(c) Thirty-seven complete. (d) About this time Jonab, advanced in years, might prophesy against Nineveh, in the reign of Pul, who foon after invaded the land of Ifrael, 2 Kings xv. 19; but it doth not appear, that he had any design to conquer it. (e) About this time Isaiah began to prophesy, Ifai. i. 1. and, it is supposed, continued to the latter end of Hezekiah's reign. (f) This number is found by fubtracting 52, the years of Azariah or Uzziah's reign, from 810, which is the year before Christ when he began to reign. (g) Sixteen complete. xviii. 2, 1. 721 6 (i) Proofs [1 Chron. v. 26. 2 Kin. xv. 29. - xviii. 9, &c. II. Israel carried into cap Yrs. of Yrs. bef. A. D. 8 738 9 730 3 726 721 tivity. (k) 677 22 [ xvii. 24. Ezra iv. 2. 643 2 AMON III. Captivity of Ifrael by 2 Kin. xxi. 19. 641 3 JOSIAH xxii. I. 628 [Jeremiah began. Fer. i. 2, 3. Habakkuk, Zephaniah(1)] XXV. 3. 2 (b) Twenty-eight complete. (i) Five complete. (k) King Hosheah and his people, the ten tribes, were now carried into Affyria by Shalmanefer, king of Affyria, who dwelt at bably cotemporaries with Jeremiah. Sce Dr PRIDEAUX's Connect. at the year before A. D. 609. (1) In this year Jeremiah began, and continued till the eleventh year of Zedekiah, Jer. i. 2, 3. Habakkuk and Zephaniah were pro The Temple was demolished. 2 Kin. xxv. 2,9. III. Captivity of JUDAH, and of the remains of Ifrael. 587 Obadiah prophefied against the Edomites, who cruelly afssisted in the destruction of Jerufalem. 569 Nebuchadnezzar distracted for 7 years together. Dan. iv. 555 Daniel had his vision of the 4 empires. Dan. vii. (m) Or Shallum. (0) Hence began the seventy years captivity, foretold by Jeremiah, chap. xxv. 1, 12. xxix. 10. Dax. ix. 2. (p) Otherwise called Coniah, and Jeconiah. Jer. xxii. 24, &c. Efth. ii. 6. (n) Or Eliakim, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 4. Yrs. bef. 538 He interpreted the hand-writing on the wall, Dan. v. 25. and was cast into the lion's den, Dan. vi. 536 Cyrus restores the Jews, and puts an end to their 70 years captivity. Ezra i. I. See the year before A. D. 606. 534 Daniel's last vision. Dan. x. 11, 12. 520 Haggai and Zechariah prophesy. Ezra v. 1. Hag. i. 1. Zach. i. 1. 515 The Temple rebuilt and dedicated. Ezra vi. 15, 16. 462 Akafuerus, alias Artaxerxes, divorces Vashti, and afterwards marries Esther. Efth. i. 1, &c. See Dr. PRIDEAUX'S Connect. at the year before A. D. 465. 458 Ezra fent to be governor of Judea by Artaxerxes. Ezra vii. 453 Haman plots the destruction of the Jews. Efth. iii. 11. 445 Nehemiah fent governor to Judea, and rebuilds the walls of Jerufalem. Neh. ii. 1, &c. 444 Ezra is supposed to publish his edition of the Holy Scriptures. 433 Nehemiah goes from Jerufalem to the Persian court. Neh. v. 14. xiii. 6. 429 About this time Malachi prophefied, according to Dr. PRIDEAUX's Con. 428. 428 Nehemiah comes again to Jerufalem with a new commiffion. Neh. xiii. 6. 404 Socrates lourished. 296 Simon the Just, high priest of the Jews. CHAP. XXXII. The moral Causes of the Babylonish CAPTIVITY; and the Propriety of that Dispensation. T HE whole Jewish nation, both Judah and Ifrael, had all along a strong and strange propenfity to idolatry, even after the erecting of the temple, and the establishing of the worship of God there, in the most grand and folemn manner. They erected altars to strange gods, frequented high-places and groves confecrated to idolatrous worship, and furnished them with idols and images for that purpose. 2 Chron. xiv. 3. I Kings XV. 11, 12, 13. And their morals were just as corrupt as their religion, even to the degree of sodomy itself. I Kings xv. 12. What their peculiar temptations were, we know not. All the endeavours of good kings, and all the preaching of holy Prophets, sent by special commiffion from God, were ineffectual to produce a reformation. The pious king Hezekiah was zealous and active in rooting out idolatry: but Manaffeh, his fon and fuccessor, restored it again in the highest and most flagitious degree of profaneness and iniquity, even beyond that of the dark and ignorant nations. 2 Kings xxi. 1-10. He built up again the high-places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed, &c. He was also a grievous perfecutor of all that would not conform to his idolatrous establishments, and so shed innocent blood very much. Amon, his fon, followed his bad example. Jofiah, his grandfon, vigorously attempted a reformation. 2 Kings xxiii. 24, 25. But the people never came heartily into it. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 14, &c. All the chief of the priests and the people tranfgreffed very much, after all the abominations of the heathen, and polluted the house of the Lord, which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the Lord God of their fathers fent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and fending; because he had compassion on his people, and on bis dwelling-place; but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and mifused his Prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who flew their young men with the sword, in the house of their fanctuary, and had no compaffion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that flooped for age; he gave them all into his hand. And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of bis princes; all these he brought to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that escaped from the fword, carried he away to Babylon; where they were fervants to him and his fons, until the reign of the kingdom of Persia. Obferve-This dreadful calamity came upon them gradually. First, good king Jofiah was, in judgment upon the land, flain in battle by Pharaoh-Necho, 2 Kings xxiii. 29. who put Jehoahaz that succeeded him into chains, fent him prifoner into Egypt, and put the land of Judah under a |