poet, makes mention of our nation, and informs us that it came to the affiftance of king Xerxes, in his expedition againft Greece. For in his enumeration of all thofe nations, he laft of all inferts ours among the reft, when he says:

"At the laft there paffed over a people, wonderful to be be held; for they fpake the Phenician tongue with their mouths they dwelt in the Soly mean mountains, near a broad lake = Their heads were footy; they had round rafures on them Their heads and faces were like nafty horse heads allo, that had been hardened in the smoke."

I think, therefore, that it is evident to every body that Che rilus means us, because the Soly mean mountians are in our country, wherein we inhabit, as is alfo the lake called Asphal titis; 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 fort of the Grecians, but thofe that are had in the greatest admiration for their philofophic improvements among them did not only know the Jews, but, when they lighted up any of them, admired them also, it is eafy for any one to know. For Clearchus, who was the (cholar of Aristotle, and inferior to no one of the peripatetics whom foever, in his first book concerning fleep, fays, "That Ariftotle his mafter related what follows of a Jew," and fets down Ariftotle's own difcourfe with him. The account is this, as written down by him: "Now, for a great part of what this Jew faid, it would be too long to recite it; but what includes in it both wonder and philofophy, it may not be amifs to difcourle of. Now, that I may be plain with thee, Hyperochides, I fhall herein feem to thee to relate wonders, and what will resemble dreams themselves. Hereupon Hyperochides anfwered modeftly, and faid, for that very reason it is that all of us are very defirous of hearing what thou art going to lay. Then replied Ariftotle, For this caule 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 fo we may not con4radict our master's directions. Then faid Hyperochides, Go on, if it fo pleases thee. This man then [anfwered Ariftotle] was by birth a Jew, and came from Celefyria: Thefe Jews are derived from the Indian philofophers; they are named by the Indians Calami, and by the Syrians Judæi, 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, tor they called it Jerufalem. Now this man, when he was hoipitably treated by a great many, came down from the upper country to the places near the fea, and became a Grecian, not only in his language, but in his foul alfo; infomuch that when we ourselves happened to be in Afia about the fame places whither he came, he converfed with us, and with other philofophical perfons, and made a trial of our fkill in philofophy: And as he had lived with many learned men, he com

municated to us more information than he received from us." This is Ariftotle's account of the matter, as given us by Clearchus; which Ariftotle difcourfed alfo particularly of the great and wonderful fortitude of this Jew in his diet, and continent way of living, as thofe that please may learn more about him from Clearchus's book itfelf; for I avoid fetting down any more than is fufficient for my purpose. Now, Clearchus faid this by way of digreffion, for his main defign was of another nature. But for Hecateus of Abdera, who was both a philofopher, and one very useful in an active life, he was contemporary with king Alexander in his youth, and afterward was with Ptolemy, the fon of Lagus; he did not write about the Jewish affairs by the by only, but compofed an entire book concerning the Jews themselves, out of which book I am willing to run over a tew things, of which I have been treating by way of epitome. And, in the first place, I will demonftrate the time when this Hecaseus 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 feventeenth olympiad, as Caftor fays in his hiftory. For when he had fet down this olympiad, he fays farther, "That on this olympiad Ptolemy, the fon of Lagus, beat in battle Demetrius, the fon of Antigonus, who was named Poliorcetes, 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 fays to the fame purpose, as follows: "Ptolemy got poffeffion 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 wilJing to affift him in his affairs; one of which (Hecateus fays) was Hezekiah, the high-priest of the Jews; a man of about fixty-fix years of age, and in great dignity among his own people. He was a very fenfible man, and could fpeak very movingly, and was very skilful in the management of affairs, if any other man ever were fo; 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 moft." Hecateus mentions this Hezekiah a fecond time, and fays, That as he was poffeffed of fo great a dignity, and was become familiar with us, lo did he take certain of thofe that were with him, and explained to them all the circumftances of their people; for he had all their habitations and polity down in writing. Moreover, Hecateus declares again, 6" what regard we have for our laws, and that we

This Hezekiah, who is here called an high priest, is not named in Jofephus's catalogue: the real high priest at that time being rather Ouias, as Archbishop Usher fuppofes. However, Jofephus often ules the word high pricfts in the plural number, as living many at the fame time. See the note on Antiq, Book XX. chap. 8. Vol. II.

