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and he held the kingdom of the Chaldeans and Medes for another 17 years, but according to some, 11 years, from the 27th year of his reign, as it is written, and Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being 60 years old. This man first established Daniel among the nobles and again cast him into the lions' den, having been conspired against out of envy by his fellow nobles. To this man Esther was joined in marriage, having been chosen for her beauty during his reign. The events concerning Mordecai and Haman and the redemption of the Hebrews through Esther. He was also called Artaxerxes and Astyages and Darius Assuerus and Nabonnedus. During his reign Daniel saw the visions through Gabriel and learned the time of the Lord's coming. 277 The same was the grandfather of Cyrus: Darius, Assuerus who is also Astyages. Celebrating a victory over the Indians and other nations, he desired that Vashti his own wife, as being most beautiful, be shown to the nobles assembled with him; but he dishonored her when she was unwilling, ordering virgins to be chosen from all his dominion, of whom was found the most beautiful of all, Edessa, who is also Esther, a niece of Mordecai, a Hebrew from the captivity of the time of Sedecias. To her was joined Darius, who is also Artaxerxes. And Mordecai, having been appointed one of the king's bodyguards, being troubled by visions, and having overheard the two eunuchs who guarded the king wanting to kill him, informs the king. When they were put to death, Haman, who was over the king's affairs, promised to bring ten thousand talents to the king, if he would destroy the race of the Hebrews. But Mordecai, through Esther, persuaded the king that Haman be put to death. Some, therefore, wish the 70 weeks to be numbered from this time, but others, like Africanus, from Nehemiah and the complete rebuilding of the temple and the city, which happened in the 20th year of Artaxerxes, also called Macrocheir, which was the 5068th year of the world. Others number the same 70 weeks from the building of the temple by Zorobabel and Jesus the son of Josedec, in the 2nd year of Darius. The total years of the reign of Darius Astyages were 38, of the Medes 21, but according to others 27, and of the Medes and Chaldeans 17 years, but according to some 11. However, whether this way or that, nothing contradicts the truth. For those who are eager to show the 70 years of the captivity from the 19th year of Nabuchodonosor and the complete desolation of the house of the Lord and the captivity of the nation until the 2nd year of Darius Hystaspes, subtract these 278 years of Astyages, in order to establish the seventy-year period; but the parallel increase of the years of the world, counted together with these, which cannot be taken away, is contrary to those who do so. Josephus, however, numbered them together, as has also been shown above, as 50 years, saying that the temple remained unseen from the 19th year of Nabuchodonosor until the 2nd year of Cyrus, the first to hold the kingdom of the Persians and Medes and Assyrians and Chaldeans, and also of Syria and the Lydians.

KINGS OF THE PERSIANS Cyrus of the Persians and Medes, and of the Chaldeans and Assyrians,

of Syria and the Lydians. Of Cyrus, first king of the Persians, 31 years. And it was the 452nd year of the world. This Cyrus subjugated nearly all of Asia to the Persian kingdom, which so endured for all the years from him until Alexander the Macedonian. This Cyrus, in the first year of his reign, proclaimed the recall from captivity to the Jews; for the 70th year was already fulfilled, as it is written in the 2nd of Chronicles. In the 1st year of Cyrus, king of the Persians After the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah was fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of the Persians, and he commanded to make a proclamation throughout all his kingdom in writing, saying: Thus says Cyrus king of the Persians. All the kingdoms of the earth has the Lord, the God of 279 heaven, given me, and he himself has commanded me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judea. Who is there among you of all his people? His God be with him,

