Ductor historicus, or, A short system of universal history and an introduction to the study of that science containing a chronology of the most celebrated persons and actions from the creation to this time, a compendious history of ... transactions ... of the ancient monarchies and governments of the world, an account of the writings of the most noted historians ... together with definitions and explications of terms used in history and chronology, and general instructions for the reading of history / partly translated from the French of M. de Vallemont, but chiefly composed anew by W.J., M.A.

Sect. 4▪ The State of the People of God in the Time of the 22 Ancestors of Jesus Christ.

This State lasted 590 Years; that is, from the end of the Reign of Zedekiah, to the Birth of Jesus Christ, who is that Corner Stone which united the two Covenant or Te∣staments. This Genealogy is according to St. Luke's Ac∣count in the Third Chapter of his Gospel.

IT must here be observed, That thô we are very well assured, that these two and twenty Ancestors of Iesus Christ did live between the end of the Reign of Zede∣kiah, and the Birth of the Messiah, that is, before the year of the World 3950; yet we are ignorant how ma∣ny years each of them lived, for History gives us no Light in the Case. Nay, 'tis very probable that we should not have come to the knowledge of their Names, had not St. Luke recorded them for us in the Third Chapter of his Gospel. Potest fieri (says St. Ambrose) ut alii lon∣gaevam transegerint vitam, alterius verò generationis viri im∣maturâ aetate decesserint. i. e. 'Tis probable that some of them were long-lived, and others cut off by an untimely Death in the very Flower of their Age. 'Tis upon this Account that we range these two and twenty Ancestors within the compass of 590 years, without assigning them an exact place in Chronology, and herein we follow the rest of the Chronologers. However we will connect the Succession of the Times together, by some of the most considerable Events which happened in the Iewish History, of which we will exactly set down the years.

Year' of the World.

Years before Christ.

3360. 1. NERI. He was carried Captive to Babylon with the rest of the People of God.

590

3376. The three Children are cast into the fiery Fur∣nace in Babylon, and are miraculously delivered.

574

3378. King Nebuchadnezzar, as a just Punishment of

his Pride, was turned into a Beast; was driven out of his Palace, and after seven years is restored.

572

3386. 2. SALATHIEL. He was among the Captiv'd Iews at Babylon.

564

About this time Ieconiah was advanced by Evilmero∣dach.

3409. Daniel is cast into the Lion's Den, from whence he was miraculously delivered by God.

541

3419. 3. ZOROBABEL, by the Permission of Cy∣rus who had conquered all the East, lead the People back to Iudea, to rebuild the Temple. He was accompa∣nied by Ioshua, or Iesus, the High-Priest; and the poorer sort among the Iews were allowed some sort of Gratuity to undertake this Journey. The King of Persia was in∣clined to deal thus kindly by the Iews, because he was informed that it had been foretold by the Prophets, that he should be the Man who should cause the Temple of Ierusalem to be rebuilt.

531

3431. Haggai and Zachariah stir up the People to build the Temple, the finishing of which had been hin∣der'd by the Enemies of the Iews.

519

3433. The Temple was finished and dedicated in this year, according to Iosephus.

517

4. RHEZA.

5. IOANNA.

6. IVDAH

3492. Ezra or Esdras obtained Letters Patent from King Artaxerxes in the Seventh Year of his Reign; for the carrying back a great many People into Iudea: He return to Ierusalem, saw ••••d bewailed the Sins of the Priests, Levites▪ and People, in marrying with the Idola∣trous People of the Land; made a deep Confession of their Sins to God; and prevailed upon them to make a Covenant to put away their Strange Wives.

458

7. IOSEPH.

3505. Nehemiah obtained from the same Artaxerxes, in the Twentieth Year of his Reign, a Commission to build the Walls of Ierusalem: He came thither, repair'd and built them in two and fifty days, thô Sanballat and his Companions used their utmost Power to hinder him. He discharg'd the poor Iews from their Debts; the Law

was solemnly read by Ezrah, and the Feast of Tabernacles kept. Also a solemn Fast was kept, and a Covenant made to put away the strange Wives, to keep the Sabbath, and to pay their Tythes. This is the year, wherein they be∣gin to reckon the seventy weeks of Daniel.

445

3518. Nehemiah returned to Artaxerxes according to his Promise.

432

3526. He returns to Ierusalem, reforms things that were amiss in his Absence, concerning Tythes, the Sab∣bath, and strange Wives.

424

8. SEMEI.

9. MATTATHIAS.

10. MAATH.

3588. Malachi, the last of the Prophets, lived about this time: He exhorted the People to reform and turn to God. 'Tis probable that he was Contemporary with Nehemiah.

