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The stay of the captive Jewish people in Babylon, as a punishment for previous and still ongoing iniquities 740, could not be a state of peace. However, God, for the consolation of those who turned to Him and for the glory of His name, dissolved His anger with mercy and repeatedly, demonstrating His power over the rulers, eased the lot of the enslaved. The Glory of Daniel, Beneficial to the Jews From the first captivity, taken in the fourth summer of Joachim, Nebuchadnezzar ordered to select youths of the most noble families and raise them for his court. Among them were: Daniel, Ananias, Atria and Mishael, or in Chaldean: Belshazzar, Shadrach, Abednego and Meshach 741, who, avoiding communication with the pagans, preferred simple earth products and water 742 to the royal meal. After completing three years of education, they distinguished themselves before the king by their extraordinary wisdom. Daniel received visions 743. When Nebuchadnezzar, in a frenzy from a dream he had seen but forgotten 744, condemned all the wise Babylonians to death because he did not find a person who could explain it, Daniel, asking God for the revelation of the secret, told him that in his dream a body was imagined having a golden head, chest and silver arms, a copper belly, iron legs, legs iron, which was crushed without a human hand, but by the subsequent blow of a stone, which then grew up the mountain; and that metals signify four kingdoms that are set to follow one after another, and stone is the Divine and Eternal Kingdom 745. The king glorified God Daniel, made the Prophet the ruler of the country of Babylon and the head of the wise, and, according to his idea, appointed his three co-educates as his assistants. There is no doubt that the glory and power of these men were also useful to other Jews. The Miracle of Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael Imminent danger threatened the worshipers of the true God when Nebuchadnezzar, incited by pride, and perhaps by the envious Jews he protected, erected a colossal golden image and gathered the noblest people from all his possessions to worship it 746. Ananias, Azariah and Misail, who, despite the command and threats, did not want to do this, were cast into chains in a furnace that was heated to such an extent that the flames killed the servants of execution. But when the king saw three confessors in her safe and sound, and with them a husband with a divine appearance, then he again blessed the God of Israel, and throughout his entire kingdom forbade him to blaspheme under the threat of terrible execution. His confessors were given new honors and the entire Jewish people were entrusted. Since, meanwhile, pride did not allow Nebuchadnezzar to recognize the providence of God over himself, whose miraculous hand he so clearly saw, then, finally, a dream announced his punishment, under the symbol of a great tree, designated for cutting, leaving only the root in the ground 747. Daniel explained the omen to him, and advised him to turn away God's wrath with justice and goodness. A year after this prophecy, when the king, looking at Babylon, was magnified by it as the work of his own hands, he was again struck by a condemning voice from heaven, and from that moment, devoid of intelligence, removed from the throne and human society, like cattle, he ate grass for seven years 748. But after this time, with reason, he returned to prosperity and, in front of his entire kingdom, recognized God, who owns the kingdom of men, to the consolation of His faithful servants 749. Condition of the Jews under Evilmerodach After Nebuchadnezzar, who died in the 43rd year of his reign, his son and successor Evilmerodach 750, probably disposed by the adventures of his father to the respect of the Jews, brought Jehoiachin out of prison, gave him a decent allowance and placed his throne above the thrones of other kings under his control. Under Neriglissor and Belthassar Evilmerodach was deprived of the throne along with his life by his sister's husband, Neriglissor, and left it to the son born from her, Lavorosoardoch, whom Daniel calls Belthassar, a luxurious youth who did not use the instructions that he could learn from the adventures of his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar 751. It cannot be thought that the people of God enjoy the favor of such sovereigns. Daniel himself was removed from the court for some time as, as they think, the ruler of the Susana region 752. At this time he