I70 A SHORT 'VIEW OF SCRIPTURE HISTORY. 23. Q. How does this history appear-to be a true account of things, since there is not the least hint who was the writer of it, nor is the name of God in it ? A. Because it is delivered down to us among the sacred writings, by the Jews themselves, who 'svere : the keepers of the oracles of God ; Rom. iii. 2. And because this'feast of Purim is observed by the Jews to this day, in memory of this deliverance. The end of the Histories of the Old Testament. Cumm. XIX. A Continuation of the History of the Govern- ment and Church of the Jews, from the End of the Old Testament, to the Times of Christ. INTRODUCTION. THE learned Doctor Prideaux hath written two large and valuable volumes, which he calls " The Connection of the His- toryof the Old and NewTestament ;" where he gives us an ac- count of all the most credible things that he can find in ancient historians, relating to the Jews and their customs, as well as their history, during that period of time between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New ; he intermingles also a large collection of Historical matters relating to Persia, Ba- bylon, Egypt, Syria, Asia minor, Greece, Rome, and all the more known and remarkable nations of the earth, wherein the great affairsof the four monarchies of the world were transacted. This renders his work a little too tedious to those who expected nothing more than a mere continuation of the Jewish history to the times of our Saviour. Now it is only a very brief abstract ofthe history of theJews which I endeavour here to set before the reader, that he may gain a little acquaintance with the affairs of theJews, or the church of God from the days of Nehemiah, when scripture his - tory ends, to the beginning of the gospel, and the timesof Christ. A great part of it must be taken originally from Josephus, the Jewish historian, and from the books of Maccabees, which I have consulted on this occasion ; but I have borrowed much fur- ther light and assistance from Doctor Prideaux in this matter, whose laborious collection from heathen writings, and his judi- cious determination in many dubious points, have rendered his work more complete'and accurate, andmine more easy. SECT. I.-Of Nehemiah's further Reformation, Synagogues, Targums, Samaritans, Proselytes, 4c. Note, This chapter being so long, the questions ofeach section shall be num- bered apart. 1. Question. What further reformation did Nehemiah make in Israel ? Answer. It is reported by the Jews, that ha
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