ast
_Darius_, whom _Alexander_ the great overcame; by means of this reckoning
he makes _Sanballat_ and _Jaddua_ alive when _Alexander_ the great
overthrew the _Persian_ Empire. Thus all the _Jews_ conclude the _Persian_
Empire with _Artaxerxes Longimanus_, and _Darius Nothus_, allowing no more
Kings of _Persia_, than they found in the books of _Ezra_ and _Nehemiah_;
and referring to the Reigns of this _Artaxerxes_, and this _Darius_,
whatever they met with in profane history concerning the following Kings of
the same names: so as to take _Artaxerxes Longimanus_, _Artaxerxes Mnemon_
and _Artaxerxes Ochus_, for one and the same _Artaxerxes_; and _Darius
Nothus_, and _Darius Codomannus_, for one and the same _Darius_; and
_Jaddua_, and _Simeon Justus_, for one and the same High-Priest. Those
_Jews_ who took _Herod_ for the _Messiah_, and were thence called
_Herodians_, seem to have grounded their opinion upon the seventy weeks of
years, which they found between the Reign of _Cyrus_ and that of _Herod_:
but afterwards, in applying the Prophesy to _Theudas_, and _Judas_ of
_Galilee_, and at length to _Barchochab_, they seem to have shortned the
Reign of the Kingdom of _Persia_. These accounts being very imperfect, it
was necessary to have recourse to the records of the _Greeks_ and
_Latines_, and to the Canon recited by _Ptolemy_, for stating the times of
this Empire. Which being done, we have a better ground for understanding
the history of the _Jews_ set down in the books of _Ezra_ and _Nehemiah_,
and adjusting it; for this history having suffered by time, wants some
illustration: and first I shall state the history of the _Jews_ under
_Zerubbabel_, in the Reigns of _Cyrus_, _Cambysis_, and _Darius Hystaspis_.

This history is contained partly in the three first chapters of the book of
_Ezra_, and first five verses of the fourth; and partly in the book of
_Nehemiah_, from the 5th verse of the seventh chapter to the 9th verse of
the twelfth: for _Nehemiah_ copied all this out of the Chronicles of the
_Jews_, written before his days; as may appear by reading the place, and
considering that the Priests and Levites who sealed the Covenant on the
24th day of the seventh month, _Nehem._ x. were the very same with those
who returned from captivity in the first year of _Cyrus_, _Nehem._ xii. and
that all those who returned sealed it: this will be perceived by the
following comparison of their names.

The Priests who returned.