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Excerpt from The Old and New Testament Connected, in the History of the Jews and Neighbouring Nations, Vol. 2: From the Declension of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, to the Time of Christ; Part I We find the prophet Haggai complaining of the Jews at Jerula lem, a That they dwelt in cieled houfes, while they let the houfe of God lie wafte. From all this it plainly appears, that Jerufalem, after its having been deftroyed by the Babylonians, was again rebuilt, by virtue of the decree which Cyrus grant ed, in' the firll year of his reign, for the releafe and reoration of the Jews. And therefore, if thefe words of the prophecy, To rig/fore and ézlz'ldyerufalem, are to be underlined in a literal fenfe, they can be underflood of no other refioring and buildingof that city, than that which was aecomplifhed by virtue of that de.. Cree and the computation of the 7° weeks mull begin from the granting and going forth thereof. But if the computation. Be begun fo high, the 490 years of the (aid 70 weeks cannot come low enough to reach any of thofe events which are pie-s dié'ted by this. Prophecy for, from the firft of Cyrus, to the: death of Chri, were 68 years; and therefore, if the faid 490 years be computed from thence; they will be expired a great many years either before the cutting oil or the coming of the Mefiiah, which ought both to fall within the compafs of them, acording to the exprefs words of this prophecy. It evidently, therefore, follows from hence, that the words of this prophecy, To are and [mild yez'u/alem, cannot be underflood in a lite-a ral fenfe for the furn of the whole argument is thus If the words are to be underflood in a literal fenfe, they muft be ur.n derfiood of thatrebuilding of Jerufalem which was accompltn ed by virtue ocyrus's decree, and the computation of the 70 weeks, or the 490 years thereof, muft begin from the going forth or iffuing out of that decree. But it cannot begin from thence, for the reafon mentioned; and therefore thefe words