A Letter to a Friend Touching Mordecais Age, Letter
To his good friende A. T. of Mardochai his age: a light to Gabriels ſeauenties.
YOu deſire to knowe of me, in what age Mardochai lyued: becauſe you holde his tymes to helpe much the trueth of Chronicle: whereby ſundry Bookes of the holy Prophetes may better be vnderſtoode. Your requeſt is reaſonable: becauſe you rightly iudge of the profite ariſing by that knowledge. For whereas the chiefe prophecie in all the olde Teſtament, touching the time of ſaluation is obſcured: that of Dan. 9, 24 & alſo Dan. 11. Eſter, Ezra, Nehemiah, Aggi, Zachary, by reaſon that men attribute neare 100. yeeres more then common lykelyhood can ſuffer, or ſome wryters olde and late wyll graunt, to theſe men after Babel was taken: I meane to Cyrus Cambyſes, Darius Hyſtaſpis, & Xerxes: They who holde Aſſuerus to be Xerxes (who be ye chiefeſt Patrons of that exceſſiue time) yf it can be ſhewed that Mardochai was in captiuitie 63. y. muſt needes graunt that from Cyrus Some geue Cyrus but 3. yeres, and that vnderunder Cambyſes 7. to Darius Hyſt…ſpis 12. y. as Sederolam and Xe…xes but 10. alone: ſome more, as in Clem. Alex. Cyrus hath y… 30. Cambyſes 19. Darius Hyſtaſpis 46. Xerxes 26. Their times before the ſurpriſing of Babylon, and viceroygne: myght well hauehave ſo much as other abridge frō this: but from Babylons fal 30 yeere muſt be their moſt.ſurpriſing of Babel to Aſſuerus ende, when yet Mardochai was ſomwhat actiue: 30. yeeres agreeth more with the common courſe of lyfe, then 121. And that being ſetled, touching yeeres thence to Tiberius 18. yeere: Some old Greeke accompt wil very wel agree with vsus for Daniels ſeauens, to make vp. 490. yeeres. Wherfore your iudgement, carefull to know his times muſt be allowed: and endeuour to ſatiſfie your requeſt muſt be vſed.
The Scripture whereupon diſputation of late groweth, is this. Eſter. 2.5. In the citie of Sbuſhan, there was a certaine Iew, whoſe name was Mardochai the ſonne of Iair, the ſonne of Shimei, the ſonne of Kiſh, a man of Iemini, *The queſtion hereupon aryſeth, whether Mardochai or Kish vvas of the Captiuitie.which had been caried away from Ieruſalem with the captiuitie that was caried away with Iekoniah king of Iudah whom Nebuchadnezar king of Babel had caried away: and nouriſhed Hadaſſah, that is Eſter, his vncles daughter: for ſhe had neyther father nor mother, and the mayde was fayre, and beautifull to looke on: and after the death of her father and her mother, Mardochai tooke her for his owne daughter. To this text I thinke good to ioyne immediatly an other touching them, who were captiued with Iekoniah, to ſhewe that not onelyonly valient men, but alſo women and babes were then caried captiue: of which babes Mardochai might be one. Thus it is written 2. King. 24 14. And he caried away all Ieruſalem, and all the princes, and all the ſtrong men of warre, euen ten thouſand into captiuitie, and all the workemen and cunning men: ſo none remayned ſauing the poore people of the land. Now yf none were left but the poore of the earth, noble women and children muſt needes be in the reckoning of the captiuitie. But let vsus returne to the firſt text Eſt. 2.5 Upon which Scripture, we muſt weigh what hath been thought, and may be. I holde it doubtles that Mardochai by this text was in the captiuitie.Of olde time it hath been holden that Mardochai was of Iechonias captiuitie. The ſame helde alſo the moſt ancient: that it may appeare, this opinion not to be new, but holden conſtantly of long time, the father of TRUTH. The Greeke additions to Eſther plainely ſhewe, that in ancient tyme Mardochai was holden to be of Iechonias captiuitie: for thus it is written. Eſther. 11.2. Mardocheus the ſonne of Iairus, the ſonne of Semei, the ſonne of Kiſh, of the tribe of Beniamin had a dreame, a Iewe dwelling in the citie of Suſis, a noble man, that bare office in the kinges court. He was alſo one of the captiuitie which Nabuchodonoſor the king of Babylon brought from Ieruſalem with Iechonias. That thoſe Greeke additions be very olde it appeareth by Ioſ. Ben-gorion, whom Druſius thinketh to be Flauius Ioſephus. For Ben-gorion in his Hebrewe ſtorie foloweth them: and the Greeke church ſtyfly enough helde them. Wherefore yf that age were now aliue, and called to an after reckoning for the Perſian continuance, I iudge by Mardochais age, they woulde willingly cut off about a hundred yeeres for their ouerreaching Chronicle: and reioyce not a litle to hauehave Daniels times brought to plainnes. They did not onelyonly of ancient dayes allow of ye greke additions for Mardochais times:The ancient Greeks by their owne graunt, would ſhorten much their accompt for the Perſians yeres. but in their owne writinges do the lyke. Ioſephus ſayth, that Mardochai had been at Babylon. Clemens ſayth that he was in the Captiuitie. So doth Athanaſius in Synopſi, in Heſter. Cedrenus placeth Aſſuerus in the beginning of Darius, and Cy. Monarchy. Zonaras much foloweth Ioſephus. Theſe mens teſtimonies agaynſt their owne negligent accompt, ſhoulde ſeeme to be voyde of partialitie.
Pagnins carefull tranſlation is voyde of doubt: that by it Mardochai is of Iechonias captiuitie.The like I may ſpeake of the Latines. Pagnin his ſkill in Hebrew geueth place to none Italian, former nor later. In his tranſlation of Eſter, out of doubt Mardochai is a man of Beniamin, which was caried captiue with Iechonias. The frenche glory of Vatablus, & his iudgement, by our learned Fathers, who put before the Bible his briefe ſumme touching it, hath been greatly eſteemed.Vatablus agreeth with Pagnin, and further ſpeaketh of Kish: whom he holdeth him to be. Vatablus remoueth the doubt further, ſheweth that Kiſh there is named, to ſhew Mardochai to come of ye Kinges ſeede. Now where ſome doubt why obſcure Kiſh father to Saul, rather then Saul ſhould be recorded: for them a certayne Hebrewe yeeldeth a reaſon that ſatiſfieth me. As Mardochai taught Eſter to hide her kindred, ſo the other Iewes endeuored to do,Why Kish rather then Saul is named. & kept the memorie of Mardochais nobilitie rather by Kiſh, famous amongſt them, & obſcure to ſtrangers then by Saul, whom Haman of Amaleck myght hauehave heard of. If any deſpiſeth the Hebrewes reaſon, let him bring a better. With Pagnin & Vatablus agreeth Arias Montanus:Arias Montanus and Tremelius tranſlations. whoſe like, if Spayne had bred many, the Pope ſhould hauehave been cloſely bitten to the hart. Though he folow the common Chronicle, yet he made conſcience of wreſting holy Scripture. Tremelius likewyſe, whoſe tranſlation geueth place to none (whom I coulde wyſhe for many ſpeciall poyntes, not to be altered by folowing the Heathen) he tranſlateth the Hebrew ſo,The common iudgement of Italy, Fraunce, Spayne, and Germanie. as ſpeaking that Mardochai was of Iechonias captiuitie. This Italy, Fraunce▪ Spayne, and Germany helde.
And leaſt any ſhoulde take aduantage by the relatiue, (Which) to referre it to Kiſh, and not to Mardochai: they tranſlate the laſt antecedent before it,Vir, not viri. that is (MAN of Beniamin) in a caſe ioyned to Mardochai, and diſceauored from Kiſh. Two reaſons moued them to that, as I thinke: one, becauſe in the Hebrew vponupon the worde Kiſh lyeth a ſtay of a king-accent, in force and forme lyke a comma in Latin. An other was, becauſe a ſentence is ioyned on a copulatiue,Tiphcha the King-accent, vſually diſtinguiſheth. which can not be remoued from Mardochai, who was caried captiue and noriſhed Eſter, Alſo it ſeemed to them ſenſeles, to admit in the middeſt along narration touching Kiſh: where the ſpech began of Mardochai, & afterward to make a ſodaine ſteppe agayne to Mardochai: And ſo would I thinke. Theſe who comment vponupon Eſter, folowe the ſame,‡Lyra, Brentius, Bullinger, & Lauaterus vponupon Eſter. Lyra, Brentius, Bullinger, Lauaterus. The argument in the Bible tranſlated at Geneuah, before the booke of Eſter draweth in the ſame yoke. And on the Latin Ioh. Benedictus. So the Frenche doth, and many more. And whereas expreſſely §Mardochai is named Ezr… ▪ among thē who gaue their names to returne (yf occaſion beſt ſerued ſo) in the firſt of Cyrus.Mardochai is named amongſt them who did, or might returne from Babylon in the firſt of Cyrus, I ſee no reaſon why the many of them who affyrme euen that Mardochai there to be Eſters coſen, ſhoulde be reiected. I wyll not ſoone beleeue, that the prouidence of God woulde in Scripture ſo place names, that thouſandes of the paynfulleſt and the wiſeſt ſhoulde be deceyued, as holding them the ſame men, when they are other. As Nehemias Ezra. 2.2. is holden of the moſt to be *R. Symeony there vponupon Neh 12.3. The authoure of Ezra. 4. was watchful to folow the common opinion to make Ezra to be of the captiuitie, as immediate ſonne to Saraiah killed at the thirde captiuitie 52. y. before the .70. ended … Nehemias and Ezra ſeuerall treatiſes are purpoſed.the ſame who is Artaxaſt