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Full Download 50 Bin Yillik Dunya Duzeni Toplumlar Ve Hukuklari 1St Edition Erdem Denk Online Full Chapter PDF
Full Download 50 Bin Yillik Dunya Duzeni Toplumlar Ve Hukuklari 1St Edition Erdem Denk Online Full Chapter PDF
Full Download 50 Bin Yillik Dunya Duzeni Toplumlar Ve Hukuklari 1St Edition Erdem Denk Online Full Chapter PDF
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50 BİN YILLIK
DÜNYA DÜZENİ
Toplumlar ve Hukukları
ERDEM DENK
50 BİN Y ILLIK DÜNYA DÜZENİ: TOPLUMLAR VE HUKUKLARI
Erdem Denk
Yayına Hazırlayan
Hakan Tanıttıran
Kapak Tasarım
Oktay Ay
Görsel Düzenleme
Asya Denk
Mizanpaj
Aysun Alsancak
Kalkedon Yayınhm
Akşemsettin Mah. Sarınasuh Sok. Nadir AP. No 49
Kat 3, Fatih - İstanbul, Sertifika No: 48077
e-mail: kalkedonyayinlari@gmail.com
ISBN: 978-605-7942-51-7
denk@ankara.edu.tr
www.erdemdenk.com
İçindekiler
Sunum ........................................................................................................... 7
İnsanın İnsanlaşması (2 Milyon Yıl-MÖ 50 Bin) ..................................... 9
Düzen Kuran İnsan .................................................................................... 11
Göçer Avcı-Toplayıcılar ( MÖ 50-10 Bin) ................................................. 15
Yeni İklim ve Yaşam Koşulları: Avcı-Toplayıcı Köylerin Doğuşu
( MÖ 20-10 Bin) ........................................................ :.................................. 29
İlksel "Birleşmiş Milletler": Göbeklitepe ( MÖ 10 Bin) .......................... 32
Evcilleş(tir)en İnsan ( MÖ 10-6 Bin) ......................................................... 35
İlk "Köy-Kent": Çatalhöyük ( MÖ 7-5 Bin) ................................................ 37
Çanak-Çömlek Patladı: Halaf Kültürü'nden Bakır Çağı'na
( MÖ 6-3 Bin) ............................................................................................... 44
Yeni Düzen Arayışı: Kentlerin Yükselişi ( MÖ 4 Bin) ............................ 50
Bronz Çağı: Sümer Kent-Devletleri ( MÖ 3-2 Bin) ................................... 53
İlk İmparatorluk Denemesi: "Dört Bir Köşenin Kralı" Sargon
(MÖ 2300-2150) ......................................................................................... 62
Demir Çağı: Evrenselciliğin Yükselişi ( MÖ 1000 Dönemeci) ............. 66
Kandaş Toplumlar (MÖ 8-MS 13. Yüzyıl) .............................................. 71
İmparatorluklar Çağı (MÖ 550-MS 19. Yüzyıl) ..................................... 75
Ahamenişler (MÖ 550-MÖ 330) ............................................................... 78
İskender'in Seferi (MÖ 336-323) .............................................................. 81
Roma İmparatorluğu (MÖ 27-MS 320) .................................................... 83
Batı Roma ( MS 330-800) ........................................................................... 89
Kutsal Roma'dan Feodal Avrupa'ya (800-1492) .................................... 93
Barut ve Talan Çağı: "Yeni Dünya"nın Kuruluşu (1492-1648) .......... 102
Merkantilist Çağ (1648-1815) ................................................................. 113
Sanayi Çağı: Liberal Uluslararasıcılık (1815-1919) ............................. 118
Evrensel(ci) idealler Çağı (1919-1945) .................................................. 124
Yarımküreler Çağı: İki Merkezli Düzen (1945-1989) ......................... 128
Tek Merkezden Çok Merkeze (1989-2008) .......................................... 131
Öğrenen Makinalar Çağı: Yeni Sürüm Devlet 2.0? (2008- ) .............. 1 34
Sonuç: Retrospektif Fütürizmin Söylediği ........................................... 139
Kaynakça .................................................................................................. 140
Sunum
tırmasının yolu da böylece açılıyor. Öyle ki, daha iyi yaşamaları için
kurulan düzenleri yaşatmak ve hatta gerekirse bu uğurda ölmek in
sanların en temel hedeflerinden biri haline gelmiş, getirilmiş. Sade
ce saban, toprak ve sermaye gibi üretim araçlarına değil, silah, din,
felsefe, bilim, hukuk, aile ve ulus gibi biyolojik, bil işsel ve toplumsal
güvenlik araçlarına sahip olanların kurduğu düzeni kaosa yeğlemek
adeta kural olmuş. Muhalifler de ancak yeni/yine bir düzen kuraca
ğını ikna edici şekilde göstermeleri durumunda ilgi ve destek bulmuş.
Kısacası, ilksel insanlardan günümüze kadar kurulan tüm top
lumsal ve siyasal örgütlenme biçimlerini zaman-mekanın güvenlik
ve üretim araçlarına sahip olanların belirlediği söylenebilir. Bu
araçların ne'liğini ve niteliğini ise dönemin yaşam ve üretim biçimi
belirlemiş. Aşağıda tipolojik örnekleriyle gösterilmeye çalışılacağı
gibi.
GÖÇER AVCI-TOPLAYICILAR (MÖ 50-10 BİN)
En Yakınlar (5 kişi)
Yakınlar (15 kişi)
Eş-Dost (50 kişi)
Ahbaplar (150 kişi)
Tanışlar (500 kişi)
ismen Bilinenler (1500 kişi)
"Aile" (5 kişi)
"Akraba" (15 kişi)
,. . ....
3 B kz. D u n bar, 1993: 684 vd. Yüz yüze ilişkilerin temeli n i n kalmayacağı 500 k i ş i n i n
aşılması duru m u nda bir anlamda "erken devlet"e giden yol u n açılacağı ö n erisi
için b kz. Claessen ve Skal n i k, 1993: 24.
Erdem Denk 17
4 Günümüz şirketlerinin dahi bu sayılara göre örgütlendiği vurgusu için bkz. Pa
pagiani ve Morse, 2017: 107. Birleşik Krallık'ta çok yaygın bir gelenek olan yılbaşı
kartlarının gönderildiği kişiler üzerine yapılan bir çalışma, "egosantrik" olan "Ba
tılı modern insanlar"ın dar denebilecek sosyal çevresinin "bile" Dunbar yaklaşımı
nı teyit ettiği sonucuna varmaktadır. Buna göre, en yakındaki yaklaşık beş kişilik
destek grubundan 12-15 kişilik sevilenlere ve 35 kişilik dış halkaya ulaşılmakta,
yılda bir haberleşilen 500 ya da çevresi en geniş olanlar için 1500- 2000'e kadar
ulaşan kişi ise en dıştaki çeperi oluşturmaktadır. Bkz. Hill ve Dunbar, 2003: 67.
Çevre edinme ve örgütlenme pratiklerinin geometrik olarak arttığı, bu tür verile
rin günümüz finans piyasalarındaki davranış modellerini belirlemede yol gösterici
olabi leceği önerisi için bkz. Zhou vd., 2005.
18 50 Bin Yıllık Dünya Düzeni
Ağaç, saz ve deri gibi doğal maddelerle yapılan barınaklar her du
rumda daire biçimlidir. Çevreye uyum yoluyla vahşi hayvanlar gibi
tehditlere karşı kamuflaj imkanı sunan bu mimari, gök kubbenin al
tında güven içinde sığınılacak bir mikrokozmos kurmaktadır adeta.
Yaşamak için tümüyle bağımlı olunan doğanın barınmanın biçimini
de belirlediği o kadar açıktır ki, Eskimo iglularından Kırgızların bo
züy çadırlarına kadar günümüz (yarı-)göçerlerinin barınaklarında da
doğaya uyumlu olan bu mimari benimsenecektir.
Doğurduğu ve emzir
diği yavruyla kurduğu
emek yoğun ilişkinin de
etkisiyle barınaktan fazla
ayrıl(a)mayan kadınlar te
mel besin kaynaklarından
olan bitkileri toplamakta,
geleceğin/ölümsü zlüğün
garantisi olan çocukların
b akımıyla güvenliğini
sağlamakta dır. B a r ı n ağı
inşa etme ve ocağı yakma
gibi kurucu işlevleriyle iç
düzeni belirleyen kadın
lar, ellerinde tuttukları
�ocuk doğurma(ma) ve
büyütme(me} hakkı saye
sinde yaşamsal döngünün
işleyişine de hakimdir.
MıntıkaA Mıntıka B
Ancak her biri kendi düzenine sahip küçük bizler halinde yaşa
yan avcı-toplayıcıların tüm ihtiyaçlarını kendi başlarına gidermesi
mümkün değildir. Kadim ensest yasağııı gereği dışarıdan eş bulma
11 Literatürdeki farklı görüşleri serimleyip analiz eden bir çalışma için bkz. Mar
yanski ve Turner, 2018.
28 50 Bin Yıllık Dünya Düzeni
arayışı kadar kıtlık vb. koşullara karşı diğer bizlerle ilişki ve işbirli
ği de gereklidir. Başka mıntıkalarda olan kaynakların elde edilmesi
için savaş da pek tercih edilmez. Zira yer değiştirme imkanı her za
man olduğu gibi, beşeri kaynaksa az ve kıymetlidir. Üstelik, uğruna
ölünecek kadar yaşamsal kaynak, toprak ya da mülkün olmadığı
koşullarda zaten ancak beden bedene yapılabilen savaşın maliyeti
çoktur. Nadiren de olsa yaşanan çatışmalar da bir tarafın galebe çal
dığını gösterecek en ufak bir çizikte bile sona erdirilmektedir.12 Do
layısıyla, sadece iç düzenler değil dıştaki düzenler arası düzen de
eşitlikçilik temelinde yükselmektedir.
12 İlksel diplomasi ve hukuk konusunda ayrıntılı bir çalışma için bkz. Numelin,
1950.
YENİ İKLİM VE YAŞAM K9ŞUL1:_ARI:
AVCI-TOPLAYICI KOYLERIN DOGUŞU
(MÖ 20-10 BİN)
-'!/"'
"'"':,,; J" -� -
Erdem Denk 39
"
Evlerin neredeyse tümünde avcı-toplayıcılarıtr tasvirlerini hatır-
latan ve hanenin kendi artık zamanını üretip kullandığını gösteren
duvar resimleri vardır.
Boynuzlu ve erekte geyik ve boğa tasvirlerinin etrafında toplaşan
küçük insan figürleri, hep birlikte müca <i�le edilmesi gereken büyük
tehditleri simgeliyor olsa gerektir. Bu tüf resimlerin tüm yerleşimde
'
görülmesi, kolektif hafıza ve kimliğin s�hiplitFı ilip yeniden üretildi
ğini göstermektedir.
Duvar resimlerinde av hayvanları dahil yer alan tek dişi olan
kadın figürleri ile ilk kazılar sonrasında Mellaart tarafından "Ana
Tanrıça" olarak adlandırılan19 kadın figürini arasındaki benzerlik
bu anlamda dikkat çekicidir. Benzerlerini bulduğu heykellerin "top
lumun yaşlı, olgun ve saygın üyelerini"20 akla getirdiğini söyleyen
Hodder'in Oturan Kadın adlandırması bir yana, Venüs figürinlerini
23 Tüm bu verilerin Dunbar sayısı yaklaşımını bir anlamda teyit ettiği söylenebilir.
Bkz. yukarıda dipnot 3 ve eşlik eden metin.
