keep it
for watering the land. She built also a bridge over the river in the middle
of _Babylon_, turning the stream into the Lake 'till the bridge was built.
_Philostratus_ saith, [396] that she made a bridge under the river two
fathoms broad, meaning an arched vault over which the river flowed, and
under which they might walk cross the river: he calls her [Greek: Medeia],
a _Mede_.

_Berosus_ tells us, that _Nebuchadnezzar_ built a pensile garden upon
arches, because his wife was a _Mede_ and delighted in mountainous
prospects, such as abounded in _Media_, but were wanting in _Babylonia_:
she was _Amyite_ the daughter of _Astyages_, and sister of _Cyaxeres_,
Kings of the _Medes_. _Nebuchadnezzar_ married her upon a league between
the two families against the King of _Assyria_: but _Nitocris_ might be
another woman who in the Reign of her son _Labynitus_, a voluptuous and
vicious King, took care of his affairs, and for securing his Kingdom
against the _Medes_, did the works above mentioned. This is that Queen
mentioned in _Daniel_, chap. v. ver. 10.

_Josephus_ [397] relates out of the _Tyrian_ records, that in the Reign of
_Ithobalus_ King of _Tyre_, that city was besieged by _Nebuchadnezzar_
thirteen years together: in the end of that siege _Ithobalus_ their King
was slain, _Ezek._ xxviii. 8, 9, 10. and after him, according to the
_Tyrian_ records, Reigned _Baal_ ten years, _Ecnibalus_ and _Chelbes_ one
year, _Abbarus_ three months, _Mytgonus_ and _Gerastratus_ six years,
_Balatorus_ one year, _Merbalus_ four years, and _Iromus_ twenty years: and
in the fourteenth year of _Iromus_, say the _Tyrian_ records, the Reign of
_Cyrus_ began in _Babylonia_; therefore the siege of _Tyre_ began 48 years
and some months before the Reign of _Cyrus_ in _Babylonia_: it began when
_Jerusalem_ had been newly taken and burnt, with the Temple, _Ezek._ xxvi
and by consequence after the eleventh year of _Jeconiah_'s captivity, or
160th year of _Nabonassar_, and therefore the Reign of _Cyrus_ in
_Babylonia_ began after the year of _Nabonassar_ 208: it ended before the
eight and twentieth year of _Jeconiah_'s captivity, or 176th year of
_Nabonassar_, _Ezek._ xxix. 17. and therefore the Reign of _Cyrus_ in
_Babylonia_ began before the year of _Nabonassar_ 211. By this argument the
first year of _Cyrus_ in _Babylonia_ was one of the two intermediate years
209, 210. _Cyrus_ invaded _Babylonia_ in the year of _Nabonassar_ 209;
[398] _Babylo