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καὶ κατέσχε τὴν βασιλείαν Χαλδαίων καὶ Μήδων ἄλλα ἔτη ιζʹ, κατὰ δέ τινας ἔτη ιαʹ, ἀπὸ τοῦ κζʹ ἔτους τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ, ὡς γέγραπται, καὶ ∆αρεῖος ὁ Μῆδος παρέλαβε τὴν βασιλείαν ὢν ἐτῶν ξʹ. Οὗτος τὸν ∆ανιὴλ πρῶτον ἐν μεγιστᾶσι κατέστησε καὶ αὖθις ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ τῶν λεόντων ἐνέβαλεν συσκευασθέντα διὰ φθόνον ὑπὸ τῶν συμ μεγιστάνων αὐτοῦ. Τούτῳ ἡ Ἐσθὴρ ἐζεύχθη διὰ κάλλος ἐκλεχθεῖσα ἐπὶ αὐτοῦ. Τὰ κατὰ τὸν Μαρδοχαῖον καὶ Ἀμὰν καὶ ἡ διὰ τῆς Ἐσθὴρ ἀπολύτρωσις τῶν Ἑβραίων. Ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ Ἀρταξέρξης ἐλέγετο καὶ Ἀστυάγης καὶ ∆αρεῖος Ἀσουήρουκαὶ Ναβόννηδος. Ἐπὶ αὐτοῦ ∆ανιὴλ τὰς διὰ τοῦ Γαβριὴλ ὀπτασίας εἶδεν καὶ τὸν χρόνον τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ κυρίου ἔμαθεν. 277 Ὁ αὐτὸς πάππος ἦν Κύρου, ∆αρεῖος, Ἀσούηρος ὁ καὶ Ἀστυάγης. Κατ' Ἰνδῶν καὶ ἄλλων ἐθνῶν ἑορτάζων ἐπινίκια Οὐασθὴν τὴν ἰδίαν γυναῖκα ὡς ὡραιοτάτην ὀφθῆναι τοῖς συνισταμένοις αὐτῷ μεγιστᾶσιν ἠξίου· τὴν δὲ μὴ βουληθεῖσαν ἠτίμωσε, προστάξας ἐπιλεγῆναι παρθένους ἐκ πάσης αὐτοῦ τῆς ἐξουσίας, ὧν εὑρέθη πασῶν εὐμορφοτάτη Ἔδεσα ἡ καὶ Ἐσθήρ, ἀνεψιὰ Μαρδοχαίου Ἑβραία ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τῆς ἐπὶ Σεδεκίου. ταύτῃ συνήφθη ∆αρεῖος ὁ καὶ Ἀρταξέρξης. Μαρδοχαῖος δὲ εἷς τῶν σωματοφυλάκων ταχθεὶς τοῦ βασιλέως, ὁράμασι θορυβηθείς, ἐπακροασάμενός τε τῶν βʹ εὐνούχων τῶν φυλασσόντων τὸν βασιλέα βουλομένων ἀνελεῖν αὐτόν, μηνύει τῷ βασιλεῖ. ὧν ἀναιρεθέντων Ἀμὰν ὁ ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων τοῦ βασιλέως μυρία τάλαντα ὑπέσχετο εἰσοίσειν τῷ βασιλεῖ, εἰ ἀπολέσοι τὸ γένος τῶν Ἑβραίων. Μαρδοχαῖος δὲ διὰ τῆς Ἐσθὴρ τὸν βασιλέα ἔπεισεν ἀναιρεθῆναι τὸν Ἀμάν. Τινὲς μὲν οὖν τὰς οʹ ἑβδομάδας ἀπὸ τοῦδε τοῦ χρόνου βούλονται ἀριθμεῖσθαι, ἕτεροι δέ, ὡς καὶ Ἀφρικανός, ἀπὸ Νεεμίου καὶ τελείας ἀνοικοδομῆς τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τῆς πόλεως, ἥτις γέγονε κατὰ τὸ κʹ ἔτος Ἀρταξέρξου τοῦ καὶ Μακρόχειρος, ὅπερ ἦν κόσμου εξηʹ. ἕτεροι ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τοῦ ναοῦ τῆς διὰ Ζοροβάβελ καὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ Ἰωσεδέκ, τῷ βʹ ἔτει ∆αρείου, ἀριθμοῦσι τὰς αὐτὰς οʹ ἑβδομάδας. Τὰ πάντα τῆς βασιλείας ∆αρείου τοῦ Ἀστυάγους ἔτη ληʹ, Μήδων μὲν καʹ, κατὰ δὲ ἄλλους κζʹ, Μήδων δὲ καὶ Χαλδαίων ἔτη ιζʹ, κατὰ δέ τινας ιαʹ. πλὴν εἴτε οὕτως εἴτε οὕτως οὐδὲν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ ἀντίκειται. οἱ γὰρ σπουδάζοντες δεῖξαι τὰ οʹ ἔτη τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἀπὸ τοῦ ιθʹ ἔτους τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσωρ καὶ τῆς τελείας ἐρημώσεως οἴκου κυρίου καὶ αἰχμαλω σίας τοῦ ἔθνους ἕως τοῦ βʹ ἔτους ∆αρείου τοῦ Ὑστάσπου, ταῦτα τὰ ἔτη 278 τοῦ Ἀστυάγους ὑπεξαιροῦσιν, ἵνα τὸν ἑβδομηκονταετῆ χρόνον στήσωσιν· ἀλλ' ἡ τῶν κοσμικῶν ἐτῶν παραύξησις ἀντίκειται τοῖς οὕτω δρῶσι συναριθμουμένη τούτοις, ἣν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀφελεῖν. ὁ μέντοι Ἰώσηππος συνηρίθμησεν αὐτά, ὡς καὶ ἀνωτέρω δεδήλωται, νʹ ἔτη, εἰπὼν ἀφανῆ τὸν ναὸν μεῖναι ἀπὸ τοῦ ιθʹ ἔτους Ναβουχοδονόσωρ ἕως τοῦ βʹ ἔτους Κύρου τοῦ πρώτου Περσῶν καὶ Μήδων καὶ Ἀσσυρίων καὶ Χαλδαίων Συρίας τε καὶ Λυδῶν βασιλείας κρατήσαντος.

ΠΕΡΣΩΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΣ Κῦρος Περσῶν καὶ Μήδων Χαλδαίων τε καὶ Ἀσσυρίων,

Συρίας καὶ Λυδῶν. Κύρου πρώτου βασιλέως Περσῶν ἔτη λαʹ. τοῦ δὲ κόσμου ἦν ἔτος δνβʹ. Κῦρος οὗτος ἅπασαν μικροῦ τὴν Ἀσίαν ὑπέταξε τῇ Περσῶν βασιλείᾳ, ἕως Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ Μακεδόνος οὕτω διαρκέσασαν ἔτεσιν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τοῖς ὅλοις. Κῦρος οὗτος πρώτῳ ἔτει τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἀνάκλησιν Ἰουδαίοις προσεφώνησεν· ἤδη γὰρ τὸ οʹ ἔτος πεπλήρωτο, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν τῇ βʹ τῶν Παραλειπομένων. Ἔτους αʹ Κύρου βασιλέως Περσῶν Μετὰ τὸ πληρωθῆναι ῥῆμα κυρίου διὰ στόματος Ἱερεμίου ἐξήγειρε κύριος τὸ πνεῦμα Κύρου βασιλέως Περσῶν, καὶ παρήγγειλε κηρύξαι ἐπὶ πάσῃ τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ ἐν γραπτῷ λέγων· τάδε λέγει Κῦρος βασιλεὺς Περσῶν. πάσας τὰς βασιλείας τῆς γῆς ἔδωκέ μοι κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ 279 οὐρανοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατό μοι οἰκοδομῆσαι αὐτῷ οἶκον ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ τῇ ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ. τίς ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐκ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ; ἔσται ὁ θεὸς αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτοῦ,