The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

DANIEL V.

[World 3470] [Captivity 69] [Belshazzar 3] BABYLONS Sins are now come to the full, Belshazzar toppeth them up, by abuse of the Vessels of the House of God at a drun∣ken and Idolatrous Feast, to the despite and scorn of him that owed them, and to the grief of those that had concernment in them.

Hereupon that Divine hand that had written the two Tables for a Law to his people, writeth the doom of Babel and Belshazzar upon the wall, viz. the ruine of these his enemies: This turneth the night of the Kings pleasure into fear unto him, as Esay had Prophesied of him long ago, Esay 21. 4. and Jeremy, Jer. 50. 43. The Wise Men of Babylon are become fools, and cannot read this writing though it were in their own Lan∣guage; Daniel readeth and interpreteth it, and that both in an Hebrew and a Chaldee construction, for the words were both Languages, Mene, Mene, He hath numbred and finished; Tekel, in Chald. He hath weighed. In Heb. Thou art too light; Parsin, in Heb. The Persians; Paresin, in Chald. Dividing: and Daniel interprets it according to the extent of the words in both Tongues, for both Hebrews and Chaldeans were concerned though differently in the issue of the matter.

Presently the enemy that lay about the Town began to storm, and the Centinels and Watch-men in the Watch Towres give the Alarme; Arise ye Princes, and anoint the Shield, see Esay 21. 5. And one Post runs to meet another, to shew the King of Babylon that his City is taken at one end, Jer. 51. 31. and that night is Belshazzar slain. And Darius the Median took the Kingdom, being sixty two years old; and so it appears he was born in the year of Jehoia••ims and Jehoiachins captivity; and thus did the Lord provide, that in that very year when the Babylonian was most busie to captive and destroy, the captiver and destroyer of Babylon should be born. The Reader will here observe in the Chronicle in the Margin, that the third of Belshazzar proves but the sixty ninth year of the Captivity, and not the seventy. But if he do but withal observe, that part of Jehoia∣kims third was properly the beginning of those seventy years, he will also see that part of Belshazzars third was in the like reckoning some of the seventieth year, and the rest of that year was taken up in Cyrus and Da∣rius setling the Monarchy before the Decree for building Jerusalem come forth.

Cyrus the Persian was joyned with Darius the Median in the expediti∣on against Babel, and so in the rule of the Monarchy when they had ob∣tained it; and therefore the Prophet Esay describeth the enemies of Babel, by a Chariot with a couple of Horse-men, a Chariot of Asses, and a Cha∣riot of Camels, Esay 21. 7. 9. and Daniel interprets the hand-writing on

the wall, that the Babylonian Monarchy should be divided betwixt the Me∣dian and the Persian: But Darius only carrieth the name here, because he was far the older man, and because indeed he was Cyrus his Grand-fa∣ther: If we may conjecture any thing from the Heathen Writers. They speak of Astyages the Median King, who had one only Daughter, called Man∣dane, and she the Mother of Cyrus by Cambyses the King of Persia, vid. Xe∣noph. Herod. Justin. Now this being the general consent of all the Writers of the best repute among the Heathen, that there was no King of Media at that time but only Astyages, Cyrus his Grand-father; we may very well conclude that this Darius and their Astyages were all one, and that Darius be∣cause of his Grand-fathership did bear the name of the Royalty, though Cyrus in this conquest had equal share with him, and was for other victo∣ries a Conqueror beyond him. Not to insist upon those mixtures of fa∣bulousness that the Heathens have invented for the inhancing of the credit of Cyrus, as they were used to do about men that were the first raisers of a Kingdom; as that his Grand-father Astyages delivered him to Harpagus a Noble Man, as soon as he was born to be made away: that Harpagus afraid of such a Fact, delivered him to the Kings chief Shepherd for such a pur∣pose; that he laid and left the infant in a wood: that it was there nou∣risht by a Bitch: that the Shepherds wife took it home and nurst it, and exposed an infant of her own instead of it, &c. To omit these things which were invented only for the honour of the beginning of the Persian Empire; we may safely take up that relation which is unanimously given by all their Historians, and in which there can be no flattery at all su∣spected, and that is of the Pedigree and descent of Cyrus, and the names and qualities of his Parents, and so they give him for the son of Cambyses the King of Persia, and of Mandane the Daughter and only child of Astyages King of Media, and so was he heir to both the King∣doms.

Now upon the conquest of Babylon, Darius, or Astyages plat-forms the Government of that Monarchy under one hundred and twenty Governours, in the one hundred and twenty Provinces that belonged to it: And above these he set a Triumvirate, or three Princes to be supervisors to them, and to take their accounts both of Tribute and Affairs. Daniels knownness in Babylon, which was newly taken for his divine and wonderful wisdom and spirit, bringeth him to be one of these three: and that promotion and his singular carriage in it bringeth him into envy, and that into the Lions Den, &c. This occurrence may be conceived to have been present∣ly after the conquest of Babel, even in the compass of that year upon these grounds.

• 1. Because Darius it is like would form the Government of his Mo∣narchy as soon as he had it, and Daniel would not be long unenvied when promoted.
• 2. It is very probable that Darius reigned but a little beyond this year.
• 3. The writing of this Chapter in the Chaldee Tongue, may be some argument that this occurrence befel Daniel while he was in Chaldea.