02.09. FROM MALACHI TO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.

CHAPTER 9. FROM MALACHI TO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. A total eclipse of the sun occurred August 3, in the first year of the Peloponnesian war, as recorded by Thucydides. — B.C. 431 . DARIUS NOTHUS. Artaxerxes Longimanus, according to Prideaux, was succeeded by his son, Xerxes, who was murdered at the end of forty-five days, by his brother, Sogdianus, who in turn was put to death by his brother, Ochus, having reigned but six months and fifteen days. The two brothers having reigned less than a year, their time is included, in Ptolemy’s Canon, in that of Ochus. This prince changed his name to Darius, and is called by historians Darius Nothus. His reign, including that of his brothers, according to the Canon of Ptolemy, continued nineteen years to — B.C. 404 . ARTAXERXES. He was succeeded by his son, Arsaces, who, on ascending the throne, took the name of Artaxerxes. From the wonderful memory that he possessed, he is called by the Greeks, Artaxerxes Mnemon, 1:e., the rememberer. His reign, according to the Canon of Ptolemy, continued forty-six years, to — B.C. 358 . OCHUS was his son and successor, and reigned, according to Ptolemy’s Canon, twenty-one years, to — B.C. 337 . ARSES. He was succeeded by his youngest son, Arogus, or Arses. He was murdered by Bagoas — an Egyptian eunuch, who had also murdered Ochus, and all of Arses’s brothers — his reign, according to the Canon of Ptolemy, continued two years, to — B.C. 335 . DARIUS. Bagoas, after the murder of Arses, placed on the throne Codomanus, a descendant of Nothus. On ascending the throne, he assumed the name of Darius, being the third of that name who occupied the Persian throne. In the second year of this Darius, Alexander the Great crossed the Hellespont for the invasion of Asia; and, with only 30,000 foot, and 5,000 horse, he encountered the Persian army at the River Granicus, and gained a victory over five times his number. In his third year, Darius, with an army of 600,000, was defeated by Alexander, at Issus, in Cilicia. The next year Darius, with about a million of men, was defeated by Alexander, in the decisive battle of Arbela, and was soon after killed, having reigned, according to Ptolemy’s Canon, four years, to — B.C. 331 . The battle of Arbela marks the end of the Persian, and the succession of the Grecian Empire. The time of this battle is marked with absolute certainty; for Plutarch records an eclipse of the moon eleven days before that battle. By astronomical calculation it is found that the moon was eclipsed in the meridian of Arbela, on the night of September 20, B.C. 331, and A. J. P. 4383; so that this battle must have been fought on the first of October of that year. ALEXANDER. According to the Canon of Ptolemy, Alexander’s reign continued eight years; but it is there dated from nearly a year previous to the battle of Arbela, and therefore it extends only to — B.C. 324 .

Alexander was succeeded by his illegitimate son Aridaeus, who changed his name to Philip, and reigned, according to Ptolemy’s Canon, seven years, to — B.C. 317 .

After the death of Aridaeus, the only one who bore the title of king was Alexander Aegus. He, however, possessed no power; for after the death of Alexander the Great, the governments of the empire were divided among the chief commanders of the army, who took the title of governors at first, but finally that of kings. Soon after they were settled in their provinces, they warred among themselves, till, after some years, all were destroyed but four — Cassander, who had Macedon and Greece; Lysimachus, who had Thrace and the parts of Asia on the Hellespont and Bosphorus; Ptolemy, who had Egypt, Lybia, Arabia, Palestine, and Coele-Syria; and Seleucus, who had the rest of Alexander’s dominion. “Porphyry tells us that Seleucus was made king of Syria by Ptolemy, when he came against Demetrius Poliorcetes, and that he then began to enlarge his dominions by conquest. His kingdom is dated form Olym. 317, y. 1. That year began at the new moon nearest the summer solstice, A. J. P. 4402.” — Dr. Jarvis. — B.C. 312 . THE ERA OF THE SELEUCIDAE. “With the commencement of this reign began the famous era called the Era of the Seleucidae. It is the era from which the years are reckoned in the first and second book of Maccabees; but whereas the heathen historians began to reckon from the summer solstice, the reader, if he would avoid mistakes, must always bear in mind that the author of the first book of Maccabees reckons each year as beginning with Nisan, the first ecclesiastical month of the Jews; while the author of the second makes his to begin with the civil year of the Jews, or the autumnal month, Isri. This era is called by the Jews the Era of Contracts, and by the Arabs, Dil- Carnaim, or the two-horned, 1:e., of Alexander, as the son of Jupiter Ammon.” — Dr. Jarvis. To continue the chronology, we have only to trace the succession of one of the lines of kings before mentioned, and will take the Egyptian, as in the Canon of Ptolemy, the astronomer. PTOLEMY, the king of Egypt, did not become firmly settled on his throne till twelve years from the death of Philip Aridaeus, where Ptolemy, the astronomer, places the beginning of his reign. — B.C. 305 . PTOLEMY SOTER, or Lagus, according to the Canon of the astronomer, reigned in Egypt twenty years from his assumption of the title of king, and thirty-nine from the death of Alexander; and then placed Ptolemy Philadelphus, one of his sons, in partnership with him on the throne. — B.C. 285 . PTOLEMY PHILADELPHUS, according to the Canon, reigned from his accession to the throne in partnership with his father, thirty-eight years, to — B.C. 247 . PTOLEMY EUERGETES, his successor, was his eldest son, who reigned, according to the Canon, twenty-five years, to — B.C. 222 . PTOLEMY PHILOPATER succeeded him, a most profligate and wicked prince, who reigned, according to the same Canon, seventeen years, to B.C. 205. PTOLEMY EPIPHANES, his son, succeeded him, and reigned, according to the Canon, twenty-four years, to — B.C. 181 . PTOLEMY PHILOMETER, his son, a boy of six years old, under the guardianship of his mother, Cleopatra, succeeded him, and, according to the Canon, reigned thirty-five years. — B.C. 146 . “And there came out of them [of Alexander’s successors] a wicked root, Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king [of one of the four divisions of Alexander’s empire — Syria], who had been a hostage at Rome, and he reigned in the hundred and thirty and seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.” 1Ma 1:10. He was contemporary with Ptolemy Philometer, of Egypt.

Reckoning by the Era of the Seleucidae, he began to reign B.C. 176. “Now when the kingdom was established before Antiochus, he thought to reign over Egypt, that he might have the dominion of two realms,... and made war against Ptolemee king of Egypt.... and after that Antiochus had smitten Egypt, he returned again in the hundred and forty and third year, and went up against Israel and Jerusalem with a great multitude, and entered proudly into the sanctuary, and took away the golden altar, and the candlestick of light, and all the vessels thereof.” 1Ma 1:16-21. — B.C. 170 . This brings us to the time when “the Romans gained their first foot-hold in the Macedonian Empire,” by the battle of Pydna, “of which we are able to fix its date with precision, by the total eclipse of the moon, which took place the evening before the battle, Tuesday, June 21, P. M., 8h. 2m., A. J.

P. 4546.” — Dr. Jarvis. — B.C. 168 . In this same year, as Antiochus was on his way to Egypt, “when within four miles of Alexandria, he was met at Eleusis, by the Roman ambassadors, at the head of whom was Popilius Laenas, with whom he had been acquainted, during a residence of thirteen years at Rome. Rejoiced to see him, Antiochus stretched out his arms to embrace him; but the Roman, rejecting his salute, first sternly demanded an answer to the written orders of the Senate, which he presented. The king declaring that he would deliberate on their contents with his friends, Popilius traced a circle round the king, on the sand, with his rod, saying, ‘I require an answer before you quit this circle;’ then Antiochus, with a faltering accent, replied, ‘I will obey the Senate;’ and immediately withdrew his army from Egypt.” — Dr. Hales’ Chro., vol. ii., p. 595. “Now the fifteenth day of the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and fifth year, they set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar, and builded idol altars throughout the cities of Judah, on every side.... Now the five and twentieth day of the month they did sacrifice upon the idol altar, which was upon the altar of God.” 1Ma 1:54-59. — B.C. 168 .

Antiochus committed great abominations in Jerusalem, putting to death the venerable Eleazar, in his ninetieth year (2Ma 6:24), and great numbers of others, polluting the temple, etc. Matthias, a priest, died “in the hundred forty and sixth year.” 1Ma 2:70. — B.C. 167 . The next year he commissioned Lysias, a nobleman, to root out the remnant of Israel, while Antiochus went against Persia, in “the hundred and forty-seventh year.” So Lysias went against Jerusalem, with an army of 47,000, to destroy it; but was defeated by 6,000 Jews. 1 Maccabees 3. — B.C. 165 . “Now Maccabeus and his company, the Lord guiding them, recovered the temple,... and, having cleansed the temple, they made another altar, and striking stones they took fire out of them, and offered a sacrifice after two years, and set forth incense.... Now upon the same day that the strangers profaned the temple, on the very same day it was cleansed again, even the five and twentieth day of the same month, which is called the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eight year, they rose up betimes in the morning, and offered sacrifice.” 1Ma 4:52. — B.C. 165 .

Soon after this, Antiochus died “a miserable death in a strange country in the mountains” (2Ma 9:28) “in the hundred forty and ninth year.” 1Ma 6:16. — B.C. 164 .

Antiochus Eupator, the son of Epiphanes, succeeded him, and in “the hundred forty and ninth year it was told Judas, that Antiochus Eupator was coming with a great power into Judea,” with an army of 110,000 foot, 5,300 horse, and 22 elephants. 2Ma 13:1-2. In 1Ma 6:20 it reads, “in the hundred and fiftieth year,” but it was a sabbatical year; “for that it was the seventh year, and they in Judea that were delivered from the Gentiles, had eaten up the residue of the store,” (1Ma 6:53); and so they made peace with the king. — B.C. 163 . “In the hundred and one and fiftieth year Demetrius the son of Seleucus departed from Rome, and came up with a few men unto a city of the seacoast, and reigned there.” 1Ma 7:1. — B.C. 162 .

He sent an army to chastise the Jews. “Now Judas had heard of the fame of the Romans, that they were mighty and valiant men, and such as would lovingly accept all that joined themselves unto them, and make a league of amity with all that came unto them.” 1Ma 8:1. Judas sent an embassy “to Rome, to make a league of amity and confederacy with them, and to entreat them that they would take the yoke from them; for they saw that the kingdom of the Grecians did oppress Israel with servitude” (1Ma 8:17-18); and so “did the Romans make a covenant with the people of the Jews.” 1Ma 8:29. — B.C. 161 . This is the commencement of the Roman ascendancy over the Jews. In “the first month of the hundred fifty and second year,” the army of Demetrius again “encamped before Jerusalem.” 1Ma 9:3. And before the return of the ambassadors from Rome, in a furious conflict, Judas was slain. Verse 18. — B.C. 161 . The death of Judas was followed by a merciless persecution of his adherents, so that there was “a great affliction in Israel the like whereof was not since the time that a prophet was not seen among them” — or since the days of Malachi. 1Ma 9:27. “In the hundred fifty and third year, in the second month, Alcimus [the high priest] commanded that the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary should be pulled down.... And as he began to pull down,... he was taken with the palsy,” and “died with great torment.” 1Ma 9:54-56. — B.C. 160 . “Whereupon the land of Judea was at rest two years.” 1Ma 9:57 to B.C. 158. “In the hundred and sixtieth year Alexander, the son of Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes, went up and took Ptolemais [a sea-port in Palestine] for the people had received him, by means whereof he reigned there.” 1Ma 10:1. — B.C. 153.

Alexander made Jonathan high priest of the Jews, “in the seventh month of the hundred and sixtieth year.” 1Ma 10:21. Demetrius, coming against him, was slain in battle. 1Ma 10:50. “Afterward Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemee king of Egypt” (1Ma 10:51), requesting his daughter Cleopatra in marriage. So Ptolomee went out of Egypt with his daughter Cleopatra, and they came unto Ptolemaise, in the hundred threescore and second year.

1Ma 10:57. — B.C. 151 . “In the hundred threescore and fifth year came Demetrius, son of Demetrius, out of Crete, into the land of his fathers.” Verse 67. B.C. 148.

Ptolemy Philometer, king of Egypt, came up to assist Demetrius, and made war against Alexander, his son-in-law, who fled into Arabia, where he was killed. “King Ptolomee [Philometer] also died the third day after, and they that were in the strongholds were slain one of another. By this means Demetrius reigned [in Syria] in the hundred threescore and seventh year.” 1Ma 11:18-19. — B.C. 146 . PTOLEMY PHYSCON, his brother, succeeded Philometer in Egypt. He was a wicked prince, and assumed the name of “Euergetes,” the Benefactor; but the Alexandrians turned it into “Kakergertes,” the Malefactor. “In the hundred threescore and twelfth year King Demetrius gathered his forces together, and went into Media, to get him help;” and when the king of Persia heard of it, he sent and took”him,” and put him “in ward.” 1 Mac. 34:1-3. In the same year the Romans renewed with Simon the alliance they and made with Jonathan and Judas, in “the eighteenth day of the month Elul,... being the third year of Simon the high priest.” 1Ma 14:27. B.C. 141. “In the hundred threescore and fourteenth year,” Antiochus came unto the land of his fathers, and demanded five hundred talents, for tribute from the Jews. 1Ma 15:10; 1Ma 15:31. B. c. 139. To enforce this demand, he sent a powerful army against them, but was defeated. “In the hundred threescore and seventeenth year, in the eleventh month,... called Sabat,” the venerable Simon came down to Jericho, where he was assassinated. — B.C. 136 .

Physcon reigned, according to Ptolemy’s Canon, twenty-nine years, to — B.C. 117 . PTOLEMY SOTER, his son, was his successor. He reigned, according to the Canon, thirty-six years, to — B.C. 81 . PTOLEMY AULETES. Ptolemy Soter was succeeded by his daughter Berenice, who reigned six months, and then married Alexander, her father’s nephew, who murdered her at the end of nineteen days, and then reigned alone fifteen years. Prideaux’s Hist. Jews, vol. ii., p. 257. He was succeeded by Dionysius Neos, an illegitimate son of Ptolemy Soter, who, according to Dr. Prideaux, had some part of the Egyptian empire from his father’s death; and for this reason, Ptolemy, the astronomer, makes no mention of Alexander, but makes Dionysius, called also Ptolemy Auletes, the successor of Soter, including in his reign that of Alexander, and continuing, according to the Canon, twenty-nine years, to — B.C. 52 . CLEOPATRA. Dionysius, by his will, bequeathed his crown to his eldest son and daughter, ordering them to be joined in marriage, and reign — they being minors — under the guardianship of Rome. Ptolemy, the son, attempted to deprive Cleopatra, the daughter, of her share in the government. This brought on a war with Rome, Julius Caesar taking the part of Cleopatra. In five years from the death of Dionysius, Ptolemy was drowned in the Nile, attempting to escape from a battle in which Caesar was victorious; after which all Egypt submitted to the conqueror, who settled the government on Cleopatra and a younger brother of eleven years, which, in effect, put the whole in her hands. From the death of her father, according to the Canon of Ptolemy, she reigned twenty-two years, when she caused herself to be bitten by an asp, and died. — B.C. 30 . At the death of Cleopatra, Egypt fell into possession of Augustus Caesar, who had defeated her and Mark Antony at the battle of Actium, eleven months previous. AUGUSTUS CAESAR. The reign of Augustus Caesar is dated by chronologers from the battle of Actium, when Egypt became subject to Rome. The time of this battle, and consequently that of the commencement of the reign of Augustus, is accurately marked by an eclipse of the sun, which occurred twelve days previously, and which is ascertained astronomically to have been on the 20th of August, A. J. P. 4683, or B.C. 31. Consequently, the battle was fought on the 2d of September following.

Dio, who affirms that “the day of this eventful action was the 2d of September, observes that he was so particular in mentioning the very day, because the whole sovereignty was then, for the first time, in Caesar’s hands, and the years of his monarchy were counted from it.” — Dr. Jarvis’ Ch. Hist., p. 197.

Herod was at this time king in Jerusalem. “His accession is dated by Josephus, in the consulate of Marcus Agrippa, and Caninius Gallus, B.C. 37; and in the [third year of the] 185th Olympus.” — Hales. After two years’ preparation, in the twentieth year of his reign, he began to repair the Jewish temple. — B.C. 17 .