66 "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 "to the sea, and became a Grecian, not only in his language, but in his soul also; insomuch that when we our'selves 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 for titude 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 skilful in 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 bye the bye only, but composed an entire book concerning the Jews themselves, out of which book I am wil ling 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 on the eleventh year after the death of Alexander, and on the hundred and seventeenth Olympiad, as Castor, says in his history. For when he had set down this Olympiad, he says farther, "That on "this Olympiad Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, beat in battle "Demetrius, the son of Antigonus, who was named Polior"cetes, at Gaza." Now it is agreed by all, that Alexander died on 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 possesion 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 which," Hecateus says, "was Hezekiah, 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 skilful in the management of affairs, if any other man ever were so; although, as he says, all the priests of the Jews took tythes "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 possest 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 cir"cumstances of their people; for he had all their habita"tions 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." Where 46 upon he adds, that "although they are in bad reputation c'e among their neighbours, 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 per"suaded from acting but what they think best; but that "when they are stripped on this account, and have tor"ments inflicted upon them, and they are brought to the "most terrible kinds of death, they meet them after an ex"traordinary 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 gener"al to bring earth thither; but the Jews, and they only, would not comply with that command; nay, they un"derwent 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 farther, That "when the Ma"cedonians came to them into that country, and demolish"ed the [old] temples and the altars, they assisted them in *This Hezekiah, who is here called an 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 highpriests in the plural number, as living many at the same time. See the note on Antiq. B. xx. ch. viii. § 8. vol. iv. S VOL. VII. 66 * demolishing them all, but (for not assisting them in rebuilding them] they either underwent losses, or sometimes obtained forgiveness." He adds farther, 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 thou"sands were removed, after Alexander's death, into Egypt, "and Phenicia, by reason of the sedition that was arisen "in Syria." The same person takes notice in his history how large the country is in which we inhabit, as well as of its excellent character, and says, That" the land in which "the Jews inhabit contains three millions of arourac,† and "is generally of a most excellent and most fruitful soil; 66 nor is Judea of lesser dimensions." The same man describes 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 an hundred and twenty "thousand men, or thereabout; * they call it Jerusalem. *So I read the text with Havercamp, though the place be difficult. This number of arourae or Egyptian acres, 3,000,000, each arourae containing a square of one hundred 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 50 furlongs in compass for the city Jerusalem, presently, are not very wide from the truth also, as Josephus himself describes it. Of the war, B. v. ch. iv. § 3. vol. vi. makes its wall 33 furlongs besides the suburbs and gardens; nay, he says, B. v. ch. xii 2. that Titus's wall about it at some small distance, after the gardens and suburbs were destroyed, was not less than 39 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 300 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 con cerning them.. 66 46 "There is about the middle of the city a wall of stone, "whose length is five hundred feet, and breadth an "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 an "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 dona"tions 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 purifi"cations, 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 farther 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 of the Jewish horsemen who conducted us: he was a person of great courage, of a strong body, and by all al"lowed to be the most skilful 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 shewed 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. Mo"șollam 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 concern "ing our march, who could not foresee how to save himself? "for, had he been able ta 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 one 66 46 "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 Seleucus 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 pow"er 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 Agatharchides had premised this story, and had jested upon Stratonice for her superstition, he gives a like example of what was reported coneerning 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 ;* 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 66 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 their city suffered their country to submit itself to a bitter lord; and their law was openly proved to have com"manded a foolish practice. 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 Agatharchides, 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 * A glorious testimony this of the observation of the sabbath by the Jews. See Antiq. B. xvi. ch. ii. § 4. and ch. vi. § 2. vol. v. the Life, § 54. vol. iv, and War, B. iv. ch. ix. § 12. vol v. Not their law, but the superstitious interpretation of their leaders, which neither the Maccabees nor our blessed Saviour did ever approve of |