his cupbearer. And Ezra Neh. 12. comming home in Cyrus firſt, is holden of the Hebrewes to be the ſame who wrote the booke named ſo, and lyued to the laſt tymes of the Perſians: and by 4. Ezr. 3. may very well be: So no more wyll I admit two Mardochais, then I wyl here two Nehemiahs and two Ezras: ſeeing I ſee no reaſon why obſcure men ſhoulde be chiefe in cataloge of perſonages, & famous men be left vnreckoned, who in open dealing hauehave the next glory to Zorobabel and Ioſuah. But of the other two Nehemias and Ezra, I may take ſome other time of a longer diſcourſe. I wyll returne to Mardochai. They who holde of the Pope, notwithſtanding their errour in geuing the Perſians too long a continuance, yet woulde not in the particular deale here agaynſt their conſcience: for their table in Apparatu Bibliorum holdeth Mardochai Eſters kinſman to be of the captiuitie of Iechonias, and alſo to be the ſame that is mentioned Ezra. 2.2. So Schubertus, and Lyra, had rather hold Mardochai much aboue. 100. yere, then with Burgenſis deny him to be of Iechonias captiuitie. And Iohn. Benedictus noteth (from Philo) that he lyued 198. yeeres. Likewiſe ſome of our owne countrey, who hauehave by authoritie written,Codoman and his tranſlater, ſimply ouerſeene. in notes ſimply enough gathered from Codomanus: place Mardochai ſo: that well he might be of the captiuitie of Iechoniah. Notwithſtanding that ſome who hauehave trauayled more in this kinde, would ſoone conclude that therupon they muſt cut neare 100. yeeres from their owne accompt. The teſtimony of any againſt them ſelues, ſhould hauehave ſome force. Bucholcherus bringeth it as a moſt common opinion, that he lyued in the dayes of Euilmerodach and Bal Saſar.
The Hebrewes are not leaſt regarded for commenting as touching the ſtory, conteyned in proper ſpeeches of the Prophetes. Of them I hauehave ſeene twelue ſeuerall Wryters touching Eſter: by which all it may be learned, that the Iewes helde Mardochai to be of Iechonias captiuitie, as the Talmud in Megillath Eſter, two Chaldy Paraphaſtes, Aben-Ezra, Solomoh. Iarchi: which are ioyned in Bonbergius Bibles: ſeuen commentaries printed in litle bookes alone. Adde Midras Rabbah, who paſſing it ouer as touching plaine wordes, in the whole diſcourſe ſheweth what the autour thought. And ſeeing the Iewes euer ſince Mardochaies tyme, yeerely in the monethmonth Adar, celebrate a Feaſt for the deliuerance by him: it woulde be too raſh to affirme ſo many thouſandes now 2000. yeeres not to vnderſtande his ſtory: but in a*Whether Kish or Mardochai ſhould be of the captiuitie. tricke of Grammer al to be ouerreached. Moreouer cloſely they geue a bitter frump to ſome Chriſtians in Sepher Iuchaſim in the worde Ezra: when they fayne Mardochai to lyue 400. yeeres: teaching their children thereby how vnſkilfull many of our ſide are in the ſtorie of Scripture:The Iewes floute Chriſtians ignorant of Mardochaies times. for if this be true that no male were caried with Iechonias, but fitte then for warre: and vnderunder the termes of All Ieruſalem, 2. Kin. 24. women and babes be not conteyned: If alſo from Sedekias captiuitie the ſeuentie yeeres muſt begin, and Mardochai liue in the ende of the Perſians: and yf Euſebius times, and Ieromes holde: then by our aſſertions muſt Mardochai be holden towards 400. yere olde. But iuſtly is Euſebius blamed of Iohannes Benedictus, and Marianus Scotus. And Ierome may not be cited for them that woulde hauehave Mardochai borne in the fourth age after the captiuitie. For Scaliger, and ſuch as leane vponupon him, holde that Darius (who buylt the Temple §So S. Ierome thinketh, as do ſom Hebrewes & Gryn. vpō Ag. Hellanicus of Atoſſa.17. yere after Cyrus firſt) was after Mardochai: So that he wyll of force hauehave Mardochai neare Cyrus times. And Euſebius may be confuted by him ſelfe, citing Hellanicus out of Clemens, who writeth thus: Atoſſa the queene of the Perſians firſt inuented Epiſtles. Though Epiſtles were vſed of olde, as in Iuda and Iſrael: alſo in Homer Il. Il. zeta in Bellerophontes.yet when Heathen ſkant vſed written recordes, the letters ſent by Heſter Adoſſa to 127. Prouinces might well be the moſt ancient for famous & freſh memorie in Hellanicus dayes, whom Thucidides nameth as his former.Thucidides dyed in the tymes of Peloponneſus warres. And herein the antiquitie, who had folowed the games of Olympia, to teach of mans redeemer againſt expreſſe worde in Daniels ninth, controll them ſelues, and call the tymes to as ſhort a reckonyng as trueth hereafter much by heathen accompt will require. An Hebrew diſputeth learnedly,An Hebrewes reaſon of Eſters tymes. to teach vsus that Esters ſtories fell out ſoone after the captiuitie: becauſe many of rare godlynes muſt needes then be amongſt them, that God ſhoulde in ſundry places geue them ſo great glory. It is not commonly ſeene, that the age vnafflicted ſhoulde be of more godlynes, then they who before had felt Gods hand. Ioſuahs elders and their poſteritie teach vsus ſo to thinke: likewiſe Dauids age, and Roboames. Moreouer, the Apoſtle geueth that company a ſinguler teſtimonie Hebr. 11.24. who by fayth auoyded the edge of the ſword. I doubt not, but that of them it is ſpoken there. Ouer and beſides, the prophecie of Ieremy touching ye good Figges may very well hauehave accompliſhment in Mardochai. Lyra vponupon Iere. 24.And Lyra would thinke that in Mardochaies ſtory mention is made of Iechonias captiuitie, to ſhew namely in ſome that fauour of God performed, which in the good Figges was ſhewed. Here I may for the helpe of the Reader, abridge Ieremies wordes from Ier. 24. To him God ſhewed two baſkettes of Figges, one of good Figges, the other of naughty Figges: after Iechonias, the nobles and artificers of Iudah were caried captiues. As the good Figges would God know thoſe captiues, and bring them home: and as the naughty Figges, woulde God geue Zedekias and his princes for a terrible plague.
Laſtly this I thinke & holde, that none euer denied Mardochai to be of Iechonias captiuitie, but ſuch as *Eyther of them ſelues, or led by others.folowe the reckoning of Olympia games. All this conſidered, I iudge it wyll not ſone take place, that ſome would teach this opinion to be new, or vntrue, that Mardochai is ſayde to be of the captiuitie of Iechonias. And this of Mardochai being graunted, my ſharpeſt combaters (I truſt) will not deny, but that Daniel might wel vnderſtand his owne wordes: and the Seauenties from the houre of their vtteraunce, and firſt yeere of Darius and Cyrus in proprietie of ſpech, draw vsus vntounto the yeere wherin our Lord by death, brought lyght & lyfe to the world. Thus I thought good, though as faſt as my pen coulde run, to write my mynde touching Mardochai: that you myght be better confirmed to holde the trueth of Daniels ſeauens: the playnnes and proprietie whereof, many Chriſtians ſtriue more to make vncertaine, then did the Iewes: whom your ſelfe heard at Franckfurt and VVormes.
To this I wyl ioyne a particuler reckoning, agreeable to Daniels ſeauens: euen from ſuch as for the whole agree not wholly with that which I ſtedfaſtly holde to be the trueth.
Cyrus 3. y. Schubert. Wel may he hauehave reigned 27. y. before.
Cambyſes Artaxaſt. 7. yeeres. Herodot. but he reigned in his fathers lyfe 2. y. of them at the leaſt, as appeareth by conferring Ezra 4. with Dan. 10.
Aſſuerus holden moſt commonly to be Darius Hyſtaſpis, 12. By argumentes drawen from Eſter al through compared with Heathen, it may well be prooued that Aſſuerus is Darius Hyſtaſpis, and by Heſter 3.7, compared with cha 10.2. we may wel thinke that he reigned nothing neare 36 y. Monarch, as ſome Heathen thinke.yeeres in Seder Olam.
Xerxes, of whoſe ſole gouernement Ezra maketh no mention: onelyonly Dan. 11. He is ſayde to be the rich King, that ſhoulde ſtyrre all againſt Grecia. Some holde him to be Aſſuerus in Heſter. VponUpon their aſſertion I deſputed in Mardochai: Schubertus graunteth him 10. yeeres of ſole gouernement: but Tremelius ioyneth them to his fathers reigne, and maketh him but viceroy: and all 20.
And theſe be ye chiefe kinges whoſe accompt troubleth Commenters vponupon Daniel, Heſter, Ezra, Nehemias, Aggai, and Zachary, agaynſt the playne ſymplicitie: which thoſe bookes proceſſe do require. Of thē I purpoſe to write other ſeuerall Treatiſes, to confirme this accompt in effect which others Iewes and Gentiles holde, and to ouerthrow that exceſſiue reckoning,The ſhortnes of the tyme from Cyr. to Neh. gouernement is ſene by the age of theſe men Seraia, Ieremy, Eſdra…, Amaria, Hattus, Shecaniah, Mallu…, Rehum, Meremoth, Abiah, M…amin, Bilga, Semahia: which came with Zorobabel, Neh. 12. & after the buylbing of Ieruſalem helped Nehemiah. Neh 10. Shanballat an actiue reſiſter, lyuing to Alexanders dayes ſheweth that it was but a ſhort time afterward betwixt both. which the games of Olympia, cauſe to more harme for Iewes, then the Idole Iouis Olympii was lothſome in their Temple in olde tyme. Now marke other kinges hence from Clemens 1. Strom.
Artexerxes 41. His 20. yeere finiſheth ſeauen ſeauens to the buylding of Ieruſalem, and full finiſhyng of the Temple, as writeth Aben. Ezra, Tremelius, Beroaldus, Wolphius: and the Frenche notes before Ezra touch it. The Greekes Ioſephus, Clemens, Euſebius, Cedrenus, ending the Temple in that tyme, had relation to the ſeauen ſeauens Dan 9. though the Olympiades carry them ſomewhat aſide: but by a friendly cenſure one might cite them to that textes meaning whereupon they ſtayed: ſpecially ſeeing otherwyſe they are litle conſtant: or worthy credite, but when many confirme the matter with them.
Darius 8. yeeres.
Artaxerxes 42. y. In this Kinges dayes Xenophon and Cteſias lyued and wrote of him. Plutarch wrote alſo, and many Grecians more. The more impudent be the wicked Iewes, which leaue him out to ſhorten the tyme, and diſanull by an other extremitie Daniels ſeauens.
Ochus 3. yeeres.
Darius 6. yeeres.
Their yeeres in all are 130.
The Grekes.
Alexander 6. Herein I ſomewhat mende Clement from all other Gretians.
Ptolomy Lagi 40. yeeres.
Pto. Philadelphus. 27. y. rather 37.
Pt. Euergetus. 25. y.
Pt. Philopator. 17. y.
Pt Epiphanes 24. y.
Pt. Philometor 35. y.
Pt. Phyſcon 29. y.
Pt. Lathurus 36. y. Strabo woulde place Lathurus before Phyſcon.
Pt. Dionyſius 29. y.
Cleopatra 22. y.
Clemens copie omitteth ten y. in ſome one, by like in Philad. to finiſhe the ſumme of 294. y. which ſumme in two places he hath.
The whole ſumme is 300. yeeres.
From Alexanders death in Ptol. 294. that ſame Melanthon, Bullinger, and many others folow.
From Auguſtus 15. who reigned 56. to 18. further. 60. y.From Cleopatras ouerthrow by Auguſtus to 18. of Tiberius 60. y. by accomptes of the olde & the later. And this I hauehave layde downe, that you myght better know, where the Iewes helpe the Gentiles to holde the trueth, for what times the ſcriptures fully helpe vsus, and where the Iewes may eaſely be confuted, and the Gentiles agree commonly. This being well weighed, you may ſee that in Mardochai antiquitie and noueltie muſt both agree to caſt Daniels ſeauens, as I ſhewed in the Conſent of Scripture which I wrote.
This one Treatiſe of Mardochai wel conſidered wil make men more capable of trueth in ſundry argumentes: which ſhalbe (God willing) handled for manifeſting of Daniel.
H. B.
FINIS.
End of the text · Hugh Broughton, A Letter to a Friend Touching Mordecais Age (1590)