Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 9 · Doctrines 1 · Question 36
Quest. 36. Whether the account of the Olympiake yeares be a certaine direction for the vnderstanding of Daniels weekes.
1. Here are three opinions to be discussed. 1. Some, as the Hebrewes, doe vtterly reiect the Greekes Olympiads, making no account of them. 2. Some doe make them the onelyonly helpe, and key to vnlocke the shut vp and hid meaning of Daniels weekes, Liuely p. 36. So Bullinger, certissimae sunt omnium supputationes, quae fiunt per Olympiades, the supputations made by the Olympiades are of all other most certaine, &c. and Pererius calleth it, chronologiam omnium certissimam, the chronologie of all other most certaine. 3. But the meane opinion betweene these is the best, that there is small certaintie in the Olympiades concerning the Persian Monarchie, though for the Greeke affaires that computation may safely be receiued: and this is the iudgement of M. Calvin, hoc non potest certo trahi ad imperium Persarum, this computation by the Olympike yeares (howsoeuer it may serue for the Grecians) yet it cannot be applyed to the Persian Empire, to know therby at what time the kings of Persia beganne and ended their raigne, &c. So the Olympike reckoning in part is to be receiued, in part it is so small certaintie.
1. Conceruing the first of these opinions, that no respect is at all to be had to the Olympiake yeares, which is the fansie of the Hebrewes, it is vtterly to be misliked: for after the ende of the propheticall writings, the Scriptures beeing altogether silent, what direction will they hauehave especially for forren histories? Oecolampadius here resolueth well, that after the citie Ierusalem was repaired, iam desicientibus Prophetis cum Malachia & Ezra, … Prophets then ending with Malachie and Ezra, there is no credit to be giuen vntounto the Hebrewes in the supputation of their yeares. 2. Neither is the second opinion generally to be receiued, that the computation of this time is altogether to be directed, and in a manner ouerruled by the Olympiake reckoning: Here first the arguments shall be examined, which are brought for the certaine authoritie of the Olympiads, and then some contrarie reasons shall be produced, to shewe the inualiditie of them.
1. As touching the names and number of the Persian kings, that the certaintie thereof may be gathered from the Greeks, it is thus argued: because many excellent writers, and learned men, Philosophers, and Historiographers liued vnderunder the kings of Persia, and knew their affaires; as the seuen wisemen of Greece, Thales, Solon, Chilon, Pittacus, Bias, Cleobulus, Periander, liued in the time of Cyrus: Pythagoras, Zenophanes, Anaximander, Heraclitus, with others, flourished vnderunder Cambyses, and Darius: Socrates, Thucidides, Euripides, vnderunder Artaxerxes: Beside the courts of the Persian kings were frequented by many noble Grecians, as by Hippias, Demaratus, Miltiades: and therefore the names and number of the Persian kings, was well knowne to them of Greece: thus M. Liuely from pag. 43. to pag. 46. But this is no sufficient argument for the matter in question. 1. It followeth not, though these learned Philosophers and historians liued in the time of the Persian kings, and some of them frequented their Courts, that therefore they had a certaine knowledge of them all. These kings of Persia, with whom the Grecians had to doe, were knowne vntounto them: but neither all of them, nor yet to all those forenamed Philosophers and writers were they exactly knowne. 2. An euident instance hereof may be giuen in Xenophon, who writeth that Cyrus died in his bed, and made a wise exhortation to his children, whereas it is generally receiued, that he was slaine by Tomyris, as Iustine writeth. 3. And though the name and number of the Persian kings had beene knowne to the Grecians, yet the yeares of their raigne they much regarded not, because they beeing a vaine-glorious nation, followed their owne Olympike reckoning.
2. Now for the truth and certaintie of the Olympiads one demonstration is taken from the time when Cyrus beganne his raigne, which was in the 55. Olympiad, from whence to the 114. Olympiad, when Alexander died, are counted 236. yeares, whereof 6. yeares must be allowed to the Empire of Alexander after he ouercame Darius, so M. Liuely, pag. 48. and Pererius lib. 11. quest. 2. But this demonstration may be thus excepted against. 1. Clemens Alexand. placeth the destruction of the temple which was in the 19. yeare of Nebuchadnezzar, in the last yeare of the 47. Olympiad, lib. 1. stromat. the 55. Olympiad followeth iust 30. yeares after: if then Cyrus beganne to raigne, how shall the 70. yeares of the Babylonian captiuitie be made vp, which beganne in the 8. yeare of Nebuchadnezzar, with the captiuitie of Iechoniah: or if we beginne the captiuitie in the 4. yeare, when Nebuchadnezzar tooke Ierusalem, in the raigne of Iehoiachim, 2. king. 24. 2. there will not arise by this account 50. yeares in all for the captuitie. 2. Pererius beginneth the first Olympiad in the 8. yeare of the raigne of Ahaz: (and yet some beginne the Olympiads in the 2. yeare of Iotham who raigned 16. yeares, that is, 23. yeares before that, Bullinger.) then cannot Cyrus raigne be referred to the 55. Olympiad, for the distance betwene the 1. and 55. Olympiad, maketh 216. yeares: but there onelyonly were expired, 205. yeares: as it may be thus gathered: from the 8. yeare of Ahaz vntounto the 11. yeare of Iehoiachim, when Iechonias captiuitie began, are an 135. yeares, and from thence to Cyrus 70. yeares, which make 205. yeares, then must the beginning of Cyrus raigne be pulled backe an 11. yeares from the 55. Olympiad to the 2. of the 52. Olympiad.
3. An other demonstration is taken from comparing the Olympike yeares with the building of Rome:Persian Monarchie, p. 75. M. Liuely out of Dyonisius Halycarnasseus his 5. booke alleadgeth that the 31. yeare of Darius Hystaspis, concurred with the 72. Olympiad, and 262. yeare of Rome. This account is iust if we begin the Olympiads in the second yeare of Iotham, for Rome is held to hauehave beene builded in the first of the 7. Olympiad, which was in the tenth yeare of Achaz: but Pererius bringeth the 7. Olympiad to the sixteenth yeare of Hezekiah, 23. years after, so that by his reckoning the 31. of Darius shall fall out 23. yeares later, about the 4. yeare of the 77. Olympiad. And further, how well the Greeke Olympiads and the yeares of the bonding of Rome agree together, appeareth by the dissension of writers in what Olympiad Rome should first be founded: Timeus Siculus thinketh that Rome was built at the same time, that Carthage was in Africa by the Tyrians, which was 38. yeare before the first Olympiad. Titus Liuius, Clemens Alexandrinus, and Solinus set the building of Rome in the 4. yeare of the 6. Olympiad: Pomponius Atticus, Cicero, Plinie, with others, in the 3. yeare of the same Olympiad: Dyonisius Halycarnass. Eratosthenes, Theophilus, Antiochenus, in the 1. yeare of the 7. Olympiad. Polybius, Diod. Siculus, in the 2. yeare of the 7. Olympiad. Q. Fabius an ancient writer of the Romane affaires,… in the 1. yeare of the 8. Olympiad. L. Cincius in the 4. yeare of the 12. Olympiad: The oddes betweene the first account and the last is aboue 80. yeares: for 12. Olympiads make 48. yeares, and some thinke that Rome was founded 38. yeares before the first Olympiad: some not before the 4. yeare of the 12. Olympiad.
4. But yet a more euident proofe is taken from the course of the Sunne, which was eclipsed in the 7. yeare of Cambyses, which was in the second yeare of the 64. Olympiad: there was an other eclipse, which happened an eleuen dayes before Alexanders last battel with Darius, in the sixt yeare of his raigne: betweene these two eclipses there are found by exact calculation, an 192. yeares, which with Cyrus 30. and Cambyses 7. yeares make 229. which was the full time of the Persian Monarchie: And hereupon he concludeth thus, thus the glorious seruant of the world the Sunne, &c. euen this Chronologer I say, of all other without exception most true and sure, witnesseth for Herodotus, Thucydides, &c.
