The Book of the Bee 52

1The names of the kings who have reigned in the world from the flood until now. the median kings who reigned in Babylon.

2Darius the son of Vashtasp (Hystaspes) reigned 24 years.

3Ahshiresh (Xerxes) his son, 20 years.

4Artahshisht the long-hand (Artaxerxes Longimanus), 41 years.

5Daryawash (Darius) the son of the concubine, 20 years.

6Artahshisht (Artaxerxes) the ruler, 30 years.

7Arses the son of Ochus, 4 years.

8Daryctwash (Darius) the son of Arsham (Arsanes), 6 years.

9Alexander the son of Philip, 12 years. Ptolemy the son of Lagos, 40 years. Ptolemy Philadelphus, 38 years. In his third year the fifth millennium ended. This (king) asked the captive Jews who were in Egypt, and seventy old men translated the Scriptures for him, from Hebrew into Greek, in the island of Pharos. In return for this he set them free, and gave back to them also the vessels of their temple. Their names are these. Josephus, Hezekiah, Zechariah, John, Ezekiel, Elisha; these were of the tribe of Reuben. Judah, Simon, Samuel, Addai, Mattathias, Shalmi; these were of the tribe of Simeon. Nehemiah, Joseph, Theodosius, Basa, Adonijah, these were of the tribe of Levi. Jo than \ Abdt, Elisha, Ananias, Zechariah, Hilkiah; these were of the tribe of Judah. Isaac, Jacob; Jesus, Sambat (Sabbateus), Simon, Levi; these were of the tribe of Issachar. Judah, Joseph, Simon, Zechariah, Samuel, Shamli; these were of the tribe of Zebulon. Sambat (Sabbateus), Zedekiah, Jacob, Isaac, Jesse, Matthias; these were of the tribe of Gad. Theodosius, Jason, Joshua, John, Theodotus, Jothan; these were of the tribe of Asher. Abraham, Theophilus, Arsam, Jason, Jeremiah, Daniel; these were of the tribe of Dan. Jeremiah, Eliezer, Zechariah, Benaiah, Elisha, Dathi; these were of the tribe of Naphtali. Samuel, Josephus, Judah, Jonathan, Dositheus, Caleb; these were of the tribe of Joseph. Isalus, John, Theodosius, Arsam, Abijah, Ezekiel; these were of the tribe of Benjamin.

10After Ptolemy Philadelphus arose Ptolemy Euergetes; (he reigned) 26 years.

11Ptolemy Epiphanes, 24 years.

12Ptolemy Philometor, 35 years. The time of the Maccabees extended to this (reign), and in it the old Covenant came to an end.

13Ptolemy Alexander, 1 8 years.

14Gaius Julius, 4 years.

15Augustus, 57 years. In the forty-third year of his reign our Lord Christ was born.

16Tiberius, 23 years. In the fifteenth year of his reign our Lord was baptised; and in the seventeenth year He suffered, died, rose again, and ascended to heaven.

17Vespasian, 10 years. Immediately after he came to the throne, he sent his son Titus against Jerusalem, and he besieged it for two years, until he uprooted it and destroyed it.

18Trajan, 20 years. John, the son of Zebedee, lived until the seventh year of his reign.

19The house of Antoninus.

20Alexander the son of Mammaea, 13 years.

21Philip and Gallus, 10 years.

22Claudius and Tacitus, 16 years.

23Diocletian and those that were with him, 20 years.

24In the fourth year of Constantine Caesar the Victorious, Shabor reigned in Persia 70 years.

25Ardashir his brother, 20 years.

26Vahran (Bahram) and Shabor, the sons of Ardashir, 20 years.

27Yazdagerd, the son of Shabor, 20 years.

28Vahran (Bahram), the son of Yazdagerd, 20 years.

29Peroz, the son of Yazdagerd, 27 years.

30Balash, the son of Peroz, 4 years.

31Kawad, the son of Peroz, 41 years.

32Chosrau, the son of Kawad, 47 years.

33Hormizd, the son of Chosrau, 12 years.

34From Shabor to this fifteenth year of Chosrau the son of Hormizd, in which he destroyed Dara, is three hundred and six years. The sum of all the years from Adam to this fifteenth year of Chosrau the conqueror, which is the nine hundred and sixteenth year of the Greeks, is years. From Adam to the Crucifixion is years. The whole of the Jewish economy therefore, from the time they went out of Egypt until Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus, was years. From Abraham to this year is years.

35From Adam to the Flood was years. From the Flood to Abraham was years. From Abraham to the Exodus of the people from Egypt was years. From the Exodus of the people by the hand of Moses to Solomon and the building of the Temple was years. From Solomon to the first Captivity, which Nebuchadnezzar led away captive, was years. From the first Captivity to the prophesying of Daniel was years. From the prophesying of Daniel to the Birth of our Lord was years. All these years make years. From Alexander to our Lord was years. From our Lord to Constantine was years. In the year of Alexander the Macedonian, the kingdom of the Persians had its beginning. Know, O my brother readers, that from the beginning of the creation of Adam to Alexander was years.