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Apries according to the divine command, in which he says: and he shall enter 274 and strike the land of Egypt, those for death, to death, and those for captivity, to captivity, and those for the sword, to the sword. And after other things: and all Judah dwelling in the land of Egypt shall perish by the sword and by famine. And these things happened about 10 or 9 years after the captivity under Zedekiah, from which to Cyrus there are 40 years, thus: Nebuchadnezzar's remaining 15. Marodach 5. Baltasar 3. Darius Astyages 17. Together 40. Cyrus 31. In Babylon prophesied Daniel, Ezekiel. The three children were made known. In Egypt Jeremiah was stoned. In Judea Habakkuk prophesied. In Babylon the false prophets Achias, Sedekias, Samaias. Saint Hippolytus says that the prophet Daniel and the three children were from the captivity of Judah under Jehoiakim. but others from the one in Samaria. Daniel, in the 20th year of Nebuchadnezzar, and in the 4004th year of the world, interpreted the dreams, and having been worshiped as a god by him and offered incense, he was established as the foremost ruler of Babylon. For Daniel calls the 20th year of his whole reign the 2nd from the complete desolation of the temple, the 36th year the eighteenth, when also the events concerning the furnace and the three children took place. The 18th of the Chaldeans, Evil-Merodach, reigned 5 years. And it was the 4031st year of the world. Some say he reigned 12 years, perhaps counting the 7 years of Nebuchadnezzar's bestial transformation together with his own 5. He, having brought Jehoiakim out of prison, made him a table-companion and to share his throne. 275 The 19th of the Chaldeans, Neriglissar, who is also called Baltasar in Daniel, reigned 3 years. And it was the 4036th year of the world. This Neriglissar, also called Baltasar in the prophet Daniel, some say was the son of Nebuchadnezzar and brother of the one who reigned before him, Evil-Merodach, and was killed by him, while others say he was his brother-in-law. Perhaps both are true. Under him the great prophets Daniel and Ezekiel prophesied. He, having sinned concerning the holy things of the house of the Lord, is slain by Astyages according to the prophecy of Daniel. Under him the writing on the wall appeared, which the prophet Daniel interpreted, signifying the transfer of the Chaldean rule to the Medes and Persians. He, having released Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim, from prison in the 37th year of his confinement in Babylon, honored him and had him as a dining companion. Baltasar, also called Neriglissar, while drinking at a banquet from the holy vessels of the house of the Lord with his nobles and concubines, saw fingers as of a man shining on the wall, the writing of which only Daniel interpreted, which was thus: Mene, which is, God has numbered your kingdom and finished it; Tekel, it was weighed in the balance and found wanting; Phares, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. In that very night Baltasar was also slain.

KINGS OF THE MEDES The 8th of the Medes, Astyages Darius, reigned 38 years. And of the

world it was the 4021st year. 276 From Nabonassar to the 1st year of Darius, also called Astyages, there are, according to the mathematical canon, 176 years, but according to the present ecclesiastical one, 177, and it makes no difference. For it is necessary to know that the Chaldean and astronomical canon reckons that Astyages reigned over the Chaldeans for 34 years, but the ecclesiastical one for 17 at most, since some say only 11. And for Cyrus, the same astronomical canon reckons only 9, but the ecclesiastical one 31. We therefore have brought these two canons into agreement on the beginning of Astyages' reign, with a difference of one year. Nabonnedos the last king of the Medes, called Astyages among them, and the same as Darius son of Ahasuerus, in the 21st year of his reign, having overthrown with other rulers of the Chaldeans Neriglissar, also called Baltasar, the son-in-law of Evil-Merodach son of Nebuchadnezzar, who killed him

