A Letter to a Friend Touching Mordecais Age 2, Letter
To his good friend A. T. of Mardochai his age: a light to Gabriels Seauenties.
YOV deſire to know of mee, in what age Mardochai lyued; becauſe you hold his times, to helpe much the truth of Chronicle, whereby ſundry Bookes of the holy Prophets may better be vnderſtood. Your requeſt is reaſonable; becauſe you rightly iudge of the profite aryſing by that knowledge: For whereas the chiefe Prophecie in all the old Teſtament, touching the time of ſaluation, is obſcured, that of Dan. 9.24. and alſo Dan. 11. Eſter, Ezra, Nehemiah, Aggi, Zachary, by reaſon that men attribute neare 100. yeares more then common likelihood can ſuffer, or ſome writers old and late, will graunt to theſe men after Babel was taken; I meane to Cyrus, Cambyſes, Darius Hiſtaſpis, and Xerxes. They who hold Aſſuerus to be Xerxes, (who be the chiefeſt Patrons of that exceſſiue time) if it can be ſhewed that Mardochai was in Captiuitie 63. yeeres, muſt needes graunt that from Cyrus *Some giuegive Cirus but three yeeres, & that vnderunder Cambyſes 7. to Darius Hyſtaſpis 12. y. as Sedcrolam, and Xerxes bu… 10. alnoe: ſome more, as in Clem. Alex. Cyrus hath y. 30. Cambyſes 19. Darius Hyſtaſpis 46. Xerxes 26. Their times before the ſurpriſing of Babilon, & viceroigne, might well hauehave ſo much as other abridge from this: but from Babylons fal 30 yeere muſt be their moſt.ſurpryſing of Babel, to Aſſuerus end, when yet Mardochai was ſomewhat actiue: 30. yeeres agreeth more with the common courſe of life, then 12…. And that being ſetled, touching yeares thence to Tiberius 18. yeare: Some old Greeke accompt will very well agree with vsus for Daniels Seauens, to make vp 490. yeares. Wherefore your iudgement, carefull to know his times, muſt be allowed: and endeauour to ſatisfie your requeſt, muſt be vſed.
The Scripture wherevpon diſputation of late groweth, is this. Eſter 2.5. In the Citie of Shuſhan, there was a certaine Iew whoſe name was Mordochai, the ſonne of Iair, the ſonne of Shimei, the ſonne of Kiſh, a man of Jemini,*The queſtion herevpon ariſeth, whether Mardochai or Kish was of the Captiuity. which had been caryed away from Ieruſalem with the Captiuitie that was caried away with Iechoniah king of Iudah, whom Nebuchadnezar king of Babel had caried away; & nouriſhed Hadaſſa, that is Eſter, his Vncles daughter: for she had neither father nor mother; and the Maide was fayre & beautifull to looke on: and after the death of her father & her mother, Mardochai tooke her for his owne Daughter. To this text I thinke good to ioyne immediatly, another touching them, who were captiued with Iechoniah, to ſhew that not only valient Men, but alſo Women and Babes, were then caryed captiue: of which Babes, Mardochai might be one. Thus it is written, 2. King. 24.14. And he caryed away all Ieruſalem, and all the Princes, and all the ſtrong men of Warre, euen ten thouſand into captiuitie, and all the Workemen & cunning men: ſo none remayned, ſauing the poore people of the land. Now if none were left but the Poore of the earth, Noble-women & Children muſt needes be in the reckoning of the Captiuitie. But let vsus returne to the firſt text Eſter 2.5. vponupon which Scripture, we muſt weigh what hath bin thought,Of old time it hath bin holde…, that Mar… was of … …as cap…. and may be. I hold it doubtleſſe, that Mardochai by this text, was in the Captiuity. The ſame held alſo the moſt auncient; that it may appeare, this opinion not to be new, but holden conſtantly of long time, the Father of TRVETH.
The Greeke additions to Eſter, plainely ſhew, that in auncient time, Mardochai was holden to be of Iechonias captiuitie for thus it is written Eſter 11.2. Mardocheus the ſonne of Iairus, the ſonne of Semei, the ſonne of Kiſh, of the tribe of Beniamin, had a Dreame; a Iew dwelling in the citie of Suſis, a Neble man, that bare office in the kings Court, Hee was alſo one of the Captiuitie which Nabuchodonoſor the king of Babylon brought from Ieruſalem with Iechonias. That thoſe Greeke additions be very old, it appeareth by Ioſ. Ben-gorion, whom Druſius thinketh to be Flanius Ioſephus: For Ben-gorion in his Hebrew ſtorie followeth them; and the Greeke Church ſtifly enough held them. Wherefore, if that age were now aliue, and called to an after reckoning for the Perſian continuance, I iudge by Mardochais age, they would willingly cutte off about a hundred yeares, for their ouerreaching Chronicle; and reioyce not a little, to hauehave Daniels times brought to plainnes. They did not onelyonly of auncient dayes allow of the Greeke additions for Mardochais times;The auncient Greekes by their owne graunt, would ſhorten much their accompt for the Perſians yeares. but in their owne writinges doe the like. Ioſephus ſayth, that Mardochai had been at Babylon. Clemens ſayth, that he was in the Captiuitie. So doth Athanaſius in Synopſi in Heſter. Codrenus placeth Aſſuerus in the beginning of Darius, and Cy. Monarchy. Zonarus much followeth Ioſephus. Pagnins carefull tranſlation is voyde of doubt, that by it, Mardochai is of Iechonias captiuitie.Theſe mens teſtimonies againſt their owne negligent accompt, ſhould ſeeme to be voyde of partialitie.
The like I may ſpeake of the Latines. Pagnin his skil in Hebrew, giueth 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 French glory of Vatablus, and his iudgement, by our learned Fathers, who put before the Bible his briefe ſumme touching it, hath been greatly eſteemed.Vatablus agreeth With Pagnin, & 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 the Kinges ſeede. Now where ſome doubt why obſcure Kiſh father to Saul, rather thē Saul, ſhould be recorded: for them a certaine Hebrew yeeldeth a reaſon that ſatisfieth me. As Mardochai taught Eſter to hide her kindred: ſo the other Iewes endeuored to doe,Why Kish rather then Saul is named. and kept the memorie of Mardochais nobilitie rather by Kiſh, famous amongſt them, and obſcure to ſtrangers, then by Saul, whō Haman of Ameleck might hauehave heard of. If any deſpiſeth the Hebrewes reaſon, let him bring a better. With Pagnin and Vatablus agreeth Arias Montanus: Arius Montanus, & Tremebus tranſlatiōs.whoſe like if Spaine had bred many, the Pope ſhould hauehave been cloſely bitten to the heart. Though he follow the common Chronicle, yet he made conſcience of wreſting holy Scripture. Tremelius likwiſe, whoſe tranſlation giueth place to none (whom I could wiſh for many ſpeciall poynts, not to be altered by following the Heathen) he tranſlateth the Hebrew ſo,The common iudgement of Italy, France, Spaine, and Germany. as ſpeaking, that Mardochai was of Iechonias captiuity. This Italy, Fraune, Spayne, & Germany held.
