(1.) SKETCH OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE,

From B.C. 747 to 626.

Tiglath Pileser (known as Ninus the Younger). The Empire of Assyria having fallen under a combined attack by Belesis (or Baladan), king of Babylon, and Arbaces, king of the Medes (see Tabular View), in the year of Rome 7, and in the 2nd year of the 8th Olympiad, Tiglath Pileser, or Pilneser (whom some identify with Arbaces), fixed his residence at Nineveh, on the Tigris, and founded the 2nd Assyrian Empire.

In the 6th year of his reign, Ahaz, king of Judah, having been attacked by the kings of Syria and of Israel—Rezin and Pekah-instead of looking to Jehovah for deliverance, sent all the gold and silver which he had taken from the Temple to Tiglath Pileser, in order to obtain from him aid against his enemies-Isai. vii. The king of Assyria listened to his appeal, and came with a large army into Palestine. Rezin, the king of Syria, was slain in battle, Damascus, his capital, was taken, and the kingdom of Syria was closed in the year 740 B.C. At the same time, the two-and-a-half tribes beyond Jordan were taken into captivity, though the kingdom of Israel itself remained for some time longer. Shalmaneser, 729 B.C. (called Shalman in Hosea x. 14.) As soon as he was settled on the throne he subdued Samaria, and made Hoshea tributary. But five years afterwards, B.C. 724, So (or Sabacus), the Ethiopian, having invaded Egypt, and risen to great power there, Hoshea entered into an alliance with him, and threw off the Assyrian yoke. Shalmaneser immediately marched against him, and, after a siege of three years, took the city of Samaria again (B.C. 721), and carried the people away to the cities of the Medes. (At this time Tobit with Thisbe his wife, and Tobias his son-was taken to Assyria.) At the same time

Shalmaneser destroyed Moab, thus fulfilling Isaiah's prediction, ch. xv., xvi.

Sennacherib, 717 (called Sargon, Isai. xx. 1), claimed the payment of tribute from Hezekiah, king of Judah. His demand being refused, he came into Judea with a large army-Isai. xxxvi. It was at this time Hezekiah's sickness and restoration to health took place; and the sun went backward ten degrees on the sun-dial of Ahaz. In the following year the embassy from Merodach Baladan, king of Babylon, reached Jerusalem, their object being to make enquiry as to the miracle of the sun-dial, and to induce him to enter into an alliance with the king of Babylon against the Assyrians. Hezekiah having shown the ambassadors his treasures, was told by Isaiah that his wealth and his descendants would all be carried away by the Babylonians. Sennacherib soon came with a strong army against Judea. At first Hezekiah bought him off with gold and silver taken from the Temple; but afterwards, in the year 710, when the Assyrians again invaded the land, he appealed to the Lord, and the destruction of the Assyrians was the answer to his prayerIsai. xxxvi.-ix. Sennacherib himself was slain by two of his sons while worshipping in the Temple of Nisroch (an eagle-headed Assyrian idol).

Esarhaddon, 710. In the fourth year of his reign he carried away all that remained of the ten tribes, and sent colonies of idolatrous people from the countries beyond the Euphrates to dwell in the cities of Samaria, fulfilling thus the prediction of Isaiah vii. 8, sixty-five years having elapsed between the prediction and the events that fulfilled it. In this reign Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, was taken captive and brought to Esarhaddon, who put him in chains, and had him taken to Babylon. (It should be noted that Esarhaddon caused Manasseh to be brought to Babylon, not to Nineveh. 2 Chron. xxxiii. 11-13. He was the only king of Assyria who could have done this, having made himself master of Babylon during a period of confusion there. This use of the word Babylon in Scripture is an undesigned coincidence of much value). Eventually Manasseh repented, and God disposed his conqueror to clemency, so that he was restored to his throne.

Saosduchinus (Nebuchodonosor I.), 669. The siege of Ecbatana, the capital of Media, and the siege of Bethulia, by Holofernes-see Book of Judith, ch. i.—are the principal events of this reign.

Saracus (Chyni Ladanus), 648. A weak ruler, and one so incapable of reigning, that Nabopolassar, one of his generals, made an alliance with Cyaxares, king of Medea, and subverted, finally, the empire of Nineveh.

(2.) SKETCH OF THE CHALDEAN EMPIRE.

(The first Beast—the Lion.)

(The head of Gold-see Dan. ii. and vii.)

Nabopolassar, 626. Having destroyed Nineveh, the Chaldean power became so formidable that the king of Egypt, Pharaoh Necho, son of Psammetik I., determined to check it, if possible, while yet in its infancy. Accordingly, he led an army against the Chaldeans, and defeated them at Carchemish, on the Euphrates, B.C. 610. The result of this defeat was that Nabopolassar lost all the countries west of Euphrates, including, of course, Syria and Palestine. Nabopolassar, however, finding himself unable to cope with his new enemy, whether from age or from infirmities, associated his son, Nebuchadnezzar, with him on the throne; and the military skill manifested at once by the young monarch almost immediately restored the lost empire; for in the year 606 B.C, the Chaldeans defeat Necho's army at the same place-Carchemish,—and recover, as a consequence, Syria and Palestine.

Nebuchadnezzar (Nebuchodonosor II.). In the same year (606) ne entered Judæa, took Jerusalem, and put Jehoiakim in chains, to bring him to Babylon, but, moved by the king's promises, he restored him to the throne. Many captives were at this time brought to Babylon; among them Daniel and the "three children," Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

(Ananias, Asarias, and Misael), and shortly afterwards

Ezekiel.

In the year 603, the fourth of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, his dream or vision of the four great empires-gold, silver, brass, and iron,-may be placed. It is recorded in the second chapter of Daniel.

In the same year (B.c. 603) Jehoiakim, having served the king of Babylon three years (2 Kings xxiv. 1) rebelled against him, and refusing to pay any more tribute, renewed his alliance with Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt. At first Nebuchadnezzar met this revolt by sending orders to all the Syrian commanders to attack Jerusalem. For three years, therefore, Jehoiakim was assailed by incessant invasions by Ammonites, Moabites, Syrians, Arabians, and other nations in obedience to orders received from Babylon. But in the eleventh year of Jehoiakim a combined attack was made (2 Kings xxiv. 10), and Jerusalem was closely invested. In a sally made by the king against his enemies, he was over. powered, taken prisoner, and slain. His dead body seems to have been cast out into the highway outside the city, according to the words of Jeremiah, xxii. 19; xxxvi. 30.

In the year preceding his death, Pharaoh Necho, his confederate, died, after a reign of sixteen years, and was succeeded by Psammis, or Psammetik II. After a brief reign of three months, Jeconias or Jehoiachin, who succeeded his father Jehoiakim, was dethroned and taken captive to Babylon (see Order of Judæan Events), his uncle, Zedekiah, being made king by the king of Babylon. Zedekiah, on ascending the throne, took an oath of fidelity to the king of Babylon, but soon afterwards broke it, and entered into an alliance with the king of Egypt against the Chaldeans. After a troubled reign of eleven years he was taken prisoner; his sons were slain before his eyes; he was then deprived of sight, and carried away to Babylon to perpetual imprisonment; the Kingdom of Judah being thus finally closed in the year 588.

On his return to Babylon in triumph, Nebuchadnezzar seems to have desired to celebrate his victories by the image of gold set up for worship in the plains of Dura. The "three children" were on this occasion cast into the "burning fiery furnace," as described by Daniel, ch. iii. In

the twenty-first year of his reign (B.C. 585), and four years after the fall of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Tyre (Ithobal was then king of Tyre). After a resistance prolonged for thirteen years, it was at last taken as described by Ezekiel, ch. xxix., xxx. In the following year (B.c. 572) he attacked Egypt, and reduced it at once to perfect subjection.

Towards the close of his reign the vision described in Dan. iv. took place, and for seven years the great king was driven in temporary insanity from his throne; but after the "seven times" had passed over him he recovered his mind, and shortly afterwards died, after a long reign of 43 years. He was succeeded by his son,

Evilmerodach, 563. Almost immediately after his accession he released Jehoiachin, king of Judah, out of prison, 2 Kings xxv. 27-30. He was, however, so hated by his subjects for his crimes and cruelty, that after a brief reign of two years he was slain by his sister's husband, Neriglissor.

Neriglissor, 560 (the Nergal-Sharezer of Jeremiah, ch. xxxix, 3), succeeds to the throne, but after a reign of four years only, was slain in battle.

Laborosoarchod, son of Neriglissor, succeeds B.C. 555, He was a wicked king, and reigned only nine months.

Labynitus, 555, son of Evilmerodach, and grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, succeeds, and is the last king of Babylon. The prophecy of Jeremiah-" all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land shall come," Jer. xxvii. 7-being strangely fulfilled; for although Nebuchadnezzar was followed by four kings, yet two of these were not descendants. Evilmerodach was "his son," and Labynitus, "his son's son," was the last king, in whose reign "the time of his land" did come, B.C. 536. (See also" Smith's Dictionary of the Bible," under Belshazzar.)

(3) SKETCH OF EGYPTIAN HISTORY

The Ethiopian Kings reigned over Egypt from the time of Sesach or Shishak-1 Kings xi. 40, B.c. 978-to Tharaca