d effeminate prince.

[25] It is no way improbable that Daniel's enemies might suggest this
reason to the king why the lions did not meddle with him and that they
might suspect the king's kindness to Daniel had procured these lions
to be so filled beforehand, and that thence it was that he encouraged
Daniel to submit to this experiment, in hopes of coming off safe; and
that this was the true reason of making so terrible an experiment upon
those his enemies, and all their families, Daniel 6:21, though our other
copies do not directly take notice of it.

[26] What Josephus here says, that the stones of the sepulchers of the
kings of Persia at this tower, or those perhaps of the same sort that
are now commonly called the ruins of Persepolis, continued so entire
and unaltered in his days, as if they were lately put there, "I [says
Reland] here can show to be true, as to those stones of the Persian
mansoleum, which Com. Brunius brake off and gave me." He ascribed this
to the hardness of the stones, which scarcely yields to iron tools, and
proves frequently too hard for cutting by the chisel, but oftentimes
breaks it to pieces.

BOOK 11 FOOTNOTES

[1] This Cyrus is called God's shepherd by Xenophon, as well as by
Isaiah, Isaiah 44:28; as also it is said of him by the same prophet,
that "I will make a man more precious than fine gold, even a man
than the golden wedge of Ophir," Isaiah 13:12, which character makes
Xenophon's most excellent history of him very credible.

[2] This leave to build Jerusalem, sect. 3, and this epistle of Cyrus to
Sisinnes and Sathrabuzanes, to the same purpose, are most unfortunately
omitted in all our copies but this best and completest copy of Josephus;
and by such omission the famous prophecy of Isaiah, Isaiah 44:28, where
we are informed that God said of or to Cyrus, "He is my shepherd, and
shall perform all my pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt
be built, and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid," could not
hitherto be demonstrated from the sacred history to have been completely
fulfilled, I mean as to that part of it which concerned his giving leave
or commission for rebuilding the city Jerusalem as distinct from the
temple, whose rebuilding is alone permitted or directed in the decree of
Cyrus in all our copies.

[3] Of the true number of golden and silver vessels here and elsewhere
belonging to the temple of Solomon, see the description of the temples,
chap.