nation, who would soon establish an independent monarchy, and shake off their allegiance to his crown, unless forbidden to proceed with their building. The work was accordingly stopped, in a great measure, during the remaining five years of Cyrus's life, and the reign of his successor. On the decease of Cambyses, and the accession of one of the Magi, these accusations were reewed, and a decree was granted to put a total top to the work, which had been hitherto lowly carried on, amidst various insults and bstructions: and when this decree was rendered oid by the death of the usurper, the Jews were > effectually discouraged, that they did not vince the least desire to resume their enterprise, ll a great dearth was sent upon their land as a unishment for their indolence and ingratitude. he prophet Haggai upbraided them upon this scount, and assured them, that if they now pplied themselves zealously to the work, God' ould not only bless their exertions, but would so make the glory of the second temple exceed at of the first. These promises had the dened effect, and the people cheerfully devoted seir labours to the erection of the sacred fane, nder the guidance of Haggai and Zechariah. The envious Samaritans, emboldened by the access of their former misrepresentations, ap lied to Tatnai, governor of Syria and Palestine, aforming him of the rapid progress which the ws began to make in their building, and earning him of the evil consequences that would ereafter result from the increasing strength of hat unruly people. The governor immediately epaired to Jerusalem, and demanded by what VOL. II. authority R authority the work was carried on. Zerubbabel and Jeshua readily answered, by adverting to the decree of Cyrus, and producing the sacred vessel which that monarch had graciously restored fa the express purpose of renewing the ancien worship. Tatnai having received so unequivoca an answer, deemed it expedient to refer the business to his royal master; and Darius, a the discovery of the edict in the palace 4 Ecbatan, issued out a decree, by which all th grants of the former were ratified, and a sever penalty annexed against such persons as shoul presume to obstruct or contravene it. B. C. This important decree was no soone 518. communicated to the Jews, than the tem ple began to rise apace, and in the cours of three years was happily finished. The dedici tion was celebrated with equal joy and solemnity and an abundance of sacrifices were offered token of gratitude and adoration to him who ha vouchsafed to deliver his people from captivin and to bring them once more to his bel mountain. From this time they enjoyed a profound peas under their royal patron Darius, and Xerg his successor; and in the reign of Artaxerxe the husband of Esther, they received a benefica visit from Ezra, a learned and zealous Jew the house of Aaron, who obtained an ampl commission to return to his native country wid as many of his nation as were desirous of accomm panying him. * In memory of this decree, which was given at Shushak the Jews gave the name of Shushan to the eastern gate off outward temple wall, and set up a bas-relief of that metropell ever it, which remained till the time of Vespasian. On his arrival at Jerusalem, he delivered Some offerings from the Persian monarch and Robles to the priests, and sent to acquaint the governor of Syria and Palestine, that the king ad empowered him to reform or regulate all matters, whether of church or state. He then apinted judges and magistrates, who might take gnizance of all offences, and inflict such puishments as were agreeable to the law of Moses; ollected and set forth a correct edition of the acred books, restored the worship of the temple its ancient form before the captivity, and wised the Jewish liturgy. He is also supposed have changed the old Hebrew character for *more beautiful and commodious Chaldean, and have inserted such clauses in the sacred history were necessary for the explanation or illustrain of the original text. He continued in the thful discharge of his authority thirteen years, hen Nehemiah received a commission to suced him. Josephus asserts, that he was buried Jerusalem; but other Jewish writers affirm, at he returned into Persia, and died there in e hundred and twentieth year of his age. Nehemiah having arrived at Jerusalem with Il power to repair and adorn both the city and mple, which were then in a dilapidated conson, assembled the heads of the people, and id them he would immediately put his com→ ission in force. He accordingly gave directions r the building of the city wall, and attended e workmen so closely, that their tasks were inpleted in fifty-two days, notwithstanding the position of some treacherous Jews, who, at e instigation of Sanballat, governor of Samaria, leavoured to discourage them by various meR 2 thods, thods, and finally obliged them to arm in defence of their undertaking. The governor, understanding, in the prose cution of this work, that the poorer class, whe bore the greatest share of the labour, had bee so impoverished by continual extortions befor his arrival, that they had been compelled t mortgage their lands, sell their children, an submit to a variety of hardships, upbraided th Jewish rulers in the severest terms for their covet ousness and inhumanity, and exerted himself successfully in the cause of injured innocenc that the wants of the builders were obviated, an their murmurings hushed to silence. The m licious intentions of the Samaritans also prove abortive; and the dedication of the wall w celebrated by the priests and Levites with usual solemnities. As Jerusalem was, at this time, but thinly habited, most of the Jews having fixed their resi ence in the adjacent country, Nehemiah four it indispensably necessary to settle a great number of people within the walls. He, at firs prevailed on the higher class to build houses the by which means they might avoid the thieves a banditti who infested the other parts of the lar He then agreed to accept all who chose to sett there, and, finally, took every tenth family lot; so that the city, being well built, fortifiel and peopled, began to resume some appearanë of its pristine lustre. Having thus provided for the safety of Jeri salem, Nehemiah turned his thoughts to th felicity of its inhabitants, which, he was we aware, would either increase or diminish in pre portion to their obedience. He, therefore, ex torte orted from them a general confession of their ins, and a solemn vow to rectify whatever was miss in future; causing a collection to be made, it the same time, for the service of the temple; o which he himself generously gave a thousand irachms of gold, fifty dishes, and five hundred and thirty-two sacerdotal vestments. These arrangements being made, and the tenor fhis commission completed, he returned accordng to his promise into Persia, after possessing he government of Judea twelve years. Such exemplary virtue, resolution, and municence, united in the person of a governor, might ave been reasonably supposed productive of much jous emulation; but he had no sooner quitted e city, than some abuses began to creep into the hurch and commonwealth, and increased with ach dreadful rapidity, that in less than five years e temple was shamefully polluted; and the sabatly so totally disregarded, that the people threshtheir corn, bartered with the Tyrians, and expsed their mercantile wares to sale, on that day, i preference to any other of the week; notwithanding the frequent and earnest remonstrances three considerable prophets, Haggai, Malachi, nd Zechariah. On Nehemiah's return, however, those abuses ere corrected; the public worship, which had een intermitted, was fully restored; and frequent spositions of the Holy Scriptures were enforced, ot only in Jerusalem, but in all other parts of idea. The length of his life after this reformation, nd the place of his death, are equally unknown. sephus however asserts, that he died in an adAnced age. His character was rendered illus R 3 trious |