CHAPTER XIII. 457 i. 11. and il. 2 and iii. 8. compared with v. 14-16. and Zech. iii. and iv. Note. This Sheshbazzar, or Zerubbabel, was the son of Salatkiel, the son of Jehoiachin, or Jeconiah, king of Judah : He was made governor of the land, under the title of Tir- shatha, by a commission from Cyrus. Jeshua was the son of Jozadak or Josedech, the son of Seraiah, who was high-priest when Jerusalemwas destroyed, and who was put to deathby Nebuchadnezzar. 5, Q. What was the first thing they did after their return ? A. They made a large contribution toward the rebuilding of the temple, they gathered themselves together to Jerusalem, they set up the altar of the God of Israel, and offered sacrifices upon it ; Ezra ii. 68. and iii. 1 -6. ' 6. Q. In what manner did they lay the foundation of the temple? A. While the builders laid the foundation, the priests and the levites sung and praised the Lord with trumpets, and other instruments, after the ordinance of David ; Ezra iii. 10, 11. 7. Q. What remarkable occurrences attended the laying of the foundation of the temple? A. While the younger part of the people shouted for joy, many of the ancient fathers wept wills a loud voice, when they remembered how much more glorious the first temple was than the second was like to be ; Verses 12, 13. and hag. ii. 3. Here it may be observed, that though the foundation of the second temple stood on the same compass of ground as the first, yet a cómpany of poor exiles, returning from a long captivity, could not promise or hope for so glorious a building as the temple of Solomon, neither in the richness of the materials, nor in the magnificence and curiosity of the workmanship. See Dr. Pri- deaux's Connection, vol. i. p. 143. The Jews also generally suppose five things to be wanting in the second temple, after it was finished, which did belong to the first; namely, -1. The ark of the covenant, and the mercy -seat which was upon it, with the cherubs of gold, together with the tables of stone in which the law was written, which were in the ark when it was brought into Sohn-does temple; -1 Kings viii. 9. -2Chron. v. 10. through one would think they should have made an ark and a mercy-seat, before which the high-priest should officiate once a year. Some learned men supposed there was such an ark made, and that Ezra'scorrect copy of the bible was laid up in it; and that it is in imitation of this, that the present Jews in all their synagogues have such an ark or coffer, wherein they keep the law, -2. The Shechivali, or divine presence, in a cloud of glory on thetnercy- seat. -3. The turbo and thummim, when the oracle came, or divine answers to their inquiries.-4. The holy fire upon tire altar, which came from heaven. -5. The spirit of prophecy. VoL. v. G a
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