made Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, even Ishmael and his men. And Gedaliah sware to them and to their men, and said unto them, 'Fear not because of the servants of the Chaldeans; dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.' But it came to pass that Ishmael came, and ten men with him, and smotę Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with him at Mizpah. And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

PART X

THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY AND THE

RETURN

[THE little information we possess about the Jews during the period of their Captivity and their Return is derived from the Books of Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther; and the writings of the contemporaneous Prophets.

The condition of the Jews during their exile was that of 'colonists' rather than captives. They had evidently taken the advice of Jeremiah and had built themselves houses and dwelt in them; planted gardens and eaten the fruit of them; taken wives and brought up children, and settled down as peaceful inhabitants.' Some of them, such as Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah, had risen to high offices in state, and the prosperous condition of the exiles generally explains the fact that comparatively only a few of them availed themselves of the Edict of Cyrus and returned to their own land. Josephus says, 'that many remained in Babylon because they were disinclined to leave their property.' (See Milman's History of the Jews.)]

The Story of Daniel and his Companions. The Book of Daniel, from which this story is taken, is now almost universally admitted to have been written, not by Daniel but by one who lived about 360 years after the Return from Babylon. True it is that the Writer speaks in Daniel's name, but he speaks to the Jews of his own time, who were struggling to preserve their national religion under the most cruel persecutions of Antiochus Ephiphanes.

The Writer's object was to encourage these Jewish patriots to look forward to a speedy deliverance from their sufferings, and he does this by recounting a series of narratives, showing how God had in times past wonderfully preserved his faithful servants while suffering the most terrible persecutions.]

The Story of the Training of Daniel and his Com- Dan. 1. panions. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of

Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the LORD gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god. And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring in certain of the children of Israel, even of the seed royal and of the nobles; youths in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability to stand in the king's palace; and that he should teach them the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily portion of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank, and that they should be nourished three years; that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

Now among these were, of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. And the prince of the eunuchs gave names unto them: unto Daniel he gave the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach ; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank : therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God made Daniel to find favour and compassion in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs.

[At Daniel's request the prince of the eunuchs gave him and his companions pulse to eat and water to drink instead of the king's meat.]

And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer, and they were fatter in flesh than all the youths, which did eat of the king's meat. So the steward took away their meat, and the wine that they should drink, and gave them pulse.

Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. And at the end of the days which the king had appointed for bringing them in, the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king communed with them; and among them was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and under

standing, concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his realm. And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

[The purpose of the Writer in relating this story is to show how God protected Daniel and his companions, and even rewarded them for their strict observance of the Law.]

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream of the Great Image. And in Dan. 2. the second year of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams: and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. And the king said unto them, 'I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.' Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in the Syrian language, 'O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.' The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "The thing is gone from me if ye make not known unto me the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill. But if ye shew the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour therefore shew me the dream and the interpretation thereof.' They answered the second time and said, 'Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.' The king answered and said, 'I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the thing is gone from me. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.' The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, 'There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: forasmuch as no king, lord, nor ruler, hath asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.' For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went forth, and the wise men were to be slain; and they sought Daniel and his companions to be slain. Then Daniel

returned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon; he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, 'Wherefore is the decree so urgent from the king?' Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. And Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he would shew the king the interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon he went and said thus unto him; 'Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.'

:

Daniel tells the King his Dream and its Interpretation. Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, 'I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.' The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?' Daniel answered before the king, and said, 'The secret which the king hath demanded can neither wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, shew unto the king; but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the aspect thereof was terrible. As for this image, his head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron, and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them in pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind