employed therein, that is, in the time of Simon the Just, who was the last of them? And that especially, since there are some particulars in those books which seem necessarily to refer down to times as late as those of Alexander the Great, if not later. For, in the third chapter of the first book of Chronicles, we have the genealogy of the sons of Zerubbabel, carried down for so many descents after him, as may well be thought to reach the time of Alexander: and, in Nehemiah (xii, 22,) we have the days of Jaddua spoken of, as of days past; but Jaddua outlived Alexander two years. I acknowledge these passages to have been interpolated passages, both put in after the time of Ezra, and after the time of Nehemiah (who were the writers of those books,) by those who completed the canon. To say they were inserted by those holy men themselves, who wrote the books, the chronology of their history will not bear; for then they must have lived down beyond those times which those passages refer us to; but this is inconsistent with what is written of them. And to say that they were put in by any other than those, who, by the direction of the Holy Spirit of God, completed the canon of the Scriptures, will be to derogate from their excellency; and therefore we must conclude, that, since Simon the Just was the last of those that were employed in this work, it was by him that the last finishing hand was put thereto, and that it was in his time, and under his presidency, and chiefly by his direction, that the canon of the holy Scriptures of the Old Testament, by which we now receive them, was perfected, and finally settled in the Jewish church. And thus far having brought down this history through the Scripture times, till the canon of the Scriptures of the Old Testament was fully perfected, I shall here end the first part of it. After this followed the Mishnical times, that is, the times of traditions. Hitherto the Scriptures were the only rule of faith and manners which God's people g See David Gantz in Zemach David, and the rest of the Jewish writers, by whom all those, who living after the men of the great synagogue, are quoted in the Mishnah for any tradition, are called the Mishnical doctors. studied: but thenceforth traditions began to be regarded, till at length they overbore the word of God itself, as we find in our Saviour's time. The collection of those traditions they call the Mishnah, that is, the second law, and those who delivered and taught them were styled the Mishnical doctors. From the death of Simon the Just their time began, and they continued to be known by that name, till Rabbi Judah Hakkadosh collected all those traditions together, and wrote them into the book which they call the Mishnah; which was done about one hundred and fifty years after Christ, as hath been above related. The ages in which they flourished, till the time of Christ, shall be the subject of the second part of this history. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE TO THE FOREGOING HISTORY. 1THE beginning of the kingdoms of Assyria and Babylon. Rezin king of Damascus, and Pekah king of Israel, make war against Ahaz, and besiege Jerusalem, but without success. 7 Ahaz vanquished, and Judah greatly oppressed by Rezin and Pekah. Ahaz calls in Tiglath Pileser, king of Assyria, to his help, who slays Rezin, and leads part of Israel into captivity. 9 Ahaz revolts from God, and wholly suppresseth 10 his worship in Judah. Pekah slain by Hoshea. 3967 747 8 746 13 9 745 14 Period. Julian Christ. Years before Judah. Kings of Babylon. Kings of Assyria. 123456 7 Nabonassar or Belesis. 234561 Ahaz. 2 3970 744 1743 2 742 S 741 4 740 5 739 6738 7 737 8 736 9 735 3980 734 15 3 456789 11 11 12 12 1234 13 13 123451 Kings of Egypt. Sabacus. 2 Tiglath Pileser dies, and is succeeded by Salmaneser invadeth Palestine, and maketh 1 Ahaz dies, and is succeeded by Hezekiah. 2 Hezekiah restores the true worship of God 3 in Judah and Jerusalem. 4 Salmaneser lays siege to Samaria. |