that his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed," can be understood of none other than of Christ and his kingdom. And therefore the strength of the Roman empire beginning to decay in the reign of Tiberius, then accordingly commenced the beginning of the kingdom of the Messiah in the erection of his church here on earth. In the first of these prophecies," the Roman empire is set forth by legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay mingled together: this implies the two sorts of governments which the Romans were under; first, the legal government under their old constitution, and the other the arbitrary and tyrannical government under their emperors. As long as the first remained, the empire of Rome stood firm and strong upon it, as upon legs of iron. But when the second commenced, and in the place of legal government succeeded arbitrary will and pleasure, then clay was mingled with iron in the feet; and thereby the basis was made weak, on which the whole structure was founded. As long as Augustus lived, who was a prince, wise, just, and clement, the clay in the foundation of his government was as strong and as firm as the iron. But when Tiberius succeeded,' who had more of the beast in him than of the man, and governed for the most part without reason or justice, by a most barbarous and cruel will and pleasure, the clay began to moulder, and the foundations of this kingdom to grow weak and decay. And at this very time, when it began so to do, Christ's kingdom commenced, in the erection of his church; and where that begun, there the Jewish church, with the whole Mosaic economy, ended. And this being the utmost term to which I proposed to bring down this work, I shall here put a conclusion to it, with my most humble and hearty thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, that he hath of his great mercy and goodness given me life and strength to enable me thus to complete it.

1 Dan. vii. 14.

2 Dan. ii. 33. 40.

3 See his life in Suetonius.

2222 Eleazar, the brother of Simon the Just, succeeds him in the high priesthood at Jerusalem.

Seleucus Nicanor.

8438

24

25

18 26

7 287 5

286

9

285

19 27
20 28

93445

25 Demetrius makes great preparations to recover his father's dominions in Asia and the east.

26 His army revolting from him, he is driven out of Macedon, and makes a desperate attempt upon Asia; wherein failing of success, he is brought into great distress.

27 Demetrius is forced to yield himself prisoner to Seleucus.

28 Ptolemy Soter resigns his kingdom to Philadelphus his younger son; whereon Ceraunus the elder flies out of Egypt, first to Lysimachus, and afterward to Seleucus.

29 The watch-tower of Pharus finished, and the worship of Serapis first brought into Egypt. Ptolemy Soter dies.

30 Seleucus and Lysimachus prepare for a war against each other.

29

31

32 Lysimachus is slain in battle by Seleucus.

33

31 Seleucus takes Sardis, and makes himself master of Lesser Asia.

33 Seleucus is slain treacherously by Ptolemy Ceraunus, who thereon becomes king of Macedon.

6 34 1 Antiochus Soter succeeds Seleucus. The Gauls make an irruption into Greece, vanquish and slay Ptolemy Ceraunus; are vanquished and expelled by Sosthenes.

7 277 15 8 36

4438

276 1 9 37

9 275

Manasseh.

2 10 38

19

390

2 The Gauls make a second irruption into Greece under the command of Brennus. They are vanquished and ruined.

3

The remains of the Gauls pass into Lesser Asia, and there settle in Galatia.
The Hebrew scriptures first translated into Greek.

4 Antigonus Gonatas the son of Demetrius succeeds Sosthenes in the king-
dom of Macedon.

5 Antiochus vanquisheth the Gauls, and thereby frees Lesser Asia from their ravages; hence he is called Soter, i. e. the Saviour.

6 The Romans having after a six years' war driven Pyrrhus out of Italy, began to be of great renown in the east, whereon Ptolemy sent an embassy to them to pray their alliance.

7 The Romans send an embassy to Ptolemy, and make an alliance with him. 8 Pyrrhus slain at Argos.

273 4 12 40

2

272

5

41.

271

270

269 8
268

789

46679

267 10 18 46

12 Philadelphus, and the Athenians and Lacedemonians make war upon An tigonus Gonatas king of Macedon, now grown powerful since the death of Pyrrhus, but without success.

13 Sotades the lewd poet put to death.

266 11 19 47 14

265 12 20 48

15 Magas, governor of Lybia and Cyrene for Ptolemy Philadelphus his brother, rebels, and makes himself king of those countries.

16 Antiochus king of Syria, and Ptolemy king of Egypt, make war upon each

other.

17 Philetærus, the first founder of the Pergamenian kingdom, dies, and is succeeded by Eumenes his brother's son., Antigonus of Socho, president of the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, dies.

18 Nicomedia in Bithynia, built by Nicomedes the king of that country. Eu menes overthrows Antiochus, and thereby establisheth himself at Perga.

mus.

52 19 Antiochus Soter dies at Antioch, and is succeeded by Antiochus Theus his

54

son.

531 Antiochus vanquished and slew Timarchus tyrant of Ephesus. Berosus the famous Babylonian historian flourished.

833

Antiochus Theus.

35

55

20

28 56

678

238

9 75

7

237 14 10

Seleucus Callinicus.

008

2 Ptolemy Philadelphus built Berenice, a port on the western shore of the Red Sea, and thereby drew all the trade of the east into Egypt, and Alexandria thenceforth became its principal mart.

3 Magas king of Lybia and Cyrene, made peace with Ptolemy on terms of marrying his daughter, who was his only child, to Ptolemy's eldest son, and thereby uniting Lybia and Cyrene again to Egypt.

4 Magas died; whereon Apame his widow would, contrary to the late contract, have married her daughter to Demetrius the son of Demetrius, late king of Macedon, but Demetrius being slain, the lady was sent into Egypt.

5 And Apame retiring into Syria to Antiochus her brother, there excited him to a war against Ptolemy, which lasted several years, to his great da

mage.

6 Ptolemy carries on his war against Antiochus by his lieutenants.

7 Philadelphus is very diligent in gathering together books, pictures, and statues, for the adorning and replenishing of his museum and library, for which Aratus the Sicyonian was one of his agents in Greece.

9

Just.

10 Manasseh the high priest of the Jews dying toward the end of this year, was succeeded by Onias, the second of that name, the son of Simon the 11 While Antiochus was pursuing his war against Ptolemy, the Parthians rebelled in the east, under the leading of Arsaces, who on this occasion first founded the Parthian empire. The Bactrians revolted at the same time.

12 Peace was made between Ptolemy and Antiochus, on the terms that Anti-
ochus divorced Laodice his former wife, and married Berenice the daugh-
ter of Ptolemy.

13 Arsinoe, the sister and beloved wife of Ptolemy Philadelphus, dies.
14 Ptolemy Philadelphus dies in the end of the year, and is succeeded by Pto-
lemy Euergetes his son.

15 Antiochus puts away Berenice, and recalls Laodice, who poisons him, cuts
off Berenice and her son, and makes Seleucus Callinicus ber son king.
Euergetes, for revenge hereof, marcheth into Syria, slays Laodice, and
reduceth under him a great part of the Syrian empire.

1 Callinicus, having provided a great fleet for the reducing of the revolted cities of Asia, loseth it all in a storm, whereon those cities, out of compassion to his case, returned again to him.

2 Callinicus, being overthrown in a great battle by Ptolemy, calls in Antio

chus Hierax his brother to his assistance.

3 Ptolemy maketh peace with Seleucus Callinicus.

4 Hierax maketh war upon Callinicus his brother, and overthrows him in a battle near Ancyra; and is immediately after, while sore of that battle, fallen upon and overthrown by Eumenes of Pergamus.

5 Eumenes of Pergamus dies, and is succeeded by Attalus bis uncle's son, who first took the style of king. While the two brothers in Syria war against each other, Arsaces seizeth Hyrcania, and adds it to Parthia.

6 Hierax being overcome by Callinicus, flees first into Cappadocia, and from thence into Egypt, where he is made a prisoner by Ptolemy.

7 Ptolemy applies himself to augment his library at Alexandria, and makes Aratosthenes his library keeper.

8

9

236 15 11 77 10 Seleucus Callinicus marcheth into the east to reduce the Parthians, but returns without success, being recalled by some commotions in Syria.

9 235

12 78 11

234 17 13 79 12

233

14 80

2 232

19 15

231

16 82 15

230 21 17 83 16 Seleucus makes a second expedition against Arsaces, and is vanquished,

and taken prisoner.

229

22 18 84 17

228

19 85 18

227 24 20 86

226 25 21

87 20 Onias sends Joseph his nephew on an embassy to king Ptolemy. Joseph farms of that king all his revenues of Cœle-Syria, Phoenicia, and Judea.

881

89

24

90

Seleucus Ceraunus. Antiochus Magnus.

888

Seleucus Callinicus being dead in Parthia of a fall from his horse, is succeeded in Syria by Seleucus Ceraunus his eldest son.

2 Seleucus marcheth into Lesser Asia, to make war upon Attalus king of Pergamus.

3 He is there poisoned by those about him. Achæus revengeth his death upon the authors of it.

1 Antiochus, brother of Seleucus, succeeds him. Makes Hermias his chief minister, Achæus governor of Lesser Asia, and Alexander and Molon, two brothers, governors of Persia and Media. The Colossus at Rhodes overthrown.

2 Euergetes being dead, is succeeded by Philopator his son. Alexander and Molon rebel. Antiochus sends an army against them, and marcheth with another into Cale-Syria. His former army is beaten, and the other returns without success.

3 Antiochus goes in person against Alexander and Molon, vanquisheth and destroys them both. Achæus rebels, and usurps Lesser Asia. Hermias put to death.

4 Antiochus takes Seleucia, Tyre, Ptolemais, and Damascus, and thereby makes himself master of almost all Cœle-Syria and Phoenicia.

5 Antiochus vanquisheth Nicolas, Ptolemy's lieutenant in Cœle-Syria and Phoenicia, and makes himself master of all Galilee, Samaria, and the land beyond Jordan as far as Rabbah of the children of Ammon.

6 Ptoleiny overthrows Antiochus in a great battle at Raphia, and recovers again all Cole-Syria and Phoenicia. Ptolemy comes to Jerusalem, and would have entered into the inner temple; is forbid by Simon the high priest.

7 Peace being made with Antiochus, and Ptolemy again returned into Alexandria, he would have destroyed all the Jews of Egypt. He is providentially hindered. Antiochus vanquisheth Achæus, and shuts him up in Sardis.

8 Antiochus takes Sardis, puts Achæus to death, and recovers all Lesser Asia.

10 A rebellion in Egypt. It was mastered by Ptolemy.

11 Antiochus marcheth into the east to reduce the Parthians, and other revolted provinces. He recovers Media, and drives Arsaces thence, who had lately seized that province.

12 Antiochus pursues Arsaces into Parthia, and drives him thence into Hyr

cania.

13 Pursues him into Hyrcania, and there besiegeth, and takes Syringis.
14 Antiochus and Arsaces waste each other in divers conflicts, neither gaining
any considerable advantage over the other.

15 Antiochus growing weary of the war with Arsaces, makes peace with him,
and yields to him Parthia and Hyrcania.

98

99

9

9 100

10 101

3 211 7 11

102

210

8

5 209

9

6

7

207 11

15 106

16 Antiochus makes war with Euthydemus king of Bactria. Ptolemy Philo-
pator gives himself wholly up to a most profligate course of life at Alex-
andria.
17 Antiochus makes peace with Euthydemus, marcheth into India, reneweth
there his league with Sophagasenus, the king of that country, and win-
ters in Carmania.

18 He returns through Persia, Babylonia, and Mesopotamia, unto Antioch, and
there takes the name of the Great, from his success in this expedition.
19 Ptolemy Philopator being dead, is succeeded by Ptolemy Epiphanes, an in-
fant of five years old. Agathoclea the concubine, and Agathocles the fa-
vourite of the late king, are slain in a tumult.

20 Antiochus and Philip king of Macedon make a league to seize all Ptolemy's
dominions, and divide them between them, and Antiochus accordingly
seized Palestine and Cole-Syria.

21 Scipio vanquished Hannibal in Africa. Hereon the Alexandrians, finding the power of the Romans to be great, implore their protection for their infant king, and offer them the tuition of him, which the Romans accept of.

22 The Romans send M. Æmilius Lepidus into Egypt, to take care of the af fairs of the infant king, who having settled them under the ministry of Aristomenes an Acarnanian, returns to Rome.

23 Aristomenes sends Scopas into Greece to hire mercenaries, who brought
thence six thousand stout Ætolians into Ptolemy's service.

24 Antiochus waging war with Attalus king of Pergamus, Aristomenes took
the advantage of it to send Scopas into Palestine and Cole Syria, who
recovers Jerusalem, Judea, and many other places, to king Ptolemy.
25 Antiochus having made peace with Attalus, returns into Cole-Syria, van-
quisheth Scopas in a great battle at Paneas, near the fountains of Jor-
dan, and recovers all that was lost the former year.

26 Antiochus goes with a great fleet and army into Lesser Asia, in order to
make war upon the Romans. Attalus king of Pergamus dies, and is suc-
ceeded by Eumenes, the eldest of his four sons.

9 117

10 118

11 119

12 120

13

121

34

13

5 14 122

15 123

16 124

67

27 Antiochus passeth the Hellespont, seizeth the Thracian Chersonesus, and rebuilds Lysimachia. Scopas lays a dangerous plot against king Ptolemy: he is discovered, and put to death.

28 Hannibal comes to Antiochus, and confirms him in his resolution of making war upon the Romans. Simon the high priest of the Jews being dead, is succeeded by Onias the Third, his son.

29

30

Eratosthenes, the library keeper at Alexandria, being dead, is succeeded in
that office by Apollonius Rhodius.

Antiochus marries his daughter Cleopatra to Ptolemy Epiphanes, king of
Egypt.

31 Antiochus, king Antiochus's eldest son, dieth at Antioch. Antiochus pass-
eth into Greece, to make war upon the Romans.

32 Antiochus marries his host's daughter at Chalcis, is beaten by Acilius the Roman consul, at Thermopyle, and forced to a precipitate flight by sea into Asia. His fleet beaten near Mount Corycus.

33 Antiochus's fleet beaten near Myonnesus. Lucius Scipio passeth the Hellespont, vanquisheth Antiochus near Mount Sipylus, and forceth him to an ignominious peace.

34 The Romans give the provinces of Caria and Lycia to the Rhodians, and all the rest of Lesser Asia to Eumenes king of Pergamus. Manlius succeeds L. Scipio in Lesser Asia.

35 Manlius vanquisheth the Gauls of Lesser Asia, and reduceth them into order. 36 Hyrcanus is sent by Joseph his father on an embassy to king Ptolemy on the birth of his eldest son. Antiochus is slain while be attempted to rob the temple of Jupiter in Elymais.

19 1271 Seleucus Philopator succeeds him in Syria. Ptolemy poisons Aristomenes, and makes Polycrates his chief minister in his stead, and gives himself up to all manner of looseness.

7

2 Ptolemy by his maleadministrations drives the Egyptians into a rebellion. 3 Masters it by the wisdom and valour of Polycrates.

4 Ptolemy, after having granted the revolted nobility terms of peace, and thereby gotten them within his power, perfidiously puts them all to death.

6 Ptolemy, as he was preparing for war against Seleucus king of Syria, is poisoned by those about him, and dies.

7 Ptolemy Philometor his eldest son, an infant of six years old, succeeds him under the tuition of Cleopatra his mother.

8 Philip king of Macedon dying, is succeeded by Perseus his son.

9

10 Perseus king of Macedon marries Laodice, the daughter of Seleucus king of Syria.

11 Simon, the protector of the temple, quarrels with Onias the high priest; is driven out of Judea; flies into Syria; and brings Heliodorus to rob the temple. Antiochus, the brother of Seleucus, a hostage at Rome, exchanged for Demetrius, the son of Seleucus.

Seleucus king of Syria being dead, is succeeded by Antiochus Epiphanes his brother, newly returned from Rome. Jason buys the high priesthood of him, and supplants Onias his brother.

2 Jason introduceth heathen rites into Jerusalem, and sends offerings to Hercules of Tyre.

3 Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, dies. The tuition of the young king falls into the hands of Lennæus and Eulæus; they demand of Antiochus the restitution of Cole-Syria and Palestine, and thereby cause a long war between the two kings.

4

5

Menelaus, another brother of Onias's, supplants Jason, and buys of Antio-
chus the high priesthood. Whereon Jason flies to the Ammonites.
Onias is put to death at Antioch. Lysimachus, Menelaus's deputy at Je
rusalem, slain in a tumult. Antiochus makes his first expedition into
Egypt, and gains a great victory near Pelusium.

6 Antiochus makes his second expedition into Egypt, gains another victory,
and makes himself master of all Egypt, except Alexandria. Philometor
being fallen into the hands of Antiochus, the Alexandrians make Physcon
king. Antiochus in his return takes and miserably destroys Jerusalem.
7 Antiochus makes his third expedition into Egypt. Attempts the siege of
Alexandria without success. Philometor being left in Egypt to make war
with Physcon, comes to an agreement with him, upon terms that they
should jointly reign together.

8 Antiochus makes his fourth and last expedition into Egypt; is forced by the
Romans to return. Apollonius sent by him to complete the ruin of Jeru
salem, built the fortress on Mount Acra. Antiochus begins his persecu
tion of the Jewish religion. Mattathias and his sons take arms against

him.

9 The seven Maccabean brothers and their mother martyred, and the persecution against the Jews is violently carried on.