according to _Xenophon_ and the Scriptures, they Reigned 'till the taking
of _Babylon_: for _Xenophon_ [422] tells us, that after the taking of
_Babylon_, _Cyrus_ went to the King of the _Medes_ at _Ecbatane_ and
succeeded him in the Kingdom: and _Jerom_, [423] _that _Babylon_ was taken
by _Darius_ King of the _Medes_ and his kinsman _Cyrus__: and the
Scriptures tell us, that _Babylon_ was destroyed by _a nation out of the
north_, _Jerem_. l. 3, 9, 41. by _the Kingdoms of _Ararat Minni, or
_Armenia__, and _Ashchenez, or _Phrygia minor___, _Jer_. li. 27. by the
_Medes_, _Isa._ xiii. 17, 19. _by the Kings of the _Medes_ and the captains
and rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion_, _Jer_. li. 11, 28.
The Kingdom of _Babylon_ was _numbred and finished and broken and given to
the _Medes_ and _Persians__, _Dan._ v. 26. 28. first to the _Medes_ under
_Darius_, and then to the _Persians_ under _Cyrus_: for _Darius_ Reigned
over _Babylon_ like a conqueror, not observing the laws of the
_Babylonians_, but introducing the immutable laws of the conquering
nations, the _Medes_ and _Persians_, _Dan._ vi. 8, 12, 15; and the _Medes_
in his Reign are set before the _Persians_, _Dan._ ib. & v. 28, & viii. 20.
as the _Persians_ were afterwards in the Reign of _Cyrus_ and his
successors set before the _Medes_, _Esther_ i. 3, 14, 18, 19. _Dan._ x. 1,
20. and xi. 2. which shews that in the Reign of _Darius_ the _Medes_ were
uppermost.
You may know also by the great number of provinces in the Kingdom of
_Darius_, that he was King of the _Medes_ and _Persians_: for upon the
conquest of _Babylon_, he set over the whole Kingdom an hundred and twenty
Princes, _Dan._ vi. 1. and afterwards when _Cambyses_ and _Darius
Hystaspis_ had added some new territories, the whole contained but 127
provinces.
The extent of the _Babylonian_ Empire was much the same with that of
_Nineveh_ after the revolt of the _Medes_. _Berosus_ saith that
_Nebuchadnezzar_ held _Egypt_, _Syria_, _Phœnicia_ and _Arabia_: and
_Strabo_ adds _Arbela_ to the territories of _Babylon_; and saying that
_Babylon_ was anciently the metropolis of _Assyria_, he thus describes the
limits of this _Assyrian_ Empire. _Contiguous_, [424] saith he, _to
_Persia_ and _Susiana_ are the _Assyrians_: for so they call _Babylonia_,
and the greatest part of the region about it: part of which is _Arturia_,
wherein is _Ninus [_or_ Nineveh;]_ and _Apolloniatis_, and the _Elymæans_,
and the _Parætacæ_, and _Chalonitis_ by the mountain _Zagrus_, and the
fields near _Ninus_, and _Dolomene_, and _Chalachene_, and _Chazene_, and
_Adiabene_, and the nations of _Mesopotamia_ near the _Gordyæans_, and the
_Mygdones_ about _Nisibis_, unto _Zeugma_ upon _Euphrates_; and a large
region on this side _Euphrates_ inhabited by the _Arabians_ and _Syrians_
properly so called, as far as _Cilicia_ and _Phœnicia_ and _Libya_ and the
sea of _Egypt_ and the _Sinus Issicus__: and a little after describing the
extent of the _Babylonian_ region, he bounds it on the north, with the
_Armenians_ and _Medes_ unto the mountain _Zagrus_; on the east side, with
_Susa_ and _Elymais_ and _Parætacene_, inclusively; on the south, with the
_Persian Gulph_ and _Chaldæa_; and on the west, with the _Arabes Scenitæ_
as far as _Adiabene_ and _Gordyæa_: afterwards speaking of _Susiana_ and
_Sitacene_, a region between _Babylon_ and _Susa_, and of _Parætacene_ and
_Cossæa_ and _Elymais_, and of the _Sagapeni_ and _Siloceni_, two little
adjoining Provinces, he concludes, [425] _and these are the nations which
inhabit _Babylonia_ eastward: to the north are _Media_ and _Armenia_,
_exclusively_, and westward are _Adiabene_ and _Mesopotamia_,
_inclusively_; the greatest part of _Adiabene_ is plain, the same being
part of _Babylonia_: in same places it borders on _Armenia_: for the
_Medes_, _Armenians_ and _Babylonians_ warred frequently on one another_.
Thus far _Strabo_.
When _Cyrus_ took _Babylon_, he changed the Kingdom into a Satrapy or
Province: whereby the bounds were long after known: and by this means
_Herodotus_ [426] gives us an estimate of the bigness of this Monarchy in
proportion to that of the _Persians_, telling us that _whilst every region
over which the King of _Persia_ Reigned in his days, was distributed for
the nourishment of his army, besides the tributes, the _Babylonian_ region
nourished him four months of the twelve in the year, and all the rest of
_Asia_ eight: so the power of the region_, saith he, _is equivalent to the
third part of _Asia_, and its Principality, which the _Persians_ call a
_Satrapy_, is far the best of all the Provinces_.
_Babylon_ [427] was a square city of 120 furlongs, or 15 miles on every
side, compassed first with a broad and deep ditch, and then with a wall
fifty cubits thick, and two hundred high. _Euphrates_ flowed through the
middle of it southward, a few leagues on this side _Tigris_: and in the
middle of one half westward stood the King's new Palace, built by
_Nebuchadnezzar_; and in the middle of the other half stood the Temple of
_Belus_, with the old Palace between that Temple and the river: this old
Palace was built by the _Assyrians_, according to [428] _Isaiah_, and by
consequence, by _Pul_ and his son _Nabonassar_, as above: _they founded the
city for the _Arabians_, and set up the towers thereof, and raised the
Palaces thereof_: and at that time _Sabacon_ the _Ethiopian_ invaded
_Egypt_, and made great multitudes of _Egyptians_ fly from him into
_Chaldæa_, and carry thither their Astronomy, and Astrology, and
Architecture, and the form of their year, which they preserved there in the
_Æra_ of _Nabonassar_: for the practice of observing the Stars began in
_Egypt_ in the days of _Ammon_, as above, and was propagated from thence in
the Reign of his son _Sesac_ into _Afric_, _Europe_, and _Asia_ by
conquest; and then _Atlas_ formed the Sphere of the _Libyans_, and _Chiron_
that of the _Greeks_, and the _Chaldæans_ also made a Sphere of their own.
But Astrology was invented in _Egypt_ by _Nichepsos_, or _Necepsos_, one of
the Kings of the lower _Egypt_, and _Petosiris_ his Priest, a little before
the days of _Sabacon_, and propagated thence into _Chaldæa_, where
_Zoroaster_ the Legislator of the _Magi_ met with it: so _Paulinus_,
_Quique magos docuit mysteria vana Necepsos_:
And _Diodorus_, [429] _they say that the _Chaldæans_ in _Babylonia_ are
colonies of the _Egyptians_, and being taught by the Priests of _Egypt_
became famous for Astrology_. By the influence of the same colonies, the
Temple of _Jupiter Belus_ in _Babylon_ seems to have been erected in the
form of the _Egyptian_ Pyramids: for [430] this Temple was a solid Tower or
Pyramid a furlong square, and a furlong high, with seven retractions, which
made it appear like eight towers standing upon one another, and growing
less and less to the top: and in the eighth tower was a Temple with a bed
and a golden table, kept by a woman, after the manner of the _Egyptians_ in
the Temple of _Jupiter Ammon_ at _Thebes_; and above the Temple was a place
for observing the Stars: they went up to the top of it by steps on the
outside, and the bottom was compassed with a court, and the court with a
building two furlongs in length on every side.
The _Babylonians_ were extreamly addicted to Sorcery, Inchantments,
Astrology and Divinations, _Isa._ xlvii. 9, 12, 13. _Dan._ ii. 2, & v. 11.
and to the worship of Idols, _Jer._ l. 2, 40. and to feasting, wine and
women. _Nihil urbis ejus corruptius moribus, nec ad irritandas
illiciendasque immodicas voluptates instructius. Liberos conjugesque cum
hospitibus stupro coire, modo pretium flagitii detur, parentes maritique
patiuntur. Convivales ludi tota Perside regibus purpuratisque cordi sunt:
Babylonii maxime in vinum & quæ ebrietatem sequuntur effusi sunt. Fæminarum
convivia ineuntium in principio modestus est habitus; dein summa quæque
amicula exuunt, paulatimque pudorem profanant: ad ultimum, honos auribus
sit, ima corporum velamenta projiciunt. Nec meretricum hoc dedecus est, sed
matronarum virginumque, apud quas comitas habetur vulgati corporis
vilitas._ _Q. Curtius_, lib. v. cap. 1. And this lewdness of their women,
coloured over with the name of civility, was encouraged even by their
religion: for it was the custom for their women once in their life to sit
in the Temple of _Venus_ for the use of strangers; which Temple they called
_Succoth Benoth_, the Temple of Women: and when any woman was once sat
there, she was not to depart 'till some stranger threw money into her
bosom, took her away and lay with her; and the money being for sacred uses,
she was obliged to accept of it how little soever, and follow the stranger.
The _Persians_ being conquered by the _Medes_ about the middle of the Reign
of _Zedekiah_, continued in subjection under them 'till the end of the
Reign of _Darius_ the _Mede_: and _Cyrus_, who was of the Royal Family of
the _Persians_, might be _Satrapa_ of _Persia_, and command a body of their
forces under _Darius_; but was not yet an absolute and independant King:
but after the taking of _Babylon_, when he had a victorious army at his
devotion, and _Darius_ was returned from _Babylon_ into _Media_, he
revolted from _Darius_, in conjunction with the _Persians_ under him; [431]
they being incited thereunto by _Harpagus_ a _Mede_, whom _Xenophon_ calls
_Artagerses_ and _Atabazus_, and who had assisted _Cyrus_ in conquering
_Crœsus_ and _Asia minor_, and had been injured by _Darius_. _Harpagus_ was
sent by _Darius_ with an army against _Cyrus_, and in the midst of a battel
revolted with part of the army to _Cyrus_: _Darius_ got up a fresh army,
and the next year the two armies fought again: this last battel was fought
at _Pasargadæ_ in _Persia_, according to [432] _Strabo_; and there _Darius_
was beaten and taken Prisoner by _Cyrus_, and the Monarchy was by this
victory translated to the _Persians_. The last King of the _Medes_ is by
_Xenophon_ called _Cyaxares_, and by _Herodotus_, _Astyages_ the father of
_Mandane_: but these Kings were dead before, and _Daniel_ lets us know that
_Darius_ was the true name of the last King, and _Herodotus_, [433] that
the last King was conquered by _Cyrus_ in the manner above described; and
the _Darics_ coined by the last King testify that his name was _Darius_.
This victory over _Darius_ was about two years after the taking of
_Babylon_: for the Reign or _Nabonnedus_ the last King of the _Chaldees_,
whom _Josephus_ calls _Naboandel_ and _Belshazzar_, ended in the year of
_Nabonassar_ 210, nine years before the death of _Cyrus_, according to the
Canon: but after the translation of the Kingdom of the _Medes_ to the
_Persians_, _Cyrus_ Reigned only seven years, according to [434]
_Xenophon_; and spending the seven winter months yearly at _Babylon_, the
three spring months yearly at _Susa_, and the two Summer months at
_Ecbatane_, he came the seventh time into _Persia_, and died there in the
spring, and was buried at _Pasargadae_. By the Canon and the common consent
of all Chronologers, he died in the year of _Nabonassar_ 219, and therefore
conquered _Darius_ in the year of _Nabonassar_ 212, seventy and two years
after the destruction of _Nineveh_, and beat him the first time in the year
of _Nabonassar_ 211, and revolted from him, and became King of the
_Persians_, either the same year, or in the end of the year before. At his
death he was seventy years old according to _Herodotus_, and therefore he
was born in the year of _Nabonassar_ 149, his mother _Mandane_ being the
sister of _Cyaxeres_, at that time a young man, and also the sister of
_Amyite_ the wife of _Nebuchadnezzar_, and his father _Cambyses_ being of
the old Royal Family of the _Persians_.
* * * * *
CHAP. V.
_A Description of the _TEMPLE_ of _Solomon_._
[435] The Temple of _Solomon_ being destroyed by the _Babylonians_, it may
not be amiss here to give a description of that edifice.
This [436] Temple looked eastward, and stood in a square area, called the
_Separate Place_: and [437] before it stood the _Altar_, in the center of
another square area, called the _Inner Court_, or _Court of the Priests_:
and these two square areas, being parted only by a marble rail, made an
area 200 cubits long from west to east, and 100 cubits broad: this area was
compassed on the west with a wall, and [438] on the other three sides with
a pavement fifty cubits broad, upon which stood the buildings for the
Priests, with cloysters under them: and the pavement was faced on the
inside with a marble rail before the cloysters: the whole made an area 250
cubits long from west to east, and 200 broad, and was compassed with an
outward Court, called also the _Great Court_, or _Court of the People_,
[439] which was an hundred cubits on every side; for there were but two
Courts built by _Solomon_: and the outward Court was about four cubits
lower than the inward, and was compassed on the west with a wall, and on
the other three sides [440] with a pavement fifty cubits broad, upon which
stood the buildings for the People. All this was the [441] _Sanctuary_, and
made a square area 500 cubits long, and 500 broad, and was compassed with a
walk, called the _Mountain of the House_: and this walk being 50 cubits
broad, was compassed with a wall six cubits broad, and six high, and six
hundred long on every side: and the cubit was about 21½, or almost 22
inches of the _English_ foot, being the sacred cubit of the _Jews_, which
was an hand-breadth, or the sixth part of its length bigger than the common
cubit.
The _Altar_ stood in the center of the whole; and in the buildings of [442]
both Courts over against the middle of the _Altar_, eastward, southward,
and northward, were gates [443] 25 cubits broad between the buildings, and
40 long; with porches of ten cubits more, looking towards the _Altar
Court_, which made the whole length of the gates fifty cubits cross the
pavements. Every gate had two doors, one at either [444] end, ten cubits
wide, and twenty high, with posts and thresholds six cubits broad: within
the gates was an area 28 cubits long between the thresholds, and 13 cubits
wide: and on either side of this area were three posts, each six cubits
square, and twenty high, with arches five cubits wide between them: all
which posts and arches filled the 28 cubits in length between the
thresholds; and their breadth being added to the thirteen cubits, made the
whole breadth of the gates 25 cubits. These posts were hollow, and had
rooms in them with narrow windows for the porters, and a step before them a
cubit broad: and the walls of the porches being six cubits thick, were also
hollow for several uses. [445] At the east gate of the _Peoples Court_,
called the _King's gate_, [446] were six porters, at the south gate were
four, and at the north gate were four: the people [447] went in and out at
the south and north gates: the [448] east gate was opened only for the
King, and in this gate he ate the Sacrifices. There were also four gates or
doors in the western wall of the _Mountain of the House_: of these [449]
the most northern, called _Shallecheth_, or the _gate of the causey_, led
to the King's palace, the valley between being filled up with a causey: the
next gate, called _Parbar_, led to the suburbs _Millo_: the third and
fourth gates, called _Asuppim_, led the one to _Millo_, the other to the
city of _Jerusalem_, there being steps down into the valley and up again
into the city. At the gate _Shallecheth_ were four porters; at the other
three gates were six porters, two at each gate: the house of the porters
who had the charge of the north gate of the _People's Court_, had also the
charge of the gates _Shallecheth_ and _Parbar_: and the house of the
porters who had the charge of the south gate of the _People s Court_, had
also the charge of the other two gates called _Asuppim_.
