"THAT GREAT CITY."

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The river was here about one thousand yards wide, and strongly walled and garrisoned. The streets were laid out at right angles and well paved. The walls were sufficiently wide for ten chariots to drive abreast around on them a distance of upwards of fifty miles. It required two days of rapid marching for an army to encompass them. In these walls were twenty-five solid brass gates to a side, and the whole strengthened by two hundred and fifty towers. Thus the city was five times the size of London.*

The palace of Nebuchadnezzar was immense in proportions and magnificent in embellishments. Its outer wall embraced an area of six miles, including a high tower of observation and defence. Another palace adorned the west bank.

The wealth and splendor of this "great city" was never equalled by any other on earth. It had arrived at the zenith of its power and wealth during Daniel's captivity.

The city was captured by Cyrus in the year 538 B. C.,† or according to the book of Daniel, by Darius the Mede (Daniel 5:31; 9: 1). Cyrus was the real conqueror—“ a shepherd" and “anointed" of the Lord (Isa. 41: 1). While Darius was a monarch of certain delegated authority."-Smith.

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The decree of Cyrus (B. C. 536) liberated the Hebrew colonists, and 42,360, with their servants, returned to Palestine. Many still remained in the east, and in generations after, in common with western Jews, were in continual expectation of a great Prince, who should rise up in their nation and call them all together again. All Hebrew literature, from Daniel to Jesus, teemed with this one great Messianic theme. Any great political commotion, the birth of a new king, or even the sudden appearance of a comet or new planet in the heavens, were of sufficient moment to attract the Jewish mind. It might be looked for in any part of the known world, for, cording to Josephus, the whole inhabitable globe was full of

* According to Herodotus, ten times as large as London.

ac

† From this period began its decay. Darius Hystaspes threw down its walls (500 B. C.) and gates left by Cyrus. Xerxes plundered the temple of Belus, and, in 50 B. C., Strabo found it in complete ruin.

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THE EVANGELIST'S WISE MEN.

Jews, and in Alexandria alone, the synagogue was so large that the worshippers only could know where in the service to respond "amen," by the waving of a signal cloth-until the later prophet fixed the place of the birth in Bethlehem of Judah.

Thus astronomers turned their powers of observation toward the western horizon for the sign of His coming.

Such were the "wise men" and such their original country. With the fall of Babylon they did not lose their power, but became absorbed into other and succeeding governments.

Little can be said of Matthew's "wise men."

Tradition says they were three in number, and the venerable Bede gives their names and personal appearance. Our illustration follows this tradition (agreeing with Matthew as far as he gives any particulars), representing the first, Melchior, a venerable man with white, flowing beard, and richly dressed; Balthazar, a dark, swarthy man of middle age, and Caspar, a fresh and handsome youth, gorgeously arrayed.

These were kings in their own right, and doubtless came with horses and rich trappings, and accompanied by a royal retinue. Hence Augustine (4th Century) and Chrysostom said that their number was twelve.

They were no common horde, as often represented, kneeling in a stable! for had they been, Herod would have beheaded them at once, and given the matter no further notice. I have no doubt that they came in state, very much as the queen of Sheba came to see king Solomon. And Herod trembled !

THE STAR.

This star was in the "west," not as Heber perpetuates the

error

"Star of the east, the horizon adorning."

Balaam's prophecy had led the Jews to expect a peculiar star as the announcement of the birth of the Messiah. "When Messiah is to be revealed, a star will rise, shining with great brightness."-Sohar.

MAGICIANS, STARS AND COMETS.

It was to remain during fifteen days.—Geikie.

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It was the universal belief that extraordinary events, as the birth and death of kings and the rise and fall of kingdoms, were heralded by the appearance of new stars, or of comets. They might appear a year or two before or after a remarkable birth or death, but every new astronomical discovery portended good or evil to some convenient ruler or country. All history and scripture are filled with evidences of this assertion. The Talmud says, "The life and portion of children hang not on righteousness but on their star."

With the death of Cæsar (Julius) a “hairy star shone continuous during seven days, rising at about the eleventh hour."*

Josephus relates that during a year before the fall of Jerusalem (A. D. 69) a star like a suspended sword hung over that doomed city. This was also a comet. The number of stars and comets which have hung over cities and countries which did not fall is not recorded.

Now, "while in the east," these magicians had observed a new star or comet in the western sky. How long they had discovered it before they decided where it was and what it portended, we do not know, but it may have been nearly two years. According to Matthew's account thereof, Herod inquired carefully at what time the star appeared (verse 7). This was, if we rightly understand the sense of verse 16, nearly two years before Herod's slaughter of the children of Bethlehem. The passage reads—

Then Herod . . . slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem... from two years old and under, according to the time which he had carefully learned of the wise men."

Josephus passes this by; but he was a JEW who ignored Jesus.

If the star of Bethlehem appeared on the day of the birth of Jesus, of which there is no proof, it would have required fully forty days for these magicians to prepare for and accomplish the journey to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Whether

*Suetonius Cæsar, 88. It was a comet. Suetonius was a Roman historian of the 1st century, A. D.

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THE HEATHENS VISIT THE BABE.

it appeared two years, or forty odd days, before their arrival, is entirely immaterial, except to the believers in astrology. To Herod, and with him "all Jerusalem," it was not visible, else unremarked, for Herod need not have so carefully inquired when it appeared if it had been a new and remarkable planet which shone in the sky. According to the record (v. 9), the same star was seen by the wise men on the day when they left Jerusalem and went down to Bethlehem.

'Go and search out the young child," said Herod, "and when you have found him bring me word that I also may worship him."

How the murderous Herod would do this is too evident.

So the wise men proceeded to Bethlehem.

Here they found the object of their search, with Mary his mother," in a house," in Bethlehem.-Matt. 2: 11.

"And they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."

Why? Were they Hebrews? No.

And they prostrated themselves before Jesus-" worshipped him-and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh."

Why should these wise men, who evidently belonged to another, and not the Jewish, nor yet Roman, nation, come so far, search so diligently for the new "King of the Jews," and when having found him, rejoice greatly and present him with kingly presents ?-Ps. 72: 11, 15.

There were multitudes of Jews residing in Persia (and all the East) whose hopes of a coming Messiah must have been well known to the Jews. Doubtless these wise men were sent to Jerusalem either by those Jews or, through their influence, by the ruler of the country in which they resided.

Though there is no truth in astrology, it is not impossible that a fallacy may be instrumental in revealing a great truth. And so it may have been in the above case.

The wise men, having seen the child Jesus, returned southward (another way from which they came) unto their own country.-Matt. 2: 12.

"Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked-made a

THE SLAUGHTER OF THE BABES.

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laughing-stock-by the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent a band of his soldiers to Bethlehem, and slaughtered all the male children under two years of age." Matthew only records this shocking affair. It is not easily understood why Herod should have selected children over one year of age, or even six months, unless he feared that the magi had deceived him in relation to the time of the birth of the young "King of the Jews," or that the star had been two years in the heavens. How many children were slaughtered?

Not very many. Bethlehem was but a small place; its inhabitants, now some three thousand, is supposed to have been not over one thousand then. The number of children under two years, of male sex, would not exceed thirty or forty.

Says the Rev. F. A. Malleson, " It is a sad speculation how many of these budding lives were thus cut short by the bloody Herod."-Life of Christ.

The words of Matthew, that "Joseph arose and took the young child," and fled into Egypt, implies that the babe was still very young. Because Herod murdered all up to two years of age, it need not be inferred that the "young child Jesus was of that age. He was not above two months old, according to the best evidences.