had two visions of kingdoms: the first under the image of a lion, a bear, a lynx and a terrible unknown beast 753; the second under the image of a ram, a goat and a great horn 754. At one evening feast with nobles, wives and concubines, Belthassar added blasphemy to intemperance. He drank from the sacred vessels of Jerusalem and praised the idols. Suddenly a hand appeared, writing on the wall. The frightened king promised third place in his place to the one who explained what was written. Daniel, who was again in Babylon, being called, read the words: mani, tokel, fares and announced to Belshazzar that his kingdom was numbered, weighed and would be divided among the Medes and Persians. The prophet was given the promised reward, although he refused it 755, and the wicked king died that same night from attackers 756. Incidents under Darius Mede Darius, by origin Meade 757, having ascended the throne of Nebuchadnezzar, identified Daniel as one of the three highest officials, to whom he subordinated 120 regional rulers, and thought of entrusting his entire kingdom to him. Jealous of the power of the captive, some of the other officials convinced the king to give a decree that for thirty days no one should dare make petitions to any god or man other than him, under the fear of being given to the lions; and, as Daniel continuously continued at this time, according to his custom, to pray three times daily in front of the window open to Jerusalem, they stubbornly insisted on punishing him. Daniel spent the night in the lion's den, and was brought out of it unharmed, and his accusers were thrown into his place, along with their families, and were immediately devoured. Then the king, by a new decree, commanded in all his possessions to reverence the God of Daniel, as the living and eternal God. It must be thought that this increased the glory of the people of God and served as the salvation of some pagans. Meanwhile, Daniel was comforted by the revelation about the time of the coming of the Messiah. End of the Babylonian captivity Finally, Cyrus, having become the owner of Babylon and the entire East 758, in the first summer of his monarchy, promulgated a decree by which he announced that God, who gave him the kingdoms of the earth, commanded him to create a temple in Jerusalem; and for this he invited the Jews to return to their fatherland, and the inhabitants of the places in which they were located to help them with their acquisitions 759. He was probably aroused to this by Daniel, and, according to Flavius, by the prophecy of Isaiah, in which he was named by name more than 100 years before his birth, victories were promised to him and the restoration of the Jewish people was awarded 760. Be that as it may, Cyrus also ordered the 5,400 vessels of the Jerusalem Temple to be given to the Jews. They set out from the land of migration with Prince Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua, among 42,360 men, besides slaves 761 . Daniel, remaining in the kingdom of Cyrus, did not see the city of his father, but saw in revelation the fate of the city of God before Christ and the Antichrist 762. Calculation of the Babylonian captivity The calculation of the 70 years of Babylonian captivity, appointed by Jeremiah, according to the instructions of the Prophet himself, begins with the first migration, or the fourth year of Joachim, and the first of Nebuchadnezzar, and ends with the first year of Cyrus 763. The Ptolomeic and Berozovo chronology of the Babylonian kings is consistent with this, which gives Nebuchadnezzar 43 years of reign, Evilmerodach 2, Neriglissor 4, Lavorosoardoch nine months, Nabonned 17 years. About 3 years, which are not enough here for the full required number, partly could have been lost in months, partly elapsed between the capture of Babylon and the complete establishment of the Cyrus monarchy. Besides Daniel 764 and his three friends, the famous ascetic of piety in these times was Ezekiel, priest and prophet. His revelations began in Mesopotamia in the fifth year of his migration, which is the migration of Jehoiachin, and continued for at least 22 years. He was called to prophecy by a vision of the glory of God, in the image of a man sitting on a throne, under which, in a gradual descent, were represented: the firmament, four animals and the same number of animated wheels and the consumption of a scroll covered with disasters. After many powerful prophecies against Jews and pagans, which were sometimes associated with striking symbols 765, he had a comforting vision of a new temple, and under this the formation of a new Church 766. Questionable Incidents The history of the Babylonian captivity includes the adventure of Susanna, who decided to lose her life in order to preserve her integrity, and was already condemned by the elders, but beyond her expectations, justified by the youth Daniel, who exposed the slanderers, dividing them. But the well-known narrative about this incident is subject to doubt, both because at the very beginning of the captivity it ascribes to the Jews their own judgment seat with the right of life and death, and to Joachim, the husband of Susanna, a magnificent house and gardens, and because it is not confirmed by the testimony of the Jews themselves 767. The same kind of essence is the story about Daniel, who disgraced the priests of Bel, crushed this idol, killed the serpent idolized by the Babylonians, and finally spent seven days harmlessly in the lion’s den, and was nourished by the Prophet Habakkuk, whom the Angel brought to him from Judea. These narratives look like altered traditions of the true story of Daniel. The concepts of true faith not only were not eclipsed in the Jews during their captivity, but were also purified. In an idolatrous land they were disgusted with idolatry, which deprived them of the promised land 768. One might think that the pagans were not all deaf and blind when God so solemnly announced Himself to them through His confessors, and appeared in His miracles 769. The prophecies of Ezekiel and Daniel again confirmed the doctrine of the Messiah. One represents Him as the single Shepherd of a single numerous flock 770. Another defines the time of His coming in 70 weeks, of which 7 are separated for the restoration of the temple and Jerusalem, then 62 until the appearance of the Messiah, and, finally, half a week for the establishment of the New Testament by His death 771. Public worship, after the destruction of the church, was replaced by home prayer, as the example of Daniel 772 shows. From the book of Ezekiel it appears that there were also some private meetings to hear the Prophets 773 . It is likely that in such meetings, by the way, pious songs were sung 774. After Jehoiachin the Jews had no king: but his tribe continued in Shealtiel and Zerubbabel 775. It must be thought that both these and other men respected by the people, as much as the condition of the prisoners allowed, cared about its improvement. Enslavement did not completely remove the Jews from enlightenment. As much as it is known that the Babylonians practiced certain sciences, especially astronomy 776, it is equally likely that Daniel, who was placed among them as the head of all the wise, made it easier for his compatriots to seek wisdom and established the necessary societies for this 777. The sacred monuments of this time are: the Prophecy of Ezekiel, and the book of Daniel, half of which contains modern history, and the other the vision of the writer. But the prayer and praise of the three men in the cave of Babylon and the story of Susanna, Bel and the serpent, which are read only in the Greek translation of the seventy Interpreters, do not belong to the text of the Jewish Holy Books, which has been preserved to this day, just like the book of Baruch and the epistle of Jeremiah. Idolatry appeared in a terrible form among the Jews before the destruction of Jerusalem. Ezekiel, carried by spirit into the church, saw in it men worshiping the sun, images of cattle and creeping things, and other idols, and wives mourning Tammuz 778. Fammuz, according to Jerome, is the Greek Adonid, and also, perhaps, the Egyptian Osiride. The Babylonians worshiped Bel, who is Baal, also Heaven or Navab, and Merodach, whom some regard as deified people, and even take them for one 779. Modernity of pagan peoples During the short period of the Babylonian captivity, many memorable changes took place in the pagan kingdoms. Baphri, king of Egypt, conqueror of the Phoenicians, defeated by Nebuchadnezzar. The prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel do not allow doubt about this event 780. Pagan writers attribute the death of Vathri to his successor Amasis. It may be that the latter, while still a military leader, went over to the side of Nebuchadnezzar and then received the kingdom from his hands. After the capture of ancient Tire by Nebuchadnezzar, the inhabitants escaped to the island and there they built a new city of the same name 781. The Indian throne was taken away from Astyages by his grandson Cyrus of Persia 782. Then Cyrus destroyed the Lydian kingdom, defeating Croesus, so famous for the vicissitudes of his fate. Finally, having destroyed the Babylonian monarchy, he replaced it with the Persian one. In Athens, Pisistratus became famous for his power-hungry cunning; in Phrygia, Aesop with the wisdom hidden in fables; in Agrigentum Phalarids, and in Rome Tarquinius, by predominance and cruelty. Pagan Testimonies about Sacred History Pagan historians say little about the events of this time, narrated by the Holy writers. This may include what Berosus and Megasthenes, of which passages are preserved in Josephus and Eusebius, speak of Nebuchadnezzar. They place him above Hercules, attribute to him the conquest of Africa and Iberia; mention is made of his buildings, gardens and his prophecy during periods of mental insanity. And in Babylon the Jews listened to the Prophet as a musician, Ezek. XXXIII, 32 and profaned God's name in tongues, XXXVI, 20. Belshazzar's name contains the name Belah, Dan. IV, 5. The name Abedenogo means servant of light, which can be understood about the worship of fire. Some explain the other two names in a similar way. However, it is incredible that this renaming meant dedication to idols, but this was done as a sign of citizenship, and, perhaps, for the pleasure of the Babylonians, who would have been unpleasant to hear foreign names among the closest servants of their king. It is also in vain that Origen and others consider Daniel a eunuch. There is no need that he, like his other peers, was entrusted to the elder of the eunuchs, for the name of the eunuch, according to Eastern custom, was indiscriminately given to the highest officials of the court. On the contrary, it is rightly noted that Daniel and his companions are nowhere called eunuchs, and that their purpose was not to serve the wives, but to stand before the king. They could be afraid that they would put into food either animals prohibited by law, or things in some way dedicated to idols, or parts sacrificed to idols and, of course, already knew the price of abstinence. Be understanding in every vision and dream, Dan. 1, 17, no doubt not the same as in some science. This was a gift of grace, which he used only through prayer II, 18. He saw this dream in the second summer of his kingdom II, 1, while Daniel, taken captive in the first summer, had already lived in Babylon for three years. I, 5. To consider these numbers among themselves, they assume a twofold beginning of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar: a) under his father, when he received power, especially military, and b) after the death of his father. The prophet named only the first of the four kingdoms: Babylonian. Almost everyone agrees that the second and third are Persian and Greek. The fourth is considered by some to be Syrian and Egyptian after Alexander, for the following important reasons: a) These kingdoms are closely related to the Church, which is the main subject of vision. b) They were mixed with the seed of men, Dan. II, 43, through marriages: Antiochus Theos with the daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus, Ptolemy Epiphanes with the daughter of Antiochus the Great, Alexandra with the daughter of Ptolemy Philometor. c) They precede the opening of the kingdom of grace by the blow of the stone, which is Christ. Others, taking the kingdom of Syria and Egypt as a continuation of the Greek, consider the fourth to be Roman: a) Equal in dignity to the three previous ones; b) Iron, according to its first strength, then iron - meager, according to the mixture of strong and weak peoples; c) Divided into empires: Eastern and Western, which were never united either through the common descent of kings, or through marriage, as was the case between Constantine, the son of Irene, and the daughter of Charlemagne, and which still exist in the crowns of Constantinople and Rome. e) Close to a mountain and a stone, which will finally destroy the whole body with a blow to the feet. The first of these opinions can be opposed to the fact that the kingdoms of Egypt and Syria do not have the unity and strength that the vision gives to the fourth kingdom at its beginning, 40, 41; and that, since they were destroyed by the Romans before the birth of Jesus Christ, his kingdom was not restored in the days of those kings, 44, and the symbolic blow did not hit the feet, 34. Another opinion has one difficulty: the union of the new kingdoms with the ancient Roman one. However, Jerome, Augustine, Theodoret, and