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.
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.
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.
And now I will turn my discourse to one of their principal writers,
whom I have a little before made use of as a witness to our antiquity;
I mean Manetho. note
He promised to interpret the Egyptian history out of their sacred writings,
and premised this: that "our people had come into Egypt, many ten
thousands in number, and subdued its inhabitants;" and when he had
further confessed that "we went out of that country afterward, and
settled in that country which is now called Judea, and there built Jerusalem
and its temple." Now thus far he followed his ancient records; but
after this he permits himself, in order to appear to have written what
rumors and reports passed abroad about the Jews, and introduces incredible
narrations, as if he would have the Egyptian multitude, that had the leprosy
and other distempers, to have been mixed with us, as he says they were,
and that they were condemned to fly out of Egypt together; for he mentions
Amenophis, a fictitious king's name, though on that account he durst not
set down the number of years of his reign, which yet he had accurately
done as to the other kings he mentions; he then ascribes certain fabulous
stories to this king, as having in a manner forgotten how he had already
related that the departure of the shepherds for Jerusalem had been five
hundred and eighteen years before; for Tethmosis was king when they went
away. Now, from his days, the reigns of the intermediate kings, according
to Manethe, amounted to three hundred and ninety-three years, as he says
himself, till the two brothers Sethos and Hermeus; the one of whom, Sethos,
was called by that other name of Egyptus, and the other, Hermeus, by that
of Danaus. He also says that Sethos east the other out of Egypt, and reigned
fifty-nine years, as did his eldest son Rhampses reign after him sixty-six
years. When Manethe therefore had acknowledged that our forefathers were
gone out of Egypt so many years ago, he introduces his fictitious king
Amenophis, and says thus: "This king was desirous to become a spectator
of the gods, as had Orus, one of his predecessors in that kingdom, desired
the same before him; he also communicated that his desire to his namesake
Amenophis, who was the son of Papis, and one that seemed to partake of
a divine nature, both as to wisdom and the knowledge of futurities."
Manethe adds, "how this namesake of his told him that he might see
the gods, if he would clear the whole country of the lepers and of the
other impure people; that the king was pleased with this injunction, and
got together all that had any defect in their bodies out of Egypt; and
that their number was eighty thousand; whom he sent to those quarries which
are on the east side of the Nile, that they might work in them, and might
be separated from the rest of the Egyptians." He says further, that
"there were some of the learned priests that were polluted with the
leprosy; but that still this Amenophis, the wise man and the prophet, was
afraid that the gods would be angry at him and at the king, if there should
appear to have been violence offered them; who also added this further,
[out of his sagacity about futurities,] that certain people would come
to the assistance of these polluted wretches, and would conquer Egypt,
and keep it in their possession thirteen years; that, however, he durst
not tell the king of these things, but that he left a writing behind him
about all those matters, and then slew himself, which made the king disconsolate."
After which he writes thus verbatim: "After those that were
sent to work in the quarries had continued in that miserable state for
a long while, the king was desired that he would set apart the city Avaris,
which was then left desolate of the shepherds, for their habitation and
protection; which desire he granted them. Now this city, according to the
ancient theology, was Typho's city. But when these men were gotten into
it, and found the place fit for a revolt, they appointed themselves a ruler
out of the priests of Hellopolis, whose name was Osarsiph, and they took
their oaths that they would be obedient to him in all things. He then,
in the first place, made this law for them, That they should neither worship
the Egyptian gods, nor should abstain from any one of those sacred animals
which they have in the highest esteem, but kill and destroy them all; that
they should join themselves to nobody but to those that were of this confederacy.
When he had made such laws as these, and many more such as were mainly
opposite to the customs of the Egyptians, note
he gave order that they should use the multitude of the hands they had
in building walls about their City, and make themselves ready for a war
with king Amenophis, while he did himself take into his friendship the
other priests, and those that were polluted with them, and sent ambassadors
to those shepherds who had been driven out of the land by Tefilmosis to
the city called Jerusalem; whereby he informed them of his own affairs,
and of the state of those others that had been treated after such an ignominious
manner, and desired that they would come with one consent to his assistance
in this war against Egypt. He also promised that he would, in the first
place, bring them back to their ancient city and country Avaris, and provide
a plentiful maintenance for their multitude; that he would protect them
and fight for them as occasion should require, and would easily reduce
the country under their dominion. These shepherds were all very glad of
this message, and came away with alacrity all together, being in number
two hundred thousand men; and in a little time they came to Avaris. And
now Amenophis the king of Egypt, upon his being informed of their invasion,
was in great confusion, as calling to mind what Amenophis, the son of Papis,
had foretold him; and, in the first place, he assembled the multitude of
the Egyptians, and took counsel with their leaders, and sent for their
sacred animals to him, especially for those that were principally worshipped
in their temples, and gave a particular charge to the priests distinctly,
that they should hide the images of their gods with the utmost care he
also sent his son Sethos, who was also named Ramesses, from his father
Rhampses, being but five years old, to a friend of his. He then passed
on with the rest of the Egyptians, being three hundred thousand of the
most warlike of them, against the enemy, who met them. Yet did he not join
battle with them; but thinking that would be to fight against the gods,
he returned back and came to Memphis, where he took Apis and the other
sacred animals which he had sent for to him, and presently marched into
Ethiopia, together with his whole army and multitude of Egyptians; for
the king of Ethiopia was under an obligation to him, on which account he
received him, and took care of all the multitude that was with him, while
the country supplied all that was necessary for the food of the men. He
also allotted cities and villages for this exile, that was to be from its
beginning during those fatally determined thirteen years. Moreover, he
pitched a camp for his Ethiopian army, as a guard to king Amenophis, upon
the borders of Egypt. And this was the state of things in Ethiopia. But
for the people of Jerusalem, when they came down together with the polluted
Egyptians, they treated the men in such a barbarous manner, that those
who saw how they subdued the forementioned country, and the horrid wickedness
they were guilty of, thought it a most dreadful thing; for they did not
only set the cities and villages on fire but were not satisfied till they
had been guilty of sacrilege, and destroyed the images of the gods, and
used them in roasting those sacred animals that used to be worshipped,
and forced the priests and prophets to be the executioners and murderers
of those animals, and then ejected them naked out of the country. It was
also reported that the priest, who ordained their polity and their laws,
was by birth of Hellopolls, and his name Osarsiph, from Osyris, who was
the god of Hellopolls; but that when he was gone over to these people,
his name was changed, and he was called Moses."