What we have said would suffice to prove that the (Jerusalem) temple will never be restored. But since the truth has very abundant means, then, leaving the Gospel, I will turn to the prophets, whom the Jews seem to especially believe, and by them I will prove that the Jews will never receive either a temple or a city. For me, in fact, there was no need to prove that (the temple) would not be restored, and it was not mine, but their business would be to prove the opposite, that is, that it would be restored. I have a proof in time itself, which testifies and stands for me; but they, who are refuted by the events themselves, and who are not able to confirm their words with deeds, but only boast in vain and without reason, it is they who must present this testimony. What I say is confirmed by the very works; and the fact that, for example, the city fell, and that it was not restored after so much time; and what they say is all empty words. They would have to prove that the city would be rebuilt again: and in judicial places, as we see, evidence is produced in the same way. When people argue among themselves about something, and one of them presents written proofs of his words, and the other rejects the testimony (of the opponent), then this one must already present witnesses and other refutations that the matter did not happen as the written testimony (of the opponent) says, and not the one who presents this testimony. Thus it would be fitting for the Jews to do now, to present us with a prophet who would say that their city would certainly be restored; for if their present captivity were to end, the prophets would certainly have foretold it. This is obvious to anyone who has at least somewhat delved into the prophetic books. Among the Jews, from ancient times, the prophets used to predict in advance everything that was to happen to them, good or bad. What is it for, and why? By the great treachery and shamelessness (of the Jews). They constantly forgot about God, who had done them good, and attributed all events to demons, and they were considered to be the authors of good. Thus, after leaving Egypt, when the sea was divided and other miracles were performed, they, forgetting the God who had performed these miracles, ascribed them to those who were not gods, and said to Aaron, "Make us gods, who will go before us" (Exod. XXXII, 1). And they come to Jeremiah with these words: "The word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to thee, for thou hast done every word that proceedeth out of our mouth, to incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out to her drink-offerings, as we, and our fathers, and our kings, and our princes, have done: and we shall be satisfied with the loaves, and it shall be good for us, and we shall see no evil." And when we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink-offerings, we all lacked bread, and died with sword and famine (Jer. XLIV, 16-18). Therefore, so that the Jews did not ascribe a single event to idols, but believed that both punishments and good deeds were always sent to them from God, the prophets foretold them in advance about the future. And in order that you may be convinced that this was the reason for the prediction, listen to what the most majestic Isaiah says to the people of Judah: "Behold, how cruel thou art and thy vein is iron, that is, unyielding, thy necks, and thy forehead is brass, that is, shameless" (Isa. XLVIII, 4). In the same way, we often have the habit of calling shameless people copperheads. And thou shalt proclaim, saith the prophet, that thou shalt come upon thee, before thou wast unto thee, and thou hast heard, v. 5. Then, explaining the reason for the prophecy, he added: "Not when thou shalt speak, for thou hast made this idols unto me, and hast commanded me, carved and merged." Moreover, since there were people who, in their stubbornness and deceitfulness, even after the very fulfillment (of the prophecies), insolently contradicted, as if they had not heard (the prediction); then the prophets not only predicted the future, but also took witnesses to it. Thus the same Isaiah says: "And make faithful men witnesses unto me, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Barachiah" (Isa. VIII, 2). Not only that; (Isaiah) also wrote down his prophecy in a new book, so that, after its fulfillment, the very writings would testify against the Jews, that this was foretold by them in advance and long ago. And that it is true, that God foretold to the Jews about all things to come, I will prove not only from this, but also from the very events of the Jews, both calamitous and happy.

