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.

ESTHER X.

[Artax. Ahashuerus 13] AFTER this great and wonderful deliverance, and prosperity of the [Artax. Ahashuerus 14] Jews, Artaxerxes, or Ahashuerosh, layeth a Tax upon the whole Em∣pire, but in what year of his reign is uncertain, and how long he reign∣ed after this, is not easily determinable: For the Scripture is utterly silent to express the number of the years of his reign, or any of the Kings of of Persia that come after him, in clear expressions. Of this King it saith no more at all, of the next it mentioneth his second year, Ezra 4. 24. his fourth year, Zech. 7. 1. his sixth year, Ezra 6. 15. his seventh, Ezra 27. 8. his twentieth, Neh. 1. 1. his thirty second, Neh. 13. 6. but how long he reign∣ed further there is no account at all neither.

By collection from other places and passages it may be concluded, and upon very good ground, that this King Artaxerxes Ahashuerosh reigned but fourteen years in all, the ground is this: Because Zechariah in the second year of Darius, doth then but reckon the time of some captivity seventy years. The Angel of the Lord answered, and said, O Lord of Hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem, and on the Cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these seventy years, Zech. 1. 12. And in Chap. 4. there are some people sent from Babel to Jerusalem, and they have this quaere among the rest of the business they came about to speak to the Priests, which were in the house of the Lord of Hosts, and to ask, Should I weep in the fifth month, as I have done these seventy years. Compare ver. 3. & 5. Now from the beginning of the seventy years, or the fourth of Jehoiakim, to the second of Darius, were many years above seventy; namely, the three years of Cyrus, all the years of Ahashuerosh, which were twelve, mentioned in Scripture before his taxing the Empire, and two of Darius himself: eighty seven in all by this account, from the time that the seventy years captivity beginneth to be counted: therefore these seventy years mentioned in Zechary must be counted from some other date, or else there will be exceeding much hardness and impropriety in the speech. Now this date is, from the destruction of Jerusalem, and firing of the Temple in the nineteenth year of Nebuchad-nezzar, to Darius his second, namely, fif∣ty one years of the seventy of Babell, three of Cyrus, fourteen as we sup∣pose of Ahashuerosh, and two of Darius.

For let the Reader but impartially and unbiassed expound those two places in Zechary alledged, and how can he possibly interpret the seventy years there mentioned, of the seventy years mentioned Jeremy 25. 11, 12. & 29. 10. which were expired seventeen years ago, by plain account of Scripture. Especially let him but weigh well the scope and purpose of the seventh Chapter of Zechary, and it will make the date and account that we give of those seventy years to be proper and approveable. In the second year of Darius the Temple, after a long hinderance of the building of it, is begun upon to be built again, and it goes happily forward; thereup∣on the Church at Babell sends to Jerusalem to inquire of the Priests. Now that the Temple is built again shall I fast, and keep solemn days of hu∣miliation,

as I have done these seventy years since the Temple was destroyed. If they had fasted but the seventy years of the captivity, then had they laid down their fasts at the least seventeen years, to the second of Darius, nineteen to the fourth, as Zech. 7. 1. And if they had laid them down so long, while the work and building of the Temple lay forlorn, why should they think of taking them up again, now it went well with that work and building? And if they had continued them all the time of the captivity, and all the time since, why is it called but seventy years, whereas it was at the least eighty seven? Therefore to me it is past all peradventure, that the seventy years there spoken of are counted from the firing of the Tem∣ple to the re-building of it, in the second of Darius, and that this very account doth necessarily allot fourteen years reign to Artaxerxes Aha∣shuerosh, that hindered it, to make up this sum: As we observed the like necessary allowing of seventeen years to Joshua, upon the result of a gross sum, where all the rest of the sum is cleared by particulars but only those seventeen: And with this computation that we have given, how pregnantly and properly doth agree that reckoning of the Angel Gabriel, of seven times seven years, or forty nine years from Cyrus his decree of building Jerusalem, to the finishing of it; as we shall observe at the thirty second year of Darius? But the Reader will there see it readily enough of himself, without any notice.

[World 3488] [Artaxerxes Ahashuerosh 1] After Artaxerxes Ahashuerus the husband of Esther, reigned Artaxerxes Darius, falsly supposed by the Jews to be his son: Probably the same with Darius Hystaspis in Heathen Authors; called the King of Assyria, Ezra 6. 22.