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diff --git a/2849-h/2849-h.htm b/2849-h/2849-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a7d0457 --- /dev/null +++ b/2849-h/2849-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4356 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="us-ascii"?> + +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" > + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> + <head> + <title> + Against Apion by Flavius Josephus + </title> + <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> + + body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .mynote {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;} + .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} + .toc2 { margin-left: 20%;} + div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } + div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; } + .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;} + .figright {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;} + .pagenum {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal; + margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%; + text-align: right;} + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} + +</style> + </head> + <body> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Against Apion, by Flavius Josephus + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Against Apion + +Author: Flavius Josephus + +Translator: William Whiston + +Release Date: December 6, 2008 [EBook #2849] +Last Updated: January 9, 2013 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AGAINST APION *** + + + + +Produced by David Reed, and David Widger + + + + + +</pre> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <h1> + AGAINST APION. <br /> + </h1> + <p> + <br /> <a href="#linknote-1" name="linknoteref-1" id="linknoteref-1"><small>1</small></a> + </p> + <h2> + By Flavius Josephus + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <h3> + Translated by William Whiston + </h3> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <blockquote> + <p class="toc"> + <big><b>CONTENTS</b></big> + </p> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0001"> BOOK 1. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#link2H_4_0002"> APION BOOK 1 FOOTNOTES </a> + </p> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#linkB2H_4_0001"> BOOK II. </a> + </p> + <p class="toc"> + <a href="#linkB2H_4_0002"> APION BOOK 2 FOOTNOTES </a> + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <a name="link2H_4_0001" id="link2H_4_0001"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <h2> + BOOK 1. + </h2> + <p> + 1. I Suppose that by my books of the Antiquity of the Jews, most excellent + Epaphroditus, <a href="#linknote-2" name="linknoteref-2" id="linknoteref-2"><small>2</small></a> + have made it evident to those who peruse them, that our Jewish nation is + of very great antiquity, and had a distinct subsistence of its own + originally; as also, I have therein declared how we came to inhabit this + country wherein we now live. Those Antiquities contain the history of five + thousand years, and are taken out of our sacred books, but are translated + by me into the Greek tongue. However, since I observe a considerable + number of people giving ear to the reproaches that are laid against us by + those who bear ill-will to us, and will not believe what I have written + concerning the antiquity of our nation, while they take it for a plain + sign that our nation is of a late date, because they are not so much as + vouchsafed a bare mention by the most famous historiographers among the + Grecians. I therefore have thought myself under an obligation to write + somewhat briefly about these subjects, in order to convict those that + reproach us of spite and voluntary falsehood, and to correct the ignorance + of others, and withal to instruct all those who are desirous of knowing + the truth of what great antiquity we really are. As for the witnesses whom + I shall produce for the proof of what I say, they shall be such as are + esteemed to be of the greatest reputation for truth, and the most skillful + in the knowledge of all antiquity by the Greeks themselves. I will also + show, that those who have written so reproachfully and falsely about us + are to be convicted by what they have written themselves to the contrary. + I shall also endeavor to give an account of the reasons why it hath so + happened, that there have not been a great number of Greeks who have made + mention of our nation in their histories. I will, however, bring those + Grecians to light who have not omitted such our history, for the sake of + those that either do not know them, or pretend not to know them already. + </p> + <p> + 2. And now, in the first place, I cannot but greatly wonder at those men, + who suppose that we must attend to none but Grecians, when we are + inquiring about the most ancient facts, and must inform ourselves of their + truth from them only, while we must not believe ourselves nor other men; + for I am convinced that the very reverse is the truth of the case. I mean + this,—if we will not be led by vain opinions, but will make inquiry + after truth from facts themselves; for they will find that almost all + which concerns the Greeks happened not long ago; nay, one may say, is of + yesterday only. I speak of the building of their cities, the inventions of + their arts, and the description of their laws; and as for their care about + the writing down of their histories, it is very near the last thing they + set about. However, they acknowledge themselves so far, that they were the + Egyptians, the Chaldeans, and the Phoenicians (for I will not now reckon + ourselves among them) that have preserved the memorials of the most + ancient and most lasting traditions of mankind; for almost all these + nations inhabit such countries as are least subject to destruction from + the world about them; and these also have taken especial care to have + nothing omitted of what was [remarkably] done among them; but their + history was esteemed sacred, and put into public tables, as written by men + of the greatest wisdom they had among them. But as for the place where the + Grecians inhabit, ten thousand destructions have overtaken it, and blotted + out the memory of former actions; so that they were ever beginning a new + way of living, and supposed that every one of them was the origin of their + new state. It was also late, and with difficulty, that they came to know + the letters they now use; for those who would advance their use of these + letters to the greatest antiquity pretend that they learned them from the + Phoenicians and from Cadmus; yet is nobody able to demonstrate that they + have any writing preserved from that time, neither in their temples, nor + in any other public monuments. This appears, because the time when those + lived who went to the Trojan war, so many years afterward, is in great + doubt, and great inquiry is made, whether the Greeks used their letters at + that time; and the most prevailing opinion, and that nearest the truth, + is, that their present way of using those letters was unknown at that + time. However, there is not any writing which the Greeks agree to be + genuine among them ancienter than Homer's Poems, who must plainly he + confessed later than the siege of Troy; nay, the report goes, that even he + did not leave his poems in writing, but that their memory was preserved in + songs, and they were put together afterward, and that this is the reason + of such a number of variations as are found in them. <a href="#linknote-3" + name="linknoteref-3" id="linknoteref-3"><small>3</small></a> As for those + who set themselves about writing their histories, I mean such as Cadmus of + Miletus, and Acusilaus of Argos, and any others that may be mentioned as + succeeding Acusilaus, they lived but a little while before the Persian + expedition into Greece. But then for those that first introduced + philosophy, and the consideration of things celestial and divine among + them, such as Pherceydes the Syrian, and Pythagoras, and Thales, all with + one consent agree, that they learned what they knew of the Egyptians and + Chaldeans, and wrote but little And these are the things which are + supposed to be the oldest of all among the Greeks; and they have much ado + to believe that the writings ascribed to those men are genuine. + </p> + <p> + 3. How can it then be other than an absurd thing, for the Greeks to be so + proud, and to vaunt themselves to be the only people that are acquainted + with antiquity, and that have delivered the true accounts of those early + times after an accurate manner? Nay, who is there that cannot easily + gather from the Greek writers themselves, that they knew but little on any + good foundation when they set to write, but rather wrote their histories + from their own conjectures? Accordingly, they confute one another in their + own books to purpose, and are not ashamed. to give us the most + contradictory accounts of the same things; and I should spend my time to + little purpose, if I should pretend to teach the Greeks that which they + know better than I already, what a great disagreement there is between + Hellanicus and Acusilaus about their genealogies; in how many eases + Acusilaus corrects Hesiod: or after what manner Ephorus demonstrates + Hellanicus to have told lies in the greatest part of his history; as does + Timeus in like manner as to Ephorus, and the succeeding writers do to + Timeus, and all the later writers do to Herodotus nor could Timeus agree + with Antiochus and Philistius, or with Callias, about the Sicilian + History, no more than do the several writers of the Athide follow one + another about the Athenian affairs; nor do the historians the like, that + wrote the Argolics, about the affairs of the Argives. And now what need I + say any more about particular cities and smaller places, while in the most + approved writers of the expedition of the Persians, and of the actions + which were therein performed, there are so great differences? Nay, + Thucydides himself is accused of some as writing what is false, although + he seems to have given us the exactest history of the affairs of his own + time. <a href="#linknote-4" name="linknoteref-4" id="linknoteref-4"><small>4</small></a> + </p> + <p> + 4. As for the occasions of so great disagreement of theirs, there may be + assigned many that are very probable, if any have a mind to make an + inquiry about them; but I ascribe these contradictions chiefly to two + causes, which I will now mention, and still think what I shall mention in + the first place to be the principal of all. For if we remember that in the + beginning the Greeks had taken no care to have public records of their + several transactions preserved, this must for certain have afforded those + that would afterward write about those ancient transactions the + opportunity of making mistakes, and the power of making lies also; for + this original recording of such ancient transactions hath not only been + neglected by the other states of Greece, but even among the Athenians + themselves also, who pretend to be Aborigines, and to have applied + themselves to learning, there are no such records extant; nay, they say + themselves that the laws of Draco concerning murders, which are now extant + in writing, are the most ancient of their public records; which Draco yet + lived but a little before the tyrant Pisistratus. <a href="#linknote-5" + name="linknoteref-5" id="linknoteref-5"><small>5</small></a> For as to the + Arcadians, who make such boasts of their antiquity, what need I speak of + them in particular, since it was still later before they got their + letters, and learned them, and that with difficulty also. <a + href="#linknote-6" name="linknoteref-6" id="linknoteref-6"><small>6</small></a> + </p> + <p> + 5. There must therefore naturally arise great differences among writers, + when they had no original records to lay for their foundation, which might + at once inform those who had an inclination to learn, and contradict those + that would tell lies. However, we are to suppose a second occasion besides + the former of these contradictions; it is this: That those who were the + most zealous to write history were not solicitous for the discovery of + truth, although it was very easy for them always to make such a + profession; but their business was to demonstrate that they could write + well, and make an impression upon mankind thereby; and in what manner of + writing they thought they were able to exceed others, to that did they + apply themselves, Some of them betook themselves to the writing of + fabulous narrations; some of them endeavored to please the cities or the + kings, by writing in their commendation; others of them fell to finding + faults with transactions, or with the writers of such transactions, and + thought to make a great figure by so doing. And indeed these do what is of + all things the most contrary to true history; for it is the great + character of true history that all concerned therein both speak and write + the same things; while these men, by writing differently about the same + things, think they shall be believed to write with the greatest regard to + truth. We therefore [who are Jews] must yield to the Grecian writers as to + language and eloquence of composition; but then we shall give them no such + preference as to the verity of ancient history, and least of all as to + that part which concerns the affairs of our own several countries. + </p> + <p> + 6. As to the care of writing down the records from the earliest antiquity + among the Egyptians and Babylonians; that the priests were intrusted + therewith, and employed a philosophical concern about it; that they were + the Chaldean priests that did so among the Babylonians; and that the + Phoenicians, who were mingled among the Greeks, did especially make use of + their letters, both for the common affairs of life, and for the delivering + down the history of common transactions, I think I may omit any proof, + because all men allow it so to be. But now as to our forefathers, that + they took no less care about writing such records, [for I will not say + they took greater care than the others I spoke of,] and that they + committed that matter to their high priests and to their prophets, and + that these records have been written all along down to our own times with + the utmost accuracy; nay, if it be not too bold for me to say it, our + history will be so written hereafter;—I shall endeavor briefly to + inform you. + </p> + <p> + 7. For our forefathers did not only appoint the best of these priests, and + those that attended upon the Divine worship, for that design from the + beginning, but made provision that the stock of the priests should + continue unmixed and pure; for he who is partaker of the priesthood must + propagate of a wife of the same nation, without having any regard to + money, or any other dignities; but he is to make a scrutiny, and take his + wife's genealogy from the ancient tables, and procure many witnesses to + it. <a href="#linknote-7" name="linknoteref-7" id="linknoteref-7"><small>7</small></a> + And this is our practice not only in Judea, but wheresoever any body of + men of our nation do live; and even there an exact catalogue of our + priests' marriages is kept; I mean at Egypt and at Babylon, or in any + other place of the rest of the habitable earth, whithersoever our priests + are scattered; for they send to Jerusalem the ancient names of their + parents in writing, as well as those of their remoter ancestors, and + signify who are the witnesses also. But if any war falls out, such as have + fallen out a great many of them already, when Antiochus Epiphanes made an + invasion upon our country, as also when Pompey the Great and Quintilius + Varus did so also, and principally in the wars that have happened in our + own times, those priests that survive them compose new tables of genealogy + out of the old records, and examine the circumstances of the women that + remain; for still they do not admit of those that have been captives, as + suspecting that they had conversation with some foreigners. But what is + the strongest argument of our exact management in this matter is what I am + now going to say, that we have the names of our high priests from father + to son set down in our records for the interval of two thousand years; and + if any of these have been transgressors of these rules, they are + prohibited to present themselves at the altar, or to be partakers of any + other of our purifications; and this is justly, or rather necessarily + done, because every one is not permitted of his own accord to be a writer, + nor is there any disagreement in what is written; they being only prophets + that have written the original and earliest accounts of things as they + learned them of God himself by inspiration; and others have written what + hath happened in their own times, and that in a very distinct manner also. + </p> + <p> + 8. For we have not an innumerable multitude of books among us, disagreeing + from and contradicting one another, [as the Greeks have,] but only + twenty-two books, <a href="#linknote-8" name="linknoteref-8" + id="linknoteref-8"><small>8</small></a> which contain the records of all + the past times; which are justly believed to be divine; and of them five + belong to Moses, which contain his laws and the traditions of the origin + of mankind till his death. This interval of time was little short of three + thousand years; but as to the time from the death of Moses till the reign + of Artaxerxes king of Persia, who reigned after Xerxes, the prophets, who + were after Moses, wrote down what was done in their times in thirteen + books. The remaining four books contain hymns to God, and precepts for the + conduct of human life. It is true, our history hath been written since + Artaxerxes very particularly, but hath not been esteemed of the like + authority with the former by our forefathers, because there hath not been + an exact succession of prophets since that time; and how firmly we have + given credit to these books of our own nation is evident by what we do; + for during so many ages as have already passed, no one has been so bold as + either to add any thing to them, to take any thing from them, or to make + any change in them; but it is become natural to all Jews immediately, and + from their very birth, to esteem these books to contain Divine doctrines, + and to persist in them, and, if occasion be willingly to die for them. For + it is no new thing for our captives, many of them in number, and + frequently in time, to be seen to endure racks and deaths of all kinds + upon the theatres, that they may not be obliged to say one word against + our laws and the records that contain them; whereas there are none at all + among the Greeks who would undergo the least harm on that account, no, nor + in case all the writings that are among them were to be destroyed; for + they take them to be such discourses as are framed agreeably to the + inclinations of those that write them; and they have justly the same + opinion of the ancient writers, since they see some of the present + generation bold enough to write about such affairs, wherein they were not + present, nor had concern enough to inform themselves about them from those + that knew them; examples of which may be had in this late war of ours, + where some persons have written histories, and published them, without + having been in the places concerned, or having been near them when the + actions were done; but these men put a few things together by hearsay, and + insolently abuse the world, and call these writings by the name of + Histories. + </p> + <p> + 9. As for myself, I have composed a true history of that whole war, and of + all the particulars that occurred therein, as having been concerned in all + its transactions; for I acted as general of those among us that are named + Galileans, as long as it was possible for us to make any opposition. I was + then seized on by the Romans, and became a captive. Vespasian also and + Titus had me kept under a guard, and forced me to attend them continually. + At the first I was put into bonds, but was set at liberty afterward, and + sent to accompany Titus when he came from Alexandria to the siege of + Jerusalem; during which time there was nothing done which escaped my + knowledge; for what happened in the Roman camp I saw, and wrote down + carefully; and what informations the deserters brought [out of the city], + I was the only man that understood them. Afterward I got leisure at Rome; + and when all my materials were prepared for that work, I made use of some + persons to assist me in learning the Greek tongue, and by these means I + composed the history of those transactions. And I was so well assured of + the truth of what I related, that I first of all appealed to those that + had the supreme command in that war, Vespasian and Titus, as witnesses for + me, for to them I presented those books first of all, and after them to + many of the Romans who had been in the war. I also sold them to many of + our own men who understood the Greek philosophy; among whom were Julius + Archelaus, Herod [king of Chalcis], a person of great gravity, and king + Agrippa himself, a person that deserved the greatest admiration. Now all + these men bore their testimony to me, that I had the strictest regard to + truth; who yet would not have dissembled the matter, nor been silent, if + I, out of ignorance, or out of favor to any side, either had given false + colors to actions, or omitted any of them. + </p> + <p> + 10. There have been indeed some bad men, who have attempted to calumniate + my history, and took it to be a kind of scholastic performance for the + exercise of young men. A strange sort of accusation and calumny this! + since every one that undertakes to deliver the history of actions truly + ought to know them accurately himself in the first place, as either having + been concerned in them himself, or been informed of them by such as knew + them. Now both these methods of knowledge I may very properly pretend to + in the composition of both my works; for, as I said, I have translated the + Antiquities out of our sacred books; which I easily could do, since I was + a priest by my birth, and have studied that philosophy which is contained + in those writings: and for the History of the War, I wrote it as having + been an actor myself in many of its transactions, an eye-witness in the + greatest part of the rest, and was not unacquainted with any thing + whatsoever that was either said or done in it. How impudent then must + those deserve to be esteemed that undertake to contradict me about the + true state of those affairs! who, although they pretend to have made use + of both the emperors' own memoirs, yet could not they he acquainted with + our affairs who fought against them. + </p> + <p> + 11. This digression I have been obliged to make out of necessity, as being + desirous to expose the vanity of those that profess to write histories; + and I suppose I have sufficiently declared that this custom of + transmitting down the histories of ancient times hath been better + preserved by those nations which are called Barbarians, than by the Greeks + themselves. I am now willing, in the next place, to say a few things to + those that endeavor to prove that our constitution is but of late time, + for this reason, as they pretend, that the Greek writers have said nothing + about us; after which I shall produce testimonies for our antiquity out of + the writings of foreigners; I shall also demonstrate that such as cast + reproaches upon our nation do it very unjustly. + </p> + <p> + 12. As for ourselves, therefore, we neither inhabit a maritime country, + nor do we delight in merchandise, nor in such a mixture with other men as + arises from it; but the cities we dwell in are remote from the sea, and + having a fruitful country for our habitation, we take pains in cultivating + that only. Our principal care of all is this, to educate our children + well; and we think it to be the most necessary business of our whole life + to observe the laws that have been given us, and to keep those rules of + piety that have been delivered down to us. Since, therefore, besides what + we have already taken notice of, we have had a peculiar way of living of + our own, there was no occasion offered us in ancient ages for intermixing + among the Greeks, as they had for mixing among the Egyptians, by their + intercourse of exporting and importing their several goods; as they also + mixed with the Phoenicians, who lived by the sea-side, by means of their + love of lucre in trade and merchandise. Nor did our forefathers betake + themselves, as did some others, to robbery; nor did they, in order to gain + more wealth, fall into foreign wars, although our country contained many + ten thousands of men of courage sufficient for that purpose. For this + reason it was that the Phoenicians themselves came soon by trading and + navigation to be known to the Grecians, and by their means the Egyptians + became known to the Grecians also, as did all those people whence the + Phoenicians in long voyages over the seas carried wares to the Grecians. + The Medes also and the Persians, when they were lords of Asia, became well + known to them; and this was especially true of the Persians, who led their + armies as far as the other continent [Europe]. The Thracians were also + known to them by the nearness of their countries, and the Scythians by the + means of those that sailed to Pontus; for it was so in general that all + maritime nations, and those that inhabited near the eastern or western + seas, became most known to those that were desirous to be writers; but + such as had their habitations further from the sea were for the most part + unknown to them which things appear to have happened as to Europe also, + where the city of Rome, that hath this long time been possessed of so much + power, and hath performed such great actions in war, is yet never + mentioned by Herodotus, nor by Thucydides, nor by any one of their + contemporaries; and it was very late, and with great difficulty, that the + Romans became known to the Greeks. Nay, those that were reckoned the most + exact historians [and Ephorus for one] were so very ignorant of the Gauls + and the Spaniards, that he supposed the Spaniards, who inhabit so great a + part of the western regions of the earth, to be no more than one city. + Those historians also have ventured to describe such customs as were made + use of by them, which they never had either done or said; and the reason + why these writers did not know the truth of their affairs was this, that + they had not any commerce together; but the reason why they wrote such + falsities was this, that they had a mind to appear to know things which + others had not known. How can it then be any wonder, if our nation was no + more known to many of the Greeks, nor had given them any occasion to + mention them in their writings, while they were so remote from the sea, + and had a conduct of life so peculiar to themselves? + </p> + <p> + 13. Let us now put the case, therefore, that we made use of this argument + concerning the Grecians, in order to prove that their nation was not + ancient, because nothing is said of them in our records: would not they + laugh at us all, and probably give the same reasons for our silence that I + have now alleged, and would produce their neighbor nations as witnesses to + their own antiquity? Now the very same thing will I endeavor to do; for I + will bring the Egyptians and the Phoenicians as my principal witnesses, + because nobody can complain Of their testimony as false, on account that + they are known to have borne the greatest ill-will towards us; I mean this + as to the Egyptians in general all of them, while of the Phoenicians it is + known the Tyrians have been most of all in the same ill disposition + towards us: yet do I confess that I cannot say the same of the Chaldeans, + since our first leaders and ancestors were derived from them; and they do + make mention of us Jews in their records, on account of the kindred there + is between us. Now when I shall have made my assertions good, so far as + concerns the others, I will demonstrate that some of the Greek writers + have made mention of us Jews also, that those who envy us may not have + even this pretense for contradicting what I have said about our nation. + </p> + <p> + 14. I shall begin with the writings of the Egyptians; not indeed of those + that have written in the Egyptian language, which it is impossible for me + to do. But Manetho was a man who was by birth an Egyptian, yet had he made + himself master of the Greek learning, as is very evident; for he wrote the + history of his own country in the Greek tongue, by translating it, as he + saith himself, out of their sacred records; he also finds great fault with + Herodotus for his ignorance and false relations of Egyptian affairs. Now + this Manetho, in the second book of his Egyptian History, writes + concerning us in the following manner. I will set down his very words, as + if I were to bring the very man himself into a court for a witness: "There + was a king of ours whose name was Timaus. Under him it came to pass, I + know not how, that God was averse to us, and there came, after a + surprising manner, men of ignoble birth out of the eastern parts, and had + boldness enough to make an expedition into our country, and with ease + subdued it by force, yet without our hazarding a battle with them. So when + they had gotten those that governed us under their power, they afterwards + burnt down our cities, and demolished the temples of the gods, and used + all the inhabitants after a most barbarous manner; nay, some they slew, + and led their children and their wives into slavery. At length they made + one of themselves king, whose name was Salatis; he also lived at Memphis, + and made both the upper and lower regions pay tribute, and left garrisons + in places that were the most proper for them. He chiefly aimed to secure + the eastern parts, as fore-seeing that the Assyrians, who had then the + greatest power, would be desirous of that kingdom, and invade them; and as + he found in the Saite Nomos, [Sethroite,] a city very proper for this + purpose, and which lay upon the Bubastic channel, but with regard to a + certain theologic notion was called Avaris, this he rebuilt, and made very + strong by the walls he built about it, and by a most numerous garrison of + two hundred and forty thousand armed men whom he put into it to keep it. + Thither Salatis came in summer time, partly to gather his corn, and pay + his soldiers their wages, and partly to exercise his armed men, and + thereby to terrify foreigners. When this man had reigned thirteen years, + after him reigned another, whose name was Beon, for forty-four years; + after him reigned another, called Apachnas, thirty-six years and seven + months; after him Apophis reigned sixty-one years, and then Janins fifty + years and one month; after all these reigned Assis forty-nine years and + two months. And these six were the first rulers among them, who were all + along making war with the Egyptians, and were very desirous gradually to + destroy them to the very roots. This whole nation was styled Hycsos, that + is, Shepherd-kings: for the first syllable Hyc, according to the sacred + dialect, denotes a king, as is Sos a shepherd; but this according to the + ordinary dialect; and