The Book of Daniel l65 the Messiah, but having been anointed he might be made to serve. He died 171 B. C. The next step was to find an edict to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, 483 years before 171 B. C. That date was 654 B. C., during the reign of Manasseh, s0n of H du e c z t e in k g iah 4 . 9 y N ea o rs e , di t c h t e c e o la u t l e d w be as lo b o r k n e u d gh f t or to th 6 e 0 r 5 e. B. B C u . t , a b n y d d a e s i t n ion th o a f t J y e e r a u r sa J l e e r m e , m p ia e h rha h p a s d th fo is re w to o l u d ld (J d e o r . . 25 :9) the destruc There were two objections to this hypothesis; one, that a prophecy of desolation and ruin to a city and sanctuary then in existence was not a commandment to restore and rebuild, and �the other objection was that this also was a supernatural p co re rd d i i n ct g i l o y n , , r a e n c d our a s s e su w c a h s , o h ff ad en t s o ive th t e o d t e h c e re c e rit o i f cal Cy m r i u n s d. (E A zr c a 1 :1-4) made in 536 B. C. But the decree of Cyrus authorized, not the building of Jerusalem, but the building of the temple. It is argued that forts and other defences, including a city wall i m n u g st Je h r a u v s e al b em een ; i b n u t t en t d h e e d te b r y m C s y o ru f s, th a e nd ed t i h c i t s a w re ou g ld iv b en e r a e n b d uil n d o such defences are mentioned. Nor is it likely that a wise man like Cyrus would have intended or permitted a fortified city to be built in a remote corner of his empire close to his enemy, Egypt, with which enemy the Jews had frequently coquetted in previous years. At all events, the city was not restored until the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, as appears f f e r n om cele N ss eh c . o 2 nd :3 it , io 8 n , 1 o 3 f , J e e tc r . u , s w al h em er . e NP e e h rm em is i s a i h on la t m o e b n u ts ild th c e ou d l e d safely be given then, for Egypt had been conquered and the loyalty of the Jews to Persia had been tested. Moreover, the
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker