was, accordingly, delivered into the hands of his enemies, and cast into the den of lions. 66 66 The unhappy king, meantime, retired to his palace, and there passed the night in the deepest sorrow, but not without a glimmering hope that the God whom the prophet had served so faithfully, would still deliver him. Early in the following morning he hastened to the den, and in the most plaintive tones called to Daniel, saying, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?" To this earnest, inquiry the prophet, from within the den, cheerfully replied, "O king, live forever! My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.' The joy of Darius at finding one whom he so highly valued thus miraculously preserved, was without limit; and ordering Daniel to be immediately taken out of the den, he commanded that his accusers should all be thrown into it. This was done, and the lions instantly seized and devoured them. 66 The manifest providence of God in the preservation of Daniel, produced so deep an impression upon the mind of Darius, that he immediately issued the following decree throughout all his dominions :—“ Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree that in every kingdom of my dominion, men shall tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end." The death of Darius the Mede occurred in 551 A. C., two years after he ascended the throne of Babylon; and as his successor, the illustrious Cyrus, was, at that time, engaged in distant wars, the kingdom was usurped by Nabo nadius, a Babylonian nobleman. Having, however, at length subdued all his western enemies, including even Croesus, king of Lydia, Cyrus returned to the East, and led his troops against the mighty city. Babylon held out for two years against him, and was then taken by the remarkable stratagem of diverting the course of the river Euphrates, which flowed through the city, and entering by night through the dry channel. This recovery of Babylon from Nabonadius, with all the circumstances attending it, had been minutely described by the prophet Isaiah, and Cyrus mentioned by name, more than a century before that Conqueror was born. The prophet Daniel, though very old, was still living when Babylon, in 536 A. C., was re-taken by Cyrus; and there is every reason to believe that he was highly esteemed, and even venerated, by the conquerer. As Cyrus, in some of his decrees, intimates his knowledge of those prophecies in Isaiah which speak of himself, Daniel had, doubtless, directed his attention to them; and as the prophet had previously ascertained from the prophecies of Jeremiah, that the captivity was to continue seventy years, he now found that the expiration of that period left the sovereign power in the hands of Cyrus, of whom Isaiah has so particularly prophesied as the person designed "to restore the captivity of Judah." He therefore communicated these facts to Cyrus; and as the communication was accompanied by the claim that the God whom the Hebrews worshipped was the same Almighty Being who had raised him up, and had given him all the greatness and glory by which he was surrounded, it must have made a deep impression upon the conquerer's mind. Animated by this impression, Cyrus immediately issued a decree in which, after acknowledging the supremacy of Jehovah, and that to Him he was indebted for all his king. doms, he gave full permission to the Jews, throughout his dominions, to return to their own land, and to rebuild the city and Temple of Jerusalem. This happy intelligence was no sooner circulated, than the members of the later captivity-those of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi-repaired from their different abodes, in large num bers, to Babylon-some to make preparations for their journey, and others, who did not design to return them selves, to assist those that intended to go. The great majority of the existing race had been born in Chaldæa, and had there established themselves in family relations, and surrounded themselves by associations and comforts, which they were not willing to abandon. Hence, only a zealous minority were disposed to avail themselves of the decree in their favor; and in the opinion of the Jews themselves, the more illustrious portion of their nation never returned to their own land. SECTION II. The JEWS conducted back to Jerusalem by Zerubbabel and JeshuaCelebrate the Feast of Tabernacles on the Site of Jerusalem, and prepare to rebuild the Temple-Opposed by the Samaritans-The Temple completed-Commission of Ezra-His Improvements and Administration-The Plot of Haman-Its Discovery, and the Exaltation of Mordecai-Commission of Nehemiah-Close of the History of the OLD TESTAMENT. THE arrangement for the return of the Jews from their captivity being completed, they left Babylon in the month of March, 535 A. C., under the guidance of Zerubbabel, the grandson of king Jehoiakin, and Jeshua, a grandson of Jozedech, who was high-priest when Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. The returning exiles numbered forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, besides |