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fter　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；　（19）　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　（20）　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。　（21）　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。

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。

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　bys　ome）　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。

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。