The date of his several prophecies is mostly given with care and thus placed beyond reasonable doubt. The cap tivity of J ehoiachin (b. C. 600) is his epoch. Prophesying and writing with and for the Jews in captivity, this epoch was for them altogether appropriate, and was doubtless their own in current use. His book opens with another epoch in the words, In the thirtieth year, etc. This has given rise to much speculation. I reject the three theories following, viz.: that this refers to his own age that it dates from the discovery of the book of the law in the reign of Josiah; and that it dates from the last Jubilee. Either of these theories is too capricious to be adopted. I accede to the Opinion that these words allude to the new Chaldean epoch of Nabopolassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar, which dates from the fall of Nineveh, B. C., 625, and was the great epoch of the profane historians of those and of sub sequent times. As Ezekiel wrote among the Chaldeans, it was pertinent that he should make so much allusion to their great national epoch.' Yet since his prophecies were intended chieflm the use of the Jews, it was fitting that after this brief allusion to the Chaldean' epoch, he should drop it, and in all other cases use only the epoch cf his own people. Such is the fact. Following this Jewish epoch, his prophecies commence with the fifth year (chap. 1: and close (chap. 29: 17) with the twenty-seventh. The last nine chapters date inothe twenty-fifth year. Be tween these extremes are a large number of definite dates, to be noticed in their place.
