Hellespont began in the end of the fourth year of the 74th Olympiad, that is, in June An.  J.P. 4234, and took up one month:  and in autumn, three months after, on the full moon, the 16th day of the month Munychion, was the battle at Salamis, and a little after that an eclipse of the sun, which by the calculation fell on Octob. 2.  His sixth year therefore began a little before June, suppose in spring An.  J.P. 4234, and his first year consequently in spring An.  J.P. 4229, as above.  Now he reigned almost twenty one years, by the consent of all writers.  Add the 7 months of Artabanus, and the sum will be 21 years and about four or five months, which end between midsummer and autumn An.  J.P. 4250.  At this time therefore began the reign of his successor Artaxerxes, as was to be proved.

The same thing is also confirmed by Julius Africanus, who informs us out of former writers, that the 20th year of this Artaxerxes was the 115th year from the beginning of the reign of Cyrus in Persia, and fell in with An. 4 Olymp. 83.  It began therefore with the Olympic year, soon after the summer Solstice, An.  J.P. 4269.  Subduct nineteen years, and his first year will begin at the same time of the year An.  J.P. 4250, as above.

His 7th year therefore began after midsummer An.  J.P. 4256; and the Journey of Ezra to Jerusalem in the spring following fell on the beginning of An.  J.P. 4257, as above.

Notes to Chap.  X.

[1] Chap. ix. 24, 25, 26, 27.

[2] Cut upon.  A phrase in Hebrew, taken from the practise of numbring by cutting notches.

[3] Heb. to seal, i.e. to finish or consummate:  a metaphor taken from sealing what is finished.  So the Jews compute, ad obsignatum Misna, ad obsignatum Talmud, that is, ad absolutum.

[4] Heb. the Prophet, not the Prophecy.

[5] Heb. the Messiah, that is, in Greek, the Christ; in English, the Anointed.  I use the English word, that the relation of this clause to the former may appear.

[6] Jerusalem.

[7] See Isa. xxiii. 13.

[8] Iren. l. 5.  Haer. c. 25.

[9] Apud Hieron. in h. l.

[10] 1 Kings xi. 7.

[11] The antient solar years of the eastern nations consisted of 12 months, and every month of 30 days:  and hence came the division of a circle into 360 degrees.  This year seems to be used by Moses in his history of the Flood, and by John in the Apocalypse, where a time, times and half a time, 42 months and 1260 days, are put equipollent.  But in reckoning by many of these years together, an account is to be kept of the odd days which were added to the end of these years.  For the Egyptians added