of these is compounded Hycsos: but some say that + these people were Arabians." Now in another copy it is said that this word + does not denote Kings, but, on the contrary, denotes Captive Shepherds, + and this on account of the particle Hyc; for that Hyc, with the + aspiration, in the Egyptian tongue again denotes Shepherds, and that + expressly also; and this to me seems the more probable opinion, and more + agreeable to ancient history. [But Manetho goes on]: "These people, whom + we have before named kings, and called shepherds also, and their + descendants," as he says, "kept possession of Egypt five hundred and + eleven years." After these, he says, "That the kings of Thebais and the + other parts of Egypt made an insurrection against the shepherds, and that + there a terrible and long war was made between them." He says further, + "That under a king, whose name was Alisphragmuthosis, the shepherds were + subdued by him, and were indeed driven out of other parts of Egypt, but + were shut up in a place that contained ten thousand acres; this place was + named Avaris." Manetho says, "That the shepherds built a wall round all + this place, which was a large and a strong wall, and this in order to keep + all their possessions and their prey within a place of strength, but that + Thummosis the son of Alisphragmuthosis made an attempt to take them by + force and by siege, with four hundred and eighty thousand men to lie + rotund about them, but that, upon his despair of taking the place by that + siege, they came to a composition with them, that they should leave Egypt, + and go, without any harm to be done to them, whithersoever they would; and + that, after this composition was made, they went away with their whole + families and effects, not fewer in number than two hundred and forty + thousand, and took their journey from Egypt, through the wilderness, for + Syria; but that as they were in fear of the Assyrians, who had then the + dominion over Asia, they built a city in that country which is now called + Judea, and that large enough to contain this great number of men, and + called it Jerusalem." <a href="#linknote-9" name="linknoteref-9" + id="linknoteref-9"><small>9</small></a> Now Manetho, in another book of + his, says, "That this nation, thus called Shepherds, were also called + Captives, in their sacred books." And this account of his is the truth; + for feeding of sheep was the employment of our forefathers in the most + ancient ages <a href="#linknote-10" name="linknoteref-10" + id="linknoteref-10"><small>10</small></a> and as they led such a wandering + life in feeding sheep, they were called Shepherds. Nor was it without + reason that they were called Captives by the Egyptians, since one of our + ancestors, Joseph, told the king of Egypt that he was a captive, and + afterward sent for his brethren into Egypt by the king's permission. But + as for these matters, I shall make a more exact inquiry about them + elsewhere. <a href="#linknote-11" name="linknoteref-11" id="linknoteref-11"><small>11</small></a> + </p> + <p> + 15. But now I shall produce the Egyptians as witnesses to the antiquity of + our nation. I shall therefore here bring in Manetho again, and what he + writes as to the order of the times in this case; and thus he speaks: + "When this people or shepherds were gone out of Egypt to Jerusalem, + Tethtoosis the king of Egypt, who drove them out, reigned afterward + twenty-five years and four months, and then died; after him his son + Chebron took the kingdom for thirteen years; after whom came Amenophis, + for twenty years and seven months; then came his sister Amesses, for + twenty-one years and nine months; after her came Mephres, for twelve years + and nine months; after him was Mephramuthosis, for twenty-five years and + ten months; after him was Thmosis, for nine years and eight months; after + him came Amenophis, for thirty years and ten months; after him came Orus, + for thirty-six years and five months; then came his daughter Acenchres, + for twelve years and one month; then was her brother Rathotis, for nine + years; then was Acencheres, for twelve years and five months; then came + another Acencheres, for twelve years and three months; after him Armais, + for four years and one month; after him was Ramesses, for one year and + four months; after him came Armesses Miammoun, for sixty-six years and two + months; after him Amenophis, for nineteen years and six months; after him + came Sethosis, and Ramesses, who had an army of horse, and a naval force. + This king appointed his brother, Armais, to be his deputy over Egypt." [In + another copy it stood thus: "After him came Sethosis, and Ramesses, two + brethren, the former of whom had a naval force, and in a hostile manner + destroyed those that met him upon the sea; but as he slew Ramesses in no + long time afterward, so he appointed another of his brethren to be his + deputy over Egypt.] He also gave him all the other authority of a king, + but with these only injunctions, that he should not wear the diadem, nor + be injurious to the queen, the mother of his children, and that he should + not meddle with the other concubines of the king; while he made an + expedition against Cyprus, and Phoenicia, and besides against the + Assyrians and the Medes. He then subdued them all, some by his arms, some + without fighting, and some by the terror of his great army; and being + puffed up by the great successes he had had, he went on still the more + boldly, and overthrew the cities and countries that lay in the eastern + parts. But after some considerable time, Armais, who was left in Egypt, + did all those very things, by way of opposition, which his brother had + forbid him to do, without fear; for he used violence to the queen, and + continued to make use of the rest of the concubines, without sparing any + of them; nay, at the persuasion of his friends he put on the diadem, and + set up to oppose his brother. But then he who was set over the priests of + Egypt wrote letters to Sethosis, and informed him of all that had + happened, and how his brother had set up to oppose him: he therefore + returned back to Pelusium immediately, and recovered his kingdom again. + The country also was called from his name Egypt; for Manetho says, that + Sethosis was himself called Egyptus, as was his brother Armais called + Danaus." + </p> + <p> + 16. This is Manetho's account. And evident it is from the number of years + by him set down belonging to this interval, if they be summed up together, + that these shepherds, as they are here called, who were no other than our + forefathers, were delivered out of Egypt, and came thence, and inhabited + this country, three hundred and ninety-three years before Danaus came to + Argos; although the Argives look upon him <a href="#linknote-12" + name="linknoteref-12" id="linknoteref-12"><small>12</small></a> as their + most ancient king Manetho, therefore, hears this testimony to two points + of the greatest consequence to our purpose, and those from the Egyptian + records themselves. In the first place, that we came out of another + country into Egypt; and that withal our deliverance out of it was so + ancient in time as to have preceded the siege of Troy almost a thousand + years; but then, as to those things which Manetbo adds, not from the + Egyptian records, but, as he confesses himself, from some stories of an + uncertain original, I will disprove them hereafter particularly, and shall + demonstrate that they are no better than incredible fables. + </p> + <p> + 17. I will now, therefore, pass from these records, and come to those that + belong to the Phoenicians, and concern our nation, and shall produce + attestations to what I have said out of them. There are then records among + the Tyrians that take in the history of many years, and these are public + writings, and are kept with great exactness, and include accounts of the + facts done among them, and such as concern their transactions with other + nations also, those I mean which were worth remembering. Therein it was + recorded that the temple was built by king Solomon at Jerusalem, one + hundred forty-three years and eight months before the Tyrians built + Carthage; and in their annals the building of our temple is related; for + Hirom, the king of Tyre, was the friend of Solomon our king, and had such + friendship transmitted down to him from his forefathers. He thereupon was + ambitious to contribute to the splendor of this edifice of Solomon, and + made him a present of one hundred and twenty talents of gold. He also cut + down the most excellent timber out of that mountain which is called + Libanus, and sent it to him for adorning its roof. Solomon also not only + made him many other presents, by way of requital, but gave him a country + in Galilee also, that was called Chabulon. <a href="#linknote-13" + name="linknoteref-13" id="linknoteref-13"><small>13</small></a> But there + was another passion, a philosophic inclination of theirs, which cemented + the friendship that was betwixt them; for they sent mutual problems to one + another, with a desire to have them unriddled by each other; wherein + Solomon was superior to Hirom, as he was wiser than he in other respects: + and many of the epistles that passed between them are still preserved + among the Tyrians. Now, that this may not depend on my bare word, I will + produce for a witness Dius, one that is believed to have written the + Phoenician History after an accurate manner. This Dius, therefore, writes + thus, in his Histories of the Phoenicians: "Upon the death of Abibalus, + his son Hirom took the kingdom. This king raised banks at the eastern + parts of the city, and enlarged it; he also joined the temple of Jupiter + Olympius, which stood before in an island by itself, to the city, by + raising a causeway between them, and adorned that temple with donations of + gold. He moreover went up to Libanus, and had timber cut down for the + building of temples. They say further, that Solomon, when he was king of + Jerusalem, sent problems to Hirom to be solved, and desired he would send + others back for him to solve, and that he who could not solve the problems + proposed to him should pay money to him that solved them. And when Hirom + had agreed to the proposals, but was not able to solve the problems, he + was obliged to pay a great deal of money, as a penalty for the same. As + also they relate, that one OEabdemon, a man of Tyre, did solve the + problems, and propose others which Solomon could not solve, upon which he + was obliged to repay a great deal of money to Hirom." These things are + attested to by Dius, and confirm what we have said upon the same subjects + before. + </p> + <p> + 18. And now I shall add Menander the Ephesian, as an additional witness. + This Menander wrote the Acts that were done both by the Greeks and + Barbarians, under every one of the Tyrian kings, and had taken much pains + to learn their history out of their own records. Now when he was writing + about those kings that had reigned at Tyre, he came to Hirom, and says + thus: "Upon the death of Abibalus, his son Hirom took the kingdom; he + lived fifty-three years, and reigned thirty-four. He raised a bank on that + called the Broad Place, and dedicated that golden pillar which is in + Jupiter's temple; he also went and cut down timber from the mountain + called Libanus, and got timber Of cedar for the roofs of the temples. He + also pulled down the old temples, and built new ones; besides this, he + consecrated the temples of Hercules and of Astarte. He first built + Hercules's temple in the month Peritus, and that of Astarte when he made + his expedition against the Tityans, who would not pay him their tribute; + and when he had subdued them to himself, he returned home. Under this king + there was a younger son of Abdemon, who mastered the problems which + Solomon king of Jerusalem had recommended to be solved." Now the time from + this king to the building of Carthage is thus calculated: "Upon the death + of Hirom, Baleazarus his son took the kingdom; he lived forty-three years, + and reigned seven years: after him succeeded his son Abdastartus; he lived + twenty-nine years, and reigned nine years. Now four sons of his nurse + plotted against him and slew him, the eldest of whom reigned twelve years: + after them came Astartus, the son of Deleastartus; he lived fifty-four + years, and reigned twelve years: after him came his brother Aserymus; he + lived fifty-four years, and reigned nine years: he was slain by his + brother Pheles, who took the kingdom and reigned but eight months, though + he lived fifty years: he was slain by Ithobalus, the priest of Astarte, + who reigned thirty-two years, and lived sixty-eight years: he was + succeeded by his son Badezorus, who lived forty-five years, and reigned + six years: he was succeeded by Matgenus his son; he lived thirty-two + years, and reigned nine years: Pygmalion succeeded him; he lived fifty-six + years, and reigned forty-seven years. Now in the seventh year of his + reign, his sister fled away from him, and built the city Carthage in + Libya." So the whole time from the reign of Hirom, till the building of + Carthage, amounts to the sum of one hundred fifty-five years and eight + months. Since then the temple was built at Jerusalem in the twelfth year + of the reign of Hirom, there were from the building of the temple, until + the building of Carthage, one hundred forty-three years and eight months. + Wherefore, what occasion is there for alleging any more testimonies out of + the Phoenician histories [on the behalf of our nation], since what I have + said is so thoroughly confirmed already? and to be sure our ancestors came + into this country long before the building of the temple; for it was not + till we had gotten possession of the whole land by war that we built our + temple. And this is the point that I have clearly proved out of our sacred + writings in my Antiquities. + </p> + <p> + 19. I will now relate what hath been written concerning us in the Chaldean + histories, which records have a great agreement with our books in oilier + things also. Berosus shall be witness to what I say: he was by birth a + Chaldean, well known by the learned, on account of his publication of the + Chaldean books of astronomy and philosophy among the Greeks. This Berosus, + therefore, following the most ancient records of that nation, gives us a + history of the deluge of waters that then happened, and of the destruction + of mankind thereby, and agrees with Moses's narration thereof. He also + gives us an account of that ark wherein Noah, the origin of our race, was + preserved, when it was brought to the highest part of the Armenian + mountains; after which he gives us a catalogue of the posterity of Noah, + and adds the years of their chronology, and at length comes down to + Nabolassar, who was king of Babylon, and of the Chaldeans. And when he was + relating the acts of this king, he describes to us how he sent his son + Nabuchodonosor against Egypt, and against our land, with a great army, + upon his being informed that they had revolted from him; and how, by that + means, he subdued them all, and set our temple that was at Jerusalem on + fire; nay, and removed our people entirely out of their own country, and + transferred them to Babylon; when it so happened that our city was + desolate during the interval of seventy years, until the days of Cyrus + king of Persia. He then says, "That this Babylonian king conquered Egypt, + and Syria, and Phoenicia, and Arabia, and exceeded in his exploits all + that had reigned before him in Babylon and Chaldea." A little after which + Berosus subjoins what follows in his History of Ancient Times. I will set + down Berosus's own accounts, which are these: "When Nabolassar, father of + Nabuchodonosor, heard that the governor whom he had set over Egypt, and + over the parts of Celesyria and Phoenicia, had revolted from him, he was + not able to bear it any longer; but committing certain parts of his army + to his son Nabuchodonosor, who was then but young, he sent him against the + rebel: Nabuchodonosor joined battle with him, and conquered him, and + reduced the country under his dominion again. Now it so fell out that his + father Nabolassar fell into a distemper at this time, and died in the city + of Babylon, after he had reigned twenty-nine years. But as he understood, + in a little time, that his father Nabolassar was dead, he set the affairs + of Egypt and the other countries in order, and committed the captives he + had taken from the Jews, and Phoenicians, and Syrians, and of the nations + belonging to Egypt, to some of his friends, that they might conduct that + part of the forces that had on heavy armor, with the rest of his baggage, + to Babylonia; while he went in haste, having but a few with him, over the + desert to Babylon; whither, when he was come, he found the public affairs + had been managed by the Chaldeans, and that the principal person among + them had preserved the kingdom for him. Accordingly, he now entirely + obtained all his father's dominions. He then came, and ordered the + captives to be placed as colonies in the most proper places of Babylonia; + but for himself, he adorned the temple of Belus, and the other temples, + after an elegant manner, out of the spoils he had taken in this war. He + also rebuilt the old city, and added another to it on the outside, and so + far restored Babylon, that none who should besiege it afterwards might + have it in their power to divert the river, so as to facilitate an + entrance into it; and this he did by building three walls about the inner + city, and three about the outer. Some of these walls he built of burnt + brick and bitumen, and some of brick only. So when he had thus fortified + the city with walls, after an excellent manner, and had adorned the gates + magnificently, he added a new palace to that which his father had dwelt + in, and this close by it also, and that more eminent in its height, and in + its great splendor. It would perhaps require too long a narration, if any + one were to describe it. However, as prodigiously large and as magnificent + as it was, it was finished in fifteen days. Now in this palace he erected + very high walks, supported by stone pillars, and by planting what was + called a pensile paradise, and replenishing it with all sorts of trees, he + rendered the prospect an exact resemblance of a mountainous country. This + he did to please his queen, because she had been brought up in Media, and + was fond of a mountainous situation." + </p> + <p> + 20. This is what Berosus relates concerning the forementioned king, as he + relates many other things about him also in the third book of his Chaldean + History; wherein he complains of the Grecian writers for supposing, + without any foundation, that Babylon was built by Semiramis, <a + href="#linknote-14" name="linknoteref-14" id="linknoteref-14"><small>14</small></a> + queen of Assyria, and for her false pretense to those wonderful edifices + thereto buildings at Babylon, do no way contradict those ancient and + relating, as if they were her own workmanship; as indeed in these affairs + the Chaldean History cannot but be the most credible. Moreover, we meet + with a confirmation of what Berosus says in the archives of the + Phoenicians, concerning this king Nabuchodonosor, that he conquered all + Syria and Phoenicia; in which case Philostratus agrees with the others in + that history which he composed, where he mentions the siege of Tyre; as + does Megasthenes also, in the fourth book of his Indian History, wherein + he pretends to prove that the forementioned king of the Babylonians was + superior to Hercules in strength and the greatness of his exploits; for he + says that he conquered a great part of Libya, and conquered Iberia also. + Now as to what I have said before about the temple at Jerusalem, that it + was fought against by the Babylonians, and burnt by them, but was opened + again when Cyrus had taken the kingdom of Asia, shall now be demonstrated + from what Berosus adds further upon that head; for thus he says in his + third book: "Nabuchodonosor, after he had begun to build the forementioned + wall, fell sick, and departed this life, when he had reigned forty-three + years; whereupon his son Evilmerodach obtained the kingdom. He governed + public affairs after an illegal and impure manner, and had a plot laid + against him by Neriglissoor, his sister's husband, and was slain by him + when he had reigned but two years. After he was slain, Neriglissoor, the + person who plotted against him, succeeded him in the kingdom, and reigned + four years; his son Laborosoarchod obtained the kingdom, though he was but + a child, and kept it nine mouths; but by reason of the very ill temper and + ill practices he exhibited to the world, a plot was laid against him also + by his friends, and he was tormented to death. After his death, the + conspirators got together, and by common consent put the crown upon the + head of Nabonnedus, a man of Babylon, and one who belonged to that + insurrection. In his reign it was that the walls of the city of Babylon + were curiously built with burnt brick and bitumen; but when he was come to + the seventeenth year of his reign, Cyrus came out of Persia with a great + army; and having already conquered all the rest of Asia, he came hastily + to Babylonia. When Nabonnedus perceived he was coming to attack him, he + met him with his forces, and joining battle with him was beaten, and fled + away with a few of his troops with him, and was shut up within the city + Borsippus. Hereupon Cyrus took Babylon, and gave order that the outer + walls of the city should be demolished, because the city had proved very + troublesome to him, and cost him a great deal of pains to take it. He then + marched away to Borsippus, to besiege Nabonnedus; but as Nabonnedus did + not sustain the siege, but delivered himself into his hands, he was at + first kindly used by Cyrus, who gave him Carmania, as a place for him to + inhabit in, but sent him out of Babylonia. Accordingly Nabonnedus spent + the rest of his time in that country, and there died." + </p> + <p> + 21. These accounts agree with the true histories in our books; for in them + it is written that Nebuchadnezzar, in the eighteenth year of his reign, + laid our temple desolate, and so it lay in that state of obscurity for + fifty years; but that in the second year of the reign of Cyrus its + foundations were laid, and it was finished again in the second year of + Darius. I will now add the records of the Phoenicians; for it will not be + superfluous to give the reader demonstrations more than enough on this + occasion. In them we have this enumeration of the times of their several + kings: "Nabuchodonosor besieged Tyre for thirteen years in the days of + Ithobal, their king; after him reigned Baal, ten years; after him were + judges appointed, who judged the people: Ecnibalus, the son of Baslacus, + two months; Chelbes, the son of Abdeus, ten months; Abbar, the high + priest, three months; Mitgonus and Gerastratus, the sons of Abdelemus, + were judges six years; after whom Balatorus reigned one year; after his + death they sent and fetched Merbalus from Babylon, who reigned four years; + after his death they sent for his brother Hirom, who reigned twenty years. + Under his reign Cyrus became king of Persia." So that the whole interval + is fifty-four years besides three months; for in the seventh year of the + reign of Nebuchadnezzar he began to besiege Tyre, and Cyrus the Persian + took the kingdom in the fourteenth year of Hirom. So that the records of + the Chaldeans and Tyrians agree with our writings about this temple; and + the testimonies here produced are an indisputable and undeniable + attestation to the antiquity of our nation. And I suppose that what I have + already said may be sufficient to such as are not very contentious. + </p> + <p> + 22. But now it is proper to satisfy the inquiry of those that disbelieve + the records of barbarians, and think none but Greeks to be worthy of + credit, and to produce many of these very Greeks who were acquainted with + our nation, and to set before them such as upon occasion have made mention + of us in their own writings. Pythagoras, therefore, of Samos, lived in + very ancient times, and was esteemed a person superior to all philosophers + in wisdom and piety towards God. Now it is plain that he did not only know + our doctrines, but was in very great measure a follower and admirer of + them. There is not indeed extant any writing that is owned for his <a + href="#linknote-15" name="linknoteref-15" id="linknoteref-15"><small>15</small></a> + but many there are who have written his history, of whom Hermippus is the + most celebrated, who was a person very inquisitive into all sorts of + history. Now this Hermippus, in his first book concerning Pythagoras, + speaks thus: "That Pythagoras, upon the death of one of his associates, + whose name was Calliphon, a Crotonlate by birth, affirmed that this man's + soul conversed with him both night and day, and enjoined him not to pass + over a place where an ass had fallen down; as also not to drink of such + waters as caused thirst again; and to abstain from all sorts of + reproaches." After which he adds thus: "This he did and said in imitation + of the doctrines of the Jews and Thracians, which he transferred into his + own philosophy." For it is very truly affirmed of this Pythagoras, that he + took a great many of the laws of the Jews into his own philosophy. Nor was + our nation unknown of old to several of the Grecian cities, and indeed was + thought worthy of imitation by some of them. This is declared by + Theophrastus, in his writings concerning laws; for he says that "the laws + of the Tyrians forbid men to swear foreign oaths." Among which he + enumerates some others, and particularly that called Corban: which oath + can only be found among the Jews, and declares what a man may call "A + thing devoted to God." Nor indeed was Herodotus of Halicarnassus + unacquainted with our nation, but mentions it after a way of his own, when + he saith thus, in the second book concerning the Colchians. His words are + these: "The only people who were circumcised in their privy members + originally, were the Colchians, the Egyptians, and the Ethiopians; but the + Phoenicians and those Syrians that are in Palestine confess that they + learned it from the Egyptians. And for those Syrians who live about the + rivers Thermodon and Parthenius, and their neighbors the Macrones, they + say they have lately learned it from the Colchians; for these are the only + people that are circumcised among mankind, and appear to have done the + very same thing with the Egyptians. But as for the Egyptians and + Ethiopians themselves, I am not able to say which of them received it from + the other." This therefore is what Herodotus says, that "the Syrians that + are in Palestine are circumcised." But there are no inhabitants of + Palestine that are circumcised excepting the Jews; and therefore it must + be his knowledge of them that enabled him to speak so much concerning + them. Cherilus also, a still ancienter writer, and a poet, <a + href="#linknote-16" name="linknoteref-16" id="linknoteref-16"><small>16</small></a> + makes mention of our nation, and informs us that it came to the assistance + of king Xerxes, in his expedition against Greece. For in his enumeration + of all those nations, he last of all inserts ours among the rest, when he + says, "At the last there passed over a people, wonderful to be beheld; for + they spake the Phoenician tongue with their mouths; they dwelt in the + Solymean mountains, near a broad lake: their heads were sooty; they had + round rasures on them; their heads and faces were like nasty horse-heads + also, that had been hardened in the smoke." I think, therefore, that it is + evident to every body that Cherilus means us, because the Solymean + mountains are in our country, wherein we inhabit, as is also the lake + called Asphaltitis; for this is a broader and larger lake than any other + that is in Syria: and thus does Cherilus make mention of us. But now that + not only the lowest sort of the Grecians, but those that are had in the + greatest admiration for their philosophic improvements among them, did not + only know the Jews, but when they lighted upon any of them, admired them + also, it is easy for any one to know. For Clearchus, who was the scholar + of Aristotle, and inferior to no one of the Peripatetics whomsoever, in + his first book concerning sleep, says that "Aristotle his master related + what follows of a Jew," and sets down Aristotle's own discourse with him. + The account is this, as written down by him: "Now, for a great part of + what this Jew said, it would be too long to recite it; but what includes + in it both wonder and philosophy it may not be amiss to discourse of. Now, + that I may be plain with thee, Hyperochides, I shall herein seem to thee + to relate wonders, and what will resemble dreams themselves. Hereupon + Hyperochides answered modestly, and said, For that very reason it is that + all of us are very desirous of hearing what thou art going to say. Then + replied Aristotle, For this cause it will be the best way to imitate that + rule of the Rhetoricians, which requires us first to give an account of + the man, and of what nation he was, that so we may not contradict our + master's directions. Then said Hyperochides, Go on, if it so pleases thee. + This man then, [answered Aristotle,] was by birth a Jew, and came from + Celesyria; these Jews are derived from the Indian philosophers; they are + named by the Indians Calami, and by the Syrians Judaei, and took their + name from the country they inhabit, which is called Judea; but for the + name of their city, it is a very awkward one, for they call it Jerusalem. + Now this man, when he was hospitably treated by a great many, came down + from the upper country to the places near the sea, and became a Grecian, + not only in his language, but in his soul also; insomuch that when we + ourselves happened to be in Asia about the same places whither he came, he + conversed with us, and with other philosophical persons, and made a trial + of our skill in philosophy; and as he had lived with many learned men, he + communicated to us more information than he received from us." This is + Aristotle's account of the matter, as given us by Clearchus; which + Aristotle discoursed also particularly of the great and wonderful + fortitude of this Jew in his diet, and continent way of living, as those + that please may learn more about him from Clearchus's book itself; for I + avoid setting down any more than is sufficient for my purpose. Now + Clearchus said this by way of digression, for his main design was of + another nature. But for Hecateus of Abdera, who was both a philosopher, + and one very useful ill an active life, he was contemporary with king + Alexander in his youth, and afterward was with Ptolemy, the son of Lagus; + he did not write about the Jewish affairs by the by only, but composed an + entire book concerning the Jews themselves; out of which book I am willing + to run over a few things, of which I have been treating by way of epitome. + And, in the first place, I will demonstrate the time when this Hecateus + lived; for he mentions the fight that was between Ptolemy and Demetrius + about Gaza, which was fought in the eleventh year after the death of + Alexander, and in the hundred and seventeenth olympiad, as Castor says in + his