Epiphanius explained the vision about Rome. The image represented: (a) or the true God, but Nebuchadnezzar himself distinguishes his god from the God of Israel, 95; b) or the body seen by the king in a dream, but which he made all gold as a sign of the continuation of his greatness in posterity; c) or Vila; d) or Nebuchadnezzar himself. Pride and flattery could, like Alexander, lead him to the point that he desired divine honor. The cutting of the tree was announced by the Vigorous and Holy One, Dan. IV, 11, that is, Angel. Angels are called vigilant not only because of the natural activity of their being, but also because of their constant attention to the will of God and the preservation of man, Psalm. HS, 11. Some think that all this was imagined to him in a disordered imagination, but others admit that the body itself was transformed with its upper parts into an ox, and its lower parts into a lion. More consistent with the sacred narrative is the opinion between these extremes: that he was deprived of the use of human faculties, Dan. IV, 13; due to rabies, he was chained, but due to some attraction he went out onto the grass, 20, where he was left, perhaps because this reduced his fury. However, a seven-year stay in this state, of course, should have changed a lot in his appearance, and in general, in this incident one can see an extraordinary revelation of the soul’s ability to form a body for itself, prevailing over passions, 30. It may seem strange that after this he did nothing in favor of the Jews and their captive king. They think that his quick death prevented him. “This circumstance is the only sign by which they guess about the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s punishment. In Ptolemy's chronology ίλυαρουδάμος. According to Beros, loseph. contra Arr. L. I. Evilmerodakh reigned for 2 years, Neriglissor - 4 years, Lavorosoardoh - 9 months. Daniel Belthassar reigned for several years, VIII, 1. These different dates could have occurred because the father, as not descended from the blood of Nebuchadnezzar, ruled in the name of his son. Dan. VIII, 2. True, Susan, or Susa, was the capital of Persia, but this, of course, happened after. This vision has the same content as the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, therefore their explanation should be the same. Here the ten horns of the fourth beast are especially remarkable, and the little horn, which destroys the three front ones, having mouth and eyes, Dan, VII, 7, 8. Those who explain about the Syrian-Egyptian kingdom mean: a) under the ten horns there are ten kings, 24: Antigone, Demetrius, Poliorcetes, Ptolemy Lagus, Ptolemy Philadelphus, Ptolemy Euergetes, Ptolemy Philopator, Ptolemy Epiphanes, Antiochus the Great or some Seleucids; b) under the little horn of Antiochus Epiphanes; c) under the judgment of the Ancient of Days, 10. - the destruction of Egypt and Syria from the Romans; d) under the kingdom of the Son of man, 13. - the kingdom of grace, erected by the birth of Christ. But those who attribute the last part of the vision to the Roman monarchy, believe: a) that Syria and Egypt must be between the four derivative kingdoms of the Greek monarchy, which are represented by the four heads, and the wings of the third beast, 6; and in another vision with four horns of a goat, VI I, 8, 22. b) that the ten horns are the ten most noble kingdoms born from the Roman monarchy; c) that the little horn is either Mohammedanism or the spirit of predominance, which in the Western Church, under the guise of spiritual power, strived for world-wide secular power, or, finally, the great Antichrist; d) that the limit of vision is the second coming of Christ. In this vision, the first of the four kingdoms is omitted as already close to the fall. The king, says Jerome, thought to earn pardon by rewarding the Prophet, and the Prophet accepted the reward from the wicked and perishing king, in order to have more opportunities to become known to his successor, and thereby more useful to the people of God. In agreement with Daniel, Berosus testifies to this. Ios. contra Ar. Lib. I. In accordance with the Holy history of pagan writers, he is revered: a) Marsgam-Astyages, son of Tsiaksar I, king of the Media, to whom his father gave the kingdom of Persia as an inheritance; b) Flavius ​​Jerome and others - Cyaxares II, son and successor of Astyages, according to Xenophon, and uncle of Cyrus, with whom he is credited with the conquest of Babylon; c) Scaliger and Petavius-Nabonnadom, mentioned by Berosus, Megasthenes and Ptolemy, who were in a conspiracy against Lavorosoardochus, and through this very conspiracy reached the throne. In support of the latter opinion, it should be noted that Daniel produces Darius from the tribe of Midsk, IX, 1, but does not call him the king of Midsk, that the words, received the kingdom, V, 31, and the kingdom IX, 1, or more precisely from the original, was enthroned - it is more convenient to understand the succession of the throne rather than the conquest of the kingdom; that the commandment, which is not applicable according to the establishment of the Medes and Persians, which is inviolable VI, 8, could have been given in Babylon at the inspiration of some nobles of the same tribe with the Sovereign, and, finally, that the predicted division of the kingdom of Belthassar to the Medes and Persians V, 28, begins in Darius, and will be completed by Cyrus. According to Berosus, Cyrus, having conquered most of Asia, attacked Babylonia in the 18th year of Nabonneda; defeated his army, destroyed the walls of Babylon, and, after the surrender of the defeated king, who was imprisoned in the city of Borsippa, gave him the region of Karamania, where he died. But Xenophon, describing the siege of Babylon, mentions the murder of the king, whom, however, he does not name Sugor. L. VII, p. 5. The complete conquest of the Babylonian monarchy is the beginning of the Kirova monarchy. Isaiah XLY. Joseph believes the time of this prophecy to be 210 years before the time of Cyrus, but it is not entirely correct. It is given, as it seems, at the end of the reign of Hezekiah; and Cyrus, according to the chronology of Usgeria, was born in the year of the captivity of Jehoiachin, for he lived 70 years, as Cicero writes. De div, L, I. Ezra II. Neh. VII. In these places, the fragmented numbers disagree both with the total amount, which exceeds them by almost 1,000, and with each other. But there is no contradiction in this since: a) many of the common people could be counted by chapters only, and not by surnames, and therefore only included in the total number; b) it could happen that others volunteered to travel, but remained in the land of Babylon, being tied to it by benefits, and others joined the travelers late; and from this two different populations could arise at different times. Dan. XI, XII. This vision also depicts kingdoms whose fate is especially connected with the fate of the Church. In XI, 2. it is said about the kings of Persia, in 3, 4, 0b Alexander, in 5 - 20, about his successors in the Syrian and Egyptian kingdoms until Antiochus Epiphanes; further 0b Antiochus Epiphanes, and under this prototype 0b Antichrist; finally, about the coming of the Messiah. At the beginning of this prophecy, the year of this prophecy is carefully noted, Jeremiah, XXV, 1, no doubt, so that this year should begin the long-term fulfillment of the prophecy, 3, and the chronology of the captivity, 11, the end of this chronology is signified by the visit to the king of Babylon, 12, that is, the destruction of the Babylonian monarchy. The same beginning and end of the captivity is shown in Daniel, I, 1, 21. 2nd book of Chronicles XXXVI, 22. and 1; Ezra I. 1 also connects the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy with the first year of Cyrus. This chronology should not be confused with: a) the chronology of Ezekiel, who counts the time of his own captivity, and the captivity of Zedekiah XL, 1, and, 2. b) 70 years of the devastation of Jerusalem in Zechariah, 1, 12, which can be counted from the siege of it to the 2nd year of Darius Istasp. Some Jews, dissatisfied with Daniel for his too clear prophecies about the time of the Messiah, want to exclude him from the number of Prophets, for the following reasons, which to retell means to refute: a) he had his visions in a dream; b) in the Hebrew Bible his book is not placed along with other Prophets; c) he lived at court. But Joseph considers him the greatest of the Prophets, especially because he also appointed the time of the predicted events. The same writer says that in his time a tower built by Daniel existed in Ecbatana intact, in which the Indian, Persian and Parthian kings were buried, and whose custody was entrusted to the Jewish priest. Antiqu. Jud. L. X, c. 11. Therefore they guess that Daniel was buried in this place. These were, for example, reclining for 390 days on the left and 40 on the right side, signifying the continuation of the iniquities of the Jewish people; unleavened barley baked with lain (manure) instead of firewood, as a sign of famine and need for the besieged; the destruction of the Vlas head and brada with sword, fire and wind, to depict the fate of the Jews during the destruction of Jerusalem; the resurrection of bones as an image of the deliverance and salvation of the Jews. Ezek. I V, V, XXXVII. The death of this Prophet is not known with certainty. False - Epiphanius says that he was killed for denouncing idolatry. True, some of them say that Zedekiah and Ahiab, whose names they found in Jeremiah, XXIX, 22, deceived the Jewish women with the hope of the birth of the Messiah, and that for the same intention against Susanna, at the command of Nebuchadnezzar, they were burned. But this tradition without reason confuses the false prophets denounced by Jeremiah with the elders mentioned in the story of Susanna, and disagrees with this story, both in the culprit and in the type of execution. This is evident from the fact that after the captivity the Prophets no longer reproached them with idolatry, and that they opposed it when the Syrian kings tried to spread it. Jerome ascribes true conversion to God to Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Mead and Cyrus; but they do not allow us to be sure of this: a) the confusion noted in them between true concepts and pagan ones; b) lack of zeal against idolatry; c) silence and, apparently, the opposite testimony of Holy Scripture, Isaiah XLV, 5. Ezek. XXXIV, 23, 29; XXXVII, 22. Here we cannot understand weeks of days, for in such a short time not even haystacks and haystacks were produced, Dan. IX, 25; not the weeks of the seven years, for long ago the hail and the Holy One were scattered, 26. Marsgam, who counts 7 weeks from the vision of Danilov, that is, 21, as he thinks, years from the destruction of the church to Cyrus, 62 weeks from the destruction of the church to Antiochus, 1 week of the reign of Antiochus until the end of the priesthood, and, finally, half a week from the desecration of the church by command this king, before his purification, does violence to the prophecy, arbitrarily dividing and confusing the limits of the predicted time, meaning by the name of the Messiah either Cyrus or the high priest, and finding the bringing of eternal truth, 24, in the end of the captivity of Babylon. The various calculations of the annual weeks necessarily relate to the end of the time of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. The best is considered to be the one that puts 69 weeks from the first decree of Artaxerxes to the baptism of Jesus, and from there half a week until his death. Dan. VI, 10. Jerome thinks that he prayed morning, noon and evening. Henceforth, some perform the threefold prayer of the Jews: the morning prayer at about 3, the prayer of offering at about 6, and the evening prayer at about 9 o'clock in the afternoon. What belongs to Baruch's account of the divine service in Jerusalem after the burning of the city, Bar. I, 2, under the great priest Joachim, 7, about the return of sacred vessels to the church, 8, about money sent there, 10, and the book, 14, from Jeconiah and other captive Jews, then it is difficult for these legends to find a place in true history. Ezek. VIII, 1; XIV, 1; XXXIII, 31 et seq. In Genealogy, 1 Chron. III, 17, after the name of Jehoiachin comes the name Asher אסיך, but they think that it means prisoner. Daniel II, 2 contains various wise Babylonian names, the specific meanings of which, however, are not well known. The word Chaldeans, explains Strabo. book ХVI, 4 ? είσί το πλέον. The name אשמיס in our translation - Magi, according to Grotius, is the same as the Greek σοφοί. At the beginning of the captivity, some of their own knowledge is attributed to the Jews, Dan I, 4, but which items are difficult to determine. Ezek. VIII. The image of jealousy is also mentioned here, 3, that is, an idol that aroused the jealousy and wrath of God, which was probably Baal. Isaiah XLVI, 1; Jer. L, 2. Heaven, according to Jerome’s explanation, means prophecy, fortune telling; from which Grotius notes that the deity of this name was made from a certain Magus. Merodach is the name of the king. But from the combination of these names alternately with the name Vila, they guess that they signify one deity. Jer. XI, IV, 30; Ezek. XXIX. Thus was fulfilled the prophecy of Ezekiel, XXVI 14. Xenophon speaks about Cyrus in disagreement with Herodotus, from whom this incident is taken; but Plato does not believe Xenophon. De Leg. L, III. You might be interested in: