against apion-第14节

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thers　　　of　our　enemies。　I　shall　now　（1）　therefore　begin　a　confutation　　　of　the　remaining　authors　who　have　written　any　thing　against　　　us；　although　I　confess　I　have　had　a　doubt　upon　me　about　　　Apion　（2）　the　grammarian；　whether　I　ought　to　take　the　　　trouble　of　confuting　him　or　not；　for　some　of　his　writings　　　contain　much　the　same　accusations　which　the　others　have　laid　　　against　us；　some　things　that　he　hath　added　are　very　frigid　and　　　contemptible；　and　for　the　greatest　part　of　what　he　says；　it　is　　　very　scurrilous；　and；　to　speak　no　more　than　the　plain　truth；　it　　　shows　him　to　be　a　very　unlearned　person；　and　what　he　lays　　　together　looks　like　the　work　of　a　man　of　very　bad　morals；　　　and　of　one　no　better　in　his　whole　life　than　a　mountebank。　　　Yet；　because　there　are　a　great　many　men　so　very　foolish；　that　　　they　are　rather　caught　by　such　orations　than　by　what　is　　　written　with　care；　and　take　pleasure　in　reproaching　other　　　men；　and　cannot　abide　to　hear　them　commended；　I　thought　　　it　to　be　necessary　not　to　let　this　man　go　off　without　　　examination；　who　had　written　such　an　accusation　against　us；　　　as　if　he　would　bring　us　to　make　an　answer　in　open　court。　For　　　I　also　have　observed；　that　many　men　are　very　much　delighted　　　when　they　see　a　man　who　first　began　to　reproach　another；　to　　　be　himself　exposed　to　contempt　on　account　of　the　vices　he　　　hath　himself　been　guilty　of。　However；　it　is　not　a　very　easy　　　thing　to　go　over　this　man's　discourse；　nor　to　know　plainly　　　what　he　means；　yet　does　he　seem；　amidst　a　great　confusion　　　and　disorder　in　his　falsehoods；　to　produce；　in　the　first　place；　　　such　things　as　resemble　what　we　have　examined　already；　and　　　relate　to　the　departure　of　our　forefathers　out　of　Egypt；　and；　　　in　the　second　place；　he　accuses　those　Jews　that　are　　　inhabitants　of　Alexandria；　as；　in　the　third　place；　he　mixes　　　with　those　things　such　accusations　as　concern　the　sacred　　　purifications；　with　the　other　legal　rites　used　in　the　temple。　　　　　　2。　Now　although　I　cannot　but　think　that　I　have　already　　　demonstrated；　and　that　abundantly　more　than　was　necessary；　　　that　our　fathers　were　not　originally　Egyptians；　nor　were　　　thence　expelled；　either　on　account　of　bodily　diseases；　or　any　　　other　calamities　of　that　sort；　yet　will　I　briefly　take　notice　of　　　what　Apion　adds　upon　that　subject；　for　in　his　third　book；　　　which　relates　to　the　affairs　of　Egypt；　he　speaks　thus：　〃I　have　　　heard　of　the　ancient　men　of　Egypt；　that　Moses　was　of　　　Heliopolis；　and　that　he　thought　himself　obliged　to　follow　the　　　customs　of　his　forefathers；　and　offered　his　prayers　in　the　　　open　air；　towards　the　city　walls；　but　that　he　reduced　them　all　　　to　be　directed　towards　sun…rising；　which　was　agreeable　to　the　　　situation　of　Heliopolis；　that　he　also　set　up　pillars　instead　of　　　gnomons；　（3）　under　which　was　represented　a　cavity　like　that　　　of　a　boat；　and　the　shadow　that　fell　from　their　tops　fell　down　　　upon　that　cavity；　that　it　might　go　round　about　the　like　course　　　as　the　sun　itself　goes　round　in　the　other。〃　This　is　that　　　wonderful　relation　which　we　have　given　us　by　this　　　grammarian。　But　that　it　is　a　false　one　is　so　plain；　that　it　　　stands　in　need　of　few　words　to　prove　it；　but　is　manifest　from　　　the　works　of　Moses；　for　when　he　erected　the　first　tabernacle　　　to　God；　he　did　himself　neither　give　order　for　any　such　kind　　　of　representation　to　be　made　at　it；　nor　ordain　that　those　that　　　came　after　him　should　make　such　a　one。　Moreover；　when　in　　　a　future　age　Solomon　built　his　temple　in　Jerusalem；　he　　　avoided　all　such　needless　decorations　as　Apion　hath　here　　　devised。　He　says　further；　how　he　had　〃heard　of　the　ancient　　　men；　that　Moses　was　of　Hellopolis。〃　To　be　sure　that　was；　　　because　being　a　younger　man　himself；　he　believed　those　that　　　by　their　elder　age　were　acquainted　and　conversed　with　him。　　　Now　this　grammarian；　as　he　was；　could　not　certainly　tell　　　which　was　the　poet　Homer's　country；　no　more　than　he　could　　　which　was　the　country　of　Pythagoras；　who　lived　comparatively　　　but　a　little　while　ago；　yet　does　he　thus　easily　determine　the　　　age　of　Moses；　who　preceded　them　such　a　vast　number　of　　　years；　as　depending　on　his　ancient　men's　relation；　which　　　shows　how　notorious　a　liar　he　was。　But　then　as　to　this　　　chronological　determination　of　the　time　when　he　says　he　　　brought　the　leprous　people；　the　blind；　and　the　lame　out　of　　　Egypt；　see　how　well　this　most　accurate　grammarian　of　ours　　　agrees　with　those　that　have　written　before　him！　Manetho　says　　　that　the　Jews　departed　out　of　Egypt；　in　the　reign　of　　　Tethmosis；　three　hundred　ninety…three　years　before　Danaus　　　fled　to　Argos；　Lysimaehus　says　it　was　under　king　Bocchoris；　　　that　is；　one　thousand　seven　hundred　years　ago；　Molo　and　　　some　others　determined　it　as　every　one　pleased：　but　this　　　Apion　of　ours；　as　deserving　to　be　believed　before　them；　hath　　　determined　it　exactly　to　have　been　in　the　seventh　olympiad；　　　and　the　first　year　of　that　olympiad；　the　very　same　year　in　　　which　he　says　that　Carthage　was　built　by　the　Phoenicians。　　　The　reason　why　he　added　this　building　of　Carthage　was；　to　　　be　sure；　in　order；　as　he　thought；　to　strengthen　his　assertion　　　by　so　evident　a　character　of　chronology。　But　he　was　not　　　aware　that　this　character　confutes　his　assertion；　for　if　we　may　　　give　credit　to　the　Phoenician　records　as　to　the　time　of　the　　　first　coming　of　their　colony　to　Carthage；　they　relate　that　　　Hirom　their　king　was　above　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　earlier　　　than　the　building　of　Carthage；　concerning　whom　I　have　　　formerly　produced　testimonials　out　of　those　Phoenician　　　records；　as　also　that　this　Hirom　was　a　friend　of　Solomon　　　when　he　was　building　the　temple　of　Jerusalem；　and　gave　him　　　great　assistance　in　his　building　that　temple；　while　still　　　Solomon　himself　built　that　temple　six　hundred　and　twelve　　　years　after　the　Jews　came　out　of　Egypt。　As　for　the　number　of　　　those　that　were　expelled　out　of　Egypt；　he　hath　contrived　to　　　have　the　very　same　number　with　Lysimaehus；　and　says　they　　　were　a　hundred　and　ten　thousand。　He　then　assigns　a　certain　　　wonderful　and　plausible　occasion　for　the　name　of　Sabbath；　　　for　he　says　that　〃when　the　Jews　had　traveled　a　six　days'　　　journey；　they　had　buboes　in　their　groins；　and　that　on　this　　　account　it　was　that　they　rested　on　the　seventh　day；　as　having　　　got　safely　to　that　country　which　is　now　called　Judea；　that　then　　　they　preserved　the　language　of　the　Egyptians；　and　called　that　　　day　the　Sabbath；　for　that　malady　of　buboes　on　their　groin　　　was　named　Sabbatosis　by　the　Egyptians。〃　And　would　not　a　　　man　now　laugh　at　this　fellow's　trifling；　or　rather　hate　his　　　impudence　in　writing　thus？　We　must；　it　seems；　fake　it　for　　　granted　that　all　these　hundred　and　ten　thousand　men　must　　　have　these　buboes。　But；　for　certain；　if　those　men　had　been　　　blind　and　lame；　and　had　all　sorts　of　distempers　upon　them；　as　　　Apion　says　they　had；　they　could　not　have　gone　one　single　　　day's　journey；　but　if　they　had　been　all　able　to　travel　over　a　　　large　desert；　and；　besides　that；　to　fight　and　conquer　those　　　that　opposed　them；　they　had　not　all　of　them　had　buboes　on　　　their　groins　after　the　sixth　day　was　over；　for　no　such　　　distemper　comes　naturally　and　of　necessity　upon　those　that　　　travel；　but　still；　when　there　are　many　ten　thousands　in　a　camp　　　together；　they　constantly　march　a　settled　space　＇in　a　day＇。　　　Nor　is　it　at　all　probable　that　such　a　thing　should　happen　by　　　chance；　this　would　be　prodigiously　absurd　to　be　supposed。　　　However；　our　admirable　author　Apion　hath　before　told　us　　　that　〃they　came　to　Judea　in　six　days'　time；〃　and　again；　that　　　〃Moses　went　up　to　a　mountain　that　lay　between　Egypt　and　　　Arabia；　which　was　called　Sinai；　and　was　concealed　there　forty　　　days；　and　that　when　he　came　down　from　thence　he　gave　laws　　　to　the　Jews。〃　But；　then；　how　was　it　possible　for　them　to　tarry　　　forty　days　in　a　desert　place　where　there　was　no　water；　and　at　　　the　same　time　to　pass　all　over　the　country　between　that　and　　　Judea　in　the　six　days？　And　as　for　this　grammatical　translation　　　of　the　word　Sabbath；　it　either　contains　an　instance　of　his　　　great　impudence　or　gross　ignorance；　for　the　words　Sabbo　and　　　Sabbath　are　widely　different　from　one　another；　for　the　word　　　Sabbath　in　the　Jewish　language　denotes　rest　from　all　sorts　of　　　work；　but　the　word　Sabbo；　as　he　affirms；　denotes　among　the　　　Egyptians　the　malady　of　a　bubo　in　the　groin。　　　　　　3。　This　is　that　novel　account　which　the　Egyptian　Apion　gives　　　us　concerning　the　Jews'　departure　out　of　Egypt；　and　is　no　　　better　than　a　contrivance　of　his　own。　But　why　should　we　　　wonder　at　the　lies　he　tells　about　our　forefathers；　when　he　　　affirms　them　to　be　of　Egyptian　original；　when　he　lies　also　　　about　himself？　for　although　he　was　born　at　Oasis　in　Egypt；　　　he　pretends　to　be；　as　a　man　may　say；　the　top　man　of　all　the　　　Egyptians；　yet　does　he　forswear　his　real　country　and　　　progenitors；　and　by　falsely　pretending　to　be　born　at　　　Alexandria；　cannot　deny　the　（4）　pravity　of　his　family；　for　you　　　see　how　justly　he　calls　those　Egyptians　whom　he　hates；　and　　　endeavors　to　reproach；　for　had　he　not　deemed　Egyptians　to　　　be　a　name　of　great　reproach；　he　would　not　have　avoided　the　　　name　of　an　Egyptian　himself；　as　we　know　that　those　who　　　brag　of　their　own　countries　value　themselves　upon　the　　　denomination　they　acquire　thereby；　and　reprove