132 



the discovery of tablets dated in his eleventh year, and of his 

 name appearing in the cylinder and other inscriptions in 

 conjunction with that of Cyrus. 



The death of Nabonidus and the accession of Cyrus closed 

 the dark epoch of the Captivity, and opened the bright day of 

 the restoration of Israel, a joy which finds expression in the 

 Psalms of the Return (Ps. Ixxxv. and Ps. cxxvi.) : — 



When Jehovah turned again the Captivity of Zion, we 



were like them that dream. 

 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue 



with singing. 

 Then said they among the nations, Jehovah hath done 



great things for them. 

 Jehovah hath done great things for us, therefore we are 



glad. 

 Turn again, O Jehovah, our captivity, as the rivers in 



the South. 

 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 

 He that goeth forth weeping, bearing precious seed, 

 Shall doubtless come again rejoicing, bringing full 



sheaves.* 



Such was the outburst of grateful joy to Jehovah for the 

 deliverance which he had wrought by the hand of Cyrus, His 

 servant. 



I have endeavoured thus far to show the various historical 

 events which the Jews must have been witnesses of before and 

 during the Captivity, and to point out how vividly, and with 

 what minuteness of detail, these are foretold in the writings of 

 the Hebrew prophets. These in some measure account for 

 the remarkable changes which came over the people; but 

 other and more potent forces lay in the religious and social 

 influences to which they were subjected, in contact with the 

 great civilisation of Chaldea. 



* It is to be noted that, in this and other cases in the paper, Mr. 

 Boscawen has given his own, or a different, transhition of the sacred text. — Ed. 