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Three slaverys, the most grievous, were experienced by the Jews, and God did not bring a single one upon them without foretelling, on the contrary, He foretold them all, foretelling with accuracy the place, and the time, and the person, and the type of calamity, and deliverance from it, and all the rest. First of all, I will say about Egyptian slavery. - Speaking to Abraham, (the Lord) says thus: "Know that thy seed shall be in a land that is not thy own: and they shall enslave me, and they shall make me angry for four hundred years." And to the tongue, which will be worked, I judge, God said: but in the fourth generation they shall return to this with many possessions (Gen. 2:11). XV, 13, 14, 16). You see how God spoke about the number of years - four hundred years, and about the quality of slavery, because they will not only enslave, but also embitter. Listen, then, as Moses later tells of this anger: "Hymen is not given to thy servants, and plinths are spoken unto us" (Exod. V, 16). Moreover, every day they were scourged. This is what it means: they will enslave and embitter. As for the tongue, which will be worked, I judge Az (says God), and by this he points to the drowning of the Egyptians in the Black Sea. And Moses, describing this in songs, says thus: "Cast the horse and the rider into the sea" (Exod. XV, 1). Then it is said about the type of return (of the Jews from Egypt) - that they will return with a multitude of vessels: let him ask of his neighbors and friends vessels of silver and gold (Exod. III, 22). And the prophet exclaimed, "And I have made me sick with silver and gold, and I shall not be sick in their tribes" (Ps. CIV, 37). So one slavery is predicted in full detail! Now let us turn our speech to another one. To which one? To the Babylonian. And Jeremiah foretold of him with exactness, saying, "For thus saith the Lord, When the seventy years shall be fulfilled in Babylon, I will visit you, and I will set my word of good against you, that I shall restore you to this place." And I will turn your captivity, and I will gather you from all tongues and from all countries, in which I have cast you out, saith the Lord, And I will bring you back to the place whence I have commanded you to bring you (Jer. XXIX, 10, 14). Do you see how God again indicated the city, and the number of years, and where He wanted to gather them, and where to gather them? Therefore, Daniel did not pray for them until he saw that the seventy years were already fulfilled. Who is talking about this? Daniel himself thus: "O Daniel, do the works of the king, and it seemed to him that he saw a vision, and he did not understand it" (Dan. VIII, 27). And the number of years is understood in the books, as the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, seventy years at the end of the desolation of Jerusalem. And I have given my face to the Lord God, that I may seek prayers and petitions in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes (IX, 2, 3). Thou hast heard how this slavery was foretold, and how the prophet did not dare to offer up prayer and supplication to God before a certain time, lest thou pray in vain and in vain, lest thou hear the same thing that Jeremiah heard: "Pray not for these people, neither pray for them, nor ask for them, lest I hear thee" (Jer. VII, 16)? But when (Daniel) saw that (God's) decree had been fulfilled, and the time had already come to return (from captivity); then he begins to pray, and not simply, but in fasting and in sackcloth and in ashes. In relation to God, he acted as it usually happens between people. And when we see that some (masters), for great and frequent offenses, have put their servants in prison, we do not ask now, not immediately, not at the very beginning of the punishment (for the guilty), but, having allowed them to come to their senses for a few days, then we approach the masters with a request, having help for ourselves and in time itself. This is what the prophet did: when the Jews had already suffered a punishment, although not commensurate with their crimes, but had suffered completely, then he came to God to pray for them. If you wish, let us listen to the prayer itself. Confess, saith the prophet, and say: O Lord, great and wonderful God, keep Thy covenant and Thy mercy to them that love Thee, and keep Thy commandments (Dan. IX, 4). What are you doing, Daniel? When you intercede for people who have sinned and offended (God), do you mention those who keep His laws? Do those who transgress His commandments deserve forgiveness? I say this not for the sake of these, the prophet answers, but for the sake of the ancient forefathers, for the sake of Abraham, for the sake of Isaac, for the sake of Jacob. To them, he says, God promised (His mercy), to them who kept His commandments. Since these (descendants) have no right to salvation, that is why I mentioned the ancestors. And lest thou should think that the prophet is speaking of these (descendants), he, after saying, "Keep Thy covenant and Thy mercy unto them that love Thee, and keep Thy commandments," immediately added: "Thou hast sinned, the wicked, the wicked, the wicked, the apostatic, the departed from Thy commandments and from Thy judgments, and Thy servant has not obeyed Thy prophets" (Dan. IX, 5-6). Sinners, after their sins, are left with only one excuse – the confession of their sins. And here you pay attention to the virtue of the righteous man, and to the wickedness of the Jews. He, not knowing anything evil about himself, condemns himself very severely, saying: "I have sinned, I am wicked, I am wicked; but these, guilty of innumerable sins, did the opposite, saying, "Let us keep it: even now we bless strangers, and all who do wickedness are built" (Malach. III, 14, 15). For just as it is customary for the righteous to humble themselves even after good works, so it is for the wicked to be vain after sins. He who knew nothing of himself said, "I am wicked, and we have deviated from Thy commandments; and those who had an innumerable number of sins on their consciences said, "Let us keep Thy commandments!" I say this so that we may avoid this (vanity), and imitate that (humbly).

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Having denounced the iniquity of the Jews, the prophet then speaks of the punishment that they suffered, trying to bend God to mercy in this way: "And there came upon us," he says, "the oath inscribed in the law of Moses, the servant of God, as having sinned" (Dan. IX, 11). What is this oath? Do you want us to read it? If ye do not serve, says Moses, the Lord your God, and the Lord shall bring upon you a tongue without a tongue, which thou shalt not hear, and thou shalt remain among the least (Deut. XXVIII, 15, 49, 50, 62). This was also pointed out by the three youths; and they, showing that such a punishment had come upon them for their deeds, and confessing before God the common sins (of the people), said, "Thou hast delivered us into the hands of lawless enemies, vile apostates, and to an unrighteous and wicked king more than all the earth" (Dan. III, 32). Thou seest how the oath was fulfilled, which said: Thou shalt remain among the few; And one more thing: I'll bring the language of Bestuden to you. Daniel points to the same thing here, saying: "And the evil one came against us, and there was no one under all the heavens, according to those who were in Israel" (IX, 12). What kind of evil is this? Mothers ate their children. Moses foretells this, and Jeremiah speaks as if it had already happened. He says that the young in you, and the young in you, whose foot is not accustomed to walk on the ground of youth and youth, will come to the impious meal and eat her child (Deut. XXVIII, 56, 57). And Jeremiah, showing that this had happened, said, "The hands of the merciful wives have cooked their children" (Lamentations. IV, 10). But even after speaking of the sins which the Jews had committed, and having presented the punishment which they suffered, (Daniel) does not yet consider them worthy of pardon. Look, what a conscientious slave he is! Having shown that the Jews have not yet suffered as much as they deserved by their sins, and have not made amends for their iniquities by their sufferings, he finally resorts to the kindness and love of God, saying: "And now, O Lord our God, who hast brought thy people out of the land of Egypt, and hast made unto thyself a name, as this day thou hast sinned, the wicked" (Dan. IX, 15). As Thou didst save them, not because of their good works, but because Thou didst see (their) sorrow and distress, and heard their cry, so deliver us also from present calamities through Thy love for mankind alone; We have no other right to salvation. Having said this, and having wept enough, Daniel finally presents the city as a kind of captive wife, and says: "Show Thy face in Thy sanctuary, incline Thy ear, O my God, and hear, open Thy eyes, and behold our consumption, and Thy city, in which Thy name was called upon it" (Dan. IX, 17, 18). For, having examined the people, he did not see one among them who could propitiate God; then he turns to the buildings, exposes the city itself, points out its desolation, and having thus concluded the word (prayers), propitiated God, as is evident from what follows. But what did I talk about? It is necessary to return again to the very subject of the word; however, I did not introduce this in vain or without intention, but in order to give your mind, which is tired of incessant debates, a little rest. Let us, therefore, return to the beginning of this apostasy, and show that the calamities that were to befall the Jews were foretold with all accuracy. The discussion of the two slaverys proved that they befell the Jews after the prophecies, and not suddenly and unexpectedly. It remains at last to present the third slavery, and then to speak of the present in which they now find themselves, and to show clearly how no prophet has promised that they would receive deliverance and deliverance from their present afflictions. What is the third slavery? The one that was in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes. When Alexander, king of Macedonia, having overthrown Darius king of Persia, and subdued his dominions, died, he was succeeded by four kings. From one of them, after a long time, came Antiochus: he burned the temple, devastated the holy of holies, destroyed the sacrifices, enslaved the Jews, and overthrew their entire social order.

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And all this, with all exactness, even to a single day, was foretold by Daniel, and when it will be, and how, and from whom, and how, and where it will end, and what it will change into. But you will see this more clearly when you hear about the very vision which the prophet gave us in the parable, calling the Persian king Darius a ram, the Greek king, i.e. Alexander the Great, a goat, the kings who rose after him with four horns, and Antiochus himself with the last horn. However, it is better to listen to the vision itself. I saw in a vision, says the prophet, and was on the hill (as he calls a place in the Persian language): And my eyes were lifted up, and I saw: and behold, a ram stood alone before the hill, having horns, and horns high: and the one was higher than the other, and the one ascending higher than the last. And when he saw a ram butting on the sea, and to the north, and to the south, and all the beasts would not stand before him, nor deliver him out of his hand, but did according to his will, and became magnified. and I am meditating (Dan, VIII, 2-5). It is he who speaks of Persian power and domination, which extended over the whole earth. Then, speaking of Alexander the Great, he says, "And behold, a goat came from the goats from the west on the face of all the earth: and he did not touch the ground: and to that goat we see a horn between his eyes" (v. 5). Then he speaks of Alexander's attack on Darius, and of his decisive victory over him: "And the goat came to the ram that had horns, and was furious, and smote the ram," we can shorten the story, "and broke both his horns, and did not deliver the ram out of his hand" (v. 6, 7). Then, after mentioning the death of Alexander, he speaks of the appearance of four kings after him: "And when his great horn was strengthened, he was broken: and the four roses arose under him, according to the four winds of heaven" (v. 8). At last, having passed over to the reign of Antiochus, and showing that this Antiochus was descended from one of those four kings, thus he says: "And from one of them the generation is strong, and the nobles are magnified to the south and east," v. 9. Further, he shows that Antiochus also destroyed the kingdom of Judah, saying: "And for his sake the sacrifice shall be troubled by sin, and thou shalt be pleased with it, and the holy shall be desolate, and sin shall be given to the sacrifice." Indeed, after the overthrow of the altar and the trampling of the holy place, Antiochus set up an idol inside the temple, and ordered lawless sacrifices to demons. And righteousness shall be cast down to the ground: and do, and be prosperous, v. 11, 12. Then, speaking on another occasion about this very reign of Antiochus, about the captivity and capture (of Jerusalem) and the desolation of the temple, the prophet determines the time itself. Namely, beginning with the reign of Alexander, and towards the end of the book, having narrated all that had happened during that time, all that the Ptolemies and Seleucids and their generals had done in mutual struggle, of intrigues and victories, of campaigns and wars on sea and land, and having reached Antiochus, the prophet ends this narrative thus: "And the arms of him shall arise, and defile the holy things, and shall make things everlasting" (XI, 31), meaning by the eternal constant daily sacrifices; and they will give the abomination of desolation, and the lawless covenant, that is, the Jews who break the law, will be brought into delusion, they will take with them and resettle. but the people who lead their God will help, meaning here the feats of the Maccabees, performed by Judas, Simon, and John. And the people will understand much, and they will faint in the swords, and in the flames - this is again said about the burning of the city - and in captivity, and in the plundering of the days. And when they are exhausted, he will help them with a little help: with these words the prophet makes it clear that in the midst of those very calamities (the Jews) will have the opportunity to rest and be freed from the evils that have befallen them. And many will be added to them with delusion, and will faint from those who understand: by these words the prophet shows that many of those who stand will fall. Then he also expresses the reason why God allowed the Jews to fall into such calamities. What is this reason? If I kindle, he says, and choose, and open even to the end of time. That is, God allowed this in order to purify them and show the faithful among them. Then, speaking of the power of the same king (Antiochus), the prophet says: "And he will do according to his will, and he will be exalted and magnified." And pointing out his blasphemous designs, the prophet adds that he will cry out against the God of gods, and will rule until his wrath is over, and by this he makes it clear that Antiochus was so strengthened not by his own will, but by the wrath of God against the Jews. Finally, having spoken in greater detail about how much evil (Antiochus) he will do to Egypt and Palestine, how he will return, and at whose call, and for what motivating reason, Daniel also speaks of the change of circumstances, that the Jews, having survived all this, will receive help, and it is to them that the angel will be sent to help: and in the time of it, Michael the great prince will arise, Stand for the sons of thy people: and there shall be a time of tribulation, tribulation, for there shall be no such thing, but a tongue shall be formed on the earth, even unto that time: and at that time shall all thy people be saved, who have been found inscribed in the book (XXII, 1), that is, worthy of salvation.

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However, our question has not yet been resolved. What does it consist of? In the fact that God has determined how much time the Jews should spend in this slavery, just as in the first four hundred, and in the second seventy years. And so let us see if there is not some time here as well. But where can you find it? In the further narration (of the Prophet Daniel). When he heard of the many and grievous calamities, of the burning (of Jerusalem), of the overthrow of the state (of Judah), of the captivity of his fellow countrymen, he wanted to know whether there would be an end to these calamities. And he said, inquiring about this: Lord, what is the last of these? And he said, "Come, Daniel, for the word is barred and sealed" (indicating the obscurity of the words) even to the end of time. Then he reveals the reason for the allowance of calamities: "Until they are chosen, and they are made white, and many are tempted by fire: and the wicked shall be guilty of iniquity, and all the wicked shall not understand, but shall understand the wise" (Dan. XII, 9, 10). Then, predicting the very time during which these calamities will weigh upon them, he says: from the time of the change of the everlasting sacrifice. A daily sacrifice was called "everyday" because it was constant and uninterrupted. It was the custom of the Jews to offer sacrifice to God in the evening and in the morning of every day: for this reason the prophet called that sacrifice permanent. And since Antiochus, having come, destroyed this custom and put an end to it, the angel also said that from the time of the change of the everlasting sacrifice, that is, from the time of the cessation of this sacrifice, there are two hundred and ninety days, that is, three years and a half, and a little more. Then, revealing that there would be an end and an end to these calamities, he added: Blessed is he who endures and reaches to the days of three hundred and thirty-five, that is, to the thousand two hundred and ninety forty-five days; for one month and a half the war continued, which ended (for the Jews) with a brilliant victory, and at the same time with a complete deliverance from the calamities that weighed on (the Jews). And so, with the words, "Blessed is he who endures, and who has attained to the days of three hundred and thirty-five," the angel prophesied deliverance (from calamities); however, he did not say simply: attained, but endure and attained. Many of the wicked have seen the change of circumstances, but the angel does not bless indiscriminately, but only those who have suffered during the time of tribulation, have not betrayed their piety, and then have already attained peace. That is why he did not simply say, "Attained," but endure and attained. What could be clearer than this? You see how the prophet foretold both the captivity and the deliverance from captivity with all accuracy, not only to the last year and month, but to the last day. And in confirmation that I do not say this from my own conjecture alone, I will bring you another witness, whom the Jews consider worthy of special probability, I mean Joseph, who both touchingly described their calamities and set forth in detail the entire Old Testament. Living after the coming of Christ and having talked about the captivity (of the Jews by the Romans) predicted by Him, Joseph also told about this captivity that had taken place (under Antiochus Epiphanes), and he also interpreted the prophet's vision of the ram, the goat, the four horns, and the last horn that appeared after them. And so that no one should suspect our words, we will offer his true words. Having praised Daniel to the point of excess, and placing him above all the other prophets, Joseph refers to this vision as well, and says: "He (Daniel) has left writings, in which he has given us an accurate and trustworthy description of his prophecy. He says that in Susa, the capital of Persia, he went out into the field with some of his men, and when a sudden earthquake happened, his friends fled, and he was left alone. Then he fell on his face, leaning on both hands; And when someone touched him and commanded him to stand up and see what was to happen to his countrymen after many generations, he arose, and there appeared to him a great ram, which had grown many horns, but the last of them was taller than the others. Then, looking to the west, he saw a goat rushing through the air, which fought with a ram, struck it twice with its horns, knocked it to the ground and trampled it down. Then he saw that the goat had grown taller, and a large horn had grown on his forehead; when this horn was broken, the other four sprang up, facing each of the (four) winds; and out of them came another smaller (horn), which then grew. Having shown this (to Daniel), God said that his people would be defeated, the city taken by force, the temple plundered, the sacrifice stopped; and this will continue until one thousand two hundred and ninety days. This is what Daniel saw, as he himself wrote, in the field at Shushan, and the explanation of the vision, he says, was given to him by God, who said that the ram signified the kingdom of Persia and the Medes, and the horns of the kings to come; The last horn signifies the last king, who will surpass all in wealth and glory. The goat means that the Greeks will produce a king who, having twice attacked the Persian king, will defeat him in war and completely deprive him of power. The large (first) horn on the forehead of the goat means the first king; and the other four, which grew up after his destruction and turned to the four corners of the world, point to the successors of the first king and the division of the kingdom between them; for neither his children nor his relatives shall rule over the world for many years. From these (successors) will come one king, who will conquer (the Jews), abolish both their laws and statutes, plunder the temple, and forbid sacrifice for three years. And all this our people had to suffer from Antiochus Epiphanes, as Daniel had predicted and recorded many years before."

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What could be clearer than this? It is now, however, if we have not tired you, to turn to the main subject, that is, to the present captivity, to the present slavery (of the Jews), because of which we have said all this. Be attentive, for we are not dealing with unimportant matters. Those sitting at the Olympic Games from midnight to noon wait to see who will get the wreath; they take the red-hot rays of the sun on their naked heads, and leave the spectacle no sooner than when the judgment on the feats of the fighters is pronounced; it is so inappropriate for us now to complain of fatigue, when the struggle is not even for such a wreath, but for an imperishable crown. Thus we have sufficiently proved that three captivities were foretold, of which one lasted four hundred years, another seventy, and the third three and a half years. Now let's talk about the current one. And what the prophet foretold about him, I will again present as a witness the same Joseph, their (the Jews') like-minded man. After he has spoken of the above, listen to what he says further: "In like manner Daniel wrote of the dominion of the Romans, and that Jerusalem would be taken by them, and the temple desolate." Here consider that the writer of this, although he was a Jew, nevertheless did not dare to imitate you in his passion for disputes. For when he said that Jerusalem would be taken, he did not dare to add, that (that city)

"And when God showed all these things to Daniel, he wrote them down, and left them with us, that when we read his prophecies, and saw them fulfilled, we might marvel at the honor which God had vouchsafed Daniel." So let's see, where did Daniel say that the temple would be desolate? After he had made the above-mentioned prayer in sackcloth and ashes, Gabriel came to him and said, "Seventy weeks are shortened for thy people, and for the holy city" (Dan. IX, 24). Here, you say, is the time indicated? Yes, the time, only not (the end of) the captivity, but the time after which the captivity should take place. For it is one thing to say how long the captivity will last, and another thing to say how long it must follow and come. Seventy weeks, he says, are shortened for thy people; He did not say, "Concerning my people," although the prophet said, "Show thy face to thy people"; no, God is already shunned (by the Jewish people) for their future sin. Then he also points out the reason: that sin may be promised and sin will end. What does it mean: that sin may end? They (the Jews) sin many, he says, but the height of their iniquities will be when they kill their Lord. Christ also speaks of this: "And ye shall fulfill the measure of your father" (Matt. XXIII, 32). You, he says, have killed the slaves: add the blood of the Lord already. See what agreement there is in your thoughts. Christ said: "Fulfill; The prophet says: Sin will end, and sins will be sealed. What does it mean, they will be sealed? That there will be nothing left (to make the Jews so wicked). And eternal righteousness will be brought forth. What eternal truth is this, if not that which is given by Christ? And the vision and the prophet will be sealed, and the holy of holies will be anointed, that is, the prophecy will finally cease - for this means sealing - the anointing will cease, the vision will cease. Therefore Christ said: "The law and the prophets before John" (Matt. XI, 11). Do you see how God threatens the Jews here with complete desolation and retribution for sins and wickedness? He does not (promise) to forgive, but threatens to punish them for their sins!

