The next King was _Artaxerxes Mnemon_, the son of _Darius_: he Reigned forty six years, and died _Anno Nabonass._ 390. Then Reigned _Artaxerxes Ochus_ twenty one years; _Arses_, or _Arogus_, two years, and _Darius Codomannus_ four years, unto the battel of _Arbela_, whereby the _Persian_ Monarchy was translated to the _Greeks_, _Octob._ 2. _An. Nabonass._ 417; but _Darius_ was not slain untill a year and some months after.
I have hitherto stated the times of this Monarchy out of the _Greek_ and _Latin_ writers: for the _Jews_ knew nothing more of the _Babylonian_ and _Medo-Persian_ Empires than what they have out of the sacred books of the old Testament; and therefore own no more Kings, nor years of Kings, than they can find in those books: the Kings they reckon are only _Nebuchadnezzar_, _Evilmerodach_, _Belshazzar_, _Darius_ the _Mede_, _Cyrus_, _Ahasuerus_, and _Darius_ the _Persian_; this last _Darius_ they reckon to be the _Artaxerxes_, in whose Reign _Ezra_ and _Nehemiah_ came to _Jerusalem_, accounting _Artaxerxes_ a common name of the _Persian_ Kings: _Nebuchadnezzar_, they say, Reigned forty five years, 2 _King._ xxv. 27. _Belshazzar_ three years, _Dan._ viii. 1. and therefore _Evilmerodach_ twenty three, to make up the seventy years captivity; excluding the first year of _Nebuchadnezzar_, in which they say the Prophesy of the seventy years was given. To _Darius_ the _Mede_ they assign one year, or at most but two, _Dan._ ix. 1. to _Cyrus_ three years incomplete, _Dan._ x. 1. to _Ahasuerus_ twelve years 'till the casting of _Pur_, _Esth._ iii. 7. one year more 'till the _Jews_ smote their enemies, _Esth._ ix. 1. and one year more 'till _Esther_ and _Mordecai_ wrote the second letter for the keeping of _Purim_, _Esth._ ix. 29. in all fourteen years: and to _Darius_ the _Persian_ they allot thirty two or rather thirty six years, _Nehem._ xiii. 6. So that the _Persian_ Empire from the building of the Temple in the Second year of _Darius Hystaspis_, flourished only thirty four years, until _Alexander_ the great overthrew it: thus the _Jews_ reckon in their greater Chronicle, _Seder Olam Rabbah_. _Josephus_, out of the sacred and other books, reckons only these Kings of _Persia_; _Cyrus_, _Cambyses_, _Darius Hystaspis_, _Xerxes_, _Artaxerxes_, and _Darius_: and taking this _Darius_, who was _Darius Nothus_, to be one and the same King with the last _Darius_, whom _Alexander_ the great overcame; by means of this reckoning he makes _Sanballat_ and _Jaddua_ alive when _Alexander_ the great overthrew the _Persian_ Empire. Thus all the _Jews_ conclude the _Persian_ Empire with _Artaxerxes Longimanus_, and _Darius Nothus_, allowing no more Kings of _Persia_, than they found in the books of _Ezra_ and _Nehemiah_; and referring to the Reigns of this _Artaxerxes_, and this _Darius_, whatever they met with in profane history concerning the following Kings of the same names: so as to take _Artaxerxes Longimanus_, _Artaxerxes Mnemon_ and _Artaxerxes Ochus_, for one and the same _Artaxerxes_; and _Darius Nothus_, and _Darius Codomannus_, for one and the same _Darius_; and _Jaddua_, and _Simeon Justus_, for one and the same High-Priest. Those _Jews_ who took _Herod_ for the _Messiah_, and were thence called _Herodians_, seem to have grounded their opinion upon the seventy weeks of years, which they found between the Reign of _Cyrus_ and that of _Herod_: but afterwards, in applying the Prophesy to _Theudas_, and _Judas_ of _Galilee_, and at length to _Barchochab_, they seem to have shortned the Reign of the Kingdom of _Persia_. These accounts being very imperfect, it was necessary to have recourse to the records of the _Greeks_ and _Latines_, and to the Canon recited by _Ptolemy_, for stating the times of this Empire. Which being done, we have a better ground for understanding the history of the _Jews_ set down in the books of _Ezra_ and _Nehemiah_, and adjusting it; for this history having suffered by time, wants some illustration: and first I shall state the history of the _Jews_ under _Zerubbabel_, in the Reigns of _Cyrus_, _Cambysis_, and _Darius Hystaspis_.