2. His sixth year therefore began a little
before _June_, suppose in spring _An. J.P._ 4234, and his first year
consequently in spring _An. J.P._ 4229, as above. Now he reigned almost
twenty one years, by the consent of all writers. Add the 7 months of
_Artabanus_, and the sum will be 21 years and about four or five months,
which end between midsummer and autumn _An. J.P._ 4250. At this time
therefore began the reign of his successor _Artaxerxes_, as was to be
proved.

The same thing is also confirmed by _Julius Africanus_, who informs us out
of former writers, that the 20th year of this _Artaxerxes_ was the 115th
year from the beginning of the reign of _Cyrus_ in _Persia,_ and fell in
with _An._ 4 _Olymp._ 83. It began therefore with the _Olympic_ year, soon
after the summer Solstice, _An. J.P._ 4269. Subduct nineteen years, and his
first year will begin at the same time of the year _An. J.P._ 4250, as
above.

His 7th year therefore began after midsummer _An. J.P._ 4256; and the
Journey of _Ezra_ to _Jerusalem_ in the spring following fell on the
beginning of _An. J.P._ 4257, as above.

Notes to Chap. X.

[1] Chap. ix. 24, 25, 26, 27.

[2] _Cut upon_. A phrase in _Hebrew_, taken from the practise of numbring
by cutting notches.

[3] Heb. _to seal_, i.e. to finish or consummate: a metaphor taken from
sealing what is finished. So the _Jews_ compute, _ad obsignatum Misna, ad
obsignatum Talmud_, that is, _ad absolutum_.

[4] Heb. _the Prophet_, not the Prophecy.

[5] Heb. _the Messiah_, that is, in _Greek_, _the Christ_; in _English_,
_the Anointed_. I use the _English_ word, that the relation of this clause
to the former may appear.

[6] _Jerusalem_.

[7] See _Isa._ xxiii. 13.

[8] Iren. l. 5. Haer. c. 25.

[9] Apud Hieron. in h. l.

[10] 1 Kings xi. 7.

[11] The antient solar years of the eastern nations consisted of 12 months,
and every month of 30 days: and hence came the division of a circle into
360 degrees. This year seems to be used by _Moses_ in his history of the
Flood, and by _John_ in the _Apocalypse_, where a time, times and half a
time, 42 months and 1260 days, are put equipollent. But in reckoning by
many of these years together, an account is to be kept of the odd days
which were added to the end of these years. For the _Egyptians_ added five
days to the end of this year; and so did the _Chaldeans_ long before the
times of _Daniel_, as appears by the _AEra_, of _Nabonassar_: and the
_Per