24 Brosius, 2005: 14-15.
Erdem Denk 43
t
8.2 Sc>Ouma Olayı Holosen
20 15 10 Blnyıl O
.. ÇA��� A K ÇÖMLEK PATf:.ADI: HA!-AF .
KULTURU'NDEN BAKIR ÇAGl'NA (MO 6-3 BiN)
ı. .
“Also he who is lazy in his work is a brother to the man that destroyeth”
(xviii. 9).
“I passed by the field of a slothful man, and the vineyard of a man wanting
heart; and behold, thorns have come up over the whole of it; its surface is
covered with thistles, and its stone-fence is pulled down. And I beheld, I
turned my heart, I saw, I took instruction: a little of sleep, a little of slumber,
a little of joining the hands to lie down; then thy poverty cometh like a
traveller, and thy want like an armed man” (xxiv. 30–34). [105]
“The righteous eateth to the fulness of his soul, but the belly of the wicked
shall want” (xiii. 25).
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink roareth, and every one that erreth therein
will not be wise” (xx. 1).
“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath
complaining? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of
eyes? Those who tarry long at the wine; those who come to search mixed
drink. Do not look upon the wine though it be red, though it send forth its
colour through the cup, though it flow smoothly; in the end it biteth like a
serpent and stingeth like an asp; thine eyes shall see strange things, and
thy heart shall speak perverse things; and thou shalt be like one that lieth
in the midst of the sea, and like one that lieth on the top of the mast. They
have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick. They have beaten
me; I felt it not. When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again” (xxiii. 29–35).
“He who is greedy after gain troubleth his house, but he who hateth gifts
shall live” (xv. 27).
“He whose desire is wide stirreth up strife, but he who trusteth in the Lord
shall be fattened” (xxviii. 25).
“There are who spend liberally, and there is an increase; and there are
who withhold more than is right, and yet it leads to want” (xi. 24).
“Know well the state of thy flock; set thy heart to the droves; for treasure is
not for ever, nor a crown for generation and generation. When hay is
gone, and grass is spoilt, and the herbs of the field are gathered in, there
are lambs for thy clothing, and he-goats are the price of a field: and there
will be goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy house, and
maintenance for thy maidens’ (xxvii. 23–27). [106]
“Lust overcome is sweet to the soul; but to depart from evil is the
abomination of fools” (xiii. 19).
“Better is he who is long-suffering than a hero; and he who ruleth his spirit
is better than he who conquereth a city” (xvi. 32).
“Like an open town without a wall is the man whose spirit is without
restraint” (xxv. 28).
“He who hath found a wife hath found a good thing, and obtained favour of
the Lord” (xviii. 22).
“A virtuous wife is the crown of her husband, but a wicked woman is like
rottenness in his bones” (xii. 4).
“House and wealth are the inheritance of fathers, but a wise wife is from
the Lord” (xix. 14; chap. xxxi. 10 to end).
“Hatred stirreth up strifes, but love covereth all sins” (x. 12).
“Better is a meal of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred
therewith” (xv. 17).
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are like
smoke” (xxvii. 6). [107]
“When there is no wood the fire goeth out; so when there is no tale-bearer
strife ceaseth” (xxvi. 20).
“A kind man doth good to his soul, and a cruel man troubleth his flesh” (xi.
17).
“Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when
he stumbleth, lest the Lord see it and it displease Him, and He turn away
His wrath from him” (xxiv. 17, 18).
“The righteous knoweth the feelings of his cattle, but the heart of the
wicked is cruel” (xii. 10).
“He who curseth his father and his mother, his lamp shall be put out in
obscure darkness” (xx. 20).
“Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children are
their fathers” (xvii. 6).
“The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the
ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it”
(xxx. 17).
“Where there is the instruction of the father, there is a wise son; but a
mocker will he be who heard no rebuke” (xiii. 1).
“He who spareth his rod hateth his son, and he who loveth him chastiseth
him early” (xiii. 24).
“Chastise thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul turn to his
crying” (xix. 18).
“Train the lad in his way, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (xxii.
6).
“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall
drive it far from him” (xxii. 15).
“Withhold not correction from the child; for if thou beatest him with the rod,
he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his
soul from death” (xxiii. 13, 14).
“The benevolent shall be blessed, for he hath given of his bread to the
poor” (xxii. 9). [108]
“The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that stilleth the thirst of others
shall also have his thirst stilled” (xi. 25).
“He who despiseth his neighbour sinneth, but whoso is gracious to the
poor is happy” (xiv. 24).
“In the multitude of people is the glory of the king; but in the want of
people is the destruction of the prince” (xiv. 28).
“The king’s wrath is like messengers of death; but a wise man will pacify it”
(xvi. 14).
“The heart of a king is in the hand of the Lord like brooks of water; He
turneth it whithersoever He liketh” (xxi. 1).
On miscellaneous subjects:—
“There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing; there is that maketh
himself poor, yet hath great riches” (xiii. 7).
“The heart knoweth its own bitterness, and a stranger doth not
intermeddle with its joy” (xiv. 10).
“If care is in the heart of man, let him still it; if a good thing, let him brighten
it up” (xii. 25).
“He is a guide to life who keepeth instruction, but he that refuseth reproof
misleadeth” (x. 17).
“Boast not thyself of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring
forth” (xxvii. 1).
“All the ways of man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the
spirits” (xvi. 2).
(b.) Discussion between Job and his friends Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar,
and Elihu; Job asserting his innocence, and consequent inability to
see the justice of his afflictions; his friends contending that he has
sinned, and has been justly punished; Elihu attempts to justify Job’s
sufferings, on the plea that they are merely a reminder sent by God
that Job has sinned, and must seek reconciliation with God, who is
All-wise, All-good, and All-powerful; God addresses Job, and shows
him man’s inability to comprehend the [110]Divine power and wisdom
in the creation and in the ruling of the universe; whereupon Job
repents.
(c.) Conclusion.—God rebukes the friends of Job, that they have not
spoken rightly like His servant Job (xlii. 7), and richly compensates
Job for his sufferings and losses.
The introduction and conclusion are written in prose, but the principal
part of the book is poetical, and consequently parallelism is a
predominant feature of the book.
“Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?”
(ii. 10).
“The small and great are there (in the grave), and the servant is free from
his master” (iii. 19).
“Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than
his Maker?” (iv. 17).
“Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not
thou the chastening of the Almighty” (v. 17).
“Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also
like the days of an hireling?” (vii. 1).
“He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength; who hath hardened himself
against him, and hath prospered?” (ix. 4).
“For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and he will rise in the end over the
dust” (xix. 25).
“And when my skin is gone, when worms have destroyed this body, and
when my flesh is no more, yet shall I see God” (xix. 26).
“And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, [112]that is wisdom;
and to depart from evil, that is understanding” (xxviii. 28).
Job’s declaration of his faith in God (xiii. 6–16; xix. 23–27; xxiii. 3–12).
Job is shown his ignorance (xxxviii. 3–24); his impotence (xl. 9–14).
The three books, Psalms, Proverbs, and Job, are distinguished from
the rest of the Bible by their peculiar accents, which are on this
account called מעמי אמ״ת“the accents of the books, תהלים, משליand
איוב.”
Naomi having lost her property, Ruth was obliged to glean ears of
corn in the fields in order to maintain herself and her mother-in-law.
She happened to glean in the field of Boaz, a near relative of
Elimelech. Boaz having noticed her, and having heard of her conduct
toward Naomi, married her; his son was Obed; the son of the latter
was Jesse, the father of David. Thus the virtues of Ruth, modesty,
faithfulness, and industry, were rewarded; this is one of the lessons
derived from the book. The principal object of the book, however, is
to show the origin of the house of David.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the
heaven” (iii. 1). [115]
“The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh” (iv. 5).
“Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail
and vexation of spirit” (iv. 6).
“Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and readiness to
hear is better than the fools’ giving of sacrifice; for they consider not that
they do evil” (iv. 17).
“Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any
thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let
thy words be few” (v. 1).
“When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for He hath no
pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed” (v. 3).
“A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death
better than the day of one’s birth” (vii. 1).
“Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of
fools” (vii. 9).
“Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldst
thou destroy thyself?” (vii. 16).
“Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldst thou die
before thy time?” (vii. 17).
“There is not a just man upon earth, that doth good, and sinneth not” (vii.
20).
“Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment” (ix.
8).
“A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left” (x. 2).
“He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a
serpent shall bite him” (x. 8). [116]
“He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the
clouds shall not reap” (xi. 4).
“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days
come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure
in them” (xii. 1).
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return
to the God who gave it” (xii. 7).
The name of the author is not mentioned; the book was probably
written by Mordecai and Esther (comp. Esther ix. 29).
The object of the book is to show that God is the Ruler of the
Universe. The author, therefore, gives, on the one hand, examples of
men of great piety and genuine faith in God—Daniel and his friends;
and, on the other hand, examples of men of great wickedness—
Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar; the former enjoyed glorious
victories, the latter received their due punishment. The style is
throughout bold and emphatic; the frequent heaping of synonyms is
to serve the purpose of emphasis. In the last chapters the author
shows that the misdeeds of the wicked and the sufferings of the
pious are foreseen by God, and that both the punishment of the
former and the redemption of the latter form part of the Divine plan in
the government of mankind. We are thus exhorted to remain firm in
our faith in time of oppression, and to wait patiently for deliverance,
which is sure to come.
When Daniel appeared before the king he began thus: “The secret
which the king wants to know, no wise men can tell. But there is a
God in heaven, the revealer of secrets, and He has let King
Nebuchadnezzar know what will come to pass in the remote future”
(ii. 27, 28). The dream was this: He saw a big statue, its head of
gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs and
feet of iron and clay. A large stone fell upon the legs of the statue,
broke them, and the whole statue fell together and was crushed into
pieces; then the stone grew larger, and filled the whole earth. The
following was the interpretation of the vision: The statue represented
a series of [119]earthly kingdoms; the gold was Nebuchadnezzar, the
silver referred to his successors, the brass to the Persian
government, the iron to the Greek, and the mixture of iron and clay
to the kingdoms that would then follow, all of which would ultimately
be overthrown, and the Divine kingdom would then be recognised by
all. Daniel was greatly rewarded; he and his friends received high
positions in the government of the empire.
(1.) In the third year of Belshazzar, Daniel had the following vision:—
Being in Susan, in the province of Elam, near the river Ulai, he saw a
ram with [123]two unequal horns pushing towards west, north, and
south. From the west came a goat with one horn, and overthrew the
ram; in the place of the one horn four horns grew up in all directions;
there was one small horn which pushed on against the south, the
east, and Palestine; it rose even against the host of heaven and the
chief of the host, and destroyed his holy place. Daniel heard one
holy one saying to another, “This state of things will last till ‘evening-
morning 2300.’ ” The angel Gabriel gave him the interpretation of the
vision: The ram represented the empire of the Medes and the
Persians, the goat that of the Greeks, out of which four kingdoms
would be formed; in one of these a wicked king would venture to rise
against the Prince of princes, but his power would in the end be
destroyed. Daniel was told to keep the vision secret, for it referred to
a distant future (viii. 26).