362

3618. About this time Alexander the Great defeated Darius the last King of Persia, became Lord of all the East, and in six years time carried his Conquests so far, that Daniel in his mysterious Visions compares him to a Leopard, which had Wings.

332

11. NAGGE.

12. ELI.

13. NAHVM.

14. AMOS.

15. MATTATHIAS.

16. IOSEPH.

17. IOANNA.

3731. Ptolemy Philopator reigns seventeen years in Egypt. 'Twas he who tormented the Iews of Alexandria so barbarously, to turn them from the Worship of the true God. Several of them at last yielded to him; others redeemed themselves from his Tyranny by Mo∣ney; and those who stedfastly adhered to the Law of God, were treated with the utmost Severity, as may be seen in the Third Book of Maccabees.

219

3763. At this time Heliodorus, sent by Seleucus Philo∣pator to spoil the Temple, was whipt by Angels, as ap∣pears 2 Maccab. c. 3.

187

3782. Antiochus Epiphanes prophanes the Temple;

and here begins the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet.

168

3783. Iudas Maccabeus routs Apollonius, Seron, Gorgias and Lysias, the Captains of Antiochus.

167

3785. He purged the Temple, after it had been pol∣luted three years together.

165

18. MELCHI.

3797. Ionathan the High-Priest is greatly honoured by King Alexander, and destroys the Apostate Iews.

153

3807. Simon made General and High-Priest, took Ga∣za and the Tower upon Mount Sion in Ierusalem, which had been built by Antiochus Epiphanes to command the Temple, and levelled that part of the Mount.

143

3815. Simon, after he had govern'd the People about eight years, was killed treacherously by Ptolemy in a Feast. He sent some to surprize his Son Iohn, Sirnamed Hircanus, but he escaped, and was made High-Priest in the room of his Father.

135

This Iohn was besieg'd in Ierusalem by Antiochus Sidetes, open'd David's Sepulcher, and found vast Treasures therein.

19. LEVI.

3845. Aristobulus succeeded Iohn Hircanus, was the first who after the Captivity took upon him the Diadem and Character of King. He famished his Mother, impri∣soned all his Brethren except Antigonus, whom he dearly loved, yet killed him, being deceived by Alexandra Sa∣lome his Wife. He died of Grief; she released Alexander and married him.

105

3846. Alexander Iamnaeus succeeded Aristobulus took Ptolemais, was twice routed by Ptolemy Lathurus, took Gaza and destroyed it.

104

20. MATTHAT.

3872. Alexandra, Widow to Alexander, joined with the Pharisees, as her Husband had advised her, because they were in great Esteem with the People: They ruled all under her, and by degrees cut off the Chief of the Sa∣ducees who had counselled Alexander against them.

78

3882. Aristobulus headed the Saducees, routed the Pha∣risees, and was made King.

68

3887. The Temple and City were taken by Pompey. And because Aristobulus had proved false to him, he sent

him Prisoner to Rome, with Alexander and Antigonus, his two Sons.

63

21. HELI.

3902. The Civil Wars of Rome between Pompey and Cesar, inclined the latter to release Aristobulus, and to send him back to Ierusalem, that he might prevail upon the Jews to declare against Pompey. But he was poison'd by some of Pompey's Party, and his Son Alexander was beheaded at Antioch. His other Son Antigonus went to Rome, represented the Misfortune which happened to his Father and his Brother, and complained very much of Hircanus and Antipater. However Antipater was so highly in Cesar's Favour, that Hircanus was made High-Priest, and Antipater Governour of Iudea.

48

22. IOSEPH, the Husband of the Blessed Vir∣gin Mary.

3913. Herod made King of Iudea, and reigned over it 38 years.

37

3948. This year Augustus made a Decree, That all the Roman Empire should be taxed: Ioseph went with the Virgin Mary from Galilee to Bethlehem, where she brought forth our Blessed Saviour Iesus Christ.

A REMARK.

IT is to be observed, That the History of the Iews does not end here. There were High-Priests till the year of Christ 70, or, according to the vulgar Account, 67▪ at which time Vespasian laid Iudea waste; but upon Intelligence of the Death of Nero, he left Iudea and went to Rome. Within a while after he sent his Son Titus, who besieged and took Ierusalem. The Famine was so great in that City towards the end of the Siege, that a Woman was forced to kill her own Child to eat, The Temple was burnt, and Titus gave his Soldiers leave to riffe and burn the City. At this time was fulfil∣led the Saying of our Saviour, who foretold of Ierusalem that killed her Prophets, That she should be destroyed, and not one stone left upon another.

Phanias was High-Priest when Ierusalem was taken A. D. 70, and forty years after the Death of Iesus Christ.