66

refolve to endure any thing rather than tranfgrefs them, because we think it right for us to do fo." Whereupon he adds, That although they are in a bad reputation among their neighbours, and among all thofe that come to them, and have been often treated injuriously by the kings and governors of Perfia, yet can they not be diffuaded from acting but what they think beft; but that when they are ftripped on this account, and have torments inflicted upon them, and they are brought to the moft 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 alfo produces demonftrations not a few of this their refolute tenacioufnels 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 foldiers in general to bring earth thither: But the Jews, and they only, would not comply with that command; nay, they underwent ftripes and great loffes 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 Macedonians came to them into that country, and demolished the [old] temples and the altars they affifted them in demolishing them all; but [for not affifting them in rebuilding them they either underwent loffes, or fometimes obtained forgivenefs.' He adds farther, That" thefe men de ferve to be admired on that account." He also fpeaks of the mighty populousness of our nation, and fays, That" the Perfians formerly carried away many ten thousands of our people to Babylon as alfo that not a few ten thousands were removed after Alexander's death into Egypt and Phenicia, by reason of the fedition that was arifen in Syria." The fame perfon takes notice in his hiftory, how large the country is which we inhabit as well as of its excellent character, and fays, That" the land in which the Jews inhabit contains three million of arouræt

So I read the text with Havercamp, though the place be difficult.

This number of aroure or Egyptian acres, 3.000.000, each arourae containing a fquare of 100 Egyptian cubits (being about three quarters of an English acre, and juft 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, fuppofing it 160 measured miles long, and feventy íuch miles broad: Which eftimation, for the fruitful parts of it, as perhaps here in Hecateus, is not therefore very wide from the truth The 50 furlongs in compafs for the city Jerufalem prefently are not very wide from the truth alfo, as Jofephus himself deicribes it, who, Of the War, Book V. ch iv. § 3. vol III makes its wall 33 furlongs, befides the fuburbs and gardens; nay, he fays, Book V. ch xii. fec.. that Titus's wall about it at fome fmail diftance, after the gardens and fuburbs were deftroyed, was not leis than 99 furlongs Nor perhaps were its conftant inhabit ants, in the days of Hecateus, many more than thele 120,000, because room was always to be left for vaftly greater numbers which came up at the three great festivals, to lay nothing of the probable increase in their number between the days of Hecateus and Jofephus, which was at least 300 years. But fee a more authentic account of fome of thele meatures in my defcription of the Jewish temples. However, w*

