This is what Berosus relates concerning the forementioned king,
as he relates many other things about him also in the third book of his
Chaldean History; wherein he complains of the Grecian writers for supposing,
without any foundation, that Babylon was built by Semiramis, note
queen of Assyria, and for her false pretense to those wonderful edifices
thereto buildings at Babylon, do no way contradict those ancient and relating,
as if they were her own workmanship; as indeed in these affairs the Chaldean
History cannot but be the most credible. Moreover, we meet with a confirmation
of what Berosus says in the archives of the Phoenicians, concerning this
king Nabuchodonosor, that he conquered all Syria and Phoenicia; in which
case Philostratus agrees with the others in that history which he composed,
where he mentions the siege of Tyre; as does Megasthenes also, in the fourth
book of his Indian History, wherein he pretends to prove that the forementioned
king of the Babylonians was superior to Hercules in strength and the greatness
of his exploits; for he says that he conquered a great part of Libya, and
conquered Iberia also. Now as to what I have said before about the temple
at Jerusalem, that it was fought against by the Babylonians, and burnt
by them, but was opened again when Cyrus had taken the kingdom of Asia,
shall now be demonstrated from what Berosus adds further upon that head;
for thus he says in his third book: "Nabuchodonosor, after he had
begun to build the forementioned wall, fell sick, and departed this life,
when he had reigned forty-three years; whereupon his son Evilmerodach obtained
the kingdom. He governed public affairs after an illegal and impure manner,
and had a plot laid against him by Neriglissoor, his sister's husband,
and was slain by him when he had reigned but two years. After he was slain,
Neriglissoor, the person who plotted against him, succeeded him in the
kingdom, and reigned four years; his son Laborosoarchod obtained the kingdom,
though he was but a child, and kept it nine mouths; but by reason of the
very ill temper and ill practices he exhibited to the world, a plot was
laid against him also by his friends, and he was tormented to death. After
his death, the conspirators got together, and by common consent put the
crown upon the head of Nabonnedus, a man of Babylon, and one who belonged
to that insurrection. In his reign it was that the walls of the city of
Babylon were curiously built with burnt brick and bitumen; but when he
was come to the seventeenth year of his reign, Cyrus came out of Persia
with a great army; and having already conquered all the rest of Asia, he
came hastily to Babylonia. When Nabonnedus perceived he was coming to attack
him, he met him with his forces, and joining battle with him was beaten,
and fled away with a few of his troops with him, and was shut up within
the city Borsippus. Hereupon Cyrus took Babylon, and gave order that the
outer walls of the city should be demolished, because the city had proved
very troublesome to him, and cost him a great deal of pains to take it.
He then marched away to Borsippus, to besiege Nabonnedus; but as Nabonnedus
did not sustain the siege, but delivered himself into his hands, he was
at first kindly used by Cyrus, who gave him Carmania, as a place for him
to inhabit in, but sent him out of Babylonia. Accordingly Nabonnedus spent
the rest of his time in that country, and there died."
These accounts agree with the true histories in our books; for in
them it is written that Nebuchadnezzar, in the eighteenth year of his reign,
laid our temple desolate, and so it lay in that state of obscurity for
fifty years; but that in the second year of the reign of Cyrus its foundations
were laid, and it was finished again in the second year of Darius. I will
now add the records of the Phoenicians; for it will not be superfluous
to give the reader demonstrations more than enough on this occasion. In
them we have this enumeration of the times of their several kings: "Nabuchodonosor
besieged Tyre for thirteen years in the days of Ithobal, their king; after
him reigned Baal, ten years; after him were judges appointed, who judged
the people: Ecnibalus, the son of Baslacus, two months; Chelbes, the son
of Abdeus, ten months; Abbar, the high priest, three months; Mitgonus and
Gerastratus, the sons of Abdelemus, were judges six years; after whom Balatorus
reigned one year; after his death they sent and fetched Merbalus from Babylon,
who reigned four years; after his death they sent for his brother Hirom,
who reigned twenty years. Under his reign Cyrus became king of Persia."
So that the whole interval is fifty-four years besides three months; for
in the seventh year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar he began to besiege
Tyre, and Cyrus the Persian took the kingdom in the fourteenth year of
Hirom. So that the records of the Chaldeans and Tyrians agree with our
writings about this temple; and the testimonies here produced are an indisputable
and undeniable attestation to the antiquity of our nation. And I suppose
that what I have already said may be sufficient to such as are not very
contentious.
