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148 Daniel came unhurt out of the lion's den, into which his accusers were cast, and instantly torn to pieces.

Daniel nourished during the successive reigns of several Babylonish and Median kings.

The people of God returned from their Babylonish captivity to Jerusalem, under the conduct of Zorobabel.

Darius, first of all, sent Ezra to Jerusalem, and restored the public worship, and the observation of the law Neheniiah caused walls to be built round the city, and fortified it against the attacks of their neighbors. He caused an edict to be published, in which it was ordained that all the victims, oblations, and other expenses of the temple, be abundantly furnished the Jews, as the priest should require; it enjoined the priests of Jerusalem, where they offered their sacrifices to the God of heaven, to pray for the preservation of the life of the king and the princes his children; denouncing imprecations against all princes and people, that should hinder the carrying on of the building of the temple, or that should attempt to destroy it; by all which, Darius evidently acknowledges, that the God of Israel is able to overturn the kingdoms of the world, and to dethrone the most mighty and powerful princes. By virtue of this edict, the Jews were not only authorized to proceed in the building of their temple, but all the expenses thereof were also to be furnished to them, out of the taxes and imposts of the province.

What constitutes the solid glory of Darius' reign is, he being chosen by God himself, as Cyrus had been before, to be the instrument of his mercies towards his people, the declared protector of the Israelites, and the restorer of the temple at Jerusalem. The reader may see this part of his history in the book of Ezra, and in the writings of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.

In the beginning of the fifth year of Darius, Babylon revolted, and could not be reduced till after a twenty month's siege. This city, formerly mistress of the East, grew impatient of the Persian yoke, especially after the removing of the imperial seat to Susa, which very much diminished Babylon's wealth and grandeur. The Babylonians, taking advantage of the revolution that happened in Persia, first on the death of Cambyses, and afterwards on the massacre of the Magians, made secretly, for four years together, a