BOOK XII.

CONTAINING THE INTERVAL OF A HUNDRED AND SEVENTY YEARS.

FROM THE DEATH OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, TO THE DEATH OF JUDAS MACCABEES.

CHAP. I.

How Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, took Jerusalem and Judea by deceit and treachery, and carried many of the Jews thence, and planted them in Egypt.

§ 1. Now when Alexander, king of Macedon, had put an

end to the dominion of the Persians, and had settled the affairs in Judea after the fore-mentioned manner, he ended his life. And as his government fell among many, Antigonus obtained Asia, Seleucus Babylon; and of the other nations which were there, Lysimachus governed the Hellespont, and Cassander possessed Macedonia; as did Ptolemy the son of Lagus seize upon Egypt. And while these princes ambitiously strove one against another, every one for his own principality, it came to pass that there were continual wars, and those lasting wars too; and the cities were sufferers, and lost a great many of their inhabitants in these times of distress, insomuch that all Syria, by the means of Ptolemy the son of Lagus, underwent the reverse of that denomination of Saviour, which he then had. He also seized upon Jerusalem, and for that end made use of deceit and treachery; for as he came into the city on a Sabbath day, as if he would offer sacrifice, he, without any trouble, gained the city, while the Jews did not oppose him, for they did not suspect him to be their enemy; and he gained it thus, because they were free from suspicion of him, and because on that day they were at rest and quietness; and when he had gained it, he ruled over it in a cruel manner. Nay, Agatharchides of Cnidus, who wrote the acts of Alexander's successor, reproaches us with superstition, as if we, by it, had lost our liberty; where he says thus: "There is a "nation called the nation of the Jews, who inhabit a city strong and great, named Jerusalem. These men took no care, but let it come into the hands of Ptolemy, as not wil. "ling to take arms, and thereby they submitted to be under "an hard master, by reason of their unseasonable supersti

"tion." This is what Agatharchides relates of our nation. But when Ptolemy had taken a great many captives, both from the mountainous parts of Judea, and from the places about Jerusalem and Samaria, and the places near mount Gerizzim, he led them all into Egypt, and settled them there. And as he knew that the people of Jerusalem were† most faithful in the observation of oaths and covenants, and this from the answer they made to Alexander, when he sent an embassage to them, after he had beaten Darius in battle, so he distributed many of them into garrisons; and at Alexandria gave them equal privileges of citizens with the Macedonians themselves; and required of them to take their oaths, that they would keep their fidelity to the posterity of those who committed these places to their care. Nay there were not a few other Jews, who, of their own accord, went into Egypt, as invited by the goodness of the soil, and by the liberality of Ptolemy. However, there were disorders among their posterity, with relation to the Samaritans, on account of their resolution to preserve that conduct of life which was delivered to them by their forefathers, and they thereupon contended one with another; while those of Jerusalem said, that their temple was holy, and resolved to send their sacrifices thither; but the Samaritans were resolved that they should be sent to mount Gerizzim.

CHAP. II.

How Ptolemy Philadelphus procured the laws of the Jews to be translated into the Greek tongue; and set many captives free; and dedicated many gifts to God.

1. WHEN Alexander had reigned twelve years, and after him Ptolemy Soter forty years, Philadelphus then took

The great number of these Jews and Samaritans that were formerly carried into Egypt by Alexander, and now by Ptolemy the son of Lagus, appear afterwards, in the vast multitude who, as we shall see presently, were soon ransomed by Philadelphus, and by him made free, before he sent for the seventy-two interpreters in the many garrisons, and other soldiers of that nation in Egypt: in the famous settlement of the Jews, and the number of their synagogues at Alexandria, long afterward: and in the vehement contention between the Jews and Samaritans under Philometer, about the place appointed for public worship in the law of Moses; whether at the Jewish temple of Jerusalem, or at the Samaritan temple at Gerizzim: of all which our author treats hereafter. And as to the Samaritans carried into Egypt under the same princes, Scaliger supposes, that those who have a great synagogue at Cairo, as also those whom the Arabic geographer speaks of, as having seized on an island in the Red Sea, are remains of them at this very day, as the notes here inform us.

+ Of the sacredness of oaths among the Jews in the Old Testament, see Scrip ture Politics, p. 54, 65.

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the kingdom of Egypt, and held it forty years within one. He procured the law to be interpreted; and set free those that were come from Jerusalem into Egypt, and were in slavery there, who were an hundred and twenty thousand. The occasion was this: Demetrius Phalerius, who was librarykeeper to the king, was now endeavouring, if it were possible, to gather together all the books that were in the habitable earth, and buying whatsoever was any where valuable, or agreeable to the king's inclination, (who was very earnestly set upon collecting of books;) to which inclination of his Demetrius was zealously subservient. And when once Ptolemy asked him, How many ten thousands of books he had collected? he replied, That he had already about twenty times ten thousand, but that, in a little time, he should have fifty times ten thousand. But he said, he had been informed, that there were many books of laws among the Jews, worthy of inquiring after, and worthy of the king's library, but which being written in characters and in a dialect of their own, will cause no small pains in getting them translated into the Greek tongue: that the character in which they are written seems to be like to that which is the proper character of the Syrians, and that its sound, when pronounced, is like theirs also; and that this sound appears to be peculiar to themselves. Wherefore he said, that nothing hindered why they might not get those books to be translated also, for while nothing is wanting that is necessary for that purpose, we may have their books also in this library. So the king thought that Demetrius was very zealous to procure him abundance of books, and that he suggested what was exceeding proper for him to do; and therefore he wrote to the Jewish high priest, that he should act accordingly.