history. For when he had set down this olympiad, he says further, that + "in this olympiad Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, beat in battle Demetrius, the + son of Antigonus, who was named Poliorcetes, at Gaza." Now, it is agreed + by all, that Alexander died in the hundred and fourteenth olympiad; it is + therefore evident that our nation flourished in his time, and in the time + of Alexander. Again, Hecateus says to the same purpose, as follows: + "Ptolemy got possession of the places in Syria after that battle at Gaza; + and many, when they heard of Ptolemy's moderation and humanity, went along + with him to Egypt, and were willing to assist him in his affairs; one of + whom [Hecateus says] was Hezekiah <a href="#linknote-17" + name="linknoteref-17" id="linknoteref-17"><small>17</small></a> the high + priest of the Jews; a man of about sixty-six years of age, and in great + dignity among his own people. He was a very sensible man, and could speak + very movingly, and was very skillful in the management of affairs, if any + other man ever were so; although, as he says, all the priests of the Jews + took tithes of the products of the earth, and managed public affairs, and + were in number not above fifteen hundred at the most." Hecateus mentions + this Hezekiah a second time, and says, that "as he was possessed of so + great a dignity, and was become familiar with us, so did he take certain + of those that were with him, and explained to them all the circumstances + of their people; for he had all their habitations and polity down in + writing." Moreover, Hecateus declares again, "what regard we have for our + laws, and that we resolve to endure any thing rather than transgress them, + because we think it right for us to do so." Whereupon he adds, that + "although they are in a bad reputation among their neighbors, and among + all those that come to them, and have been often treated injuriously by + the kings and governors of Persia, yet can they not be dissuaded from + acting what they think best; but that when they are stripped on this + account, and have torments inflicted upon them, and they are brought to + the most terrible kinds of death, they meet them after an extraordinary + manner, beyond all other people, and will not renounce the religion of + their forefathers." Hecateus also produces demonstrations not a few of + this their resolute tenaciousness of their laws, when he speaks thus: + "Alexander was once at Babylon, and had an intention to rebuild the temple + of Belus that was fallen to decay, and in order thereto, he commanded all + his soldiers in general to bring earth thither. But the Jews, and they + only, would not comply with that command; nay, they underwent stripes and + great losses of what they had on this account, till the king forgave them, + and permitted them to live in quiet." He adds further, that "when the + Macedonians came to them into that country, and demolished the [old] + temples and the altars, they assisted them in demolishing them all <a + href="#linknote-18" name="linknoteref-18" id="linknoteref-18"><small>18</small></a> + but [for not assisting them in rebuilding them] they either underwent + losses, or sometimes obtained forgiveness." He adds further, that "these + men deserve to be admired on that account." He also speaks of the mighty + populousness of our nation, and says that "the Persians formerly carried + away many ten thousands of our people to Babylon, as also that not a few + ten thousands were removed after Alexander's death into Egypt and + Phoenicia, by reason of the sedition that was arisen in Syria." The same + person takes notice in his history, how large the country is which we + inhabit, as well as of its excellent character, and says, that "the land + in which the Jews inhabit contains three millions of arourae, <a + href="#linknote-19" name="linknoteref-19" id="linknoteref-19"><small>19</small></a> + and is generally of a most excellent and most fruitful soil; nor is Judea + of lesser dimensions." The same man describe our city Jerusalem also + itself as of a most excellent structure, and very large, and inhabited + from the most ancient times. He also discourses of the multitude of men in + it, and of the construction of our temple, after the following manner: + "There are many strong places and villages [says he] in the country of + Judea; but one strong city there is, about fifty furlongs in + circumference, which is inhabited by a hundred and twenty thousand men, or + thereabouts; they call it Jerusalem. There is about the middle of the city + a wall of stone, whose length is five hundred feet, and the breadth a + hundred cubits, with double cloisters; wherein there is a square altar, + not made of hewn stone, but composed of white stones gathered together, + having each side twenty cubits long, and its altitude ten cubits. Hard by + it is a large edifice, wherein there is an altar and a candlestick, both + of gold, and in weight two talents: upon these there is a light that is + never extinguished, either by night or by day. There is no image, nor any + thing, nor any donations therein; nothing at all is there planted, neither + grove, nor any thing of that sort. The priests abide therein both nights + and days, performing certain purifications, and drinking not the least + drop of wine while they are in the temple." Moreover, he attests that we + Jews went as auxiliaries along with king Alexander, and after him with his + successors. I will add further what he says he learned when he was himself + with the same army, concerning the actions of a man that was a Jew. His + words are these: "As I was myself going to the Red Sea, there followed us + a man, whose name was Mosollam; he was one of the Jewish horsemen who + conducted us; he was a person of great courage, of a strong body, and by + all allowed to be the most skillful archer that was either among the + Greeks or barbarians. Now this man, as people were in great numbers + passing along the road, and a certain augur was observing an augury by a + bird, and requiring them all to stand still, inquired what they staid for. + Hereupon the augur showed him the bird from whence he took his augury, and + told him that if the bird staid where he was, they ought all to stand + still; but that if he got up, and flew onward, they must go forward; but + that if he flew backward, they must retire again. Mosollam made no reply, + but drew his bow, and shot at the bird, and hit him, and killed him; and + as the augur and some others were very angry, and wished imprecations upon + him, he answered them thus: Why are you so mad as to take this most + unhappy bird into your hands? for how can this bird give us any true + information concerning our march, who could not foresee how to save + himself? for had he been able to foreknow what was future, he would not + have come to this place, but would have been afraid lest Mosollam the Jew + should shoot at him, and kill him." But of Hecateus's testimonies we have + said enough; for as to such as desire to know more of them, they may + easily obtain them from his book itself. However, I shall not think it too + much for me to name Agatharchides, as having made mention of us Jews, + though in way of derision at our simplicity, as he supposes it to be; for + when he was discoursing of the affairs of Stratonice, "how she came out of + Macedonia into Syria, and left her husband Demetrius, while yet Seleueus + would not marry her as she expected, but during the time of his raising an + army at Babylon, stirred up a sedition about Antioch; and how, after that, + the king came back, and upon his taking of Antioch, she fled to Seleucia, + and had it in her power to sail away immediately yet did she comply with a + dream which forbade her so to do, and so was caught and put to death." + When Agatharehides had premised this story, and had jested upon Stratonice + for her superstition, he gives a like example of what was reported + concerning us, and writes thus: "There are a people called Jews, and dwell + in a city the strongest of all other cities, which the inhabitants call + Jerusalem, and are accustomed to rest on every seventh day <a + href="#linknote-20" name="linknoteref-20" id="linknoteref-20"><small>20</small></a> + on which times they make no use of their arms, nor meddle with husbandry, + nor take care of any affairs of life, but spread out their hands in their + holy places, and pray till the evening. Now it came to pass, that when + Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, came into this city with his army, that these + men, in observing this mad custom of theirs, instead of guarding the city, + suffered their country to submit itself to a bitter lord; and their law + was openly proved to have commanded a foolish practice. <a + href="#linknote-21" name="linknoteref-21" id="linknoteref-21"><small>21</small></a> + This accident taught all other men but the Jews to disregard such dreams + as these were, and not to follow the like idle suggestions delivered as a + law, when, in such uncertainty of human reasonings, they are at a loss + what they should do." Now this our procedure seems a ridiculous thing to + Agatharehides, but will appear to such as consider it without prejudice a + great thing, and what deserved a great many encomiums; I mean, when + certain men constantly prefer the observation of their laws, and their + religion towards God, before the preservation of themselves and their + country. + </p> + <p> + 23. Now that some writers have omitted to mention our nation, not because + they knew nothing of us, but because they envied us, or for some other + unjustifiable reasons, I think I can demonstrate by particular instances; + for Hieronymus, who wrote the History of Alexander's Successors, lived at + the same time with Hecateus, and was a friend of king Antigonus, and + president of Syria. Now it is plain that Hecateus wrote an entire book + concerning us, while Hieronymus never mentions us in his history, although + he was bred up very near to the places where we live. Thus different from + one another are the inclinations of men; while the one thought we deserved + to be carefully remembered, as some ill-disposed passion blinded the + other's mind so entirely, that he could not discern the truth. And now + certainly the foregoing records of the Egyptians, and Chaldeans, and + Phoenicians, together with so many of the Greek writers, will be + sufficient for the demonstration of our antiquity. Moreover, besides those + forementioned, Theophilus, and Theodotus, and Mnaseas, and Aristophanes, + and Hermogenes, Euhemerus also, and Conon, and Zopyrion, and perhaps many + others, [for I have not lighted upon all the Greek books,] have made + distinct mention of us. It is true, many of the men before mentioned have + made great mistakes about the true accounts of our nation in the earliest + times, because they had not perused our sacred books; yet have they all of + them afforded their testimony to our antiquity, concerning which I am now + treating. However, Demetrius Phalereus, and the elder Philo, with + Eupolemus, have not greatly missed the truth about our affairs; whose + lesser mistakes ought therefore to be forgiven them; for it was not in + their power to understand our writings with the utmost accuracy. + </p> + <p> + 24. One particular there is still remaining behind of what I at first + proposed to speak to, and that is, to demonstrate that those calumnies and + reproaches which some have thrown upon our nation, are lies, and to make + use of those writers' own testimonies against themselves; and that in + general this self-contradiction hath happened to many other authors by + reason of their ill-will to some people, I conclude, is not unknown to + such as have read histories with sufficient care; for some of them have + endeavored to disgrace the nobility of certain nations, and of some of the + most glorious cities, and have cast reproaches upon certain forms of + government. Thus hath Theopompus abused the city of Athens, Polycrates + that of Lacedemon, as hath he hat wrote the Tripoliticus [for he is not + Theopompus, as is supposed by some] done by the city of Thebes. Timeils + also hath greatly abused the foregoing people and others also; and this + ill-treatment they use chiefly when they have a contest with men of the + greatest reputation; some out of envy and malice, and others as supposing + that by this foolish talking of theirs they may be thought worthy of being + remembered themselves; and indeed they do by no means fail of their hopes, + with regard to the foolish part of mankind, but men of sober judgment + still condemn them of great malignity. + </p> + <p> + 25. Now the Egyptians were the first that cast reproaches upon us; in + order to please which nation, some others undertook to pervert the truth, + while they would neither own that our forefathers came into Egypt from + another country, as the fact was, nor give a true account of our departure + thence. And indeed the Egyptians took many occasions to hate us and envy + us: in the first place, because our ancestors had had the dominion over + their country? and when they were delivered from them, and gone to their + own country again, they lived there in prosperity. In the next place, the + difference of our religion from theirs hath occasioned great enmity + between us, while our way of Divine worship did as much exceed that which + their laws appointed, as does the nature of God exceed that of brute + beasts; for so far they all agree through the whole country, to esteem + such animals as gods, although they differ one from another in the + peculiar worship they severally pay to them. And certainly men they are + entirely of vain and foolish minds, who have thus accustomed themselves + from the beginning to have such bad notions concerning their gods, and + could not think of imitating that decent form of Divine worship which we + made use of, though, when they saw our institutions approved of by many + others, they could not but envy us on that account; for some of them have + proceeded to that degree of folly and meanness in their conduct, as not to + scruple to contradict their own ancient records, nay, to contradict + themselves also in their writings, and yet were so blinded by their + passions as not to discern it. + </p> + <p> + 26. And now I will turn my discourse to one of their principal writers, + whom I have a little before made use of as a witness to our antiquity; I + mean Manetho. <a href="#linknote-22" name="linknoteref-22" + id="linknoteref-22"><small>22</small></a> He promised to interpret the + Egyptian history out of their sacred writings, and premised this: that + "our people had come into Egypt, many ten thousands in number, and subdued + its inhabitants;" and when he had further confessed that "we went out of + that country afterward, and settled in that country which is now called + Judea, and there built Jerusalem and its temple." Now thus far he followed + his ancient records; but after this he permits himself, in order to appear + to have written what rumors and reports passed abroad about the Jews, and + introduces incredible narrations, as if he would have the Egyptian + multitude, that had the leprosy and other distempers, to have been mixed + with us, as he says they were, and that they were condemned to fly out of + Egypt together; for he mentions Amenophis, a fictitious king's name, + though on that account he durst not set down the number of years of his + reign, which yet he had accurately done as to the other kings he mentions; + he then ascribes certain fabulous stories to this king, as having in a + manner forgotten how he had already related that the departure of the + shepherds for Jerusalem had been five hundred and eighteen years before; + for Tethmosis was king when they went away. Now, from his days, the reigns + of the intermediate kings, according to Manethe, amounted to three hundred + and ninety-three years, as he says himself, till the two brothers Sethos + and Hermeus; the one of whom, Sethos, was called by that other name of + Egyptus, and the other, Hermeus, by that of Danaus. He also says that + Sethos east the other out of Egypt, and reigned fifty-nine years, as did + his eldest son Rhampses reign after him sixty-six years. When Manethe + therefore had acknowledged that our forefathers were gone out of Egypt so + many years ago, he introduces his fictitious king Amenophis, and says + thus: "This king was desirous to become a spectator of the gods, as had + Orus, one of his predecessors in that kingdom, desired the same before + him; he also communicated that his desire to his namesake Amenophis, who + was the son of Papis, and one that seemed to partake of a divine nature, + both as to wisdom and the knowledge of futurities." Manethe adds, "how + this namesake of his told him that he might see the gods, if he would + clear the whole country of the lepers and of the other impure people; that + the king was pleased with this injunction, and got together all that had + any defect in their bodies out of Egypt; and that their number was eighty + thousand; whom he sent to those quarries which are on the east side of the + Nile, that they might work in them, and might be separated from the rest + of the Egyptians." He says further, that "there were some of the learned + priests that were polluted with the leprosy; but that still this + Amenophis, the wise man and the prophet, was afraid that the gods would be + angry at him and at the king, if there should appear to have been violence + offered them; who also added this further, [out of his sagacity about + futurities,] that certain people would come to the assistance of these + polluted wretches, and would conquer Egypt, and keep it in their + possession thirteen years; that, however, he durst not tell the king of + these things, but that he left a writing behind him about all those + matters, and then slew himself, which made the king disconsolate." After + which he writes thus verbatim: "After those that were sent to work in the + quarries had continued in that miserable state for a long while, the king + was desired that he would set apart the city Avaris, which was then left + desolate of the shepherds, for their habitation and protection; which + desire he granted them. Now this city, according to the ancient theology, + was Typho's city. But when these men were gotten into it, and found the + place fit for a revolt, they appointed themselves a ruler out of the + priests of Hellopolis, whose name was Osarsiph, and they took their oaths + that they would be obedient to him in all things. He then, in the first + place, made this law for them, That they should neither worship the + Egyptian gods, nor should abstain from any one of those sacred animals + which they have in the highest esteem, but kill and destroy them all; that + they should join themselves to nobody but to those that were of this + confederacy. When he had made such laws as these, and many more such as + were mainly opposite to the customs of the Egyptians, <a + href="#linknote-23" name="linknoteref-23" id="linknoteref-23"><small>23</small></a> + he gave order that they should use the multitude of the hands they had in + building walls about their City, and make themselves ready for a war with + king Amenophis, while he did himself take into his friendship the other + priests, and those that were polluted with them, and sent ambassadors to + those shepherds who had been driven out of the land by Tefilmosis to the + city called Jerusalem; whereby he informed them of his own affairs, and of + the state of those others that had been treated after such an ignominious + manner, and desired that they would come with one consent to his + assistance in this war against Egypt. He also promised that he would, in + the first place, bring them back to their ancient city and country Avaris, + and provide a plentiful maintenance for their multitude; that he would + protect them and fight for them as occasion should require, and would + easily reduce the country under their dominion. These shepherds were all + very glad of this message, and came away with alacrity all together, being + in number two hundred thousand men; and in a little time they came to + Avaris. And now Amenophis the king of Egypt, upon his being informed of + their invasion, was in great confusion, as calling to mind what Amenophis, + the son of Papis, had foretold him; and, in the first place, he assembled + the multitude of the Egyptians, and took counsel with their leaders, and + sent for their sacred animals to him, especially for those that were + principally worshipped in their temples, and gave a particular charge to + the priests distinctly, that they should hide the images of their gods + with the utmost care he also sent his son Sethos, who was also named + Ramesses, from his father Rhampses, being but five years old, to a friend + of his. He then passed on with the rest of the Egyptians, being three + hundred thousand of the most warlike of them, against the enemy, who met + them. Yet did he not join battle with them; but thinking that would be to + fight against the gods, he returned back and came to Memphis, where he + took Apis and the other sacred animals which he had sent for to him, and + presently marched into Ethiopia, together with his whole army and + multitude of Egyptians; for the king of Ethiopia was under an obligation + to him, on which account he received him, and took care of all the + multitude that was with him, while the country supplied all that was + necessary for the food of the men. He also allotted cities and villages + for this exile, that was to be from its beginning during those fatally + determined thirteen years. Moreover, he pitched a camp for his Ethiopian + army, as a guard to king Amenophis, upon the borders of Egypt. And this + was the state of things in Ethiopia. But for the people of Jerusalem, when + they came down together with the polluted Egyptians, they treated the men + in such a barbarous manner, that those who saw how they subdued the + forementioned country, and the horrid wickedness they were guilty of, + thought it a most dreadful thing; for they did not only set the cities and + villages on fire but were not satisfied till they had been guilty of + sacrilege, and destroyed the images of the gods, and used them in roasting + those sacred animals that used to be worshipped, and forced the priests + and prophets to be the executioners and murderers of those animals, and + then ejected them naked out of the country. It was also reported that the + priest, who ordained their polity and their laws, was by birth of + Hellopolls, and his name Osarsiph, from Osyris, who was the god of + Hellopolls; but that when he was gone over to these people, his name was + changed, and he was called Moses." + </p> + <p> + 27. This is what the Egyptians relate about the Jews, with much more, + which I omit for the sake of brevity. But still Manetho goes on, that + "after this, Amenophis returned back from Ethiopia with a great army, as + did his son Ahampses with another army also, and that both of them joined + battle with the shepherds and the polluted people, and beat them, and slew + a great many of them, and pursued them to the bounds of Syria." These and + the like accounts are written by Manetho. But I will demonstrate that he + trifles, and tells arrant lies, after I have made a distinction which will + relate to what I am going to say about him; for this Manetho had granted + and confessed that this nation was not originally Egyptian, but that they + had come from another country, and subdued Egypt, and then went away again + out of it. But that those Egyptians who were thus diseased in their bodies + were not mingled with us afterward, and that Moses who brought the people + out was not one of that company, but lived many generations earlier, I + shall endeavor to demonstrate from Manetho's own accounts themselves. + </p> + <p> + 28. Now, for the first occasion of this fiction, Manetho supposes what is + no better than a ridiculous thing; for he says that, "King Amenophis + desired to see the gods." What gods, I pray, did he desire to see? If he + meant the gods whom their laws ordained to be worshipped, the ox, the + goat, the crocodile, and the baboon, he saw them already; but for the + heavenly gods, how could he see them, and what should occasion this his + desire? To be sure? it was because another king before him had already + seen them. He had then been informed what sort of gods they were, and + after what manner they had been seen, insomuch that he did not stand in + need of any new artifice for obtaining this sight. However, the prophet by + whose means the king thought to compass his design was a wise man. If so, + how came he not to know that such his desire was impossible to be + accomplished? for the event did not succeed. And what pretense could there + be to suppose that the gods would not be seen by reason of the people's + maims in their bodies, or leprosy? for the gods are not angry at the + imperfection of bodies, but at wicked practices; and as to eighty thousand + lepers, and those in an ill state also, how is it possible to have them + gathered together in one day? nay, how came the king not to comply with + the prophet? for his injunction was, that those that were maimed should be + expelled out of Egypt, while the king only sent them to work in the + quarries, as if he were rather in want of laborers, than intended to purge + his country. He says further, that, "this prophet slew himself, as + foreseeing the anger of the gods, and those events which were to come upon + Egypt afterward; and that he left this prediction for the king in + writing." Besides, how came it to pass that this prophet did not foreknow + his own death at the first? nay, how came he not to contradict the king in + his desire to see the gods immediately? how came that unreasonable dread + upon him of judgments that were not to happen in his lifetime? or what + worse thing could he suffer, out of the fear of which he made haste to + kill himself? But now let us see the silliest thing of all:—The + king, although he had been informed of these things, and terrified with + the fear of what was to come, yet did not he even then eject these maimed + people out of his country, when it had been foretold him that he was to + clear Egypt of them; but, as Manetho says, "he then, upon their request, + gave them that city to inhabit, which had formerly belonged to the + shepherds, and was called Avaris; whither when they were gone in crowds," + he says, "they chose one that had formerly been priest of Hellopolls; and + that this priest first ordained that they should neither worship the gods, + nor abstain from those animals that were worshipped by the Egyptians, but + should kill and eat them all, and should associate with nobody but those + that had conspired with them; and that he bound the multitude by oaths to + be sure to continue in those laws; and that when he had built a wall about + Avaris, he made war against the king." Manetho adds also, that "this + priest sent to Jerusalem to invite that people to come to his assistance, + and promised to give them Avaris; for that it had belonged to the + forefathers of those that were coming from Jerusalem, and that when they + were come, they made a war immediately against the king, and got + possession of all Egypt." He says also that "the Egyptians came with an + army of two hundred thousand men, and that Amenophis, the king of Egypt, + not thinking that he ought to fight against the gods, ran away presently + into Ethiopia, and committed Apis and certain other of their sacred + animals to the priests, and commanded them to take care of preserving + them." He says further, that, "the people of Jerusalem came accordingly + upon the Egyptians, and overthrew their cities, and burnt their temples, + and slew their horsemen, and, in short, abstained from no sort of + wickedness nor barbarity; and for that priest who settled their polity and + their laws," he says, "he was by birth of Hellopolis, and his name was + Osarsiph, from Osyris the god of Hellopolis, but that he changed his name, + and called himself Moses." He then says that "on the thirteenth year + afterward, Amenophis, according to the fatal time of the duration of his + misfortunes, came upon them out of Ethiopia with a great army, and joining + battle with the shepherds and with the polluted people, overcame them in + battle, and slew a great many of them, and pursued them as far as the + bounds of Syria." + </p> + <p> + 29. Now Manetho does not reflect upon the improbability of his lie; for + the leprous people, and the multitude that was with them, although they + might formerly have been angry at the king, and at those that had treated + them so coarsely, and this according to the prediction of the prophet; yet + certainly, when they were come out of the mines, and had received of the + king a city, and a country, they would have grown milder towards him. + However, had they ever so much hated him in particular, they might have + laid a private plot against himself, but would hardly have made war + against all the Egyptians; I mean this on the account of the great kindred + they who were so numerous must have had among them. Nay still, if they had + resolved to fight with the men, they would not have had impudence enough + to fight with their gods; nor would they have ordained laws quite contrary + to those of their own country, and to those in which they had been bred up + themselves. Yet are we beholden to Manethe, that he does not lay the + principal charge of this horrid transgression upon those that came from + Jerusalem, but says that the Egyptians themselves were the most guilty, + and that they were their priests that contrived these things, and made the + multitude take their oaths for doing so. But still how absurd is it to + suppose that none of these people's own relations or friends should be + prevailed with to revolt, nor to undergo the hazards of war with them, + while these polluted people were forced to send to Jerusalem, and bring + their auxiliaries from thence! What friendship, I pray, or what relation + was there formerly between them that required this assistance? On the + contrary, these people were enemies, and greatly differed from them in + their customs. He says, indeed, that they complied immediately, upon their + praising them that they should conquer Egypt; as if they did not + themselves very well know that country out of which they had been driven + by force. Now had these men been in want, or lived miserably, perhaps they + might have undertaken so hazardous an enterprise; but as they dwelt in a + happy city, and had a large country, and one better than Egypt itself, how + came it about that, for the sake of those that had of old been their + enemies, of those that were maimed in their bodies, and of those whom none + of their own relations would endure, they should run such hazards in + assisting them? For they could not foresee that the king would run away + from them: on the contrary, he saith himself that "Amenophis's son had + three hundred thousand men with him, and met them at Pelusium." Now, to be + sure, those that came could not be ignorant of this; but for the king's + repentance and flight, how could they possibly guess at it? He then says, + that "those who came from Jerusalem, and made this invasion, got the + granaries of Egypt into their possession, and perpetrated many of the most + horrid actions there." And thence he reproaches them, as