against apion-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


ery　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　（15）　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；　（16）　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　（17）　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　（18）　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。