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When did it come true? When did prophecy cease altogether? When was the anointing destroyed so that it will never be restored? If we remain silent, the stones will cry out: "Events are so clearly to speak!" And we cannot point to any other time in which this would be fulfilled than the present, which has already lasted so long and will continue even more. Further, God says even more precisely: "And weigh and understand, from the departure of the word, if thou shalt declare, and if thou shalt keep Jerusalem even unto Christ, the elders of seven seven, and sixty-two sevens" (Dan. IX, 25). Now listen to me attentively: for here lies the whole question. Seven weeks and sixty-two weeks make four hundred and eighty-three years: the weeks here are not meant days or months, but years. But from Cyrus to Antiochus Epiphanes and the captivity (who was with him) passed (only) three hundred and ninety-four years. Thus (God) makes it clear that He is not speaking of that desolation of the temple (from Antiochus Epiphanes), but about that which came after him from Pompey, Vespasian, and Titus; and thus spends time further. Then, in order to show us whence the reckoning should lead, he says that (it is necessary to count) not from the day of return, but from where? From the exodus of the Word, to declare, and to protect Jerusalem; but it was built not under Cyrus, but under Artaxerxes Longimanus. For after the death of (Cyrus) Cambyses ascended (the throne), after him the Magi, after them Darius Istaspus, then Xerxes, the son of Darius, after him Artabanus; after Artabanus, Artaxerxes Longiman reigned in Persia, and during his reign, in the twentieth year of his reign, Nehemiah, returning (from captivity), rebuilt the city. Ezra told us about this in detail. If, therefore, we begin to count four hundred and eighty-three years from here, we shall surely come to the time of this (last) destruction (of the temple). Therefore (God) says: "The stack will be gathered and taken away." So from that time, he says, when (the city) rises (from the ruins) and receives its form, count seventy weeks, and you will see that the present captivity is not yet over. And in order to show this still more clearly, that is, that the calamities that weigh upon the Jews will have no end, He says thus: And after the weeks of the sixty-two anointing shall be necessary, and judgment shall not be in it: but the city and the holy shall be scattered with the elder to come, and shall be consumed as in the flood, so that there shall be neither remnant nor root; who would sprout again; and to the end of the army, reduced by the rank of perdition. And again of the same captivity he says: "Sacrifice and drink offering shall be taken away, and besides, in the sanctuary shall be the abomination of desolation, and even to the end of time the end shall be given to desolation" (IX, 26-27). And when you, Jew, hear about the end, what else can you expect? And moreover, what does this mean beyond that? This means that to this, as has been said, to the taking away of sacrifice and libation, a still greater evil will be added. What is it? In the sanctuary is the abomination of desolation; the temple is called the sanctuary here, and the statue which the destroyer of the city placed in the temple is called the abomination of desolation. And even to the end, he says, desolation. Wherefore Christ, who came in the flesh after Antiochus Epiphanes, foretelling of the impending captivity (of the Jews), and showing that Daniel prophesied of this captivity, says: "When ye see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, I stand in the holy place: whosoever honoreth, let him understand" (Matt. XXIV, 15). For among the Jews every idol and every image of man was considered an abomination; then Christ, mysteriously pointing to that statue, suddenly predicted and when, and from whom the captivity would take place. And that this is said of the Romans, Josephus also testified, as we have shown above. And so, what is left for us to say, when the prophets foretold about other captivities with the appointment of a time (their continuation), and for the present one they not only did not appoint any time, but also added the opposite, that even to the end there will be desolation? And that what has been said is not a lie, we will also present evidence of experience itself. If (the Jews) had not attempted to build the temple, they might have said that if we had wanted to proceed and set about building, we would certainly have succeeded in doing so. But I will show that they attempted not once, not twice, but even three times and were repelled as it happens (happens with fighters) at the Olympic Games, so that the crown (of victory) indisputably belongs to the Church.