though he had not + himself introduced them as enemies, or as though he might accuse such as + were invited from another place for so doing, when the natural Egyptians + themselves had done the same things before their coming, and had taken + oaths so to do. However, "Amenophis, some time afterward, came upon them, + and conquered them in battle, and slew his enemies, and drove them before + him as far as Syria." As if Egypt were so easily taken by people that came + from any place whatsoever, and as if those that had conquered it by war, + when they were informed that Amenophis was alive, did neither fortify the + avenues out of Ethiopia into it, although they had great advantages for + doing it, nor did get their other forces ready for their defense! but that + he followed them over the sandy desert, and slew them as far as Syria; + while yet it is rot an easy thing for an army to pass over that country, + even without fighting. + </p> + <p> + 30. Our nation, therefore, according to Manetho, was not derived from + Egypt, nor were any of the Egyptians mingled with us. For it is to be + supposed that many of the leprous and distempered people were dead in the + mines, since they had been there a long time, and in so ill a condition; + many others must be dead in the battles that happened afterward, and more + still in the last battle and flight after it. + </p> + <p> + 31. It now remains that I debate with Manetho about Moses. Now the + Egyptians acknowledge him to have been a wonderful and a divine person; + nay, they would willingly lay claim to him themselves, though after a most + abusive and incredible manner, and pretend that he was of Heliopolis, and + one of the priests of that place, and was ejected out of it among the + rest, on account of his leprosy; although it had been demonstrated out of + their records that he lived five hundred and eighteen years earlier, and + then brought our forefathers out of Egypt into the country that is now + inhabited by us. But now that he was not subject in his body to any such + calamity, is evident from what he himself tells us; for he forbade those + that had the leprosy either to continue in a city, or to inhabit in a + village, but commanded that they should go about by themselves with their + clothes rent; and declares that such as either touch them, or live under + the same roof with them, should be esteemed unclean; nay, more, if any one + of their disease be healed, and he recover his natural constitution again, + he appointed them certain purifications, and washings with spring water, + and the shaving off all their hair, and enjoins that they shall offer many + sacrifices, and those of several kinds, and then at length to be admitted + into the holy city; although it were to be expected that, on the contrary, + if he had been under the same calamity, he should have taken care of such + persons beforehand, and have had them treated after a kinder manner, as + affected with a concern for those that were to be under the like + misfortunes with himself. Nor was it only those leprous people for whose + sake he made these laws, but also for such as should be maimed in the + smallest part of their body, who yet are not permitted by him to officiate + as priests; nay, although any priest, already initiated, should have such + a calamity fall upon him afterward, he ordered him to be deprived of his + honor of officiating. How can it then be supposed that Moses should ordain + such laws against himself, to his own reproach and damage who so ordained + them? Nor indeed is that other notion of Manetho at all probable, wherein + he relates the change of his name, and says that "he was formerly called + Osarsiph;" and this a name no way agreeable to the other, while his true + name was Mosses, and signifies a person who is preserved out of the water, + for the Egyptians call water Moil. I think, therefore, I have made it + sufficiently evident that Manetho, while he followed his ancient records, + did not much mistake the truth of the history; but that when he had + recourse to fabulous stories, without any certain author, he either forged + them himself, without any probability, or else gave credit to some men who + spake so out of their ill-will to us. + </p> + <p> + 32. And now I have done with Manetho, I will inquire into what Cheremon + says. For he also, when he pretended to write the Egyptian history, sets + down the same name for this king that Manetho did, Amenophis, as also of + his son Ramesses, and then goes on thus: "The goddess Isis appeared to + Amenophis in his sleep, and blamed him that her temple had been demolished + in the war. But that Phritiphantes, the sacred scribe, said to him, that + in case he would purge Egypt of the men that had pollutions upon them, he + should be no longer troubled with such frightful apparitions. That + Amenophis accordingly chose out two hundred and fifty thousand of those + that were thus diseased, and cast them out of the country: that Moses and + Joseph were scribes, and Joseph was a sacred scribe; that their names were + Egyptian originally; that of Moses had been Tisithen, and that of Joseph, + Peteseph: that these two came to Pelusium, and lighted upon three hundred + and eighty thousand that had been left there by Amenophis, he not being + willing to carry them into Egypt; that these scribes made a league of + friendship with them, and made with them an expedition against Egypt: that + Amenophis could not sustain their attacks, but fled into Ethiopia, and + left his wife with child behind him, who lay concealed in certain caverns, + and there brought forth a son, whose name was Messene, and who, when he + was grown up to man's estate, pursued the Jews into Syria, being about two + hundred thousand, and then received his father Amenophis out of Ethiopia." + </p> + <p> + 33. This is the account Cheremon gives us. Now I take it for granted that + what I have said already hath plainly proved the falsity of both these + narrations; for had there been any real truth at the bottom, it was + impossible they should so greatly disagree about the particulars. But for + those that invent lies, what they write will easily give us very different + accounts, while they forge what they please out of their own heads. Now + Manetho says that the king's desire of seeing the gods was the origin of + the ejection of the polluted people; but Cheremon feigns that it was a + dream of his own, sent upon him by Isis, that was the occasion of it. + Manetho says that the person who foreshowed this purgation of Egypt to the + king was Amenophis; but this man says it was Phritiphantes. As to the + numbers of the multitude that were expelled, they agree exceedingly well + <a href="#linknote-24" name="linknoteref-24" id="linknoteref-24"><small>24</small></a> + the former reckoning them eighty thousand, and the latter about two + hundred and fifty thousand! Now, for Manetho, he describes those polluted + persons as sent first to work in the quarries, and says that the city + Avaris was given them for their habitation. As also he relates that it was + not till after they had made war with the rest of the Egyptians, that they + invited the people of Jerusalem to come to their assistance; while + Cheremon says only that they were gone out of Egypt, and lighted upon + three hundred and eighty thousand men about Pelusium, who had been left + there by Amenophis, and so they invaded Egypt with them again; that + thereupon Amenophis fled into Ethiopia. But then this Cheremon commits a + most ridiculous blunder in not informing us who this army of so many ten + thousands were, or whence they came; whether they were native Egyptians, + or whether they came from a foreign country. Nor indeed has this man, who + forged a dream from Isis about the leprous people, assigned the reason why + the king would not bring them into Egypt. Moreover, Cheremon sets down + Joseph as driven away at the same time with Moses, who yet died four + generations <a href="#linknote-25" name="linknoteref-25" + id="linknoteref-25"><small>25</small></a> before Moses, which four + generations make almost one hundred and seventy years. Besides all this, + Ramesses, the son of Amenophis, by Manetho's account, was a young man, and + assisted his father in his war, and left the country at the same time with + him, and fled into Ethiopia. But Cheremon makes him to have been born in a + certain cave, after his father was dead, and that he then overcame the + Jews in battle, and drove them into Syria, being in number about two + hundred thousand. O the levity of the man! for he had neither told us who + these three hundred and eighty thousand were, nor how the four hundred and + thirty thousand perished; whether they fell in war, or went over to + Ramesses. And, what is the strangest of all, it is not possible to learn + out of him who they were whom he calls Jews, or to which of these two + parties he applies that denomination, whether to the two hundred and fifty + thousand leprous people, or to the three hundred and eighty thousand that + were about Pelusium. But perhaps it will be looked upon as a silly thing + in me to make any larger confutation of such writers as sufficiently + confute themselves; for had they been only confuted by other men, it had + been more tolerable. + </p> + <p> + 34. I shall now add to these accounts about Manethoand Cheremon somewhat + about Lysimachus, who hath taken the same topic of falsehood with those + forementioned, but hath gone far beyond them in the incredible nature of + his forgeries; which plainly demonstrates that he contrived them out of + his virulent hatred of our nation. His words are these: "The people of the + Jews being leprous and scabby, and subject to certain other kinds of + distempers, in the days of Bocchoris, king of Egypt, they fled to the + temples, and got their food there by begging: and as the numbers were very + great that were fallen under these diseases, there arose a scarcity in + Egypt. Hereupon Bocehoris, the king of Egypt, sent some to consult the + oracle of [Jupiter] Hammon about his scarcity. The god's answer was this, + that he must purge his temples of impure and impious men, by expelling + them out of those temples into desert places; but as to the scabby and + leprous people, he must drown them, and purge his temples, the sun having + an indignation at these men being suffered to live; and by this means the + land will bring forth its fruits. Upon Bocchoris's having received these + oracles, he called for their priests, and the attendants upon their + altars, and ordered them to make a collection of the impure people, and to + deliver them to the soldiers, to carry them away into the desert; but to + take the leprous people, and wrap them in sheets of lead, and let them + down into the sea. Hereupon the scabby and leprous people were drowned, + and the rest were gotten together, and sent into desert places, in order + to be exposed to destruction. In this case they assembled themselves + together, and took counsel what they should do, and determined that, as + the night was coming on, they should kindle fires and lamps, and keep + watch; that they also should fast the next night, and propitiate the gods, + in order to obtain deliverance from them. That on the next day there was + one Moses, who advised them that they should venture upon a journey, and + go along one road till they should come to places fit for habitation: that + he charged them to have no kind regards for any man, nor give good counsel + to any, but always to advise them for the worst; and to overturn all those + temples and altars of the gods they should meet with: that the rest + commended what he had said with one consent, and did what they had + resolved on, and so traveled over the desert. But that the difficulties of + the journey being over, they came to a country inhabited, and that there + they abused the men, and plundered and burnt their temples; and then came + into that land which is called Judea, and there they built a city, and + dwelt therein, and that their city was named Hierosyla, from this their + robbing of the temples; but that still, upon the success they had + afterwards, they in time changed its denomination, that it might not be a + reproach to them, and called the city Hierosolyma, and themselves + Hierosolymites." + </p> + <p> + 35. Now this man did not discover and mention the same king with the + others, but feigned a newer name, and passing by the dream and the + Egyptian prophet, he brings him to [Jupiter] Hammon, in order to gain + oracles about the scabby and leprous people; for he says that the + multitude of Jews were gathered together at the temples. Now it is + uncertain whether he ascribes this name to these lepers, or to those that + were subject to such diseases among the Jews only; for he describes them + as a people of the Jews. What people does he mean? foreigners, or those of + that country? Why then' dost thou call them Jews, if they were Egyptians? + But if they were foreigners, why dost thou not tell us whence they came? + And how could it be that, after the king had drowned many of them in the + sea, and ejected the rest into desert places, there should be still so + great a multitude remaining? Or after what manner did they pass over the + desert, and get the land which we now dwell in, and build our city, and + that temple which hath been so famous among all mankind? And besides, he + ought to have spoken more about our legislator than by giving us his bare + name; and to have informed us of what nation he was, and what parents he + was derived from; and to have assigned the reasons why he undertook to + make such laws concerning the gods, and concerning matters of injustice + with regard to men during that journey. For in case the people were by + birth Egyptians, they would not on the sudden have so easily changed the + customs of their country; and in case they had been foreigners, they had + for certain some laws or other which had been kept by them from long + custom. It is true, that with regard to those who had ejected them, they + might have sworn never to bear good-will to them, and might have had a + plausible reason for so doing. But if these men resolved to wage an + implacable war against all men, in case they had acted as wickedly as he + relates of them, and this while they wanted the assistance of all men, + this demonstrates a kind of mad conduct indeed; but not of the men + themselves, but very greatly so of him that tells such lies about them. He + hath also impudence enough to say that a name, implying "Robbers of the + temples," <a href="#linknote-26" name="linknoteref-26" id="linknoteref-26"><small>26</small></a> + was given to their city, and that this name was afterward changed. The + reason of which is plain, that the former name brought reproach and hatred + upon them in the times of their posterity, while, it seems, those that + built the city thought they did honor to the city by giving it such a + name. So we see that this fine fellow had such an unbounded inclination to + reproach us, that he did not understand that robbery of temples is not + expressed By the same word and name among the Jews as it is among the + Greeks. But why should a man say any more to a person who tells such + impudent lies? However, since this book is arisen to a competent length, I + will make another beginning, and endeavor to add what still remains to + perfect my design in the following book. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2H_4_0002" id="link2H_4_0002"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + APION BOOK 1 FOOTNOTES + </h2> + <p> + <a name="linknote-1" id="linknote-1"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linknoteref-1">return</a>)<br /> [ This first book has a wrong + title. It is not written against Apion, as is the first part of the second + book, but against those Greeks in general who would not believe Josephus's + former accounts of the very ancient state of the Jewish nation, in his 20 + books of Antiquities; and particularly against Agatharelddes, Manetho, + Cheremon, and Lysimachus. it is one of the most learned, excellent, and + useful books of all antiquity; and upon Jerome's perusal of this and the + following book, he declares that it seems to him a miraculous thing "how + one that was a Hebrew, who had been from his infancy instructed in sacred + learning, should be able to pronounce such a number of testimonies out of + profane authors, as if he had read over all the Grecian libraries," Epist. + 8. ad Magnum; and the learned Jew, Manasseh-Ben-Israel, esteemed these two + books so excellent, as to translate them into the Hebrew; this we learn + from his own catalogue of his works, which I have seen. As to the time and + place when and where these two books were written, the learned have not + hitherto been able to determine them any further than that they were + written some time after his Antiquities, or some time after A.D. 93; which + indeed is too obvious at their entrance to be overlooked by even a + careless peruser, they being directly intended against those that would + not believe what he had advanced in those books con-the great of the + Jewish nation As to the place, they all imagine that these two books were + written where the former were, I mean at Rome; and I confess that I myself + believed both those determinations, till I came to finish my notes upon + these books, when I met with plain indications that they were written not + at Rome, but in Judea, and this after the third of Trajan, or A.D. 100.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-2" id="linknote-2"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linknoteref-2">return</a>)<br /> [ Take Dr. Hudson's note + here, which as it justly contradicts the common opinion that Josephus + either died under Domitian, or at least wrote nothing later than his days, + so does it perfectly agree to my own determination, from Justus of + Tiberias, that he wrote or finished his own Life after the third of + Trajan, or A.D. 100. To which Noldius also agrees, de Herod, No. 383 + [Epaphroditus]. "Since Florius Josephus," says Dr. Hudson, "wrote [or + finished] his books of Antiquities on the thirteenth of Domitian, [A.D. + 93,] and after that wrote the Memoirs of his own Life, as an appendix to + the books of Antiquities, and at last his two books against Apion, and yet + dedicated all those writings to Epaphroditus; he can hardly be that + Epaphroditus who was formerly secretary to Nero, and was slain on the + fourteenth [or fifteenth] of Domitian, after he had been for a good while + in banishment; but another Epaphroditas, a freed-man, and procurator of + Trajan, as says Grotius on Luke 1:3."] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-3" id="linknote-3"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linknoteref-3">return</a>)<br /> [ The preservation of Homer's + Poems by memory, and not by his own writing them down, and that thence + they were styled Rhapsodies, as sung by him, like ballads, by parts, and + not composed and connected together in complete works, are opinions well + known from the ancient commentators; though such supposal seems to myself, + as well as to Fabricius Biblioth. Grace. I. p. 269, and to others, highly + improbable. Nor does Josephus say there were no ancienter writings among + the Greeks than Homer's Poems, but that they did not fully own any + ancienter writings pretending to such antiquity, which is trite.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-4" id="linknote-4"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linknoteref-4">return</a>)<br /> [ It well deserves to be + considered, that Josephus here says how all the following Greek historians + looked on Herodotus as a fabulous author; and presently, sect. 14, how + Manetho, the most authentic writer of the Egyptian history, greatly + complains of his mistakes in the Egyptian affairs; as also that Strabo, B. + XI. p. 507, the most accurate geographer and historian, esteemed him such; + that Xenophon, the much more accurate historian in the affairs of Cyrus, + implies that Herodotus's account of that great man is almost entirely + romantic. See the notes on Antiq. B. XI. ch. 2. sect. 1, and Hutchinson's + Prolegomena to his edition of Xenophon's, that we have already seen in the + note on Antiq. B. VIII. ch. 10. sect. 3, how very little Herodotus knew + about the Jewish affairs and country, and that he greatly affected what we + call the marvelous, as Monsieur Rollin has lately and justly determined; + whence we are not always to depend on the authority of Herodotus, where it + is unsupported by other evidence, but ought to compare the other evidence + with his, and if it preponderate, to prefer it before his. I do not mean + by this that Herodotus willfully related what he believed to be false, [as + Cteeias seems to have done,] but that he often wanted evidence, and + sometimes preferred what was marvelous to what was best attested as really + true.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-5" id="linknote-5"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5 (<a href="#linknoteref-5">return</a>)<br /> [ About the days of Cyrus and + Daniel.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-6" id="linknote-6"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linknoteref-6">return</a>)<br /> [ It is here well worth our + observation, what the reasons are that such ancient authors as Herodotus, + Josephus, and others have been read to so little purpose by many learned + critics; viz. that their main aim has not been chronology or history, but + philology, to know words, and not things, they not much entering + oftentimes into the real contents of their authors, and judging which were + the most accurate discoverers of truth, and most to be depended on in the + several histories, but rather inquiring who wrote the finest style, and + had the greatest elegance in their expressions; which are things of small + consequence in comparison of the other. Thus you will sometimes find great + debates among the learned, whether Herodotus or Thucydides were the finest + historian in the Ionic and Attic ways of writing; which signify little as + to the real value of each of their histories; while it would be of much + more moment to let the reader know, that as the consequence of Herodotus's + history, which begins so much earlier, and reaches so much wider, than + that of Thucydides, is therefore vastly greater; so is the most part of + Thucydides, which belongs to his own times, and fell under his own + observation, much the most certain.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-7" id="linknote-7"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linknoteref-7">return</a>)<br /> [ Of this accuracy of the + Jews before and in our Savior's time, in carefully preserving their + genealogies all along, particularly those of the priests, see Josephus's + Life, sect. 1. This accuracy. seems to have ended at the destruction of + Jerusalem by Titus, or, however, at that by Adrian.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-8" id="linknote-8"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linknoteref-8">return</a>)<br /> [ Which were these twenty-two + sacred books of the Old Testament, see the Supplement to the Essay of the + Old Testament, p. 25-29, viz. those we call canonical, all excepting the + Canticles; but still with this further exception, that the book of + apocryphal Esdras be taken into that number instead of our canonical Ezra, + which seems to be no more than a later epitome of the other; which two + books of Canticles and Ezra it no way appears that our Josephus ever saw.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-9" id="linknote-9"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linknoteref-9">return</a>)<br /> [ Here we have an account of + the first building of the city of Jerusalem, according to Manetho, when + the Phoenician shepherds were expelled out of Egypt about thirty-seven + years before Abraham came out of Harsh.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-10" id="linknote-10"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linknoteref-10">return</a>)<br /> [ Genesis 46;32, 34; 47:3, + 4.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-11" id="linknote-11"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 11 (<a href="#linknoteref-11">return</a>)<br /> [ In our copies of the book + of Genesis and of Joseph, this Joseph never calls himself "a captive," + when he was with the king of Egypt, though he does call himself "a + servant," "a slave," or "captive," many times in the Testament of the + Twelve Patriarchs, under Joseph, sect. 1, 11, 13-16.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-12" id="linknote-12"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linknoteref-12">return</a>)<br /> [ Of this Egyptian + chronology of Manetho, as mistaken by Josephus, and of these Phoenician + shepherds, as falsely supposed by him, and others after him, to have been + the Israelites in Egypt, see Essay on the Old Testament, Appendix, p. + 182-188. And note here, that when Josephus tells us that the Greeks or + Argives looked on this Danaus as "a most ancient," or "the most ancient," + king of Argos, he need not be supposed to mean, in the strictest sense, + that they had no one king so ancient as he; for it is certain that they + owned nine kings before him, and Inachus at the head of them. See + Authentic Records, Part II. p. 983, as Josephus could not but know very + well; but that he was esteemed as very ancient by them, and that they knew + they had been first of all denominated "Danai" from this very ancient king + Danaus. Nor does this superlative degree always imply the "most ancient" + of all without exception, but is sometimes to be rendered "very ancient" + only, as is the case in the like superlative degrees of other words also.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-13" id="linknote-13"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linknoteref-13">return</a>)<br /> [ Authentic Records, Part + II. p. 983, as Josephus could not but know very well; but that he was + esteemed as very ancient by them, and that they knew they had been first + of all denominated "Danai" from this very ancient king Danaus. Nor does + this superlative degree always imply the "most ancient" of all without + exception, but is sometimes to be rendered "very ancient" only, as is the + case in the like superlative degrees of other words also.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-14" id="linknote-14"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linknoteref-14">return</a>)<br /> [ This number in Josephus, + that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple in the eighteenth year of his + reign, is a mistake in the nicety of chronology; for it was in the + nineteenth. The true number here for the year of Darius, in which the + second temple was finished, whether the second with our present copies, or + the sixth with that of Syncellus, or the tenth with that of Eusebius, is + very uncertain; so we had best follow Josephus's own account elsewhere, + Antiq.;B. XI. ch. 3. sect. 4, which shows us that according to his copy of + the Old Testament, after the second of Cyrus, that work was interrupted + till the second of Darius, when in seven years it was finished in the + ninth of Darius.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-15" id="linknote-15"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linknoteref-15">return</a>)<br /> [ This is a thing well + known by the learned, that we are not secure that we have any genuine + writings of Pythagoras; those Golden Verses, which are his best remains, + being generally supposed to have been written not by himself, but by some + of his scholars only, in agreement with what Josephus here affirms of + him.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-16" id="linknote-16"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linknoteref-16">return</a>)<br /> [ Whether these verses of + Cherilus, the heathen poet, in the days of Xerxes, belong to the Solymi in + Pisidia, that were near a small lake, or to the Jews that dwelt on the + Solymean or Jerusalem mountains, near the great and broad lake + Asphaltitis, that were a strange people, and spake the Phoenician tongue, + is not agreed on by the learned. If is yet certain that Josephus here, and + Eusebius, Prep. IX. 9. p. 412, took them to be Jews; and I confess I + cannot but very much incline to the same opinion. The other Solymi were + not a strange people, but heathen idolaters, like the other parts of + Xerxes's army; and that these spake the Phoenician tongue is next to + impossible, as the Jews certainly did; nor is there the least evidence for + it elsewhere. Nor was the lake adjoining to the mountains of the Solvmi at + all large or broad, in comparison of the Jewish lake Asphaltitis; nor + indeed were these so considerable a people as the Jews, nor so likely to + be desired by Xerxes for his army as the Jews, to whom he was always very + favorable. As for the rest of Cherilus's description, that "their heads + were sooty; that they had round rasures on their heads; that their heads + and faces were like nasty horse-heads, which had been hardened in the + smoke;" these awkward characters probably fitted the Solymi of Pisidi no + better than they did the Jews in Judea. And indeed this reproachful + language, here given these people, is to me a strong indication that they + were the poor despicable Jews, and not the Pisidian Solymi celebrated in + Homer, whom Cherilus here describes; nor are we to expect that either + Cherilus or Hecateus, or any other pagan writers cited by Josephus and + Eusebius, made no mistakes in the Jewish history. If by comparing their + testimonies with the more authentic records of that nation we find them + for the main to confirm the same, as we almost always do, we ought to be + satisfied, and not expect that they ever had an exact knowledge of all the + circumstances of the Jewish affairs, which indeed it was almost always + impossible for them to have. See sect. 23.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-17" id="linknote-17"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linknoteref-17">return</a>)<br /> [ This Hezekiah, who is + here called a high priest, is not named in Josephus's catalogue; the real + high priest at that time being rather Onias, as Archbishop Usher supposes. + However, Josephus often uses the word high priests in the plural number, + as living many at the same time. See the note on Antiq. B. XX. ch. 8. + sect. 8.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-18" id="linknote-18"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linknoteref-18">return</a>)<br /> [ So I read the text with + Havercamp, though the place be difficult.