(Further particulars concerning the life and writings of MAI are given in the life prefixed to the Calcutta edition of his poems; in the biography of Daulet Shah, in Wilken's ' CArestornathia Persica,' Leip., 1805; and in the 4th vol. of the Notices et Ex:rails des MSS. de la Balliothlgue du Roi ; in the article 'Helix, in the Biographic Unirer Relic, by Langles; and the same article in Ersch and Gruber's Ency elopad,c, by ICesegarten.
lIAGOAI, one of the twelve minor Hebrew prophets. We know nothing concerning the place or time of his birth. The pseudo Epiphanies, in his ' Liras of the Prophets,' states that he was born at Babylon; and wording to the Rabbis he was • member of the Great Synagogue. The date of liaggefa prophecy is fixed by himself (i. 1), stud by Ezra (v. 1), In the second year of the reign of Darius liystespis (a.e. 519). We learn from Ezra that the Jews, who returned to their native country in the first year of the reign of Cyrus, com menced rebuilding the Temple, but were Interrupted in their under taking by the neighbouring satraps, till the second year of the reign of Darius llystaspis, when the building was again continued in conse quence of the exhortations of Haggai and Zechariah.
The prophecy of liaggai may be divided iuto four parts : In the first, the prophet urges the people to continue building the temple, by the promise that God would bless them in their undertaking, and that their previous neglect had been the cause of the drought and bad masons which they had experienced (1); In the secoud, he encou rages them by the promise that this second temple should surpass the first in glory ; this prophecy is supposed by many to have been fulfilled by Christ entering the temple (ii. 1.9); in the third, he
promises the people an abundant harvest, since they had begun to build the temple (ii. 10.19); and in the fourth, he forteLs the pros perity of Zerubbabel, governor of Judah (ii. 20-23). Zerubbabel is considered by many commentators to bo a type of the Messiah; and tho prophecy is supposed to relate to the glory of the Messiah's kingdom.
The canonical authority of this book has never been disputed. It is quoted by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, xii. 26; compare Hag. ii. 7, 8, 22.
The prophecy of Haggai is written in a prosaic style, and bears traces of having been composed in a late period of Hebrew literature. It possesses none of that vigour and sublimity which distiuguish the works of most of the Hebrew prophets who lived before the Baby lonish captivity.
The Septuagint, Vulgate, and Syriac versions of the Old Testament attribute the 111th, 126th, 127th, 146th, 147th, and 148th Nelms to Haggai and Zechariah.