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Οὐαφρεὶ κατὰ θείαν πρόσταξιν, ᾗ φησί· καὶ εἰσελεύσεται 274 καὶ πατάξει γῆν Αἰγύπτου, οὓς εἰς θάνατον εἰς θάνατον, καὶ οὓς εἰς ἀποικισμὸν εἰς ἀποικισμόν, καὶ οὓς εἰς ῥομφαίαν εἰς ῥομφαίαν. Καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα· καὶ ἐκλείψουσι πᾶς Ἰούδας κατοικοῦντες ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ ἐν λιμῷ. ταῦτα δὲ μετὰ ιʹ ἔτη που ἢ θʹ τῆς ἐπὶ Σεδεκίου γέγονεν αἰχμαλωσίας, ἀφ' οὗ ἐπὶ Κύρου ἔτη μʹ γίνεται οὕτως· Ναβουχοδονόσωρ λοιπὰ ιεʹ. Μαροδὰχ εʹ. Βαλτάσαρ γʹ. ∆αρείου Ἀστυάγους ιζʹ. ὁμοῦ μʹ. Κύρου λαʹ. Ἐν Βαβυλῶνι προεφήτευον ∆ανιήλ, Ἰεζεκιήλ. οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες ἐγνωρί ζοντο. Ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ Ἱερεμίας ἐλιθάσθη. Ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ Ἀμβακοὺμ προεφήτευεν. Ἐν Βαβυλῶνι ψευδοπροφῆται Ἀχίας, Σεδεκίας, Σαμαίας. Τὸν προφήτην ∆ανιὴλ ὁ ἅγιος Ἱππόλυτος ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας Ἰούδα καὶ τοὺς τρεῖς παῖδας λέγει τῆς ἐπὶ Ἰωακείμ. ἄλλοι δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἐν Σαμα ρείᾳ. ∆ανιὴλ τῷ Ναβουχοδονόσωρ τῷ κʹ ἔτει αὐτοῦ, κόσμου δὲ δδʹ, διεσάφησε τὰ ἐνύπνια, καὶ ὡς θεὸς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ προσκυνηθεὶς καὶ θυμιαθείς, ἄρχων πρώτιστος Βαβυλῶνος κατεστάθη. τὸ γὰρ κʹ ἔτος τῆς ὅλης αὐτοῦ βασιλείας βʹ λέγει ὁ ∆ανιὴλ ἀπὸ τῆς τελείας ἐρημώσεως τοῦ ναοῦ, τὸ λςʹ ὀκτωκαιδέκατον, ὅτε καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν κάμινον καὶ τοὺς τρεῖς παῖδας ἐπράχθη. Χαλδαίων ιηʹ ἐβασίλευσεν Εὐειλὰδ Μαροδὰχ ἔτη εʹ. τοῦ δὲ κόσμου ἦν ἔτος δλαʹ. Τινὲς τοῦτον ιβʹ ἔτη λέγουσι βασιλεῦσαι, ἴσως τὰ ζʹ ἔτη τῆς ἀποκτηνώ σεως τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσωρ συναριθμοῦντες τοῖς εʹ αὐτοῦ. οὗτος τὸν Ἰωακεὶμ ἐξαγαγὼν τῆς φρουρᾶς σύσσιτον καὶ σύνθρονον κατέστησε. 275 Χαλδαίων ιθʹ ἐβασίλευσε Νιριγλήσαρος ὁ καὶ Βαλτάσαρ ἐν τῷ ∆ανιὴλ λεγόμενος ἔτη γʹ. τοῦ δὲ κόσμου ἦν ἔτος δλςʹ. Τοῦτον τὸν Νιριγλήσαρον τὸν καὶ Βαλτάσαρ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ ∆ανιὴλ λεγόμενον οἱ μὲν υἱόν φασι τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσωρ καὶ ἀδελφὸν τοῦ πρὸ αὐτοῦ βασιλεύσαντος Εὐειλὰδ Μαροδὰχ καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἀναιρεθέντος, οἱ δὲ γαμβρὸν ἐπ' ἀδελφῇ. ἴσως δὲ καὶ ἄμφω ἀληθῆ. Ἐπὶ τούτου ∆ανιὴλ καὶ Ἰεζεκιὴλ οἱ μεγάλοι προεφήτευον. Οὗτος ἁμαρτήσας περὶ τὰ ἱερὰ οἴκου κυρίου ἀναιρεῖται ὑπὸ Ἀστυάγους κατὰ τὴν πρόρρησιν τοῦ ∆ανιήλ. ἐπὶ τούτου ἡ ἐν τῷ τοίχῳ ὤφθη γραφή, ἣν ὁ προφήτης ∆ανιὴλ ἡρμήνευσε δηλοῦσαν τῆς Χαλδαίων ἀρχῆς εἰς Μήδους καὶ Πέρσας μετάθεσιν. Οὗτος τὸν υἱὸν Ἰωακεὶμ Ἰεχονίαν ἐκβαλὼν τῆς φρουρᾶς τῷ λζʹ ἔτει τῆς εἰς Βαβυλῶνα αὐτοῦ καθείρξεως ἐτίμησε καὶ συνεστιάτορα ἔσχε. Βαλτάσαρ ὁ καὶ Νιριγλήσαρος πίνων ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς σκεύεσιν οἴκου κυρίου σὺν τοῖς μεγιστᾶσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ παλλακαῖς ἐν δείπνῳ εἶδεν ὡς ἀνθρώπου δακτύλους ἐκλάμποντας ἐν τῷ τοίχῳ, ὧν τὴν γραφὴν μόνος ∆ανιὴλ ἡρμήνευσεν οὕτως ἔχουσαν· μανή, ὅ ἐστιν ἐμέτρησεν ὁ θεὸς τὴν βασιλείαν σου καὶ ἐπλήρωσεν αὐτήν, θεκέλ, ἐστάθη ἐν ζυγῷ καὶ εὑρέθη ὑστεροῦσα, φαρές, διῄρηται ἡ βασιλεία σου καὶ ἐδόθη Μήδοις καὶ Πέρσαις. ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ νυκτὶ ἀνῃρέθη καὶ Βαλτάσαρ.

ΜΗ∆ΩΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΣ Μήδων ηʹ ἐβασίλευσεν Ἀστυάγης ∆αρεῖος ἔτη ληʹ. τοῦ δὲ

κόσμου ἦν ἔτος δκαʹ. 276 Ἀπὸ Ναβονασάρου ἐπὶ τὸ αʹ ἔτος ∆αρείου τοῦ καὶ Ἀστυάγους ἔτη εἰσὶ κατὰ μὲν τὸν μαθηματικὸν κανόνα ροςʹ, κατὰ δὲ τὸν παρόντα ἐκκλησιαστι κὸν ροζʹ, καὶ οὐδὲν διενήνοχε. χρὴ γὰρ εἰδέναι ὅτι ὁ Χαλδαϊκὸς καὶ ἀστρονομικὸς κανὼν τὸν μὲν Ἀστυάγην ἔτη λδʹ λογίζεται Χαλδαίων βασιλεῦσαι, ὁ δὲ ἐκκλησιαστικὸς ιζʹ τὸ πλεῖστον, ἐπεὶ καὶ ιαʹ μόνα τινές φασι. τῷ δὲ Κύρῳ ὁ αὐτὸς ἀστρονομικὸς κανὼν θʹ μόνα λογίζεται, ὁ δὲ ἐκκλησιαστικὸς λαʹ. ἡμεῖς οὖν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν Ἀστυάγους παρ' ἐνιαυτὸν ἕνα συμφωνοῦντας ἠγάγομεν τοὺς δύο τούτους κανόνας. Ναβόννηδος ὁ τελευταῖος βασιλεὺς Μήδων, Ἀστυάγης παρ' αὐτοῖς λεγόμενος, ὁ αὐτὸς δὲ καὶ ∆αρεῖος Ἀσουήρου καʹ ἔτει τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ καταστρεψάμενος σὺν ἄλλοις ἄρχουσι τῶν Χαλδαίων Νιριγλήσαρον, τὸν καὶ Βαλτάσαρ, γαμβρὸν τοῦ Εὐειλὰδ Μαροδὰχ υἱοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσωρ, ὃς ἀνεῖλεν αὐτὸν