And leaſt any ſhould take aduantage by the relatiue (Which,) to referre it to Kiſh, & 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 mooued them to that, (as I thinke): one, becauſe in the Hebrew vponupon the word Kiſh, lyeth a ſtay of a King-accent, in force and forme like a Comma in Latin.Tipheha the King-accent, vſually diſtinguiſheth. An other was, becauſe a Sentence is ioyned on a Copulatiue; which cannot be remoued from Mardochai, who was caryed captiue, and nouriſhed Ester. Alſo it ſeemed to them ſenſeleſſ, to admit in the middeſt, a long Narration touching Kiſh, where the ſpeach began of Mardochai, and afterward to make a ſodaine ſteppe againe to Mardochai: and ſo would I thinke. Theſe who commend vponupon Eſter, follow the ſamea.Lyra. Brentius, Bullinger, and Lauaterus vponupon Eſter. Lyra, Brentius, Bullinger, Lauaterus. The argument in the Bible tranſlated at Goneuah, before the Booke of Eſter, draweth in the ſame yoke. And on the Latin Ioh. Benedictus. So the French doth, and many more. And whereas expreſſelybMardochai is named Ezra among them who gaue their names to returne (if occaſion beſt ſerued ſo) in the 1. 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, ſhould be reiected. I will not ſoone beleeue, that the prouidence of God would in Scripture ſo place names, that thouſandes of the painfulleſt and the wiſeſt, ſhould be deceiued, as holding them the ſame men, when they are other. As Nehemias Ezra 2.2. is holden of the moſt, to bec.R. Symeony there vponupon Neh. 12.3. The authour of Ezra 4. was watchful to folow the common opinion to make Ezra to be of the captiuitie, as immediate ſonne to Saraia… killed at the third captiuitie. 52 y. before the. 70. ended. Or Nehemias and Ezra, ſeuerall treatiſes are purpoſed. the ſame who is Artaxaſt his Cup-bearer. And Ezra Nehe. 12. comming home in Cyrus firſt, is holden of the Hebrewes, to be the ſame who wrote the Booke named ſo; and liued to the laſt times of the Perſians; and by 4 Ezra 3. may very well be. So no more will I admit two Mardochaies, then I will heere two Nehemiahs and two Ezras, ſeeing I ſee no reaſon why obſcure men ſhould be chiefe in catalogue of perſonages, and famous men be left vnreckoned, who in open dealing hauehave the next glory to Zorobabel and Ioſhua. But of the other two, Nehemias and Ezra, I may take ſome other time of a longer Diſcourſe. I will returne to Mardochai. They who hold of the Pope, notwithſtanding their errour in giuing the Perſians too long a cōtinuance, yet would not in the perticular 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, rather hold Mardochai much aboue. 100. yeere, 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 in notes ſimply enough, gathered frō Codomanus, place Mardochai ſo, that wel he might be of the captiuitie of Iechoniah. Codomon & his tranſlater ſimply ouerſeene.Notwithſtanding that ſome who hauehave trauayled more in this kinde, would ſoone conclude that thereupon 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 liued in the dayes of Euilmerodach and Balſaſar.
The Hebrewes are not leaſt regarded for commenting as touching the Story, conteyned in proper ſpeaches of the Prophets. Of them I hauehave ſeene twelue ſeuerall Writers 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; ſeauen Commentaries printed in litle Bookes alone. Adde Midras Rabbah, who paſsing it ouer, as touchng plaine words, in the whole Diſcourſe ſheweth what the Authour thought. And ſeeing the Iewes euer ſince Mardochais time, yearely in the monethmonth Adar, celebrate a Feaſt for the deliuerance by him. It would be too raſh to affirme ſo many thouſandes, now 2000. yeares, not to vnderſtand his ſtory: but in a*Whether Kiſh or Mardochai ſhould be of the captiuitie. tricke of Grammer, all to be ouerreached. Moreouer, cloſely they giuegive a bitter frumpe to ſome Chriſtians in Sepher Iuchaſim in the word Ezra, when they ſayne Mardochoi to liue 400. yeares teaching their children thereby, how vnskilfull many of our ſide are in the ſtory of Scripture:The Iewes floute Chriſtians ignorant of Mardochaies times. for if this be true, that no Male were caryed with Iechonias but fitte then for warre, and vnderunder the tearmes of, All Ieruſalem, 2. Kin, 24. Women and Babes be not conteyned: If alſo from Zedekias captiuitie the ſeauentie yeares muſt begin, and Mardochai liue in the end of the Perſians: and if Euſebius times, and Ieromes holde: then by our aſſertions muſt Mardochai be holden towardes 400. yeere olde. But iuſtly is Euſebius blamed of Iohannes Benidictus, and Marianus Soctus. And Ierome may not be cited for them that would hauehave Mardochai borne in the fourth age after the captiuitie. For Scaliger, and ſuch as leane vponupon him, hold that Darius (who buylt the Temple*So S. Jerome thinketh, as do ſom Hebrewes and G…yn. vponupon Ag. 17. yere after Cyrus firſt) was after Mardochai: So that he will of force hauehave Mardochai neare Cyrus times. And Euſebius may be confuted by himſelfe, citing Hellanicus out of Celemens, who writeth thus: Atoſſa the Queene of the Perſians firſt inuented Epiſtles.Hillanie us of Atoſsa. Though Epiſtles were vſed of olde, as in Iuda and Iſrael: Jl. zeta in Bellero phontes.alſo in Homer II. 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 memory in Helianicus dayes, whom Thucidides nameth as his former. And herein the antiquitie,Thucidides dyed in the times of Peloponneſas warres. who had followed the games of Olympia, to teach of mans redeemer againſt expreſſe word in Daniels ninth, controll themſelues, and call times to as ſhort a reckoning, as trueth hereafter much by Heathen accompt wil 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 godlyneſſe muſt needes then be amongſt them, that God ſhould in ſundry places, giuegive them ſo great glory. It is not commonly ſeene, that the age vnafflicted, ſhould be of more godlyneſſe, then they who before, had felt Gods hand. Ioſhuahs elders and their poſteritie teach vsus ſo to thinke: likewiſe Dauids age, & Robeames. Moreouer, the Apoſtle giueth 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 & beſides, the prophecie of Ieremy touching the good Figges, may very well hauehave accompliſhment in Mardochai. And Lyra would thinke, that in Mardochaies ſtory, mention is made of Iechonias captiuitie,Lyra vponupon Ier. 24. to ſhew, namely in ſome, that fauour of God performed, which in the good Figges was ſhewed. Heere I may for the helpe of the Reader, abridge Ieremies wordes, from Ier. 24. To him God ſhewed Two basket of Figges: one of good Figges, the other of naughtie Figges. After Iechonias, the Nobles and Artificers of Iudah were caried daptiues: As the good Figges, would God know thoſe captiues, and bring them home: and as the naughty Figges, would God giuegive Zedekias and his Princes, for a terrible plague.
Laſtly, this I thinke, and hold, that none euer denied Mardochai to be of Iechonias captiuitie, but ſuch as*Eyther of themſelues, or led by others. follow the reckoning of Olympia Games. All this conſidered, I iudge it will not ſoone take place, that ſome would teach this opinion to be new, or vntrue, that Mardochai is ſayd 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 well vnderſtand his owne wordes: and the Seauenties, from the houre of their vtteraunce, and firſt yeare of Darius and Cyrus, in propriety of ſpeach, draw vsus vntounto the yeare wherein our Lord by death, brought light and life to the world. Thus I thought good, though as faſt as my Pen could run, to write my minde touching Mardochai: that you might be better confirmed to hold the trueth of Daniels ſeauens: the plainnes & propriety whereof, many Chriſtians ſtriue more to make vncertaine, then did the Iewes; whom your ſelfe heard at Franckfurt and Wormes.
To this I will ioyne a particuler reckonig, agreeable to Daniels Seauens: euen from ſuch as for the whole, agree not wholly with that, which I ſteadfaſtly hold to be the trueth.
Cyrus 3. yeare: Schubert. Well may he hauehave reigned 27. yeare before.
Cambyſes Artaxaſt. 7. yeares: Herodot. But be reigned in his fathers life 2. yeares of them, at the leaſt: as appeareth by conferring Ezra 4. with Dan. 10.
