decree, and death. others, from the circumstance that the Persians divide their year into two seasons, winter and summer, conclude that three years and a-half is the time specified. Others have supplied arguments from their imaginations. The Scripture phrase is "seven times;" and the most natural, consistent, and usual signification attached to this expression is, seven years. It is not stated how this interregnum Interwas filled. It has been assumed, that his son Evil-Merodach, who regnum. afterwards succeeded him, was regent, and acquitted himself so ill, as to incur the severe displeasure of his father, on the return of his reason and his restoration to his kingdom. Nor are the circumstances of the death of Nebuchadnezzar recorded; which, however, has been Restoration, thought to have taken place the same year with his restoration, or about twelve months afterwards. He lived long enough to issue a decree, in which he gives God the glory of his recovery, and acknowledges with edifying humility, the sovereignty of the Eternal;-a decree, the spirit of which but ill agrees with the opinion of those, who suppose he set up the golden image in the plains of Dura, after this contrite confession. Abydenus represents the king to have fallen into an ecstacy, and to have foretold the destruction of the empire by the Medes and Persians; and adds, "immediately after uttering this prophecy, he disappeared." The import of this expression is very doubtful. He might intend to convey by it an insinuation that the monarch was snatched away in a miraculous manner- —a fable not unfrequent in antiquity among most nations, who preferred having it supposed that their favourite sovereigns were rather translated than that they died; an example of which we have seen in the story of the death of Romulus. Or, as Scaliger seems Scaliger. more judiciously to conclude, it may darkly intimate the disappearance of the monarch from his kingly authority and office, by reason of his disease. This event, however, is related by Josephus, and was never disputed or arraigned by any of his numerous opponents. In Ptolemy's canon, Nebuchadnezzar is said to have reigned forty- Ptolemy's three years, eight of which are passed over in silence. It may be canon. not unfairly inferred, that this chasm in the record of a life so active, and so public, was occasioned by his deposition from the throne, on the grounds stated by the sacred writer. But apart from all conjecture, it is not credible, it is not even possible, that Daniel, who wrote at the time when those events took place, should have endeavoured to impose upon the world any circumstances not founded in fact, relative to such a man as Nebuchadnezzar. The conqueror is a character but too well known Confirmato history; and, hated and feared as he is, he is still known. The very scale of the mischiefs he inflicts, and the interest which all men unavoidably, however unwillingly, take in his movements, will not suffer any material occurrence respecting him to remain a secret; 9 Euseb. Præp. Evang. Lib. IX. Cap. 41. tions. and for these reasons such circumstances cannot be fabricated on the one hand, or greatly misrepresented on the other. Of all the things which Daniel records also, he professes to be an eye-witness. If, therefore, he misstates them, the deception practised could not originate in mistake, it must be wilful. And to this we must add, that throughout the life of this monarch we have found the sacred history the only record upon which we could place any reasonable dependence. In so far as we have arrived at any certainty, it is this clue which has hitherto guided us through the labyrinths of antiquity. CHAPTER XII. DANIEL. FLOURISHED FROM ABOUT A.M. 3398, в.c. 606, тO A.M. 3470, B.C. 534. DURING the captivity of the Jews in Chaldea, Daniel was raised A.m. 3398. up by providence to exhibit and to uphold the true religion; and it B.C. 606. cannot surely fail of striking the attentive observer, that whatever may have been the depression of truth, even in the worst of times, when its light had almost suffered extinction, God has never been without a witness; but, however deplorable the state of his cause, in the very crisis of its fate, he has interposed for its revival. The present history records such a period and such a manifestation, and while it is of so extraordinary a nature as to assume, in its principal circumstances, the appearance of fiction and the characteristic exaggerations of romance, it is nevertheless a tale of reality, and fraught with the most valuable instruction. Daniel was no ordinary man; no ordinary prophet; it might even be added, that he was no insignificant confessor and martyr to the truth. The opportunities which occurred for the development and exhibition of the qualities of his mind were, moreover, no less rare and singular than those qualities themselves: his gifts and graces were not destined to be hid in a corner, but stood forth, in all their brilliancy and prominence, in one of the most conspicuous theatres of human action. The birthplace of this eminent person is said to have been Upper Birth and Bethoron, in the territory of Ephraim, and his descent from the captivity. illustrious family of David. Epiphanius and others have indeed represented him as born at Batheber, in the vicinity of Jerusalem, which has, however, been deemed an improbable tradition. He was the relative, as well as intimate associate of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; and, like them, was transported as a captive to Babylon, at an early period of life, in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, about the year of the world 3398. He is thought at this time to have attained about the age of eighteen, or at the utmost twenty; a period when it required a peculiar elevation of character and force of mind, to obtain the distinguished notice which he attracted, to sustain those complicated trials, which he was so soon appointed to endure, and to merit those commanding and honourable stations which he was soon afterwards enabled to оссиру. ments. a new name. [CHAP. XII. A.M. 3398. His superior wisdom and great accomplishments of mind comB C. 606. mended him, with three others of his nation, to the attention of Accomplish- Nebuchadnezzar, before whom he was called to occupy a conspicuous station, even in the days of his captivity. The persons alluded to have been already mentioned. In conformity with the established custom of the times and of the people by whom they had been transported from their native land, each of them received This was the constant practice of conquerors, especially when their captives were designed to fill any office about the court, or to be in personal attendance on the sovereign. Daniel was henceforth named Belteshazzar, and of his companions in tribulation, Hananiah was called Shadrach; Mishael, Meshach; and Azariah, Abed-nego. It has been justly noticed as remarkable, that the former names of these individuals related to the true God, and that all the new names which were at this time imposed upon the four Jewish captives, had some reference to Babylonish idols. Daniel, in Hebrew, signifies "God is my guide;" in Chaldee, Belteshazzar means "the treasure of Baal." Hananiah is, in Hebrew, "well pleasing to God;" Shadrach, in Chaldee, "the inspiration of the sun.' In Hebrew, Mishael denotes "proceeding from God;" in Chaldee, Meshach is "belonging to the goddess Sheshach. Azariah is, in Hebrew, "God is my help;" Abednego, in Chaldee, "the servant of Nago," that is, the sun, or the morning star, which were Babylonian divinities. It is still the practice of the Mogul, derived from the ancient usages of Eastern nations, to distinguish his favourites, by conferring new names upon them when they are advanced to more elevated or honourable stations. Refuses At this early period of his history we have a very remarkable royal meat. indication of that greatness of character for which Daniel was distinguished, and which now began to appear. During three years, he and his companions already mentioned, were carefully and fully instructed in all the learning of the Chaldeans, which consisted of natural philosophy, astrology, divination, the science of auguries, the worship of the gods, and other mysteries, and from the proficiency in these departments of knowledge which Daniel ultimately discovered, it is obvious that he prosecuted his studies with the most laborious attention. What, however, particularly claims our notice is, his conduct, at the time in question, with regard to the food with which he and his companions were supplied from the palace. It appears that they had a daily allowance of meat and wine from the royal table; but as this provision often consisted of the flesh of unclean creatures, as it was, perhaps, bestowed not merely as an expression of the king's munificent favour and patronage, but for the insidious purpose of alienating their minds from their own country, and inducing them to transfer their affections to the land of their captivity; as, moreover, it was incompatible with the temperance, approaching to abstemiousness, which these Jewish A.M. 3398. worthies deemed most suitable, both to their circumstances and B.C. 606. their religion, and as it was first, according to their custom, blessed in the name of their idol Bel, Daniel solicited the principal eunuch that they might be excused from eating it; and this he did both with a firmness and respectfulness of manner that won upon the chief officer's regard. Two objections, however, were mentioned; the one that the king might take offence, and being an absolute monarch, his own head would most likely be endangered by his compliance; the other, that the abstemiousness proposed, in only partaking of pulse to eat and water to drink, would produce a bad effect upon their appearance, and this was of material consequence, because the Eastern monarchs were uniformly desirous of having beautiful and healthy-looking persons in immediate attendance upon them. They imagined that nothing but a sordid and corrupt soul could reside in a meagre and disagreeable body. Daniel then made the same proposal to Melzar, who seems to have been next in rank, who was appointed to superintend the Hebrew youths, desiring him to make an experiment for ten days, which would be a sufficient time for determining whether the alteration of their diet produced any change of appearance. This being accordingly done, they were permitted to adhere to their own scrupulous abstemiousness. Thus happily, in this instance, were the sacred rights of conscience pleaded with success. At the expiration of the period of three years allotted to their studies, Daniel had become remarkable for his "understanding in all visions and dreams," and he had soon an opportunity of displaying his characteristic superiority. Being brought before the king at the expiration of their studies, he and his companions were examined with regard to their attainments, and the skill they displayed induced Nebuchadnezzar instantly to place Advancethem in the situation for which they had been preparing. He could ment. not avoid discovering how much they excelled all the magicians and astrologers of the empire, nor did he suffer any prejudices that might have existed against their country to disparage their eminent qualifications. tion of the An opportunity occurred, after the advancement of Daniel, of Interpretaputting his powers to the test, and the result, as we have already king's seen, was such as not only to fulfil the early promise of his charac- dream. ter, but to demonstrate that he was honoured with an inspiration A.M. 3401. infinitely exceeding all the attainments of mere human science. B.C. 603. With a piety truly characteristic of this eminent man, he prefaced the disclosure of Nebuchadnezzar's first dream, which had passed from his memory, by the declaration that it was the God of heaven from whom he had received the secret which the astrologers, magicians, and soothsayers, in vain attempted to discover, and that, consequently, it was not to be imputed to any superior sagacity of his own, nor was the circumstance of his being intrusted with it |