They came through the four western gates into the _Mountain of the House_,
and [450] went up from the _Mountain of the House_, to the gates of the
_People's Court_ by seven steps, and from the _People's Court_ to the gates
of the _Priest's Court_ by eight steps: [451] and the arches in the sides
of the gates of both courts led into cloysters [452] under a double
building, supported by three rows of marble pillars, which butted directly
upon the middles of the square posts, ran along from thence upon the
pavements towards the corners of the Courts: the axes of the pillars in the
middle row being eleven cubits distant from the axes of the pillars in the
other two rows on either hand; and the building joining to the sides of the
gates: the pillars were three cubits in diameter below, and their bases
four cubits and an half square. The gates and buildings of both Courts were
alike, and [453] faced their Courts: the cloysters of all the buildings,
and the porches of all the gates looking towards the _Altar_. The row of
pillars on the backsides of the cloysters adhered to marble walls, which
bounded the cloysters and supported the buildings: [454] these buildings
were three stories high above the cloysters, and [455] were supported in
each of those stories by a row of cedar beams, or pillars of cedar,
standing above the middle row of the marble pillars: the buildings on
either side of every gate of the _People's Court_, being 187½ cubits long,
were distinguished into five chambers on a floor, running in length from
the gates to the corners or the Courts: there [456] being in all thirty
chambers in a story, where the People ate the Sacrifices, or thirty
exhedras, each of which contained three chambers, a lower, a middle, and an
upper: every exhedra was 37½ cubits long, being supported by four pillars
in each row, [457] whose bases were 4½ cubits square, and the distances
between their bases 6½ cubits, and the distances between the axes of the
pillars eleven cubits: and where two [458] exhedras joyned, there the bases
of their pillars joyned; the axes of those two pillars being only 4½ cubits
distant from one another: and perhaps for strengthning the building, the
space between the axes of these two pillars in the front was filled up with
a marble column 4½ cubits square, the two pillars standing half out on
either side of the square column. At the ends of these buildings [459] in
the four corners of the _Peoples Court_, were little Courts fifty cubits
square on the outside of their walls, and forty on the inside thereof, for
stair-cases to the buildings, and kitchins to bake and boil the Sacrifices
for the People, the kitchin being thirty cubits broad, and the stair-case
ten. The buildings on either side of the gates of the _Priests Court_ were
also 37½ cubits long, and contained each of them one great chamber in a
story, subdivided into smaller rooms, for the Great Officers of the Temple,
and Princes of the Priests: and in the south-east and north-east corners of
this court, at the ends of the buildings, were kitchins and stair-cases for
the Great Officers; and perhaps rooms for laying up wood for the _Altar_.
In the eastern gate of the _Peoples Court_, sat a Court of Judicature,
composed of 23 Elders. The eastern gate of the _Priests Court_, with the
buildings on either side, was for the High-Priest, and his deputy the
_Sagan_, and for the _Sanhedrim_ or Supreme Court of Judicature, composed
of seventy Elders. [460] The building or exhedra on the eastern side of the
southern gate, was for the Priests who had the oversight of the charge of
the _Sanctuary_ with its treasuries: and these were, first, two
_Catholikim_, who were High-Treasurers and Secretaries to the High-Priest,
and examined, stated, and prepared all acts and accounts to be signed and
sealed by him; then seven _Amarcholim_, who kept the keys of the seven
locks of every gate of the _Sanctuary_, and those also of the treasuries,
and had the oversight, direction, and appointment of all things in the
_Sanctuary_; then three or more _Gisbarim_, or Under-Treasurers, or
Receivers, who kept the Holy Vessels, and the Publick Money, and received
or disposed of such sums as were brought in for the service of the Temple,
and accounted for the same. All these, with the High-Priest, composed the
Supreme Council for managing the affairs of the Temple.