Aſſuerus holden moſt commonly to be Darius Hystaſpis, By arguments drawen frō Eſter al through compared with Heathen, it may well be prooued that Aſſuerus is Darius Hiſtaſpis, & by Heſter 3.7. compared with cha. 10.…. we may wel thinke that he reigned nothing neare 36. yeers Monarch, as ſome Heathen think.12. yeeres in Seder Olam.
Xerxes, of whoſe ſole gouernment Ezra maketh no mention: onelyonly Dan. 11. He is ſayd to be the rich King, that ſhould ſtyrre all againſt Grecia. Some hold 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 raigue, and maketh him but viceroy: and all 20.
And theſe be the chiefe Kings whoſe accompt troubleth Commenters vponupon Daniel, Heſter, Ezra, Nehemias, Aggai, and Zachary, againſt the playne ſimplicitie: which thoſe bookes proceſſe do require. Of them I purpoſe to write other ſeuerall Mreatiſes, to confirme this accompt in effectThe ſhortnes of the tyme from Cyrus. to Neh. gouernment is ſeene by the age of theſe men, Seraia, Ieremy, Eſdras, Amaris, Hattus, Shecaniah, Malluc, Rehum, Meremoth Abiah, Miamin, Bilga, Sema…ai: which came with Zerobabel, Neh. 12. and after the Anylding of Ieruſalem helped Nehemiah Neh. which others Iewes and Gentiles holde, and to ouerthrow that exceſſiue reckoning, which the Games of Olympia cauſe to more harme for Iewes, then the Idole Iouis Olimpij was lothſome in their Temple in olde time. Now marke other Kinges hence from Clemens 1. Strom.
Artaxerxes 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: & the French notes before Ezra touch it. The Greekes Ioſephus, Clemens, Euſebius, Cedrenus, ending the Temple in that time, 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, wherevpon they ſtayed; ſpecially ſeeing otherwiſe they are litle conſtant, or worthy credite, but when many confirme the matter with them.… …allis … reſiſter, ly…g to Alexanders dayes ſheweth that it was but a ſhort time afterward betwixt both.
Darius 8. yeares.
Artaxerxes 42. yeares. In this Kinges dayes, Xenophon and Cteſias liued, 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 time, and diſanull by all other extreamitie, Daniels Seauens.
Ochus 3. yeares.
Darius 6. yeares.
Their yeares in all, are 130.
The Greekes.
Alexander 6. Herein I ſomewhat mende Clemens from all other Grecians.
Ptolomy Lagi 40. yeares.
Pto. Philadelphus 27. y. rather. 37.
Pto. Euergetus 25. yeares.
Pto. Philopater 17. yeares.
Pto. Epiphanes 24. yeares.
Pto. Philometor 35. yeares.
Clemens coppy omitteth tenne yeares, in ſome one; by like in Philad. to finiſh the ſumme of 294. years: which ſum, in two places he hath.
Pto. Phiſcon 29. yeares.
Pto. Lathurus 36. yeares. Strabo would place Lathurus before Phyſcon.
Pto. Dionyſius 29. yeares.
Cleopatra 22. yeares.
The whole ſumme is 300, yeares.
From Cleopatras ouerthrow by Augustus, to 18. of Tiberius 60. yeares,Form Auguſtus 15. who is …gned 56. to 18. further. 60. y. by accompts of the old and the later.
And this I hauehave layde downe, that you might better know, where the Iewes helpe the Gentiles to hold the trueth, for what times the Scriptures fully helpe vsus and where the Iewes may eaſily be confuted, and the Gentiles agree commonly. This being well weighed, you may ſee that in Mardochai, Antiquirie and Noueltie muſt both agree, to caſt Daniels Seauens: as I ſhewed in the Conſent of Scripture, which I wrote.
This one Treatiſe of Mardochas well conſidered, will make men more capable of trueth, in ſundry arguments, for manifeſting of Daniel.
FINIS.
HVGH BROVGHTON.
End of the text · Hugh Broughton, A Letter to a Friend Touching Mordecais Age 2 (1612)