1797.) Correétions in the Chronology of tbe Old Teftament. 
It ftill remains probable, that fome pro- 
clamation was iffued by Cyrus, to en- 
courage the fugitive or captive Jews, 
in whofe allegiance he had confidence, 
to return to their native city, and to 
revive the magnificence of their, in-’ 
terrupted worfhip. The conqueft of 
Jerufalem, once accomplithed, it would 
be natural’ for the Affyrian court to 
fofter its tranquillization, and to purfue 
its affection. For that purpofe, a refto- 
ration of confifcated properties, and of 
the plundered holy plate, was well adapt- 
ed ; and this aét of patronage took place 
in the fifth year of the conqueft (Baruch 
1.2), that is, in the fecond year of the 
reign of Zedekiah ; Joiakim having go- 
vernéd three years, as fatrap, or tribu- 
tary-king (2 Kings xxiv. 1) previous 
tothe appointment of Zedekiah. ‘The 
temple was yet ftanding, and the town 
not much injured et the period of this 
firft’ return, which Sheithbazzar fuper- 
intended. 
In the fecond chapter, the ¢ata- 
logue of names is a document relative 
to’4 long fubfequent tranfaétion. Zede- 
kiah, in the ninth year of his reign, had 
rebelled againft the Perfian emperor, 
which occafioned a fecond fiege of Jeru- 
falem, the burning of the city, the razure 
of its temple and iis fortifications, and 
the feizure, not as on the former occafion, 
of a few hoftages merely of the carpen- 
ters and fmiths (Jeremiah xxiv. 1) and of 
the more obftinate adherents to the Afyp- 
tian faétion, but the captivity, or dif- 
perfion of all the inhabitants; of whom 
many were fold in the flave markets of 
‘Tyre and Sidon, and many more fent to 
the metropolis. After this devaftation, 
the Perfian court, with a policy analo- 
gous tothat of.the Affyrians in Samaria, 
were defirous of recolonizing the town, 
and fixed on Zerubbabel and Jefhua, as 
natural chieftains, around whom the fu- 
give, the ranfomed, and the loyal Jews,, 
might be difpofed to rally. 
This attempt to prevent the total de- 
clenfion of Jerufalem, was, no doubr, 
made fhortly after its capture by Ne- 
buzaradan, and while the deferted houfes 
were fill in a ferviceable ftate : for al- 
_Yeady, in the fecond year of their com- 
Ing (ill. 8 to 11) every thing neceffary 
for the domeftication of the colony, was 
fo far accomplithed, that they had leifure 
to found a new temple. This pious la- 
bour was’ begun under Cyrus (iv. 3), 
was continued through the reigns of Da- 
Tius (iv. 5) and of Xerxes, or Ahafuerus 
(iv. 6), and was completed in that of 
4\rtaxerxes, when the Jews proceeded to 
335 
add fortifications alfo (iv. 12) to, the 
town. The firftinterterence of the adver- 
faries of Judah and Benjamin to refit’ 
the reftoration of Jerufalem, came fror 
the Samaritans (iv. 2), and appears to . 
have been the refult of religious jea- 
loufy. The account of it finifhes at the 
-fixth verfe, after which nothing eccurs | 
relative to the fecond return, which Ze- 
rubbabel fuperimtended. 
In the fourth chapter, with the fe- 
venth verfe, begins the hiltory of another 
later hoftile interference, the refult of © 
political apprehenfion. ‘Tie ‘governor, 
a chancellor of the diftriét, wrore to the 
emperor at Babylon, to prevent the for- 
tification, of a town, which had of cid 
been refractory in paying tribute, and 
was favourably circumftanced for felf- 
defence. Thete reprefencations evidently 
reipect the reparations particularized in 
the third chaptér of Nehemiah, 
elfect was to provoke an order (iv. 23) 
to fufpend walling-in the city; which 
was complied with until the fecond year 
(iv. 24) of,.Darius IT. This narrative 
terminates with the 18th verte of the fixth 
chapter. 
The third return, which Ezra fuper- | 
intended in the feveoth year of Artax- 
erxes, and which, from its being the laft 
eminent exertion of local attachment, 
_was confidered as terminating the captis | 
vity is regularly narrated in the feventh, 
eighth, ninth, and tenth chapter. Ir. 
was cuilomary with the Perfian court to | 
employ eunuchs in the conduct of im- 
portant tranfaction:, and characteriftic of 
fuch * an agent, to feparate with fo 
1 
. . \ - 
much indifference (x. 17) the marriage 
contraéted without the pale of the 
church, 
Ee 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. — 
SIR, . 
N your twentieth number, Mr, Wake- 
field has recommenced his attack on 
the literary charaéter of Hume, with his 
former hoftile {pirir, but, with not more 
fuccefs. 
‘“‘ Elizabeth’s fingular talents for .go- 
vernment, fays Hume, ‘‘ were. equally , 
founded on her temper and on her capa- 
city,’ —* Ciumfily enough !” exclaims 
Mr. W. “for who ever heard of the 
foundation of a talent >’? But does he 

* It will hardly be denied, that Ezra is the 
Azariah of Daniel, or that Whifton has rightly 
indicated the deftination of the holy children ; 
fee his note, p. 317, to the tranflawon of Jo- 
fephus, X 10 Antig. See alfo the oracles’ af- 
cribed to Haiah (liv. 5). 
fuppo’e 
Ther 