(2.) In the first year of Darius, son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the
Medes, Daniel reflected on the seventy years of exile foretold by
Jeremiah, and fervently prayed to God for pardon and the restoration
of Jerusalem. At the end of his prayer the angel Gabriel appeared to
him, and told him that the hoped-for restoration would not take place
before the lapse of seventy weeks of trouble and anxiety. There
would elapse seven weeks before the “princely anointed” (משיח נגיד)
led the Jews back to Palestine; sixty-two weeks of trouble and
anxiety were predicted for the time of the rebuilding of Jerusalem
and the Temple; and one week’s misery on the arrival of a new
prince or governor, who would strengthen the covenant of the
enemies and [124]entirely suspend the Divine Service in the Temple
for a short time. 10
(3.) In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, Daniel, after three
weeks’ mourning and fasting, had the following vision on the twenty-
fourth day of the first month:—He saw near the river Tigris (Hiddekel)
a man of extraordinary appearance, who told him that he came in
answer to his prayers; that for twenty-one days (x. 13) he was
opposed by the prince of the kingdom of Persia, and had on his side
only one of the princes, Michael. Future events are foretold: the fall
of Persia, the division of the Greek kingdom, the wars between the
Northern country (Syria) and the Southern (Egypt), the troubles of
the Jews, the ultimate deliverance of the Jews out of danger, and the
glorious victory of the teachers “who taught many, and led them to
righteousness” (המשבילים ומצדקי הרביםxii. 3). When Daniel asked,
“Till when have we to wait for the end of these wondrous things?” (עד
מתי קץ הפלאותIbid. 6), he was told, “After a season, seasons, and a
half (למועד מועדים וחציIbid. 7) 11 all these things will come to an end.”
He further asks, “What then?” He is told, “The things must remain
sealed till the time of the end (עד עת קץIbid. 9), when the wise and
good (משכלים) will understand them.” The vision ends with the words
addressed to Daniel: “But thou go toward the end, and thou wilt rest,
and rise for thy lot at the end of the days” (xii. 13). [125]
Ezra, עזרא—The Book of Ezra relates the first return of the Jews
under Zerubbabel from Babylon to Palestine by the permission of
King Cyrus (כורש) of Persia, the construction of the altar, the
foundation and the building of the Temple by permission of King
Darius. It also describes the second settlement of Jews from
Babylon in Palestine under Ezra, the Scribe, in the reign of
Artaxerxes, and his energy in purifying the community from
intermarriages with heathen people. The book is written in Hebrew,
with the exception of iv. 8–vii. 27, which includes several documents
written in Chaldee by the Persian kings. The author of the book is
probably Ezra; he speaks of himself in the first person (vii. 28; viii. 1,
&c.); he is also named as the author of the book in the Babylonian
Talmud; and lastly, the name of the book is Ezra, although Ezra is
only mentioned in the second half of the book. The special merit of
Ezra was the promotion of the study of the Law; his name is followed
by the title, “A ready scribe of the Law of Moses” (סופר מהיר בתורת ה׳
vii. 6), and “Scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord
and His statutes for Israel” (ספר דברי מצות ה׳ וחקיו על ישראלvii. 11);
the task he set to himself was “to study the Law of God (לדרוש את
תורת ה׳), and to practise it, and to teach in Israel Law and judgment”
(vii. 10).
Nehemiah, נחמיה—The heading probably indicates the author,
“Words of Nehemiah, son of Hachaliah.” 12 The book contains the
history of Nehemiah’s visit to Jerusalem by the permission of King
Artaxerxes, and [126]the building of the walls of Jerusalem under
Nehemiah’s supervision, in spite of the opposition of Sanballat and
Tobiah the Ammonite; his example of disinterestedness and of
liberality towards the poor, which is followed by the princes and the
rich; the reading and expounding of the Law by Ezra; the celebration
of the festival of the first of Tishri and of Tabernacles; the renewal of
the covenant “to walk in the Law of God, which was given through
Moses the servant of God,” to keep Sabbath, to abstain from
intermarrying with the heathen, and to contribute towards
maintaining the Sanctuary; the provision for filling Jerusalem with
inhabitants by selecting by lot one-tenth of the general population to
dwell in the holy city; the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem; and
Nehemiah’s energy in enforcing the laws of Sabbath and of
marriages. The two books Ezra and Nehemiah are also called by
some “two books of Ezra,” and by some “the book of Ezra.”
Nehemiah is written in Hebrew.