3. The Chronology of the book.
Now, it contains matters conducted in the Church of God from the first year of Cyrus, in which an opportunity was given to the people to return from Babylonian captivity, unto Artaxerxes Mnemon, with an interval of about one hundred and forty-six years. For, foreign Authors attribute nine years to Cyrus with Cambyses: one to the Mage: thirty-six to Darius of Hystaspes: twenty-two to Xerxes: forty to Artaxerxes Longimanus: nineteen to Darius Nothus: nineteen to Artaxerxes Mnemon. Which number, reduced to one sum, makes one hundred and forty-six years. Nevertheless, others judge otherwise. But for us it is not suitable here to inquire meticulously into such things, since faith/confidence does not rest upon Chronology.