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-19" id="linknote-19"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 19 (<a href="#linknoteref-19">return</a>)<br /> [ This number of arourae or + Egyptian acres, 3,000,000, each aroura containing a square of 100 Egyptian + cubits, [being about three quarters of an English acre, and just twice the + area of the court of the Jewish tabernacle,] as contained in the country + of Judea, will be about one third of the entire number of arourae in the + whole land of Judea, supposing it 160 measured miles long and 70 such + miles broad; which estimation, for the fruitful parts of it, as perhaps + here in Hecateus, is not therefore very wide from the truth. The fifty + furlongs in compass for the city Jerusalem presently are not very wide + from the truth also, as Josephus himself describes it, who, Of the War, B. + V. ch. 4. sect. 3. makes its wall thirty-three furlongs, besides the + suburbs and gardens; nay, he says, B. V. ch. 12. sect. 2, that Titus's + wall about it at some small distance, after the gardens and suburbs were + destroyed, was not less than thirty-nine furlongs. Nor perhaps were its + constant inhabitants, in the days of Hecateus, many more than these + 120,000, because room was always to be left for vastly greater numbers + which came up at the three great festivals; to say nothing of the probable + increase in their number between the days of Hecateus and Josephus, which + was at least three hundred years. But see a more authentic account of some + of these measures in my Description of the Jewish Temples. However, we are + not to expect that such heathens as Cherilus or Hecateus, or the rest that + are cited by Josephus and Eusebius, could avoid making many mistakes in + the Jewish history, while yet they strongly confirm the same history in + the general, and are most valuable attestations to those more authentic + accounts we have in the Scriptures and Josephus concerning them.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-20" id="linknote-20"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 20 (<a href="#linknoteref-20">return</a>)<br /> [ A glorious testimony this + of the observation of the sabbath by the Jews. See Antiq. B. XVI. ch. 2. + sect. 4, and ch. 6. sect. 2; the Life, sect. 54; and War, B. IV. ch. 9. + sect. 12.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-21" id="linknote-21"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 21 (<a href="#linknoteref-21">return</a>)<br /> [ Not their law, but the + superstitious interpretation of their leaders which neither the Maccabees + nor our blessed Savior did ever approve of.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-22" id="linknote-22"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 22 (<a href="#linknoteref-22">return</a>)<br /> [ In reading this and the + remaining sections of this book, and some parts of the next, one may + easily perceive that our usually cool and candid author, Josephus, was too + highly offended with the impudent calumnies of Manethe, and the other + bitter enemies of the Jews, with whom he had now to deal, and was thereby + betrayed into a greater heat and passion than ordinary, and that by + consequence he does not hear reason with his usual fairness and + impartiality; he seems to depart sometimes from the brevity and sincerity + of a faithful historian, which is his grand character, and indulges the + prolixity and colors of a pleader and a disputant: accordingly, I confess, + I always read these sections with less pleasure than I do the rest of his + writings, though I fully believe the reproaches cast on the Jews, which he + here endeavors to confute and expose, were wholly groundless and + unreasonable.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-23" id="linknote-23"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 23 (<a href="#linknoteref-23">return</a>)<br /> [ This is a very valuable + testimony of Manetho, that the laws of Osarsiph, or Moses, were not made + in compliance with, but in opposition to, the customs of the Egyptians. + See the note on Antiq. B. III. ch. 8. sect. 9.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-24" id="linknote-24"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 24 (<a href="#linknoteref-24">return</a>)<br /> [ By way of irony, I + suppose.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-25" id="linknote-25"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 25 (<a href="#linknoteref-25">return</a>)<br /> [ Here we see that Josephus + esteemed a generation between Joseph and Moses to be about forty-two or + forty-three years; which, if taken between the earlier children, well + agrees with the duration of human life in those ages. See Antheat. Rec. + Part II. pages 966, 1019, 1020.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linknote-26" id="linknote-26"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 26 (<a href="#linknoteref-26">return</a>)<br /> [ That is the meaning of + Hierosyla in Greek, not in Hebrew.] + </p> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /><br /> <a name="linkB2H_4_0001" id="linkB2H_4_0001"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <h2> + BOOK II. + </h2> + <p> + 1. In the former book, most honored Epaphroditus, I have demonstrated our + antiquity, and confirmed the truth of what I have said, from the writings + of the Phoenicians, and Chaldeans, and Egyptians. I have, moreover, + produced many of the Grecian writers as witnesses thereto. I have also + made a refutation of Manetho and Cheremon, and of certain others of our + enemies. I shall now <a href="#linkBnote-1" name="linkBnoteref-1" + id="linkBnoteref-1"><small>1</small></a> therefore begin a confutation of + the remaining authors who have written any thing against us; although I + confess I have had a doubt upon me about Apion <a href="#linkBnote-2" + name="linkBnoteref-2" id="linkBnoteref-2"><small>2</small></a> the + grammarian, whether I ought to take the trouble of confuting him or not; + for some of his writings contain much the same accusations which the + others have laid against us, some things that he hath added are very + frigid and contemptible, and for the greatest part of what he says, it is + very scurrilous, and, to speak no more than the plain truth, it shows him + to be a very unlearned person, and what he lays together looks like the + work of a man of very bad morals, and of one no better in his whole life + than a mountebank. Yet, because there are a great many men so very + foolish, that they are rather caught by such orations than by what is + written with care, and take pleasure in reproaching other men, and cannot + abide to hear them commended, I thought it to be necessary not to let this + man go off without examination, who had written such an accusation against + us, as if he would bring us to make an answer in open court. For I also + have observed, that many men are very much delighted when they see a man + who first began to reproach another, to be himself exposed to contempt on + account of the vices he hath himself been guilty of. However, it is not a + very easy thing to go over this man's discourse, nor to know plainly what + he means; yet does he seem, amidst a great confusion and disorder in his + falsehoods, to produce, in the first place, such things as resemble what + we have examined already, and relate to the departure of our forefathers + out of Egypt; and, in the second place, he accuses those Jews that are + inhabitants of Alexandria; as, in the third place, he mixes with those + things such accusations as concern the sacred purifications, with the + other legal rites used in the temple. + </p> + <p> + 2. Now although I cannot but think that I have already demonstrated, and + that abundantly more than was necessary, that our fathers were not + originally Egyptians, nor were thence expelled, either on account of + bodily diseases, or any other calamities of that sort; yet will I briefly + take notice of what Apion adds upon that subject; for in his third book, + which relates to the affairs of Egypt, he speaks thus: "I have heard of + the ancient men of Egypt, that Moses was of Heliopolis, and that he + thought himself obliged to follow the customs of his forefathers, and + offered his prayers in the open air, towards the city walls; but that he + reduced them all to be directed towards sun-rising, which was agreeable to + the situation of Heliopolis; that he also set up pillars instead of + gnomons, <a href="#linkBnote-3" name="linkBnoteref-3" id="linkBnoteref-3"><small>3</small></a> + under which was represented a cavity like that of a boat, and the shadow + that fell from their tops fell down upon that cavity, that it might go + round about the like course as the sun itself goes round in the other." + This is that wonderful relation which we have given us by this grammarian. + But that it is a false one is so plain, that it stands in need of few + words to prove it, but is manifest from the works of Moses; for when he + erected the first tabernacle to God, he did himself neither give order for + any such kind of representation to be made at it, nor ordain that those + that came after him should make such a one. Moreover, when in a future age + Solomon built his temple in Jerusalem, he avoided all such needless + decorations as Apion hath here devised. He says further, how he had "heard + of the ancient men, that Moses was of Hellopolis." To be sure that was, + because being a younger man himself, he believed those that by their elder + age were acquainted and conversed with him. Now this grammarian, as he + was, could not certainly tell which was the poet Homer's country, no more + than he could which was the country of Pythagoras, who lived comparatively + but a little while ago; yet does he thus easily determine the age of + Moses, who preceded them such a vast number of years, as depending on his + ancient men's relation, which shows how notorious a liar he was. But then + as to this chronological determination of the time when he says he brought + the leprous people, the blind, and the lame out of Egypt, see how well + this most accurate grammarian of ours agrees with those that have written + before him! Manetho says that the Jews departed out of Egypt, in the reign + of Tethmosis, three hundred ninety-three years before Danaus fled to + Argos; Lysimaehus says it was under king Bocchoris, that is, one thousand + seven hundred years ago; Molo and some others determined it as every one + pleased: but this Apion of ours, as deserving to be believed before them, + hath determined it exactly to have been in the seventh olympiad, and the + first year of that olympiad; the very same year in which he says that + Carthage was built by the Phoenicians. The reason why he added this + building of Carthage was, to be sure, in order, as he thought, to + strengthen his assertion by so evident a character of chronology. But he + was not aware that this character confutes his assertion; for if we may + give credit to the Phoenician records as to the time of the first coming + of their colony to Carthage, they relate that Hirom their king was above a + hundred and fifty years earlier than the building of Carthage; concerning + whom I have formerly produced testimonials out of those Phoenician + records, as also that this Hirom was a friend of Solomon when he was + building the temple of Jerusalem, and gave him great assistance in his + building that temple; while still Solomon himself built that temple six + hundred and twelve years after the Jews came out of Egypt. As for the + number of those that were expelled out of Egypt, he hath contrived to have + the very same number with Lysimaehus, and says they were a hundred and ten + thousand. He then assigns a certain wonderful and plausible occasion for + the name of Sabbath; for he says that "when the Jews had traveled a six + days' journey, they had buboes in their groins; and that on this account + it was that they rested on the seventh day, as having got safely to that + country which is now called Judea; that then they preserved the language + of the Egyptians, and called that day the Sabbath, for that malady of + buboes on their groin was named Sabbatosis by the Egyptians." And would + not a man now laugh at this fellow's trifling, or rather hate his + impudence in writing thus? We must, it seems, fake it for granted that all + these hundred and ten thousand men must have these buboes. But, for + certain, if those men had been blind and lame, and had all sorts of + distempers upon them, as Apion says they had, they could not have gone one + single day's journey; but if they had been all able to travel over a large + desert, and, besides that, to fight and conquer those that opposed them, + they had not all of them had buboes on their groins after the sixth day + was over; for no such distemper comes naturally and of necessity upon + those that travel; but still, when there are many ten thousands in a camp + together, they constantly march a settled space [in a day]. Nor is it at + all probable that such a thing should happen by chance; this would be + prodigiously absurd to be supposed. However, our admirable author Apion + hath before told us that "they came to Judea in six days' time;" and + again, that "Moses went up to a mountain that lay between Egypt and + Arabia, which was called Sinai, and was concealed there forty days, and + that when he came down from thence he gave laws to the Jews." But, then, + how was it possible for them to tarry forty days in a desert place where + there was no water, and at the same time to pass all over the country + between that and Judea in the six days? And as for this grammatical + translation of the word Sabbath, it either contains an instance of his + great impudence or gross ignorance; for the words Sabbo and Sabbath are + widely different from one another; for the word Sabbath in the Jewish + language denotes rest from all sorts of work; but the word Sabbo, as he + affirms, denotes among the Egyptians the malady of a bubo in the groin. + </p> + <p> + 3. This is that novel account which the Egyptian Apion gives us concerning + the Jews' departure out of Egypt, and is no better than a contrivance of + his own. But why should we wonder at the lies he tells about our + forefathers, when he affirms them to be of Egyptian original, when he lies + also about himself? for although he was born at Oasis in Egypt, he + pretends to be, as a man may say, the top man of all the Egyptians; yet + does he forswear his real country and progenitors, and by falsely + pretending to be born at Alexandria, cannot deny the <a href="#linkBnote-4" + name="linkBnoteref-4" id="linkBnoteref-4"><small>4</small></a> pravity of + his family; for you see how justly he calls those Egyptians whom he hates, + and endeavors to reproach; for had he not deemed Egyptians to be a name of + great reproach, he would not have avoided the name of an Egyptian himself; + as we know that those who brag of their own countries value themselves + upon the denomination they acquire thereby, and reprove such as unjustly + lay claim thereto. As for the Egyptians' claim to be of our kindred, they + do it on one of the following accounts; I mean, either as they value + themselves upon it, and pretend to bear that relation to us; or else as + they would draw us in to be partakers of their own infamy. But this fine + fellow Apion seems to broach this reproachful appellation against us, + [that we were originally Egyptians,] in order to bestow it on the + Alexandrians, as a reward for the privilege they had given him of being a + fellow citizen with them: he also is apprized of the ill-will the + Alexandrians bear to those Jews who are their fellow citizens, and so + proposes to himself to reproach them, although he must thereby include all + the other Egyptians also; while in both cases he is no better than an + impudent liar. + </p> + <p> + 4. But let us now see what those heavy and wicked crimes are which Apion + charges upon the Alexandrian Jews. "They came [says he] out of Syria, and + inhabited near the tempestuous sea, and were in the neighborhood of the + dashing of the waves." Now if the place of habitation includes any thing + that is reproached, this man reproaches not his own real country, [Egypt,] + but what he pretends to be his own country, Alexandria; for all are agreed + in this, that the part of that city which is near the sea is the best part + of all for habitation. Now if the Jews gained that part of the city by + force, and have kept it hitherto without impeachment, this is a mark of + their valor; but in reality it was Alexander himself that gave them that + place for their habitation, when they obtained equal privileges there with + the Macedonians. Nor call I devise what Apion would have said, had their + habitation been at Necropolis? and not been fixed hard by the royal palace + [as it is]; nor had their nation had the denomination of Macedonians given + them till this very day [as they have]. Had this man now read the epistles + of king Alexander, or those of Ptolemy the son of Lagus, or met with the + writings of the succeeding kings, or that pillar which is still standing + at Alexandria, and contains the privileges which the great [Julius] Caesar + bestowed upon the Jews; had this man, I say, known these records, and yet + hath the impudence to write in contradiction to them, he hath shown + himself to be a wicked man; but if he knew nothing of these records, he + hath shown himself to be a man very ignorant: nay, when lie appears to + wonder how Jews could be called Alexandrians, this is another like + instance of his ignorance; for all such as are called out to be colonies, + although they be ever so far remote from one another in their original, + receive their names from those that bring them to their new habitations. + And what occasion is there to speak of others, when those of us Jews that + dwell at Antioch are named Antiochians, because Seleucns the founder of + that city gave them the privileges belonging thereto? After the like + manner do those Jews that inhabit Ephesus, and the other cities of Ionia, + enjoy the same name with those that were originally born there, by the + grant of the succeeding princes; nay, the kindness and humanity of the + Romans hath been so great, that it hath granted leave to almost all others + to take the same name of Romans upon them; I mean not particular men only, + but entire and large nations themselves also; for those anciently named + Iberi, and Tyrrheni, and Sabini, are now called Romani. And if Apion + reject this way of obtaining the privilege of a citizen of Alexandria, let + him abstain from calling himself an Alexandrian hereafter; for otherwise, + how can he who was born in the very heart of Egypt be an Alexandrian, if + this way of accepting such a privilege, of which he would have us + deprived, be once abrogated? although indeed these Romans, who are now the + lords of the habitable earth, have forbidden the Egyptians to have the + privileges of any city whatsoever; while this fine fellow, who is willing + to partake of such a privilege himself as he is forbidden to make use of, + endeavors by calumnies to deprive those of it that have justly received + it; for Alexander did not therefore get some of our nation to Alexandria, + because he wanted inhabitants for this his city, on whose building he had + bestowed so much pains; but this was given to our people as a reward, + because he had, upon a careful trial, found them all to have been men of + virtue and fidelity to him; for, as Hecateus says concerning us, + "Alexander honored our nation to such a degree, that, for the equity and + the fidelity which the Jews exhibited to him, he permitted them to hold + the country of Samaria free from tribute. Of the same mind also was + Ptolemy the son of Lagus, as to those Jews who dwelt at Alexandria." For + he intrusted the fortresses of Egypt into their hands, as believing they + would keep them faithfully and valiantly for him; and when he was desirous + to secure the government of Cyrene, and the other cities of Libya, to + himself, he sent a party of Jews to inhabit in them. And for his successor + Ptolemy, who was called Philadelphus, he did not only set all those of our + nation free who were captives under him, but did frequently give money + [for their ransom]; and, what was his greatest work of all, he had a great + desire of knowing our laws, and of obtaining the books of our sacred + Scriptures; accordingly, he desired that such men might be sent him as + might interpret our law to him; and, in order to have them well compiled, + he committed that care to no ordinary persons, but ordained that Demetrius + Phalereus, and Andreas, and Aristeas; the first, Demetrius, the most + learned person of his age, and the others, such as were intrusted with the + guard of his body; should take care of this matter: nor would he certainly + have been so desirous of learning our law, and the philosophy of our + nation, had he despised the men that made use of it, or had he not indeed + had them in great admiration. + </p> + <p> + 5. Now this Apion was unacquainted with almost all the kings of those + Macedonians whom he pretends to have been his progenitors, who were yet + very well affected towards us; for the third of those Ptolemies, who was + called Euergetes, when he had gotten possession of all Syria by force, did + not offer his thank-offerings to the Egyptian gods for his victory, but + came to Jerusalem, and according to our own laws offered many sacrifices + to God, and dedicated to him such gifts as were suitable to such a + victory: and as for Ptolemy Philometer and his wife Cleopatra, they + committed their whole kingdom to the Jews, when Onias and Dositheus, both + Jews, whose names are laughed at by Apion, were the generals of their + whole army. But certainly, instead of reproaching them, he ought to admire + their actions, and return them thanks for saving Alexandria, whose citizen + he pretends to be; for when these Alexandrians were making war with + Cleopatra the queen, and were in danger of being utterly ruined, these + Jews brought them to terms of agreement, and freed them from the miseries + of a civil war. "But then [says Apion] Onias brought a small army + afterward upon the city at the time when Thorruns the Roman ambassador was + there present." Yes, do I venture to say, and that he did rightly and very + justly in so doing; for that Ptolemy who was called Physco, upon the death + of his brother Philometer, came from Cyrene, and would have ejected + Cleopatra as well as her sons out of their kingdom, that he might obtain + it for himself unjustly. <a href="#linkBnote-5" name="linkBnoteref-5" + id="linkBnoteref-5"><small>5</small></a> For this cause then it was that + Onias undertook a war against him on Cleopatra's account; nor would he + desert that trust the royal family had reposed in him in their distress. + Accordingly, God gave a remarkable attestation to his righteous procedure; + for when Ptolemy Physco <a href="#linkBnote-6" name="linkBnoteref-6" + id="linkBnoteref-6"><small>6</small></a> had the presumption to fight + against Onias's army, and had caught all the Jews that were in the city + [Alexandria], with their children and wives, and exposed them naked and in + bonds to his elephants, that they might be trodden upon and destroyed, and + when he had made those elephants drunk for that purpose, the event proved + contrary to his preparations; for these elephants left the Jews who were + exposed to them, and fell violently upon Physco's friends, and slew a + great number of them; nay, after this Ptolemy saw a terrible ghost, which + prohibited his hurting those men; his very concubine, whom he loved so + well, [some call her Ithaca, and others Irene,] making supplication to + him, that he would not perpetrate so great a wickedness. So he complied + with her request, and repented of what he either had already done, or was + about to do; whence it is well known that the Alexandrian Jews do with + good reason celebrate this day, on the account that they had thereon been + vouchsafed such an evident deliverance from God. However, Apion, the + common calumniator of men, hath the presumption to accuse the Jews for + making this war against Physco, when he ought to have commended them for + the same. This man also makes mention of Cleopatra, the last queen of + Alexandria, and abuses us, because she was ungrateful to us; whereas he + ought to have reproved her, who indulged herself in all kinds of injustice + and wicked practices, both with regard to her nearest relations and + husbands who had loved her, and, indeed, in general with regard to all the + Romans, and those emperors that were her benefactors; who also had her + sister Arsinoe slain in a temple, when she had done her no harm: moreover, + she had her brother slain by private treachery, and she destroyed the gods + of her country and the sepulchers of her progenitors; and while she had + received her kingdom from the first Caesar, she had the impudence to rebel + against his son: <a href="#linkBnote-7" name="linkBnoteref-7" + id="linkBnoteref-7"><small>7</small></a> and successor; nay, she corrupted + Antony with her love-tricks, and rendered him an enemy to his country, and + made him treacherous to his friends, and [by his means] despoiled some of + their royal authority, and forced others in her madness to act wickedly. + But what need I enlarge upon this head any further, when she left Antony + in his fight at sea, though he were her husband, and the father of their + common children, and compelled him to resign up his government, with the + army, and to follow her [into Egypt]? nay, when last of all Caesar had + taken Alexandria, she came to that pitch of cruelty, that she declared she + had some hope of preserving her affairs still, in case she could kill the + Jews, though it were with her own hand; to such a degree of barbarity and + perfidiousness had she arrived. And doth any one think that we cannot + boast ourselves of any thing, if, as Apion says, this queen did not at a + time of famine distribute wheat among us? However, she at length met with + the punishment she deserved. As for us Jews, we appeal to the great Caesar + what assistance we brought him, and what fidelity we showed to him against + the Egyptians; as also to the senate and its decrees, and the epistles of + Augustus Caesar, whereby our merits [to the Romans] are justified. Apion + ought to have looked upon those epistles, and in particular to have + examined the testimonies given on our behalf, under Alexander and all the + Ptolemies, and the decrees of the senate and of the greatest Roman + emperors. And if Germanicus was not able to make a distribution of corn to + all the inhabitants of Alexandria, that only shows what a barren time it + was, and how great a want there was then of corn, but tends nothing to the + accusation of the Jews; for what all the emperors have thought of the + Alexandrian Jews is well known, for this distribution of wheat was no + otherwise omitted with regard to the Jews, than it was with regard to the + other inhabitants of Alexandria. But they still were desirous to preserve + what the kings had formerly intrusted to their care, I mean the custody of + the river; nor did those kings think them unworthy of having the entire + custody thereof, upon all occasions. + </p> + <p> + 6. But besides this, Apion objects to us thus: "If the Jews [says he] be + citizens of Alexandria, why do they not worship the same gods with the + Alexandrians?" To which I give this answer: Since you are yourselves + Egyptians, why do you fight it out one against another, and have + implacable wars about your religion? At this rate we must not call you all + Egyptians, nor indeed in general men, because you breed up with great care + beasts of a nature quite contrary to that of men, although the nature of + all men seems to be one and the same. Now if there be such differences in + opinion among you Egyptians, why are you surprised that those who came to + Alexandria from another country, and had original laws of their own + before, should persevere in the observance of those laws? But still he + charges us with being the authors of sedition; which accusation, if it be + a just one, why is it not laid against us all, since we are known to be + all of one mind. Moreover, those that search into such matters will soon + discover that the authors of sedition have been such citizens of + Alexandria as Apion is; for while they were the Grecians and Macedonians + who were ill possession of this city, there was no sedition raised against + us, and we were permitted to observe our ancient solemnities; but when the + number of the Egyptians therein came to be considerable, the times grew + confused, and then these seditions brake out still more and more, while + our people continued uncorrupted. These Egyptians, therefore, were the + authors of these troubles, who having not the constancy of Macedonians, + nor the prudence of Grecians, indulged all of them the evil manners of the + Egyptians, and continued their ancient hatred against us; for what is here + so presumptuously charged upon us, is owing to the differences that are + amongst themselves; while many of them have not obtained the privileges of + citizens in proper times, but style those who are well known to have had + that privilege extended to them all no other than foreigners: for it does + not appear that any of the kings have ever formerly bestowed those + privileges of citizens upon Egyptians, no more than have the emperors done + it more lately; while it was Alexander who introduced us into this city at + first, the kings augmented our privileges therein, and the Romans have + been pleased to preserve them always inviolable. Moreover, Apion would lay + a blot upon us, because we do not erect images for our emperors; as if + those emperors did not know this before, or stood in need of Apion as + their defender; whereas he ought rather to have admired the magnanimity + and modesty of the Romans, whereby they do not compel those that are + subject to them to transgress the laws of their countries, but are willing + to receive the honors due to them after such a manner as those who are to + pay them esteem consistent with piety and with their own laws; for they do + not thank people for conferring honors upon them, When they are compelled + by violence so to do. Accordingly, since the Grecians and some other + nations think it a right thing to make images, nay, when they have painted + the pictures of their parents, and wives, and children, they exult for + joy; and some there are who take pictures for themselves of such persons + as were no way related to them; nay, some take the pictures of such + servants as they were fond of; what wonder is it then if such as these + appear willing to pay the same respect to their princes and lords? But + then our legislator hath forbidden us to make images, not by way of + denunciation beforehand, that the Roman authority was not to be honored, + but as despising a thing that was neither necessary nor useful for either + God or man; and he forbade them, as we shall prove hereafter, to make + these images for any part of the animal creation, and much less for God + himself, who is no part of such animal creation. Yet hath our legislator + no where forbidden us to pay honors to worthy men, provided they be of + another kind, and inferior to those we pay to God; with which honors we + willingly testify our respect to our emperors, and to the people of Rome; + we also offer perpetual sacrifices for them; nor do we only offer them + every day at the common expenses of all the Jews, but although we offer no + other such sacrifices out of our common expenses, no, not for our own + children, yet do we this as a peculiar honor to the emperors, and to them + alone, while we do the same to no other person whomsoever. And let this + suffice for an answer in general to Apion, as to what he says with + relation to the Alexandrian Jews. + </p> + <p> + 7. However, I cannot but admire those other authors who furnished this man + with such his materials; I mean Possidonius and Apollonius [the son of] + Molo, <a href="#linkBnote-8" name="linkBnoteref-8" id="linkBnoteref-8"><small>8</small></a> + who, while they accuse us for not worshipping the same gods whom others + worship, they think themselves not guilty of impiety when they tell lies + of us, and frame absurd and reproachful stories about our temple; whereas + it is a most shameful thing for freemen to forge lies on any occasion, and + much more so to forge them about our temple, which was so famous over all + the world, and was preserved so sacred by us; for Apion hath the impudence + to pretend that, "the Jews placed an ass's head in their holy place;" and + he affirms that this was discovered when Antiochus Epiphanes spoiled our + temple, and found that ass's head there made of gold, and worth a great + deal of money. To this my first answer shall be this, that had there been + any such thing among us, an Egyptian ought by no means to have thrown it + in our teeth, since an ass is not a more contemptible animal than <a + href="#linkBnote-9" name="linkBnoteref-9" id="linkBnoteref-9"><small>9</small></a> + and goats, and other such creatures, which among them are gods. But + besides this answer, I say further, how comes it about that Apion does not + understand this to be no other than a palpable lie, and to be confuted by + the thing itself as utterly incredible? For we Jews are always governed by + the same laws, in which we constantly persevere; and although many + misfortunes have befallen our city, as the like have befallen others, and + although Theos [Epiphanes], and Pompey the Great, and Licinius Crassus, + and last of all Titus Caesar, have conquered us in war, and gotten + possession of our temple; yet have they none of them found any such thing + there, nor indeed any thing but what was agreeable to the strictest piety; + although what they found we are not at liberty to reveal to other nations. + But for Antiochus [Epiphanes], he had no just cause for that ravage in our + temple that he made; he only came to it when he wanted money, without + declaring himself our enemy, and attacked us while we were his associates + and his friends; nor did he find any thing there that was ridiculous. This + is attested by many worthy writers; Polybius of Megalopolis, Strabo of + Cappadocia, Nicolaus of Damascus, Timagenes, Castor the chronotoger, and + Apollodorus; <a href="#linkBnote-10" name="linkBnoteref-10" + id="linkBnoteref-10"><small>10</small></a> who all say that it was out of + Antiochus's want of money that he broke his league with the Jews, and + despoiled their temple when it was full of gold and silver. Apion ought to + have had a regard to these facts, unless he had himself had either an + ass's heart or a dog's impudence; of such a dog I mean as they worship; + for he had no other external reason for the lies he tells of us. As for us + Jews, we ascribe no honor or power to asses, as do the Egyptians to + crocodiles and asps, when they esteem such as are seized upon by the + former, or bitten by the latter, to be happy persons, and persons worthy + of God. Asses are the same with us which they are with other wise men, + viz. creatures that bear the burdens that we lay upon them; but if they + come to our thrashing-floors and eat our corn, or do not perform what we + impose upon them, we beat them with a great many stripes, because it is + their business to minister to us in our husbandry affairs. But this Apion + of ours was either perfectly unskillful in the composition of such + fallacious discourses, or however, when he begun [somewhat better], he was + not able to persevere in what he had undertaken, since he hath no manner + of success in those reproaches he casts upon us. + </p> + <p> + 8. He adds another Grecian fable, in order to reproach us. In reply to + which, it would be enough to say, that they who presume to speak about + Divine worship ought not to be ignorant of this plain truth, that it is a + degree of less impurity to pass through temples, than to forge wicked + calumnies of its priests. Now such men as he are more zealous to justify a + sacrilegious king, than to write what is just and what is true about us, + and about our temple; for when they are desirous of gratifying Antiochus, + and of concealing that perfidiousness and sacrilege which he was guilty + of, with regard to our nation, when he wanted money, they endeavor to + disgrace us, and tell lies even relating to futurities. Apion becomes + other men's prophet upon this occasion, and says that "Antiochus found in + our temple a bed, and a man lying upon it, with a small table before him, + full of dainties, from the [fishes of the] sea, and the fowls of the dry + land; that this man was amazed at these dainties thus set before him; that + he immediately adored the king, upon his coming in, as hoping that he + would afford him all possible assistance; that he fell down upon his + knees, and stretched out to him his right hand, and begged to be released; + and that when the king bid him sit down, and tell him who he was, and why + he dwelt there, and what was the meaning of those various sorts of food + that were set before him the man made a lamentable complaint, and with + sighs, and tears in his eyes, gave him this account of the distress he was + in; and said that he was a Greek and that as he went over this province, + in order to get his living, he was seized upon by foreigners, on a sudden, + and brought to this temple, and shut up therein, and was seen by nobody, + but was fattened by these curious provisions thus set before him; and that + truly at the first such unexpected advantages seemed to him matter of + great joy; that after a while, they brought a suspicion him, and at length + astonishment, what their meaning should be; that at last he inquired of + the servants that came to him and was by them informed that it was in + order to the fulfilling a law of the Jews, which they must not tell him, + that he was thus fed; and that they did the same at a set time every year: + that they used to catch a Greek foreigner, and fat him thus up every year, + and then lead him to a certain wood, and kill him, and sacrifice with + their accustomed solemnities, and taste of his entrails, and take an oath + upon this sacrificing a Greek, that they would ever be at enmity with the + Greeks; and that then they threw the remaining parts of the miserable + wretch into a certain pit." Apion adds further, that, "the man said there + were but a few days to come ere he was to be slain, and implored of + Antiochus that, out of the reverence he bore to the Grecian gods, he would + disappoint the snares the Jews laid for his blood, and would deliver him + from the miseries with which he was encompassed." <a href="#linkBnote-11" + name="linkBnoteref-11" id="linkBnoteref-11"><small>11</small></a> Now this + is such a most tragical fable as is full of nothing but cruelty and + impudence; yet does it not excuse Antiochus of his sacrilegious attempt, + as those who write it in his vindication are willing to suppose; for he + could not presume beforehand that he should meet with any such thing in + coming to the temple, but must have found it unexpectedly. He was + therefore still an impious person, that was given to unlawful pleasures, + and had no regard to God in his actions. But [as for Apion], he hath done + whatever his extravagant love of lying hath dictated to him, as it is most + easy to discover by a consideration of his writings; for the difference of + our laws is known not to regard the Grecians only, but they are + principally opposite to the Egyptians, and to some other nations also for + while it so falls out that men of all countries come sometimes and sojourn + among us, how comes it about that we take an oath, and conspire only + against the Grecians, and that by the effusion of their blood also? Or how + is it possible that all the Jews should get together to these sacrifices, + and the entrails of one man should be sufficient for so many thousands to + taste of them, as Apion pretends? Or why did not the king carry this man, + whosoever he was, and whatsoever was his name, [which is not set down in + Apion's book,] with great pomp back into his own country? when he might + thereby have been esteemed a religious person himself, and a mighty lover + of the Greeks, and might thereby have procured himself great assistance + from all men against that hatred the Jews bore to him. But I leave this + matter; for the proper way of confuting fools is not to use bare words, + but to appeal to the things themselves that make against them. Now, then, + all such as ever saw the construction of our temple, of what nature it + was, know well enough how the purity of it was never to be profaned; for + it had four several courts <a href="#linkBnote-12" name="linkBnoteref-12" + id="linkBnoteref-12"><small>12</small></a> encompassed with cloisters + round about, every one of which had by our law a peculiar degree of + separation from the rest. Into the first court every body was allowed to + go, even foreigners, and none but women, during their courses, were + prohibited to pass through it; all the Jews went into the second court, as + well as their wives, when they were free from all uncleanness; into the + third court went in the Jewish men, when they were clean and purified; + into the fourth went the priests, having on their sacerdotal garments; but + for the most sacred place, none went in but the high priests, clothed in + their peculiar garments. Now there is so great caution used about these + offices of religion, that the priests are appointed to go into the temple + but at certain hours; for in the morning, at the opening of the inner + temple, those that are to officiate receive the sacrifices, as they do + again at noon, till the doors are shut. Lastly, it is not so much as + lawful to carry any vessel into the holy house; nor is there any thing + therein, but the altar [of incense], the table [of shew-bread], the + censer, and the candlestick, which are all written in the law; for there + is nothing further there, nor are there any mysteries performed that may + not be spoken of; nor is there any feasting within the place. For what I + have now said is publicly known, and supported by the testimony of the + whole people, and their operations are very manifest; for although there + be four courses of the priests, and every one of them have above five + thousand men in them, yet do they officiate on certain days only; and when + those days are over, other priests succeed in the performance of their + sacrifices, and assemble together at mid-day, and receive the keys of the + temple, and the vessels by tale, without any thing relating to food or + drink being carried into the temple; nay, we are not allowed to offer such + things at the altar, excepting what is prepared for the sacrifices. + </p> + <p> + 9. What then can we say of Apion, but that he examined nothing that + concerned these things, while still he uttered incredible words about + them? but it is a great shame for a grammarian not to be able to write + true history. Now if he knew the purity of our temple, he hath entirely + omitted to take notice of it; but he forges a story about the seizing of a + Grecian, about ineffable food, and the most delicious preparation of + dainties; and pretends that strangers could go into a place whereinto the + noblest men among the Jews are not allowed to enter, unless they be + priests. This, therefore, is the utmost degree of impiety, and a voluntary + lie, in order to the delusion of those who will not examine into the truth + of matters; whereas such unspeakable mischiefs as are above related have + been occasioned by such calumnies that are raised upon us. + </p> + <p> + 10. Nay, this miracle or piety derides us further, and adds the following + pretended facts to his former fable; for he says that this man related + how, "while the Jews were once in a long war with the Idumeans, there came + a man out of one of the cities of the Idumeans, who there had worshipped + Apollo. This man, whose name is said to have been Zabidus, came to the + Jews, and promised that he would deliver Apollo, the god of Dora, into + their hands, and that he would come to our temple, if they would all come + up with him, and bring the whole multitude of the Jews with them; that + Zabidus made him a certain wooden instrument, and put it round about him, + and set three rows of lamps therein, and walked after such a manner, that + he appeared to those that stood a great way off him to be a kind of star, + walking upon the earth; that the Jews were terribly affrighted at so + surprising an appearance, and stood very quiet at a distance; and that + Zabidus, while they continued so very quiet, went into the holy house, and + carried off that golden head of an ass, [for so facetiously does he + write,] and then went his way back again to Dora in great haste." And say + you so, sir! as I may reply; then does Apion load the ass, that is, + himself, and lays on him a burden of fooleries and lies; for he writes of + places that have no being, and not knowing the cities he speaks of, he + changes their situation; for Idumea borders upon our country, and is near + to Gaza, in which there is no such city as Dora; although there be, it is + true, a city named Dora in Phoenicia, near Mount Carmel, but it is four + days' journey from Idumea. Now, then, why does this man accuse us, because + we have not gods in common with other nations, if our fathers were so + easily prevailed upon to have Apollo come to them, and thought they saw + him walking upon the earth, and the stars with him? for certainly those + who have so many festivals, wherein they light lamps, must yet, at this + rate, have never seen a candlestick! But still it seems that while Zabidus + took his journey over the country, where were so many ten thousands of + people, nobody met him. He also, it seems, even in a time of war, found + the walls of Jerusalem destitute of guards. I omit the rest. Now the doors + of the holy house were seventy <a href="#linkBnote-13" + name="linkBnoteref-13" id="linkBnoteref-13"><small>13</small></a> cubits + high, and twenty cubits broad; they were all plated over with gold, and + almost of solid gold itself, and there were no fewer than twenty <a + href="#linkBnote-14" name="linkBnoteref-14" id="linkBnoteref-14"><small>14</small></a> + men required to shut them every day; nor was it lawful ever to leave them + open, though it seems this lamp-bearer of ours opened them easily, or + thought he opened them, as he thought he had the ass's head in his hand. + Whether, therefore, he returned it to us again, or whether Apion took it, + and brought it into the temple again, that Antiochus might find it, and + afford a handle for a second fable of Apion's, is uncertain. + </p> + <p> + 11. Apion also tells a false story, when he mentions an oath of ours, as + if we "swore by God, the Maker of the heaven, and earth, and sea, to bear + no good will to any foreigner, and particularly to none of the Greeks." + Now this liar ought to have said directly that, "we would bear no + good-will to any foreigner, and particularly to none of the Egyptians." + For then his story about the oath would have squared with the rest of his + original forgeries, in case our forefathers had been driven away by their + kinsmen, the Egyptians, not on account of any wickedness they had been + guilty of, but on account of the calamities they were under; for as to the + Grecians, we were rather remote from them in place, than different from + them in our institutions, insomuch that we have no enmity with them, nor + any jealousy of them. On the contrary, it hath so happened that many of + them have come over to our laws, and some of them have continued in their + observation, although others of them had not courage enough to persevere, + and so departed from them again; nor did any body ever hear this oath + sworn by us: Apion, it seems, was the only person that heard it, for he + indeed was the first composer of it. + </p> + <p> + 12. However, Apion deserves to be admired for his great prudence, as to + what I am going to say, which is this, "That there is a plain mark among + us, that we neither have just laws, nor worship God as we ought to do, + because we are not governors, but are rather in subjection to Gentiles, + sometimes to one nation, and sometimes to another; and that our city hath + been liable to several calamities, while their city [Alexandria] hath been + of old time an imperial city, and not used to be in subjection to the + Romans." But now this man had better leave off this bragging, for every + body but himself would think that Apion said what he hath said against + himself; for there are very few nations that have had the good fortune to + continue many generations in the principality, but still the mutations in + human affairs have put them into subjection under others; and most nations + have been often subdued, and brought into subjection by others. Now for + the Egyptians, perhaps they are the only nation that have had this + extraordinary privilege, to have never served any of those monarchs who + subdued Asia and Europe, and this on account, as they pretend, that the + gods fled into their country, and saved themselves by being changed into + the shapes of wild beasts! Whereas these Egyptians <a href="#linkBnote-15" + name="linkBnoteref-15" id="linkBnoteref-15"><small>15</small></a> are the + very people that appear to have never, in all the past ages, had one day + of freedom, no, not so much as from their own lords. For I will not + reproach them with relating the manner how the Persians used them, and + this not once only, but many times, when they laid their cities waste, + demolished their temples, and cut the throats of those animals whom they + esteemed to be gods; for it is not reasonable to imitate the clownish + ignorance of Apion, who hath no regard to the misfortunes of the + Athenians, or of the Lacedemonians, the latter of whom were styled by all + men the most courageous, and the former the most religious of the + Grecians. I say nothing of such kings as have been famous for piety, + particularly of one of them, whose name was Cresus, nor what calamities he + met with in his life; I say nothing of the citadel of Athens, of the + temple at Ephesus, of that at Delphi, nor of ten thousand others which + have been burnt down, while nobody cast reproaches on those that were the + sufferers, but on those that were the actors therein. But now we have met + with Apion, an accuser of our nation, though one that still forgets the + miseries of his own people, the Egyptians; but it is that Sesostris who + was once so celebrated a king of Egypt that hath blinded him. Now we will + not brag of our kings, David and Solomon, though they conquered many + nations; accordingly we will let them alone. However, Apion is ignorant of + what every body knows, that the Egyptians were servants to the Persians, + and afterwards to the Macedonians, when they were lords of Asia, and were + no better than slaves, while we have enjoyed liberty formerly; nay, more + than that, have had the dominion of the cities that lie round about us, + and this nearly for a hundred and twenty years together, until Pompeius + Magnus. And when all the kings every where were conquered by the Romans, + our ancestors were the only people who continued to be esteemed their + confederates and friends, on account of their fidelity to them.<a + href="#linkBnote-16" name="linkBnoteref-16" id="linkBnoteref-16"><small>16</small></a> + </p> + <p> + 13. "But," says Apion, "we Jews have not had any wonderful men amongst us, + not any inventors of arts, nor any eminent for wisdom." He then enumerates + Socrates, and Zeno, and Cleanthes, and some others of the same sort; and, + after all, he adds himself to them, which is the most wonderful thing of + all that he says, and pronounces Alexandria to be happy, because it hath + such a citizen as he is in it; for he was the fittest man to be a witness + to his own deserts, although he hath appeared to all others no better than + a wicked mountebank, of a corrupt life and ill discourses; on which + account one may justly pity Alexandria, if it should value itself upon + such a citizen as he is. But as to our own men, we have had those who have + been as deserving of commendation as any other whosoever, and such as have + perused our Antiquities cannot be ignorant of them. + </p> + <p> + 14. As to the other things which he sets down as blameworthy, it may + perhaps be the best way to let them pass without apology, that he may be + allowed to be his own accuser, and the accuser of the rest of the + Egyptians. However, he accuses us for sacrificing animals, and for + abstaining from swine's flesh, and laughs at us for the circumcision of + our privy members. Now as for our slaughter of tame animals for + sacrifices, it is common to us and to all other men; but this Apion, by + making it a crime to sacrifice them, demonstrates himself to be an + Egyptian; for had he been either a Grecian or a Macedonian, [as he + pretends to be,] he had not shown any uneasiness at it; for those people + glory in sacrificing whole hecatombs to the gods, and make use of those + sacrifices for feasting; and yet is not the world thereby rendered + destitute of cattle, as Apion was afraid would come to pass. Yet if all + men had followed the manners of the Egyptians, the world had certainly + been made desolate as to mankind, but had been filled full of the wildest + sort of brute beasts, which, because they suppose them to be gods, they + carefully nourish. However, if any one should ask Apion which of the + Egyptians he thinks to be the most wise and most pious of them all, he + would certainly acknowledge the priests to be so; for the histories say + that two things were originally committed to their care by their kings' + injunctions, the worship of the gods, and the support of wisdom and + philosophy. Accordingly, these priests are all circumcised, and abstain + from swine's flesh; nor does any one of the other Egyptians assist them in + slaying those sacrifices they offer to the gods. Apion was therefore quite + blinded in his mind, when, for the sake of the Egyptians, he contrived to + reproach us, and to accuse such others as not only make use of that + conduct of life which he so much abuses, but have also taught other men to + be circumcised, as says Herodotus; which makes me think that Apion is + hereby justly punished for his casting such reproaches on the laws of his + own country; for he was circumcised himself of necessity, on account of an + ulcer in his privy member; and when he received no benefit by such + circumcision, but his member became putrid, he died in great torment. Now + men of good tempers ought to observe their own laws concerning religion + accurately, and to persevere therein, but not presently to abuse the laws + of other nations, while this Apion deserted his own laws, and told lies + about ours. And this was the end of Apion's life, and this shall be the + conclusion of our discourse about him. + </p> + <p> + 15. But now, since Apollonius Molo, and Lysimachus, and some others, write + treatises about our lawgiver Moses, and about our laws, which are neither + just nor true, and this partly out of ignorance, but chiefly out of + ill-will to us, while they calumniate Moses as an impostor and deceiver, + and pretend that our laws teach us wickedness, but nothing that is + virtuous, I have a mind to discourse briefly, according to my ability, + about our whole constitution of government, and about the particular + branches of it. For I suppose it will thence become evident, that the laws + we have given us are disposed after the best manner for the advancement of + piety, for mutual communion with one another, for a general love of + mankind, as also for justice, and for sustaining labors with fortitude, + and for a contempt of death. And I beg of those that shall peruse this + writing of mine, to read it without partiality; for it is not my purpose + to write an encomium upon ourselves, but I shall esteem this as a most + just apology for us, and taken from those our laws, according to which we + lead our lives, against the many and the lying objections that have been + made against us. Moreover, since this Apollonius does not do like Apion, + and lay a continued accusation against us, but does it only by starts, and + up and clown his discourse, while he sometimes reproaches us as atheists, + and man-haters, and sometimes hits us in the teeth with our want of + courage, and yet sometimes, on the contrary, accuses us of too great + boldness and madness in our conduct; nay, he says that we are the weakest + of all the barbarians, and that this is the reason why we are the only + people who have made no improvements in human life; now I think I shall + have then sufficiently disproved all these his allegations, when it shall + appear that our laws enjoin the very reverse of what he says, and that we + very carefully observe those laws ourselves. And if I he compelled to make + mention of the laws of other nations, that are contrary to ours, those + ought deservedly to thank themselves for it, who have pretended to + depreciate our laws in comparison of their own; nor will there, I think, + be any room after that for them to pretend either that we have no such + laws ourselves, an epitome of which I will present to the reader, or that + we do not, above all men, continue in the observation of them. + </p> + <p> + 16. To begin then a good way backward, I would advance this, in the first + place, that those who have been admirers of good order, and of living + under common laws, and who began to introduce them, may well have this + testimony that they are better than other men, both for moderation and + such virtue as is agreeable to nature. Indeed their endeavor was to have + every thing they ordained believed to be very ancient, that they might not + be thought to imitate others, but might appear to have delivered a regular + way of living to others after them. Since then this is the case, the + excellency of a legislator is seen in providing for the people's living + after the best manner, and in prevailing with those that are to use the + laws he ordains for them, to have a good opinion of them, and in obliging + the multitude to persevere in them, and to make no changes in them, + neither in prosperity nor adversity. Now I venture to say, that our + legislator is the most ancient of all the legislators whom we have ally + where heard of; for as for the Lycurguses, and Solons, and Zaleucus + Locrensis, and all those legislators who are so admired by the Greeks, + they seem to be of yesterday, if compared with our legislator, insomuch as + the very name of a law was not so much as known in old times among the + Grecians. Homer is a witness to the truth of this observation, who never + uses that term in all his poems; for indeed there was then no such thing + among them, but the multitude was governed by wise maxims, and by the + injunctions of their king. It was also a long time that they continued in + the use of these unwritten customs, although they were always changing + them upon several occasions. But for our legislator, who was of so much + greater antiquity than the rest, [as even those that speak against us upon + all occasions do always confess,] he exhibited himself to the people as + their best governor and counselor, and included in his legislation the + entire conduct of their lives, and prevailed with them to receive it, and + brought it so to pass, that those that were made acquainted with his laws + did most carefully observe them. + </p> + <p> + 17. But let us consider his first and greatest work; for when it was + resolved on by our forefathers to leave Egypt, and return to their own + country, this Moses took the many tell thousands that were of the people, + and saved them out of many desperate distresses, and brought them home in + safety. And certainly it was here necessary to travel over a country + without water, and full of sand, to overcome their enemies, and, during + these battles, to preserve their children, and their wives, and their + prey; on all which occasions he became an excellent general of an army, + and a most prudent counselor, and one that took the truest care of them + all; he also so brought it about, that the whole multitude depended upon + him. And while he had them always obedient to what he enjoined, he made no + manner of use of his authority for his own private advantage, which is the + usual time when governors gain great powers to themselves, and pave the + way for tyranny, and accustom the multitude to live very dissolutely; + whereas, when our legislator was in so great authority, he, on the + contrary, thought he ought to have regard to piety, and to show his great + good-will to the people; and by this means he thought he might show the + great degree of virtue that was in him, and might procure the most lasting + security to those who had made him their governor. When he had therefore + come to such a good resolution, and had performed such wonderful exploits, + we had just reason to look upon ourselves as having him for a divine + governor and counselor. And when he had first persuaded himself <a + href="#linkBnote-17" name="linkBnoteref-17" id="linkBnoteref-17"><small>17</small></a> + that his actions and designs were agreeable to God's will, he thought it + his duty to impress, above all things, that notion upon the multitude; for + those who have once believed that God is the inspector of their lives, + will not permit themselves in any sin. And this is the character of our + legislator: he was no impostor, no deceiver, as his revilers say, though + unjustly, but such a one as they brag Minos <a href="#linkBnote-18" + name="linkBnoteref-18" id="linkBnoteref-18"><small>18</small></a> to have + been among the Greeks, and other legislators after him; for some of them + suppose that they had their laws from Jupiter, while Minos said that the + revelation of his laws was to be referred to Apollo, and his oracle at + Delphi, whether they really thought they were so derived, or supposed, + however, that they could persuade the people easily that so it was. But + which of these it was who made the best laws, and which had the greatest + reason to believe that God was their author, it will be easy, upon + comparing those laws themselves together, to determine; for it is time + that we come to that point. <a href="#linkBnote-19" name="linkBnoteref-19" + id="linkBnoteref-19"><small>19</small></a> Now there are innumerable + differences in the particular customs and laws that are among all mankind, + which a man may briefly reduce under the following heads: Some legislators + have permitted their governments to be under monarchies, others put them + under oligarchies, and others under a republican form; but our legislator + had no regard to any of these forms, but he ordained our government to be + what, by a strained expression, may be termed a Theocracy, <a + href="#linkBnote-20" name="linkBnoteref-20" id="linkBnoteref-20"><small>20</small></a> + by ascribing the authority and the power to God, and by persuading all the + people to have a regard to him, as the author of all the good things that + were enjoyed either in common by all mankind, or by each one in + particular, and of all that they themselves obtained by praying to him in + their greatest difficulties. He informed them that it was impossible to + escape God's observation, even in any of our outward actions, or in any of + our inward thoughts. Moreover, he represented God as unbegotten, <a + href="#linkBnote-21" name="linkBnoteref-21" id="linkBnoteref-21"><small>21</small></a> + and immutable, through all eternity, superior to all mortal conceptions in + pulchritude; and, though known to us by his power, yet unknown to us as to + his essence. I do not now explain how these notions of God are the + sentiments of the wisest among the Grecians, and how they were taught them + upon the principles that he afforded them. However, they testify, with + great assurance, that these notions are just, and agreeable to the nature + of God, and to his majesty; for Pythagoras, and Anaxagoras, and Plato, and + the Stoic philosophers that succeeded them, and almost all the rest, are + of the same sentiments, and had the same notions of the nature of God; yet + durst not these men disclose those true notions to more than a few, + because the body of the people were prejudiced with other opinions + beforehand. But our legislator, who made his actions agree to his laws, + did not only prevail with those that were his contemporaries to agree with + these his notions, but so firmly imprinted this faith in God upon all + their posterity, that it never could be removed. The reason why the + constitution of this legislation was ever better directed to the utility + of all than other legislations were, is this, that Moses did not make + religion a part of virtue, but he saw and he ordained other virtues to be + parts of religion; I mean justice, and fortitude, and temperance, and a + universal agreement of the members of the community with one another; for + all our actions and studies, and all our words, [in Moses's settlement,] + have a reference to piety towards God; for he hath left none of these in + suspense, or undetermined. For there are two ways of coming at any sort of + learning and a moral conduct of life; the one is by instruction in words, + the other by practical exercises. Now other lawgivers have separated these + two ways in their opinions, and choosing one of those ways of instruction, + or that which best pleased every one of them, neglected the other. Thus + did the Lacedemonians and the Cretians teach by practical exercises, but + not by words; while the Athenians, and almost all the other Grecians, made + laws about what was to be done, or left undone, but had no regard to the + exercising them thereto in practice. + </p> + <p> + 18. But for our legislator, he very carefully joined these two methods of + instruction together; for he neither left these practical exercises to go + on without verbal instruction, nor did he permit the hearing of the law to + proceed without the exercises for practice; but beginning immediately from + the earliest infancy, and the appointment of every one's diet, he left + nothing of the very smallest consequence to be done at the pleasure and + disposal of the person himself. Accordingly, he made a fixed rule of law + what sorts of food they should abstain from, and what sorts they should + make use of; as also, what communion they should have with others what + great diligence they should use in their occupations, and what times of + rest should be interposed, that, by living under that law as under a + father and a master, we might be guilty of no sin, neither voluntary nor + out of ignorance; for he did not suffer the guilt of ignorance to go on + without punishment, but demonstrated the law to be the best and the most + necessary instruction of all others, permitting the people to leave off + their other employments, and to assemble together for the hearing of the + law, and learning it exactly, and this not once or twice, or oftener, but + every week; which thing all the other legislators seem to have neglected. + </p> + <p> + 19. And indeed the greatest part of mankind are so far from living + according to their own laws, that they hardly know them; but when they + have sinned, they learn from others that they have transgressed the law. + Those also who are in the highest and principal posts of the government, + confess they are not acquainted with those laws, and are obliged to take + such persons for their assessors in public administrations as profess to + have skill in those laws; but for our people, if any body do but ask any + one of them about our laws, he will more readily tell them all than he + will tell his own name, and this in consequence of our having learned them + immediately as soon as ever we became sensible of any thing, and of our + having them as it were engraven on our souls. Our transgressors of them + are but few, and it is impossible, when any do offend, to escape + punishment. + </p> + <p> + 20. And this very thing it is that principally creates such a wonderful + agreement of minds amongst us all; for this entire agreement of ours in + all our notions concerning God, and our having no difference in our course + of life and manners, procures among us the most excellent concord of these + our manners that is any where among mankind; for no other people but the + Jews have avoided all discourses about God that any way contradict one + another, which yet are frequent among other nations; and this is true not + only among ordinary persons, according as every one is affected, but some + of the philosophers have been insolent enough to indulge such + contradictions, while some of them have undertaken to use such words as + entirely take away the nature of God, as others of them have taken away + his providence over mankind. Nor can any one perceive amongst us any + difference in the conduct of our lives, but all our works are common to us + all. We have one sort of discourse concerning God, which is conformable to + our law, and affirms that he sees all things; as also we have but one way + of speaking concerning the conduct of our lives, that all other things + ought to have piety for their end; and this any body may hear from our + women, and servants themselves. + </p> + <p> + 21. And, indeed, hence hath arisen that accusation which some make against + us, that we have not produced men that have been the inventors of new + operations, or of new ways of speaking; for others think it a fine thing + to persevere in nothing that has been delivered down from their + forefathers, and these testify it to be an instance of the sharpest wisdom + when these men venture to transgress those traditions; whereas we, on the + contrary, suppose it to be our only wisdom and virtue to admit no actions + nor supposals that are contrary to our original laws; which procedure of + ours is a just and sure sign that our law is admirably constituted; for + such laws as are not thus well made are convicted upon trial to want + amendment. + </p> + <p> + 22. But while we are ourselves persuaded that our law was made agreeably + to the will of God, it would be impious for us not to observe the same; + for what is there in it that any body would change? and what can be + invented that is better? or what can we take out of other people's laws + that will exceed it? Perhaps some would have the entire settlement of our + government altered. And where shall we find a better or more righteous + constitution than ours, while this makes us esteem God to be the Governor + of the universe, and permits the priests in general to be the + administrators of the principal affairs, and withal intrusts the + government over the other priests to the chief high priest himself? which + priests our legislator, at their first appointment, did not advance to + that dignity for their riches, or any abundance of other possessions, or + any plenty they had as the gifts of fortune; but he intrusted the + principal management of Divine worship to those that exceeded others in an + ability to persuade men, and in prudence of conduct. These men had the + main care of the law and of the other parts of the people's conduct + committed to them; for they were the priests who were ordained to be the + inspectors of all, and the judges in doubtful cases, and the punishers of + those that were condemned to suffer punishment. + </p> + <p> + 23. What form of government then can be more holy than this? what more + worthy kind of worship can be paid to God than we pay, where the entire + body of the people are prepared for religion, where an extraordinary + degree of care is required in the priests, and where the whole polity is + so ordered as if it were a certain religious solemnity? For what things + foreigners, when they solemnize such festivals, are not able to observe + for a few days' time, and call them Mysteries and Sacred Ceremonies, we + observe with great pleasure and an unshaken resolution during our whole + lives. What are the things then that we are commanded or forbidden? They + are simple, and easily known. The first command is concerning God, and + affirms that God contains all things, and is a Being every way perfect and + happy, self-sufficient, and supplying all other beings; the beginning, the + middle, and the end of all things. He is manifest in his works and + benefits, and more conspicuous than any other being whatsoever; but as to + his form and magnitude, he is most obscure. All materials, let them be + ever so costly, are unworthy to compose an image for him, and all arts are + unartful to express the notion we ought to have of him. We can neither see + nor think of any thing like him, nor is it agreeable to piety to form a + resemblance of him. We see his works, the light, the heaven, the earth, + the sun and the moon, the waters, the generations of animals, the + productions of fruits. These things hath God made, not with hands, nor + with labor, nor as wanting the assistance of any to cooperate with him; + but as his will resolved they should be made and be good also, they were + made and became good immediately. All men ought to follow this Being, and + to worship him in the exercise of virtue; for this way of worship of God + is the most holy of all others. + </p> + <p> + 24. There ought also to be but one temple for one God; for likeness is the + constant foundation of agreement. This temple ought to be common to all + men, because he is the common God of all men. High priests are to be + continually about his worship, over whom he that is the first by his birth + is to be their ruler perpetually. His business must be to offer sacrifices + to God, together with those priests that are joined with him, to see that + the laws be observed, to determine controversies, and to punish those that + are convicted of injustice; while he that does not submit to him shall be + subject to the same punishment, as if he had been guilty of impiety + towards God himself. When we offer sacrifices to him, we do it not in + order to surfeit ourselves, or to be drunken; for such excesses are + against the will of God, and would be an occasion of injuries and of + luxury; but by keeping ourselves sober, orderly, and ready for our other + occupations, and being more temperate than others. And for our duty at the + sacrifices <a href="#linkBnote-22" name="linkBnoteref-22" + id="linkBnoteref-22"><small>22</small></a> themselves, we ought, in the + first place, to pray for the common welfare of all, and after that for our + own; for we are made for fellowship one with another, and he who prefers + the common good before what is peculiar to himself is above all acceptable + to God. And let our prayers and supplications be made humbly to God, not + [so much] that he would give us what is good, [for he hath already given + that of his own accord, and hath proposed the same publicly to all,] as + that we may duly receive it, and when we have received it, may preserve + it. Now the law has appointed several purifications at our sacrifices, + whereby we are cleansed after a funeral, after what sometimes happens to + us in bed, and after accompanying with our wives, and upon many other + occasions, which it would be too long now to set down. And this is our + doctrine concerning God and his worship, and is the same that the law + appoints for our practice. + </p> + <p> + 25. But, then, what are our laws about marriage? That law owns no other + mixture of sexes but that which nature hath appointed, of a man with his + wife, and that this be used only for the procreation of children. But it + abhors the mixture of a male with a male; and if any one do that, death is + its punishment. It commands us also, when we marry, not to have regard to + portion, nor to take a woman by violence, nor to persuade her deceitfully + and knavishly; but to demand her in marriage of him who hath power to + dispose of her, and is fit to give her away by the nearness of his + kindred; for, says the Scripture, "A woman is inferior to her husband in + all things." <a href="#linkBnote-23" name="linkBnoteref-23" + id="linkBnoteref-23"><small>23</small></a> Let her, therefore, be obedient + to him; not so that he should abuse her, but that she may acknowledge her + duty to her husband; for God hath given the authority to the husband. A + husband, therefore, is to lie only with his wife whom he hath married; but + to have to do with another man's wife is a wicked thing, which, if any one + ventures upon, death is inevitably his punishment: no more can he avoid + the same who forces a virgin betrothed to another man, or entices another + man's wife. The law, moreover, enjoins us to bring up all our offspring, + and forbids women to cause abortion of what is begotten, or to destroy it + afterward; and if any woman appears to have so done, she will be a + murderer of her child, by destroying a living creature, and diminishing + human kind; if any one, therefore, proceeds to such fornication or murder, + he cannot be clean. Moreover, the law enjoins, that after the man and wife + have lain together in a regular way, they shall bathe themselves; for + there is a defilement contracted thereby, both in soul and body, as if + they had gone into another country; for indeed the soul, by being united + to the body, is subject to miseries, and is not freed therefrom again but + by death; on which account the law requires this purification to be + entirely performed. + </p> + <p> + 26. Nay, indeed, the law does not permit us to make festivals at the + births of our children, and thereby afford occasion of drinking to excess; + but it ordains that the very beginning of our education should be + immediately directed to sobriety. It also commands us to bring those + children up in learning, and to exercise them in the laws, and make them + acquainted with the acts of their predecessors, in order to their + imitation of them, and that they might be nourished up in the laws from + their infancy, and might neither transgress them, nor have any pretense + for their ignorance of them. + </p> + <p> + 27. Our law hath also taken care of the decent burial of the dead, but + without any extravagant expenses for their funerals, and without the + erection of any illustrious monuments for them; but hath ordered that + their nearest relations should perform their obsequies; and hath showed it + to be regular, that all who pass by when any one is buried should + accompany the funeral, and join in the lamentation. It also ordains that + the house and its inhabitants should be purified after the funeral is + over, that every one may thence learn to keep at a great distance from the + thoughts of being pure, if he hath been once guilty of murder. + </p> + <p> + 28. The law ordains also, that parents should be honored immediately after + God himself, and delivers that son who does not requite them for the + benefits he hath received from them, but is deficient on any such + occasion, to be stoned. It also says that the young men should pay due + respect to every elder, since God is the eldest of all beings. It does not + give leave to conceal any thing from our friends, because that is not true + friendship which will not commit all things to their fidelity: it also + forbids the revelation of secrets, even though an enmity arise between + them. If any judge takes bribes, his punishment is death: he that + overlooks one that offers him a petition, and this when he is able to + relieve him, he is a guilty person. What is not by any one intrusted to + another ought not to be required back again. No one is to touch another's + goods. He that lends money must not demand usury for its loan. These, and + many more of the like sort, are the rules that unite us in the bands of + society one with another. + </p> + <p> + 29. It will be also worth our while to see what equity our legislator + would have us exercise in our intercourse with strangers; for it will + thence appear that he made the best provision he possibly could, both that + we should not dissolve our own constitution, nor show any envious mind + towards those that would cultivate a friendship with us. Accordingly, our + legislator admits all those that have a mind to observe our laws so to do; + and this after a friendly manner, as esteeming that a true union which not + only extends to our own stock, but to those that would live after the same + manner with us; yet does he not allow those that come to us by accident + only to be admitted into communion with us. + </p> + <p> + 30. However, there are other things which our legislator ordained for us + beforehand, which of necessity we ought to do in common to all men; as to + afford fire, and water, and food to such as want it; to show them the + roads; not to let any one lie unburied. He also would have us treat those + that are esteemed our enemies with moderation; for he doth not allow us to + set their country on fire, nor permit us to cut down those trees that bear + fruit; nay, further, he forbids us to spoil those that have been slain in + war. He hath also provided for such as are taken captive, that they may + not be injured, and especially that the women may not be abused. Indeed he + hath taught us gentleness and humanity so effectually, that he hath not + despised the care of brute beasts, by permitting no other than a regular + use of them, and forbidding any other; and if any of them come to our + houses, like supplicants, we are forbidden to slay them; nor may we kill + the dams, together with their young ones; but we are obliged, even in an + enemy's country, to spare and not kill those creatures that labor for + mankind. Thus hath our lawgiver contrived to teach us an equitable conduct + every way, by using us to such laws as instruct us therein; while at the + same time he hath ordained that such as break these laws should be + punished, without the allowance of any excuse whatsoever. + </p> + <p> + 31. Now the greatest part of offenses with us are capital; as if any one + be guilty of adultery; if any one force a virgin; if any one be so + impudent as to attempt sodomy with a male; or if, upon another's making an + attempt upon him, he submits to be so used. There is also a law for slaves + of the like nature, that can never be avoided. Moreover, if any one cheats + another in measures or weights, or makes a knavish bargain and sale, in + order to cheat another; if any one steals what belongs to another, and + takes what he never deposited; all these have punishments allotted them; + not such as are met with among other nations, but more severe ones. And as + for attempts of unjust behavior towards parents, or for impiety against + God, though they be not actually accomplished, the offenders are destroyed + immediately. However, the reward for such as live exactly according to the + laws is not silver or gold; it is not a garland of olive branches or of + small age, nor any such public sign of commendation; but every good man + hath his own conscience bearing witness to himself, and by virtue of our + legislator's prophetic spirit, and of the firm security God himself + affords such a one, he believes that God hath made this grant to those + that observe these laws, even though they be obliged readily to die for + them, that they shall come into being again, and at a certain revolution + of things shall receive a better life than they had enjoyed before. Nor + would I venture to write thus at this time, were it not well known to all + by our actions that many of our people have many a time bravely resolved + to endure any sufferings, rather than speak one word against our law. + </p> + <p> + 32. Nay, indeed, in case it had so fallen out, that our nation had not + been so thoroughly known among all men as they are, and our voluntary + submission to our laws had not been so open and manifest as it is, but + that somebody had pretended to have written these laws himself, and had + read them to the Greeks, or had pretended that he had met with men out of + the limits of the known world, that had such reverent notions of God, and + had continued a long time in the firm observance of such laws as ours, I + cannot but suppose that all men would admire them on a reflection upon the + frequent changes they had therein been themselves subject to; and this + while those that have attempted to write somewhat of the same kind for + politic government, and for laws, are accused as composing monstrous + things, and are said to have undertaken an impossible task upon them. And + here I will say nothing of those other philosophers who have undertaken + any thing of this nature in their writings. But even Plato himself, who is + so admired by the Greeks on account of that gravity in his manners, and + force in his words, and that ability he had to persuade men beyond all + other philosophers, is little better than laughed at and exposed to + ridicule on that account, by those that pretend to sagacity in political + affairs; although he that shall diligently peruse his writings will find + his precepts to be somewhat gentle, and pretty near to the customs of the + generality of mankind. Nay, Plato himself confesseth that it is not safe + to publish the true notion concerning God among the ignorant multitude. + Yet do some men look upon Plato's discourses as no better than certain + idle words set off with great artifice. However, they admire Lycurgus as + the principal lawgiver, and all men celebrate Sparta for having continued + in the firm observance of his laws for a very long time. So far then we + have gained, that it is to be confessed a mark of virtue to submit to + laws. <a href="#linkBnote-24" name="linkBnoteref-24" id="linkBnoteref-24"><small>24</small></a> + But then let such as admire this in the Lacedemonians compare that + duration of theirs with more than two thousand years which our political + government hath continued; and let them further consider, that though the + Lacedemonians did seem to observe their laws exactly while they enjoyed + their liberty, yet that when they underwent a change of their fortune, + they forgot almost all those laws; while we, having been under ten + thousand changes in our fortune by the changes that happened among the + kings of Asia, have never betrayed our laws under the most pressing + distresses we have been in; nor have we neglected them either out of sloth + or for a livelihood. <a href="#linkBnote-25" name="linkBnoteref-25" + id="linkBnoteref-25"><small>25</small></a> if any one will consider it, + the difficulties and labors laid upon us have been greater than what + appears to have been borne by the Lacedemonian fortitude, while they + neither ploughed their land, nor exercised any trades, but lived in their + own city, free from all such pains-taking, in the enjoyment of plenty, and + using such exercises as might improve their bodies, while they made use of + other men as their servants for all the necessaries of life, and had their + food prepared for them by the others; and these good and humane actions + they do for no other purpose but this, that by their actions and their + sufferings they may be able to conquer all those against whom they make + war. I need not add this, that they have not been fully able to observe + their laws; for not only a few single persons, but multitudes of them, + have in heaps neglected those laws, and have delivered themselves, + together with their arms, into the hands of their enemies. + </p> + <p> + 33. Now as for ourselves, I venture to say that no one can tell of so + many; nay, not of more than one or two that have betrayed our laws, no, + not out of fear of death itself; I do not mean such an easy death as + happens in battles, but that which comes with bodily torments, and seems + to be the severest kind of death of all others. Now I think those that + have conquered us have put us to such deaths, not out of their hatred to + us when they had subdued us, but rather out of their desire of seeing a + surprising sight, which is this, whether there be such men in the world + who believe that no evil is to them so great as to be compelled to do or + to speak any thing contrary to their own laws. Nor ought men to wonder at + us, if we are more courageous in dying for our laws than all other men + are; for other men do not easily submit to the easier things in which we + are instituted; I mean working with our hands, and eating but little, and + being contented to eat and drink, not at random, or at every one's + pleasure, or being under inviolable rules in lying with our wives, in + magnificent furniture, and again in the observation of our times of rest; + while those that can use their swords in war, and can put their enemies to + flight when they attack them, cannot bear to submit to such laws about + their way of living: whereas our being accustomed willingly to submit to + laws in these instances, renders us fit to show our fortitude upon other + occasions also. + </p> + <p> + 34. Yet do the Lysimachi and the Molones, and some other writers, + [unskillful sophists as they are, and the deceivers of young men,] + reproach us as the vilest of all mankind. Now I have no mind to make an + inquiry into the laws of other nations; for the custom of our country is + to keep our own laws, but not to bring accusations against the laws of + others. And indeed our legislator hath expressly forbidden us to laugh at + and revile those that are esteemed gods by other people? on account of the + very name of God ascribed to them. But since our antagonists think to run + us down upon the comparison of their religion and ours, it is not possible + to keep silence here, especially while what I shall say to confute these + men will not be now first said, but hath been already said by many, and + these of the highest reputation also; for who is there among those that + have been admired among the Greeks for wisdom, who hath not greatly blamed + both the most famous poets, and most celebrated legislators, for spreading + such notions originally among the body of the people concerning the gods? + such as these, that they may be allowed to be as numerous as they have a + mind to have them; that they are begotten one by another, and that after + all the kinds of generation you can imagine. They also distinguish them in + their places and ways of living as they would distinguish several sorts of + animals; as some to be under the earth; as some to be in the sea; and the + ancientest of them all to be bound in hell; and for those to whom they + have allotted heaven, they have set over them one, who in title is their + father, but in his actions a tyrant and a lord; whence it came to pass + that his wife, and brother, and daughter [which daughter he brought forth + from his own head] made a conspiracy against him to seize upon him and + confine hint, as he had himself seized upon and confined his own father + before. + </p> + <p> + 35. And justly have the wisest men thought these notions deserved severe + rebukes; they also laugh at them for determining that we ought to believe + some of the gods to be beardless and young, and others of them to be old, + and to have beards accordingly; that some are set to trades; that one god + is a smith, and another goddess is a weaver; that one god is a warrior, + and fights with men; that some of them are harpers, or delight in archery; + and besides, that mutual seditions arise among them, and that they quarrel + about men, and this so far, that they not only lay hands upon one another, + but that they are wounded by men, and lament, and take on for such their + afflictions. But what is the grossest of all in point of lasciviousness, + are those unbounded lusts ascribed to almost all of them, and their + amours; which how can it be other than a most absurd supposal, especially + when it reaches to the male gods, and to the female goddesses also? + Moreover, the chief of all their gods, and their first father himself, + overlooks those goddesses whom he hath deluded and begotten with child, + and suffers them to be kept in prison, or drowned in the sea. He is also + so bound up by fate, that he cannot save his own offspring, nor can he + bear their deaths without shedding of tears. These are fine things indeed! + as are the rest that follow. Adulteries truly are so impudently looked on + in heaven by the gods, that some of them have confessed they envied those + that were found in the very act. And why should they not do so, when the + eldest of them, who is their king also, hath not been able to restrain + himself in the violence of his lust, from lying with his wife, so long as + they might get into their bedchamber? Now some of the gods are servants to + men, and will sometimes be builders for a reward, and sometimes will be + shepherds; while others of them, like malefactors, are bound in a prison + of brass. And what sober person is there who would not be provoked at such + stories, and rebuke those that forged them, and condemn the great + silliness of those that admit them for true? Nay, others there are that + have advanced a certain timorousness and fear, as also madness and fraud, + and any other of the vilest passions, into the nature and form of gods, + and have persuaded whole cities to offer sacrifices to the better sort of + them; on which account they have been absolutely forced to esteem some + gods as the givers of good things, and to call others of them averters of + evil. They also endeavor to move them, as they would the vilest of men, by + gifts and presents, as looking for nothing else than to receive some great + mischief from them, unless they pay them such wages. + </p> + <p> + 36. Wherefore it deserves our inquiry what should be the occasion of this + unjust management, and of these scandals about the Deity. And truly I + suppose it to be derived from the imperfect knowledge the heathen + legislators had at first of the true nature of God; nor did they explain + to the people even so far as they did comprehend of it: nor did they + compose the other parts of their political settlements according to it, + but omitted it as a thing of very little consequence, and gave leave both + to the poets to introduce what gods they pleased, and those subject to all + sorts of passions, and to the orators to procure political decrees from + the people for the admission of such foreign gods as they thought proper. + The painters also, and statuaries of Greece, had herein great power, as + each of them could contrive a shape [proper for a god]; the one to be + formed out of clay, and the other by making a bare picture of such a one. + But those workmen that were principally admired, had the use of ivory and + of gold as the constant materials for their new statues [whereby it comes + to pass that some temples are quite deserted, while others are in great + esteem, and adorned with all the rites of all kinds of purification]. + Besides this, the first gods, who have long flourished in the honors done + them, are now grown old [while those that flourished after them are come + in their room as a second rank, that I may speak the most honorably of + them I can]: nay, certain other gods there are who are newly introduced, + and newly worshipped [as we, by way of digression, have said already, and + yet have left their places of worship desolate]; and for their temples, + some of them are already left desolate, and others are built anew, + according to the pleasure of men; whereas they ought to have their opinion + about God, and that worship which is due to him, always and immutably the + same. + </p> + <p> + 37. But now, this Apollonius Molo was one of these foolish and proud men. + However, nothing that I have said was unknown to those that were real + philosophers among the Greeks, nor were they unacquainted with those + frigid pretensions of allegories [which had been alleged for such things]; + on which account they justly despised them, but have still agreed with us + as to the true and becoming notions of God; whence it was that Plato would + not have political settlements admit to of any one of the other poets, and + dismisses even Homer himself, with a garland on his head, and with + ointment poured upon him, and this because he should not destroy the right + notions of God with his fables. Nay, Plato principally imitated our + legislator in this point, that he enjoined his citizens to have he main + regard to this precept, "That every one of them should learn their laws + accurately." He also ordained, that they should not admit of foreigners + intermixing with their own people at random; and provided that the + commonwealth should keep itself pure, and consist of such only as + persevered in their own laws. Apollonius Molo did no way consider this, + when he made it one branch of his accusation against us, that we do not + admit of such as have different notions about God, nor will we have + fellowship with those that choose to observe a way of living different + from ourselves, yet is not this method peculiar to us, but common to all + other men; not among the ordinary Grecians only, but among such of those + Grecians as are of the greatest reputation among them. Moreover, the + Lacedemonians continued in their way of expelling foreigners, and would + not indeed give leave to their own people to travel abroad, as suspecting + that those two things would introduce a dissolution of their own laws: and + perhaps there may be some reason to blame the rigid severity of the + Lacedemonians, for they bestowed the privilege of their city on no + foreigners, nor indeed would give leave to them to stay among them; + whereas we, though we do not think fit to imitate other institutions, yet + do we willingly admit of those that desire to partake of ours, which, I + think, I may reckon to be a plain indication of our humanity, and at the + same time of our magnanimity also. + </p> + <p> + 38. But I shall say no more of the Lacedemonians. As for the Athenians, + who glory in having made their city to be common to all men, what their + behavior was Apollonius did not know, while they punished those that did + but speak one word contrary to the laws about the gods, without any mercy; + for on what other account was it that Socrates was put to death by them? + For certainly he neither betrayed their city to its enemies, nor was he + guilty of any sacrilege with regard to any of their temples; but it was on + this account, that he swore certain new oaths <a href="#linkBnote-26" + name="linkBnoteref-26" id="linkBnoteref-26"><small>26</small></a> and that + he affirmed either in earnest, or, as some say, only in jest, that a + certain demon used to make signs to him [what he should not do]. For these + reasons he was condemned to drink poison, and kill himself. His accuser + also complained that he corrupted the young men, by inducing them to + despise the political settlement and laws of their city: and thus was + Socrates, the citizen of Athens, punished. There was also Anaxagoras, who, + although he was of Clazomente, was within a few suffrages of being + condemned to die, because he said the sun, which the Athenians thought to + be a god, was a ball of fire. They also made this public proclamation, + "That they would give a talent to any one who would kill Diagoras of + Melos," because it was reported of him that he laughed at their mysteries. + Protagoras also, who was thought to have written somewhat that was not + owned for truth by the Athenians about the gods, had been seized upon, and + put to death, if he had not fled away immediately. Nor need we at all + wonder that they thus treated such considerable men, when they did not + spare even women also; for they very lately slew a certain priestess, + because she was accused by somebody that she initiated people into the + worship of strange gods, it having been forbidden so to do by one of their + laws; and a capital punishment had been decreed to such as introduced a + strange god; it being manifest, that they who make use of such a law do + not believe those of other nations to be really gods, otherwise they had + not envied themselves the advantage of more gods than they already had. + And this was the happy administration of the affairs of the Athenians! Now + as to the Scythians, they take a pleasure in killing men, and differ but + little from brute beasts; yet do they think it reasonable to have their + institutions observed. They also slew Anacharsis, a person greatly admired + for his wisdom among the Greeks, when he returned to them, because he + appeared to come fraught with Grecian customs. One may also find many to + have been punished among the Persians, on the very same account. And to be + sure Apollonius was greatly pleased with the laws of the Persians, and was + an admirer of them, because the Greeks enjoyed the advantage of their + courage, and had the very same opinion about the gods which they had. This + last was exemplified in the temples which they burnt, and their courage in + coming, and almost entirely enslaving the Grecians. However, Apollonius + has imitated all the Persian institutions, and that by his offering + violence to other men's wives, and gelding his own sons. Now, with us, it + is a capital crime, if any one does thus abuse even a brute beast; and as + for us, neither hath the fear of our governors, nor a desire of following + what other nations have in so great esteem, been able to withdraw us from + our own laws; nor have we exerted our courage in raising up wars to + increase our wealth, but only for the observation of our laws; and when we + with patience bear other losses, yet when any persons would compel us to + break our laws, then it is that we choose to go to war, though it be + beyond our ability to pursue it, and bear the greatest calamities to the + last with much fortitude. And, indeed, what reason can there be why we + should desire to imitate the laws of other nations, while we see they are + not observed by their own legislators <a href="#linkBnote-27" + name="linkBnoteref-27" id="linkBnoteref-27"><small>27</small></a> And why + do not the Lacedemonians think of abolishing that form of their government + which suffers them not to associate with any others, as well as their + contempt of matrimony? And why do not the Eleans and Thebans abolish that + unnatural and impudent lust, which makes them lie with males? For they + will not show a sufficient sign of their repentance of what they of old + thought to be very excellent, and very advantageous in their practices, + unless they entirely avoid all such actions for the time to come: nay, + such things are inserted into the body of their laws, and had once such a + power among the Greeks, that they ascribed these sodomitical practices to + the gods themselves, as a part of their good character; and indeed it was + according to the same manner that the gods married their own sisters. This + the Greeks contrived as an apology for their own absurd and unnatural + pleasures. + </p> + <p> + 39. I omit to speak concerning punishments, and how many ways of escaping + them the greatest part of the legislators have afforded malefactors, by + ordaining that, for adulteries, fines in money should be allowed, and for + corrupting <a href="#linkBnote-28" name="linkBnoteref-28" + id="linkBnoteref-28"><small>28</small></a> [virgins] they need only marry + them as also what excuses they may have in denying the facts, if any one + attempts to inquire into them; for amongst most other nations it is a + studied art how men may transgress their laws; but no such thing is + permitted amongst us; for though we be deprived of our wealth, of our + cities, or of the other advantages we have, our law continues immortal; + nor can any Jew go so far from his own country, nor be so aftrighted at + the severest lord, as not to be more aftrighted at the law than at him. + If, therefore, this be the disposition we are under, with regard to the + excellency of our laws, let our enemies make us this concession, that our + laws are most excellent; and if still they imagine, that though we so + firmly adhere to them, yet are they bad laws notwithstanding, what + penalties then do they deserve to undergo who do not observe their own + laws, which they esteem so far superior to them? Whereas, therefore, + length of time is esteemed to be the truest touchstone in all cases, I + would make that a testimonial of the excellency of our laws, and of that + belief thereby delivered to us concerning God. For as there hath been a + very long time for this comparison, if any one will but compare its + duration with the duration of the laws made by other legislators, he will + find our legislator to have been the ancientest of them all. + </p> + <p> + 40. We have already demonstrated that our laws have been such as have + always inspired admiration and imitation into all other men; nay, the + earliest Grecian philosophers, though in appearance they observed the laws + of their own countries, yet did they, in their actions, and their + philosophic doctrines, follow our legislator, and instructed men to live + sparingly, and to have friendly communication one with another. Nay, + further, the multitude of mankind itself have had a great inclination of a + long time to follow our religious observances; for there is not any city + of the Grecians, nor any of the barbarians, nor any nation whatsoever, + whither our custom of resting on the seventh day hath not come, and by + which our fasts and lighting up lamps, and many of our prohibitions as to + our food, are not observed; they also endeavor to imitate our mutual + concord with one another, and the charitable distribution of our goods, + and our diligence in our trades, and our fortitude in undergoing the + distresses we are in, on account of our laws; and, what is here matter of + the greatest admiration, our law hath no bait of pleasure to allure men to + it, but it prevails by its own force; and as God himself pervades all the + world, so hath our law passed through all the world also. So that if any + one will but reflect on his own country, and his own family, he will have + reason to give credit to what I say. It is therefore but just, either to + condemn all mankind of indulging a wicked disposition, when they have been + so desirous of imitating laws that are to them foreign and evil in + themselves, rather than following laws of their own that are of a better + character, or else our accusers must leave off their spite against us. Nor + are we guilty of any envious behavior towards them, when we honor our own + legislator, and believe what he, by his prophetic authority, hath taught + us concerning God. For though we should not be able ourselves to + understand the excellency of our own laws, yet would the great multitude + of those that desire to imitate them, justify us, in greatly valuing + ourselves upon them. + </p> + <p> + 41. But as for the [distinct] political laws by which we are governed, I + have delivered them accurately in my books of Antiquities; and have only + mentioned them now, so far as was necessary to my present purpose, without + proposing to myself either to blame the laws of other nations, or to make + an encomium upon our own; but in order to convict those that have written + about us unjustly, and in an impudent affectation of disguising the truth. + And now I think I have sufficiently completed what I proposed in writing + these books. For whereas our accusers have pretended that our nation are a + people of very late original, I have demonstrated that they are exceeding + ancient; for I have produced as witnesses thereto many ancient writers, + who have made mention of us in their books, while they had said that no + such writer had so done. Moreover, they had said that we were sprung from + the Egyptians, while I have proved that we came from another country into + Egypt: while they had told lies of us, as if we were expelled thence on + account of diseases on our bodies, it has appeared, on the contrary, that + we returned to our country by our own choice, and with sound and strong + bodies. Those accusers reproached our legislator as a vile fellow; whereas + God in old time bare witness to his virtuous conduct; and since that + testimony of God, time itself hath been discovered to have borne witness + to the same thing. + </p> + <p> + 42. As to the laws themselves, more words are unnecessary, for they are + visible in their own nature, and appear to teach not impiety, but the + truest piety in the world. They do not make men hate one another, but + encourage people to communicate what they have to one another freely; they + are enemies to injustice, they take care of righteousness, they banish + idleness and expensive living, and instruct men to be content with what + they have, and to be laborious in their calling; they forbid men to make + war from a desire of getting more, but make men courageous in defending + the laws; they are inexorable in punishing malefactors; they admit no + sophistry of words, but are always established by actions themselves, + which actions we ever propose as surer demonstrations than what is + contained in writing only: on which account I am so bold as to say that we + are become the teachers of other men, in the greatest number of things, + and those of the most excellent nature only; for what is more excellent + than inviolable piety? what is more just than submission to laws? and what + is more advantageous than mutual love and concord? and this so far that we + are to be neither divided by calamities, nor to become injurious and + seditious in prosperity; but to contemn death when we are in war, and in + peace to apply ourselves to our mechanical occupations, or to our tillage + of the ground; while we in all things and all ways are satisfied that God + is the inspector and governor of our actions. If these precepts had either + been written at first, or more exactly kept by any others before us, we + should have owed them thanks as disciples owe to their masters; but if it + be visible that we have made use of them more than any other men, and if + we have demonstrated that the original invention of them is our own, let + the Apions, and the Molons, with all the rest of those that delight in + lies and reproaches, stand confuted; but let this and the foregoing book + be dedicated to thee, Epaphroditus, who art so great a lover of truth, and + by thy means to those that have been in like manner desirous to be + acquainted with the affairs of our nation. + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkB2H_4_0002" id="linkB2H_4_0002"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + APION BOOK 2 FOOTNOTES + </h2> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-1" id="linkBnote-1"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 1 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-1">return</a>)<br /> [ The former part of this + second book is written against the calumnies of Apion, and then, more + briefly, against the like calumnies of Apollonius Molo. But after that, + Josephus leaves off any more particular reply to those adversaries of the + Jews, and gives us a large and excellent description and vindication of + that theocracy which was settled for the Jewish nation by Moses, their + great legislator.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-2" id="linkBnote-2"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 2 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-2">return</a>)<br /> [ Called by Tiberius + Cymbalum Mundi, The drum of the world.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-3" id="linkBnote-3"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 3 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-3">return</a>)<br /> [ This seems to have been + the first dial that had been made in Egypt, and was a little before the + time that Ahaz made his [first] dial in Judea, and about anno 755, in the + first year of the seventh olympiad, as we shall see presently. See 2 Kings + 20:11; Isaiah 38:8.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-4" id="linkBnote-4"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 4 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-4">return</a>)<br /> [ The burial-place for dead + bodies, as I suppose.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-5" id="linkBnote-5"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 5 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-5">return</a>)<br /> [ Here begins a great defect + in the Greek copy; but the old Latin version fully supplies that defect.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-6" id="linkBnote-6"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 6 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-6">return</a>)<br /> [ What error is here + generally believed to have been committed by our Josephus in ascribing a + deliverance of the Jews to the reign of Ptolemy Physco, the seventh of + those Ptolemus, which has been universally supposed to have happened under + Ptolemy Philopater, the fourth of them, is no better than a gross error of + the moderns, and not of Josephus, as I have fully proved in the Authentic. + Rec. Part I. p. 200-201, whither I refer the inquisitive reader.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-7" id="linkBnote-7"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 7 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-7">return</a>)<br /> [ Sister's son, and adopted + son.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-8" id="linkBnote-8"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 8 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-8">return</a>)<br /> [ Called more properly Molo, + or Apollonius Molo, as hereafter; for Apollonins, the son of Molo, was + another person, as Strabo informs us, lib. xiv.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-9" id="linkBnote-9"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 9 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-9">return</a>)<br /> [ Furones in the Latin, + which what animal it denotes does not now appear.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-10" id="linkBnote-10"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 10 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-10">return</a>)<br /> [ It is great pity that + these six pagan authors, here mentioned to have described the famous + profanation of the Jewish temple by Antiochus Epiphanes, should be all + lost; I mean so far of their writings as contained that description; + though it is plain Josephus perused them all as extant in his time.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-11" id="linkBnote-11"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 11 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-11">return</a>)<br /> [ It is remarkable that + Josephus here, and, I think, no where else, reckons up four distinct + courts of the temple; that of the Gentiles, that of the women of Israel, + that of the men of Israel, and that of the priests; as also that the court + of the women admitted of the men, [I suppose only of the husbands of those + wives that were therein,] while the court of the men did not admit any + women into it at all.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-12" id="linkBnote-12"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 12 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-12">return</a>)<br /> [ Judea, in the Greek, by + a gross mistake of the transcribers.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-13" id="linkBnote-13"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 13 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-13">return</a>)<br /> [ Seven in the Greek, by a + like gross mistake of the transcribers. See of the War, B. V. ch. 5. sect. + 4.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-14" id="linkBnote-14"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 14 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-14">return</a>)<br /> [ Two hundred in the + Greek, contrary to the twenty in the War, B. VII. ch, 5. sect. 3.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-15" id="linkBnote-15"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 15 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-15">return</a>)<br /> [ This notorious disgrace + belonging peculiarly to the people of Egypt, ever since the times of the + old prophets of the Jews, noted both sect. 4 already, and here, may be + confirmed by the testimony of Isidorus, an Egyptian of Pelusium, Epist. + lib. i. Ep. 489. And this is a remarkable completion of the ancient + prediction of God by Ezekiel 29:14, 15, "that the Egyptians should be a + base kingdom, the basest of the kingdoms," and that, "it should not exalt + itself any more above the nations."] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-16" id="linkBnote-16"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 16 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-16">return</a>)<br /> [ The truth of which still + further appears by the present observation of Josephus, that these + Egyptians had never, in all the past ages since Sesostris, had one day of + liberty, no, not so much as to have been free from despotic power under + any of the monarchies to that day. And all this has been found equally + true in the latter ages, under the Romans, Saracens, Mamelukes, and Turks, + from the days of Josephus till the present ago also.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-17" id="linkBnote-17"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 17 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-17">return</a>)<br /> [ This language, that + Moses, "persuaded himself" that what he did was according to God's will, + can mean no more, by Josephus's own constant notions elsewhere, than that + he was "firmly persuaded," that he had "fully satisfied himself" that so + it was, viz. by the many revelations he had received from God, and the + numerous miracles God had enabled him to work, as he both in these very + two books against Apion, and in his Antiquities, most clearly and + frequently assures us. This is further evident from several passages + lower, where he affirms that Moses was no impostor nor deceiver, and where + he assures that Moses's constitution of government was no other than a + theocracy; and where he says they are to hope for deliverance out of their + distresses by prayer to God, and that withal it was owing in part to this + prophetic spirit of Moses that the Jews expected a resurrection from the + dead. See almost as strange a use of the like words, "to persuade God," + Antiq. B. VI. ch. 5. sect. 6.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-18" id="linkBnote-18"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 18 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-18">return</a>)<br /> [ That is, Moses really + was, what the heathen legislators pretended to be, under a Divine + direction; nor does it yet appear that these pretensions to a supernatural + conduct, either in these legislators or oracles, were mere delusions of + men without any demoniacal impressions, nor that Josephus took them so to + be; as the ancientest and contemporary authors did still believe them to + be supernatural.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-19" id="linkBnote-19"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 19 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-19">return</a>)<br /> [ This whole very large + passage is corrected by Dr. Hudson from Eusebius's citation of it, Prep. + Evangel. viii. 8, which is here not a little different from the present + MSS. of Josephus.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-20" id="linkBnote-20"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 20 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-20">return</a>)<br /> [ This expression itself, + that "Moses ordained the Jewish government to be a theocracy," may be + illustrated by that parallel expression in the Antiquities, B. III. ch. 8. + sect. 9, that "Moses left it to God to be present at his sacrifices when + he pleased; and when he pleased, to be absent." Both ways of speaking + sound harsh in the ears of Jews and Christians, as do several others which + Josephus uses to the heathens; but still they were not very improper in + him, when he all along thought fit to accommodate himself, both in his + Antiquities, and in these his books against Apion, all written for the use + of the Greeks and Romans, to their notions and language, and this as far + as ever truth would give him leave. Though it be very observable withal, + that he never uses such expressions in his books of the War, written + originally for the Jews beyond Euphrates, and in their language, in all + these cases. However, Josephus directly supposes the Jewish settlement, + under Moses, to be a Divine settlement, and indeed no other than a real + theocracy.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-21" id="linkBnote-21"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 21 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-21">return</a>)<br /> [ These excellent accounts + of the Divine attributes, and that God is not to be at all known in his + essence, as also some other clear expressions about the resurrection of + the dead, and the state of departed souls, etc., in this late work of + Josephus, look more like the exalted notions of the Essens, or rather + Ebionite Christians, than those of a mere Jew or Pharisee. The following + large accounts also of the laws of Moses, seem to me to show a regard to + the higher interpretations and improvements of Moses's laws, derived from + Jesus Christ, than to the bare letter of them in the Old Testament, whence + alone Josephus took them when he wrote his Antiquities; nor, as I think, + can some of these laws, though generally excellent in their kind, be + properly now found either in the copies of the Jewish Pentateuch, or in + Philo, or in Josephus himself, before he became a Nazarene or Ebionite + Christian; nor even all of them among the laws of catholic Christianity + themselves. I desire, therefore, the learned reader to consider, whether + some of these improvements or interpretations might not be peculiar to the + Essens among the Jews, or rather to the Nazarenes or Ebionites among the + Christians, though we have indeed but imperfect accounts of those + Nazarenes or Ebionite Christians transmitted down to us at this day.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-22" id="linkBnote-22"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 22 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-22">return</a>)<br /> [ We may here observe how + known a thing it was among the Jews and heathens, in this and many other + instances, that sacrifices were still accompanied with prayers; whence + most probably came those phrases of "the sacrifice of prayer, the + sacrifice of praise, the sacrifice of thanksgiving." However, those + ancient forms used at sacrifices are now generally lost, to the no small + damage of true religion. It is here also exceeding remarkable, that + although the temple at Jerusalem was built as the only place where the + whole nation of the Jews were to offer their sacrifices, yet is there no + mention of the "sacrifices" themselves, but of "prayers" only, in + Solomon's long and famous form of devotion at its dedication, 1 Kings 8.; + 2 Chronicles 6. See also many passages cited in the Apostolical + Constitutions, VII. 37, and Of the War, above, B. VII. ch. 5. sect. 6.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-23" id="linkBnote-23"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 23 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-23">return</a>)<br /> [ This text is no where in + our present copies of the Old Testament.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-24" id="linkBnote-24"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 24 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-24">return</a>)<br /> [ It may not be amiss to + set down here a very remarkable testimony of the great philosopher Cicero, + as to the preference of "laws to philosophy:—I will," says he, + "boldly declare my opinion, though the whole world be offended at it. I + prefer this little book of the Twelve Tables alone to all the volumes of + the philosophers. I find it to be not only of more weight,' but also much + more useful."—Oratore.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-25" id="linkBnote-25"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 25 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-25">return</a>)<br /> [ we have observed our + times of rest, and sorts of food allowed us [Footnote during our + distresses].] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-26" id="linkBnote-26"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 26 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-26">return</a>)<br /> [ See what those novel + oaths were in Dr. Hudson's note, viz. to swear by an oak, by a goat, and + by a dog, as also by a gander, as say Philostratus and others. This + swearing strange oaths was also forbidden by the Tyrians, B. I. sect. 22, + as Spanheim here notes.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-27" id="linkBnote-27"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 27 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-27">return</a>)<br /> [ Why Josephus here should + blame some heathen legislators, when they allowed so easy a composition + for simple fornication, as an obligation to marry the virgin that was + corrupted, is hard to say, seeing he had himself truly informed us that it + was a law of the Jews, Antiq. B. IV. ch. 8. sect. 23, as it is the law of + Christianity also: see Horeb Covenant, p. 61. I am almost ready to suspect + that, for, we should here read, and that corrupting wedlock, or other + men's wives, is the crime for which these heathens wickedly allowed this + composition in money.] + </p> + <p> + <a name="linkBnote-28" id="linkBnote-28"> + <!-- Note --></a> + </p> + <p class="foot"> + 28 (<a href="#linkBnoteref-28">return</a>)<br /> [ Or "for corrupting other + men's wives the same allowance."] + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Against Apion, by Flavius Josephus + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AGAINST APION *** + +***** This file should be named 2849-h.htm or 2849-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/8/4/2849/ + +Produced by David Reed, and David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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