 20.
yeare of this Darius, Pellican. 3. Some count from Xerxes the 4. king of Persia, whom Io∣sephus
thinketh to haue sent Ezra in the 7. yeare of his raigne: ex Bulling. 4. Some take the
seuenth yeare of Artaxerxes Longimanus the fift king: which opinion Pererius ascribeth
to Theodoret, so also Bullinger holdeth, and Pap. 5. Some appoint the 20. yeare of Arta∣xerxes
Longimanus, when Nehemiah was sent with a newe commission, Nehem. 2. so Chry∣sostome,
Beda, Africanus, Hugo, Pererius, Osiander: whereas this was Artaxerxes Mnc∣mon,
the seuenth king, not Longimanus, the fift king of Persia, that sent Nehemiah. 6. Some
doe beginne the account, the second yeare of Darius Nothus, so called because he was a
bastard, the sixt king of Persia, so Iunius in his commentarie vpon Daniel. Ios. Scallig. l. 6.
de emend. temp. Polan. Edw. Liuely in his Persian Monarchie. 7. Lastly, Apollinaris long
after these, counteth the beginning of the 70. weekes, from the time of Christs birth and na∣tiuitie:
So in all there are in effect tenne seuerall opinions, about the beginning these weeks.
As touching the ende and determination of these yeares, there are likewise diuerse
opinions. 1. Some thinke that 69. of these weekes expired at such time as Pompey
tooke Ierusalem, and entred into the Temple, slaying such as sacrificed, presuming e∣uen
to the most holy place, and ende the last weeke in Traian the Emperour, vntill which
time the preaching of the Apostles continued, Iohn surviuing euen vnto the raigne of the
Emperour Traian, Eusebius. 2. Some beginning these weekes in the 6. yeare of Darius
Hystaspis, doe ende them at such time as Herod vsurped the kingdome, Oecolamp. consen∣ting
with Eusebius. 3. Some doe determine these yeares in the natiuitie and birth of Christ,
of this opinion Hierome reporteth Origen to haue beene, lib. 10. stromat. so also Ioannes
Driedo, Iansenius, Melancthon. 4. Many drawe these yeares, in the passion of Christ, as Bur∣gensis,
Vatablus, Petrus Galatinus, beginne these yeares, in the fourth yeare of Zedekiah,
and ende them in the passion of Christ: so Beda, Africanus, beginning at the 20. of Ar∣taxerxes,
ende at the passion of Christ. 5. Some ende them in the 4. yeare after the passion
of Christ, as Lyranus, who reckoneth them from the 20. yeare of king Artaxerxes, vnto the
4. yeare, supposing the Messiah to haue suffred in the middes of the last propheticall weeke:
so also Ioannes Lucidus, Pintus. 6. Some referre the ende of these weekes to the destructi∣on
on of Ierusalem by Titus, as Tertullian, Chrsyostome, Clemens Alexandrin. and of the newe
writers, Iunius, Scalliger, Polanus, Liuely. 7. Some determine them after the passion of
Christ, extending them to the finall destruction of the citie vnder Adrian the Emperour, as
some of the Hebrewes. 8. Some will haue these weekes reach vnto the ende of the world
to the comming of Antichrist: as Apollinaris, who beginneth them at the natiuitie of Christ,
and continueth them to the ende of the world.
Thus are interpreters diuersely carried in the interpretation of these propheticall weekes:
which afterward shall in their order be examined. Hereupon the Iewes, as namely cauilling
Barbinel, to annihilate this prophesie, obiect the difference and dissention of the Chri∣stians,
about the meaning thereof: But it may be answeared, 1. that the diuersitie of opini∣ons
among interpreters, doth not evacuate or extenuate the authoritie of Scripture, Calvin.
2. Though in the particular account of time, there be some disagreement, yet herein most
Christian interpreters agree, that all these yeares expired, either in the birth or passion of
Christ, or in the destruction of Ierusalem. So that which account soeuer be receiued, two
maine points are prooued against the Iewes: one that the Messiah is come, the other that
he came not as a glorious or victorious temporall Prince, as the Iewes imagine, but he
was slaine by them, and put to death, Pappus. 3. This obiection may be retorted