and is generally of a moft excellent and most fruitful foil; nor is Judea of leffer dimenfions." The fame man defcribes our city Jerufalem alfo it felf as of amoft excellent ftructure, and very large and inhabited from the most ancient times. He alfo difcourfes of the multitude of men in it, and of the construction of our temple, after the following manner: "There are many frong places and villages (fays he) in the country of Judea; But one ftrong city there is, about fifty furlongs in circumfer ence*, which is inhabited by an hundred and twenty thonfand meu, or thereabout*: They call it Jerufalem. There is about the middle of the city a wall of flone, whofe length is five hundred feet, and breadth an hundred cubits, with double cloisters; wherein there is a square altar, not made of hewn flone, but compofed of white ftones gathered together, having each fide twenty cubits long, and its altitude ten cubits. Hard by it is a large edifice, wherein there is an altar and a candleflick both of gold, and in weight two talents: Upon thefe there is a light that is never extinguifhed, 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 fort. The priests abide therein both nights and days, performing certain purifications, and drinking not the leaft drop of wine while they are in the temple." Moreover, he attefts that we Jews went as auxiliaries along with king Alexander, and after him with his fucceffor. I will add farther what he fays he learned, when he was himfelf with the fame army, concerning the actions of a man that was a Jew. His words are thefe: "As I was my felf going to the Red Sea, there followed us a man whofe name was Mofollam: He was one of the Jewish horfemen who conducted us: He was a perfon of great courage, of a ftrong body, and by all allowed to be the moft fkilful archer that was either among the Greeks or barbarians. Now this man, as people were in great num. bers paffing along the road, and a certain augur was obferving an augury by a bird, and requiring them all to ftand still, inquired what they flaid for? Hereupon the augur fhewed him the bird from whence he took his augury, and told him that if the bird flaid where he was, they ought all to fland fill; but that if he got up, and flew onward, they must go forward, but that if he flew backward, they must retire again. Mofollam made no reply, but drew his bow, and thot at the bird, and hit him, and killed him; and as the augur and fome others were very angry, and wifhed imprecations upon him, he answered them thus? Why are you fo mad as to take this moft unhappy bird into your hands? for how can this are not to expect that fuch heathens as Cherilus or Hecateus, or the reft that are cised by jofephus and Eufebius, could avoid making many mistakes in the Jewish liftery, while yet they strongly confirm the fame hiftory in the general, and are most valuable atteftations to thole more authentic accounts we have in the fcriptores and Jofephus concerning them.

* See the above note.

AGAINST APION.

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bird give us any true information concerning our march, who could not foresee how to fave himfelf; for had he been able to foreknow what was future, he would not have come to this place, but would have been afraid left Mofollam the Jew fhould fhoot at him, and kill him." we have faid enough; for as to fuch as defire to know more of But of Hecateus's teftimonies them, they may eafily 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 derifion at our fimplicity, as he fuppofes it to be; for when he was difcourfing of the affairs of Stratonice, "how the came out of Macedonia into Syria, and left her husband Demetrius, while yet Seleucus would not marry her as the expected, but during the time of his raifing an army at Babylon, ftirred up a fedition about Antioch; and how after that the king came back, and upon his taking of Antioch, he fled to Seleucia, and had it in her power to fail away immediately, yet did fhe comply with a dream which forbade her fo to do, and fo was caught, and put to death." When Agatharchides had premifed this story, and had jefted upon Stratonice for her fuperftition, 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 ftrongest of all other cities. which the inhabitants call Jerufalem, and are accustomed to reft on every seventh day; on which times they make no ufe of their arms, nor meddle with hufbandry, nor take care of any affairs of life. but fpread out their hands in their holy places, and pray till the evening. Now it came to pafs, that when Ptolemy the fon of Lagus came into this city with his army, that these men, in obferving this mad cuftom of theirs, inftead of guarding the city, fuffered their country to fubmit itself to a bitter lord; and their law was openly proved to have commanded a foolifh practice. This accident taught all other men but the Jews to difregard fuch dreams as thefe were, and not to follow the like idle fuggeftions delivered as a law, when, in fuch uncertainty of human reafonings, they are at a lofs what they should do." Now this our procedure feems a ridiculous thing to Agatharchides, but will appear to fuch as confider it without prejudice a great thing, and what deferved a great many encomiums; I mean, when certain men conftantly prefer the obfervation of their laws, and their religion towards God, before the prefervation of themselves and their country.

23. Now that fome writers have omitted to mention our nation, not because they knew nothing of us, but because they envied us, or for fome other unjustifiable reasons, I think I

* A glorious teftimony this of the obfervation of the Sabbath by the Jews. See Antiq. Book XVI chap. ii. fect. 4 and chap vi. feft. 2 Vol. III. the Life, fect. 64. Vol. II. and War, Book IV. chap ix fect 12 Vol III.

+ Not their law, but the fuperftitious interpretation of their leaders, which nei. ther the Maccabies nor our bleiled Saviour did ever approve of.

VOL. III.