The Sacrifices [461] were killed on the northern side of the _Altar_, and
flea'd, cut in pieces and salted in the northern gate of the Temple; and
therefore the building or exhedra on the eastern side of this gate, was for
the Priests who had the oversight of the charge of the _Altar_, and Daily
Service: and these Officers were, He that received money of the People for
purchasing things for the Sacrifices, and gave out tickets for the same; He
that upon sight of the tickets delivered the wine, flower and oyl
purchased; He that was over the lots, whereby every Priest attending on the
_Altar_ had his duty assigned; He that upon sight of the tickets delivered
out the doves and pigeons purchased; He that administred physic to the
Priests attending; He that was over the waters; He that was over the times,
and did the duty of a cryer, calling the Priests or Levites to attend in
their ministeries; He that opened the gates in the morning to begin the
service, and shut them in the evening when the service was done, and for
that end received the keys of the _Amarcholim_, and returned them when he
had done his duty; He that visited the night-watches; He that by a Cymbal
called the Levites to their stations for singing; He that appointed the
Hymns and set the Tune; and He that took care of the Shew-Bread: there were
also Officers who took care of the Perfume, the Veil, and the Wardrobe of
the Priests.
The exhedra on the western side of the south gate, and that on the western
side of the north gate, were for the Princes of the four and twenty courses
of the Priests, one exhedra for twelve of the Princes, [462] and the other
exhedra for the other twelve: and upon the pavement on either side of the
_Separate Place_ [463] were other buildings without cloysters, for the four
and twenty courses of the Priests to eat the Sacrifices, and lay up their
garments and the most holy things: each pavement being 100 cubits long, and
50 broad, had buildings on either side of it twenty cubits broad, with a
walk or alley ten cubits broad between them: the building which bordered
upon the _Separate Place_ was an hundred cubits long, and that next the
_Peoples Court_ but fifty, the other fifty cubits westward [464] being for
a stair-case and kitchin: these buildings [465] were three stories high,
and the middle story was narrower in the front than the lower story, and
the upper story still narrower, to make room for galleries; for they had
galleries before them, and under the galleries were closets for laying up
the holy things, and the garments of the Priests, and these galleries were
towards the walk or alley, which ran between the buildings.
They went up from the _Priests Court_ to the Porch of the Temple by ten
steps: and the [466] House of the Temple was twenty cubits broad, and sixty
long within; or thirty broad, and seventy long, including the walls; or
seventy cubits broad, and 90 long, including a building of
treasure-chambers which was twenty cubits broad on three sides of the
House; and if the Porch be also included, the Temple was [467] an hundred
cubits long. The treasure-chambers were built of cedar, between the wall of
the Temple, and another wall without: they were [468] built in two rows
three stories high, and opened door against door into a walk or gallery
which ran along between them, and was five cubits broad in every story; So
that the breadth of the chambers on either side of the gallery, including
the breadth of the wall to which they adjoined, was ten cubits; and the
whole breadth of the gallery and chambers, and both walls, was five and
twenty cubits: the chambers [469] were five cubits broad in the lower
story, six broad in the middle story, and seven broad in the upper story;
for the wall of the Temple was built with retractions of a cubit, to rest
the timber upon. _Ezekiel_ represents the chambers a cubit narrower, and
the walls a cubit thicker than they were in _Solomon_'s Temple: there were
[470] thirty chambers in a story, in all ninety chambers, and they were
five cubits high in every story. The [471] Porch of the Temple was 120
cubits high, and its length from south to north equalled the breadth of the
House: the House was three stories high, which made the height of the _Holy
Place_ three times thirty cubits, and that of the _Most Holy_ three times
twenty: the upper rooms were treasure-chambers; they [472] went up to the
middle chamber by winding stairs in the southern shoulder of the House, and
from the middle into the upper.