Contra. 1. Indeede, if all these supposalls were true, that these two eclipses happened in those yeares, to the which they are assigned, and that such distance were found betweene them, and Cyrus with Cambyses raigned so long, the conclusion for that continuance of the Persian Monarchie were verie strong: but all these are vncertaine, first that Cambyses and Cyrus raigned so long, 37. yeares betweene them: Iunius giueth vntounto them together but 9. yeares: Bullinger 14. yeares: secondly, whether such an eclipse fell out in the raigne of Cambyses, and not rather afore, may be likewise doubted: thirdly, whether that distance were not rather taken betweene two other eclipses then these, it likewise may be a question: he speaketh of an other eclypse which was an 141. yeares after that, supposed to be in Cambyses time, which Diodorus Siculus placeth in the 2. of the 99. Olympiad. 2. But although the Sunne be most sure in his course, there is a Sunne which is more true and stedfast, euen the Sunne-light of the truth which shineth in the Scriptures, and in this prophesie of Daniel, which calculateth but 490. yeares from the word going forth, which was the commandement of Cyrus, vntounto the Messiah, which time cannot be iustly gathered, if 200. yeares or aboue be giuen to the Persians: Now on the contrarie side this may be obiected against the certaintie of the Olympiads.
1. Seeing it is confessed, that the Olympike games, were first erected by Hercules, and then discontinued a long time vntill Iphitus, who renewed them, is it not as likely, that they might be interrupted afterward, as before? and the rather because of the great warres which the Grecians had with the Persians, and the Peloponnesiake ciuill warre, which continued 27. yeares among themselues: in which troublesome times it may be supposed, they had no great leasure or desire to solemnize their Olympike games, all Grecia beeing in an vproare.
2. Plutark in the life of Numa, maketh some doubt of the Olympike reckonings in regard of the beginning thereof beeing committed to writing verie late by Hippias of Elis: to this it is answered, that although Hippias should beginne the Olympiads somewhat too late: as put the case that he make that the 40. Olympiad, which was but the thirtieth, yet the distances of time betweene the Olympiads shall not misse one lotte: so Temporanus, and M. Liuely, pag. 89. But howsoeuer the distances and spaces of time may be kept, yet there must needes be a manifest error in the computation, if those things be referred to a later time, which were formerly done: As the question beeing of the beginning of the Persian Monarchie, if it be set at the 55. Olympiad, when it beganne much sooner, a great error will fall out in historie, and one error admitted in chronicle will breed many.
3. It is vncertaine when the Olympiades beganne: Bullinger holdeth they beganne in the 2. yeare of Iotham, and M. Liuely seemeth to be of the same opinion, who maketh the 31. yeare of Darius Hystaspis, and the 72. Olympiad to concurre together, which cannot be, vnlesse he beginne the Olympiads in the 2. of Iotham, as is euidently scene in Bullingers first and third Chronicle table, Eusebius beginneth the Olympiads in the 49. yeare of Azaria, Glareanus in the 50. Lucidus in the 46. yeare, Paulus Phrygio in the 12. of Iotham, Bibliander in the 13. Functius in the 2. of Iotham: so also Africanus, which seemeth the most probable: But Pererius setteth the beginning of the Olympiades 23. yeares after, in the 8. yeare of Achaz, as is shewed before.
4. If forren writers be compared together, great difference will be found in the account of yeares by the Olympiads, as this one instance here may suffice concerning the time wherein Pythagoras liued: Dyonisius saith he taught in Italie about the 50. Olympiad: Diogenes Laertius writeth that he flourished in the 60. Olympiad: here is a distance of 40. yeares: Solinus bringeth him to the time of the first Consuls, which was about the 68. Olympiad: but Plinie putteth him backe an 100. yeares, from the time assigned by Solinus: the like difference in other matters may appeare by diligent search in forren historians, in the reckoning of the Olympike yeares: The like difference is found among the Christians in the Olympike reckoning: Cyrillus chateches. 12. placeth Christs birth in the 186. Olympiad: Ioseph. Scallig. and M. Liuely, in the 3. yeare of the 194. Olympiad: Pererius, and the most beside, in the 4. yeare of the 194. Olympiad.