2. Now there was one Aristeus, who was among the king's most intimate friends, and on account of his modesty very acceptable to him. This Aristeus resolved frequently, and that before now, to petition the king, that he would set all the captive Jews in his kingdom free; and he thought this to be a convenient opportunity for the making that petition. So he discoursed in the first place, with the captains of the king's guards, Sosibius of Tarentum, and Andreas; and persuaded them to assist him in what he was going to intercede with the

Of the translation of the other parts of the Old Testament by seventy Egyptian Jews, in the reigns of Ptolemy the son of Lagus, and Philadelphus; as also of the translation of the Pentateuch by seventy-two Jerusalem Jews, in the seventh year of Philadelphus at Alexandria, as given us an account of by Aristeas, and thence by Philo and Josephus, with a vindication of Aristeas' history, see the Appendix to Lit. Accomp. of Proph. at large, p. 117–152.

king for. Accordingly Aristeus embraced the same opinion with those that have been before-mentioned; and went to the king, and made the following speech to him: "It is not fit "for us, O king, to overlook things hastily, or to deceive "ourselves, but to lay the truth open: For since we have "determined not only to get the laws of the Jews transcribed, "but interpreted also, for thy satisfaction, by what means 66 can we do this, while so many of the Jews are now slaves "in thy kingdom? Do thou then what will be agreeable to "thy magnanimity, and to thy good nature: free them from "the miserable condition they are in, because that God, who "supporteth thy kingdom, was the author of their laws, as I "have learned by particular inquiry; for both these people, "and we also, worship the same God, the framer of all things. "We call him, and that truly by the name of Znva [or life, or "Jupiter,] because he breathes life into all men. Wherefore "do thou restore these men to their own country; and this "do to the honour of God, because these men pay a pecu"liarly excellent worship to him. And know this farther, "that though I be not of kin to them by birth, nor one of "the same country with them, yet do I desire these favours "to be done them, since all men are the workmanship of "God; and I am sensible that he is well pleased with those "that do good. I do therefore put up this petition to thee, "to do good to them."

3. When Aristeus was saying thus, the king looked upon him with a cheerful and joyful countenance, and said, " How 66 many ten thousands dost thou suppose there are of such as "want to be made free?" To which Andreas replied, as he stood by, and said, "A few more than ten times ten thou"sand." The king made answer, "And is this a small gift "that thou askest, Aristeus?" But Sosibus, and the rest that stood by, said, That " he ought to offer such a thank-offer"ing as was worthy of his greatness of soul, to that God who "had given him his kingdom." With this answer he was much pleased; and gave order, that when they paid the soldiers their wages, they should lay down [an hundred and]

Although this number 120 drachmæ [of Alexandria, or 60 Jewish shekels] be here three times repeated, and that in all Josephus's copies Greek and Latin, yet since all the copies of Aristeus, whence Josephus took his relation, have this sum several times and still as no more than 20 drachmæs, or 10 Jewish shekels; and since the sum of the talents, to be set down presently, which is little above 460, for somewhat more than 100,000 slaves, and is nearly the same in Josephus and Aristeus, does better agree to 20 than to 120 drachmæ : and since the value of a slave of old was, at the utmost, but 30 shekels, or 60 drachmæ, see Exod. xxi. 32. while in the present circumstances of these Jewish slaves, and those so very numerous, Philadelphus would rather redeem them at a cheaper than at a dearer rate, there is great reason to prefer here Aristeus's copies before Josephus'st

twenty drachmæ for every one of the slaves. And he promised to publish a magnificent decree, about what they requited, which should confirm what Aristeus had proposed, and especially what God willed should be done; whereby he said, he would not only set those free who had been led away captive by his father, and his army, but those who were in his kingdom before, and those also, if any such there were, who had been brought away since. And when they said, that their redemption-money would amount to above four hundred talents, he granted it. A copy of which decree I have determined to preserve, that the magnanimity of this king may be. made known. Its contents were as follows: "Let all those "who were soldiers under our father, and who, when they over-ran Syria and Phenicia, and laid waste Judea, took the ،، Jews captives, and made them slaves, and brought them ، into our cities, and into this country, and then sold them; "as also all those that were in my kingdom before them: and "if there be any that have been lately brought thither, be “ made free by those that possess them; and let them accept "of [an hundred and] twenty drachmæ for every slave. And "let the soldiers receive this redemption-money with their

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pay, but the rest out of the king's treasury: for I suppose "that they were made captives without our father's consent, "and against equity; and that their country was harrassed "by the insolence of the soldiers, and that, by removing "them into Egypt, the soldiers have made a great profit by “ them. Out of regard therefore to justice, and out of pity "to those that have been tyrannized over, contrary to equity, "I enjoin those that have such Jews in their service to set "them at liberty, upon the receipt of the before-mentioned

sum: and that no one use any deceit about them, but obey “ what is here commanded. And I will, that they give in "their names within three days, after the publication of this "edict to such as are appointed to execute the same, and to "produce the slaves before them also, for I think it will be "for the advantage of my affairs: And let every one that 6 will inform against those that do not obey this decree; and "I will, that their estates be confiscated into the king's treasury." When this decree was read to the king, it at first contained the rest that is here inserted, and omitted only those Jews that had formerly been brought, and those brought afterwards, which had not been distinctly mentioned, so he added these clauses out of his humanity, and with great generosity. He also gave order, that the payment, which was likely to be done in au hurry, should be divided among he king's ministers, and among the officers of his treasury. When

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