hemiah_ be placed in the
Reign of the second _Artaxerxes_, since they lived beyond the 32d year of
_Artaxerxes_, _Nehem._ xiii. 28, there must be at least 160 years allotted
to the three first High-Priests, and but 42 to the four or five last, a
division too unequal: for the High Priesthoods of _Jeshua_, _Joiakim_, and
_Eliashib_, were but of an ordinary length, that of _Jeshua_ fell in with
one Generation of the chief Priests, and that of _Joiakim_ with the next
Generation, as we have shewed already; and that of _Eliashib_ fell in with
the third Generation: for at the dedication of the wall, _Zechariah_ the
son of _Jonathan_, the son of _Shemaiah_, was one of the Priests, _Nehem._
xii. 35, and _Jonathan_ and his father _Shemaiah_, were contemporaries to
_Joiakim_ and his father _Jeshua_: _Nehem._ xii. 6, 18. I observe further
that in the first year of _Cyrus_, _Jeshua_, and _Bani_, or _Binnui_, were
chief fathers of the _Levites_, _Nehem_. vii. 7. 15. & _Ezra_ ii. 2. 10. &
iii. 9. and that _Jozabad_ the son of _Jeshua_, and _Noadiah_ the son of
_Binnui_, were chief Levites in the seventh year of _Artaxerxes_, when
_Ezra_ came to _Jerusalem_, _Ezra_ viii. 33. so that this _Artaxerxes_
began his Reign before the end of the second Generation: and that he
Reigned in the time of the third Generation is confirmed by two instances
more; for _Meshullam_ the son of _Berechiah_, the son of _Meshezabeel_, and
_Azariah_ the son of _Maaseiah_, the son of _Ananiah_, were fathers of
their houses at the repairing of the wall; _Nehem._ iii. 4, 23. and their
grandfathers, _Meshazabeel_ and _Hananiah_, subscribed the covenant in the
Reign of _Cyrus_: _Nehem._ x. 21, 23. Yea _Nehemiah_, this same _Nehemiah_
the son of _Hachaliah_, was the _Tirshatha_, and subscribed it, _Nehem._ x.
1, & viii. 9, & _Ezra_ ii. 2, 63. and therefore in the 32d year of
_Artaxerxes Mnemon_, he will be above 180 years old, an age surely too
great. The same may be said of _Ezra_, if he was that Priest and Scribe who
read the Law, _Nehem._ viii. for he is the son of _Serajah_, the son of
_Azariah_, the son of _Hilkiah_, the son of _Shallum_, &c. _Ezra_ vii. 1.
and this _Serajah_ went into captivity at the burning of the Temple, and
was there slain, 1 _Chron._ vi. 14. 2 _King._ xxv. 18. and from his death,
to the twentieth year of _Artaxerxes Mnemon_, is above 200 years; an age
too great for _Ezra_.

I consider further that _Ezra_, chap. iv. names _Cyrus_, *, _Darius