5. But the chiefe obiection of all is, that the Olympian account agreeth not with the Scripture: for if Nehemiah saw both the beginning of the Persian Monarchie, as is euident, Ezra. 2. 2. he was one of those which returned from the captiuitie according to the edict of Cyrus: and liued to see the ende of that Monarchie, as he maketh mention of Darius the last king of Persia, vnderunder whom Iaddua was high Priest, who met Alexander, who is also named in the same place, Nehem. 12. 22. then could not the Persian Monarchie continue 230. yeares, as is gathered by the Olympike computation: for then Nehemiah, who may be supposed to hauehave beene 20. yeare old when he returned from Chaldea, should be, 250 yeare old, which age was not incident into those times: But this shall be shewed more at large afterward: This shall suffice concerning the Olympike supputation of yeares.
3. Now the third opinion remaineth, propounded in the begnning of this question: that the Olympike computation may be admitted concerning the affaires of the Greekes, and the continuance of their Monarchie, as of the Kings of Syria, and Egypt: but they can giuegive no certaine direction concerning the kings of Persia, the yeares of their raigne, and continuance of their Empire. To know then the certaintie hereof, first, we must hauehave recourse vntounto the sacred historie: forren historians are so to be followed, as that no contradiction be admitted to the Scriptures: then where the Scripture leaueth vsus, forren witnesses are to be receiued: Now seeing it is collected that the raigne of the Grecians from Alexander vntounto Cleopatra Q. of Egypt, continued about 300. yeares, and from thence to the death of Christ the Romanes ruled 60. yeares, H. Br. …roleg. in Daniel, there can remaine but an 130. yeares for the Monarchie of the Persians, to make vp the summe of Daniels 70. weekes, that is, 490. yeares. So then thus farre we are directed by the holy storie, as is shewed before by the age and life of Nehemias, who sawe the beginning and ende of the Persian Monarchie, that it could not continue 200. yeares or aboue, the rest must be supplied out of the Greeke and Latine historians.
Here then two erroneous opinions are to be touched, the one of Varro, who vntill the beginning of the Olympiads, holdeth no certainty of time to be gathered: for he distinguisheth the age of the world into these 3. times, before the flood, which he saith is altogether vnknowne, after the …ood vntounto the Olympike yeares, which time he calleth foreign, fabulous, and full of tales: the third from the beginning of the Olympiads, which time he calleth foreign, historicall, as certaine and true: whereas the contrarie is euident: that the historie of time from the beginning of the world, vntill somewhat after the Olympiads, is most certaine out of the propheticall writings: but there is no certaintie of the times following, because the propheticall writings were ceased.
The other opinion is of Paulus Burgans. In 9. Daniel. addit. 3.who thus aduiseth, de quibus non habetur historia sacrae Scripturae, recurratur ad historia… authentica… specialit…r Hebraeorum, whereof there is no historie of the sacred Scripture, we must hauehave recourse to the authenticall histories, specially of the Hebrewes: But Burgens. beeing a conuerned Iew himselfe, doth ascribe too much to the historicall accounts of his nation: whereas, after their Prophets ceased, there …re no more vncerten, false, and fabulous Chronicles, then those of the Hebrewes are: As appeareth by that one instance of the number of the Persian kings, whome they generally h…ld to hauehave beene but foure.
This then remaineth as the best resolution concerning this matter, what Chronologie is to be followed in the computation of Daniels weekes: that it is safest to take direction of the Scriptures, so farre as they proceede in the historie of the Persians, and then to vse the helpe of the Olympiads, and other forren histories, for the rest of the yeares. And yet further to shew what small certentie is to be found in the historicall accounts of the Gentiles concerning the Persiah Monarchie, it shall not be amisse, before we come to examine the true reckoning of Daniels weekes, briefly to shew the great diuersitie of writers, both of the number, and yeares of the Persian kings.