Samaritans, weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, and hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose by misrepresenting them at the court of Cyrus, during the remainder of the reign of that monarch.* It was probably† this state of the Jewish affairs, and the slow progress which, in consequence of the opposition and arts of their enemies, his brethren were able to make in the restoration of their temple and polity, that threw the prophet Daniel into that state of melancholy, to relieve him from which, Jehovah saw fit to console him with a splendid and glorious vision, revealing the succession of the kings of Persia, the empire of the Macedonians, and the conquests of the Romans. In those days, I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my inouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz; his body also was like the beryl,§ and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision for the * Ezra, iv. 4, 5. See many curious particulars relating to Cyrus, his character, motives, &c. detailed by Mr. R. Watson in his Biblical and Theological Dictionary, sub hoc voce. "This Cyrus is called God's shepherd by Xenophon, as well as by Isaiah. The prophet says of him: I will make a man more precious than fine gold, even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir-which makes Xenophon's most excellent history of him very credible." Whist. Jos. ii. SS. † Prid. i. 206. Or the Tigris. § "Or Turquoise, which is of a sky colour." S. CLARK. men that were with me saw not the vision:* but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore, I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of his words; and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.† But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befal thy people in the latter days; for yet the vision is for many days. And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me. Then there came again and touched me one like the appear ance of a man, and he strengthened me, and said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me. Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael, your prince.* As we hear no more of this eminent prophet, it is probable that he died soon after this last revelation; and we may well suppose that in proportion to the extent of his influence† Dan. x. 2-21. xi. xii. Mr. Scott's note upon this passage is extremely beautiful, and well worthy of attentive perusal. + Daniel was not only a prophet, notwithstanding what the Jews say to the contrary, (Prid. i. 206. My edition of Leslie's Short and Easy Method with the Jews, p. 15. n.) but also excelled in divine wisdom, and in all the arts and sciences, particularly in that of architecture. " And Josephus tells us of a famous edifice built by him at Susa, in the manner of a castle, (which he saith was remaining to his time) and finished with such wonderful art, that it then seemed as fresh and beautiful as if it had been newly built. Within this edifice, he saith, was the place where the Persian and Parthian kings used to be buried; and that, for the sake of the founder, the keeping of it was committed to one of the Jewish nation even to his time. The copies of Josephus that are now extant do indeed place this building in Ecbatana, in Media; but St. Jerome, who gives us the same account of it word for word out of Josephus, and professeth so to do, placeth it in Susa, in Persia; which makes it plain that the copy of Josephus which he made use of had it so, and it is most likely to have been the true reading; for Susa being within the Babylonish empire, the Scripture tells us that Daniel had some times his residence there; and the common tradition of those parts hath been for many ages past, that Daniel died in that city, which is now called Tuster, and there they shew his monument even to this day. And it is to be observed that Josephus calls this building whilst living, his enemies would prevail after his decease with Cyrus, who himself died a few years afterwards, without, however, having further interfered in the Jewish affairs.* On the decease of that monarch, he was succeeded by his son, the tyrant Cambyses, or Ahasuerus,† to whom the Samaritans immediately wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem; but of which he does not appear to have taken any notice.§ Cambyses was succeeded by the usurper, Smerdis the Magian, or Artaxerxes, and to him wrote the Samaritans, or various collected nations, whom the great and noble Asnapper, or Esarhaddon,¶ brought over and set in the cities of Samaria; Thy servants, the men on this side the river, and at such a time, be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations. Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and Baris, which is the same name by which Daniel himself calls the castle or palace at Shushan or Susa. For what we translate at Shushan in the palace, is, in the original, Beshushan Habirah, where no doubt the Birah of Daniel is the same with the Baris of Josephus, and both signify this palace or castle there built by Daniel, while he was governor of that province; for there he did the king's business, i.e.was governor for the king of Babylon." Prid. i. 207, 208. *Prid. i. 210. Ezra, iv. 7. Prid. i. 219. + Ezra, iv. 6. Prid. i. 211. § Prid. i. 211. "After the death of Cambyses, one of the Magi, named Oropæstus by Trogus Pompeius, Smerdis by Herodotus, Mardus by Eschylus, and Sphendatates by Ctesias, usurped the empire, feigning himself to be Smerdis, the brother of Cambyses, who had been put to death." A. CLARKE. so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings. Now because we have maintenance from the king's palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour, therefore, have we sent and certified the king; that search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and princes, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed. We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.* The Magian having directed the search to be made, had no difficulty in finding that Jerusalem had always been a rebellious city; and, therefore, wrote answer to the enemies of the Jews, Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me. Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings? Upon which they went up with their companions in haste, to the Jews at Jerusalem, and made them by force and power, to cease from the work of the house of Jehovah there.† Artaxerxes, or Smerdis, having been discovered to be an impostor, was assassinated by seven Persian nobles, one of whom, Darius, the son of Hystaspes, succeeded him upon the vacant throne.§ * Ezra, iv. 7—16. + Ezra, iv. 17—24. He was a Magian. Cyrus left a son of the name of Smerdis, whom Cambyses slew through envy. Smerdis the Magian had his ears cut off by Cyrus for some crime, and the nobles desired one of his women to let them know whether he had ears or not; by which they discovered that he was an impostor, and slew him. Prid. i. 218. 222. Where see how the sinful precautions of Cambyses led to his own ruin. § Prid. i. 226. |