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 note
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
such as unjustly lay claim thereto. As for the Egyptians' claim to be of
our kindred, they do it on one of the following accounts; I mean, either
as they value themselves upon it, and pretend to bear that relation to
us; or else as they would draw us in to be partakers of their own infamy.
But this fine fellow Apion seems to broach this reproachful appellation
against us, [that we were originally Egyptians,] in order to bestow it
on the Alexandrians, as a reward for the privilege they had given him of
being a fellow citizen with them: he also is apprized of the ill-will the
Alexandrians bear to those Jews who are their fellow citizens, and so proposes
to himself to reproach them, although he must thereby include all the other
Egyptians also; while in both cases he is no better than an impudent liar.
But let us now see what those heavy and wicked crimes are which Apion
charges upon the Alexandrian Jews. "They came (says he) out of Syria,
and inhabited near the tempestuous sea, and were in the neighborhood of
the dashing of the waves." Now if the place of habitation includes
any thing that is reproached, this man reproaches not his own real country,
[Egypt,] but what he pretends to be his own country, Alexandria; for all
are agreed in this, that the part of that city which is near the sea is
the best part of all for habitation. Now if the Jews gained that part of
the city by force, and have kept it hitherto without impeachment, this
is a mark of their valor; but in reality it was Alexander himself that
gave them that place for their habitation, when they obtained equal privileges
there with the Macedonians. Nor call I devise what Apion would have said,
had their habitation been at Necropolis? and not been fixed hard by the
royal palace [as it is]; nor had their nation had the denomination of Macedonians
given them till this very day [as they have]. Had this man now read the
epistles of king Alexander, or those of Ptolemy the son of Lagus, or met
with the writings of the succeeding kings, or that pillar which is still
standing at Alexandria, and contains the privileges which the great [Julius]
Caesar bestowed upon the Jews; had this man, I say, known these records,
and yet hath the impudence to write in contradiction to them, he hath shown
himself to be a wicked man; but if he knew nothing of these records, he
hath shown himself to be a man very ignorant: nay, when lie appears to
wonder how Jews could be called Alexandrians, this is another like instance
of his ignorance; for all such as are called out to be colonies, although
they be ever so far remote from one another in their original, receive
their names from those that bring them to their new habitations. And what
occasion is there to speak of others, when those of us Jews that dwell
at Antioch are named Antiochians, because Seleucns the founder of that
city gave them the privileges belonging thereto? After the like manner
do those Jews that inhabit Ephesus, and the other cities of Ionia, enjoy
the same name with those that were originally born there, by the grant
of the succeeding princes; nay, the kindness and humanity of the Romans
hath been so great, that it hath granted leave to almost all others to
take the same name of Romans upon them; I mean not particular men only,
but entire and large nations themselves also; for those anciently named
Iberi, and Tyrrheni, and Sabini, are now called Romani. And if Apion reject
this way of obtaining the privilege of a citizen of Alexandria, let him
abstain from calling himself an Alexandrian hereafter; for otherwise, how
can he who was born in the very heart of Egypt be an Alexandrian, if this
way of accepting such a privilege, of which he would have us deprived,
be once abrogated? although indeed these Romans, who are now the lords
of the habitable earth, have forbidden the Egyptians to have the privileges
of any city whatsoever; while this fine fellow, who is willing to partake
of such a privilege himself as he is forbidden to make use of, endeavors
by calumnies to deprive those of it that have justly received it; for Alexander
did not therefore get some of our nation to Alexandria, because he wanted
inhabitants for this his city, on whose building he had bestowed so much
pains; but this was given to our people as a reward, because he had, upon
a careful trial, found them all to have been men of virtue and fidelity
to him; for, as Hecateus says concerning us, "Alexander honored our
nation to such a degree, that, for the equity and the fidelity which the
Jews exhibited to him, he permitted them to hold the country of Samaria
free from tribute. Of the same mind also was Ptolemy the son of Lagus,
as to those Jews who dwelt at Alexandria." For he intrusted the fortresses
of Egypt into their hands, as believing they would keep them faithfully
and valiantly for him; and when he was desirous to secure the government
of Cyrene, and the other cities of Libya, to himself, he sent a party of
Jews to inhabit in them. And for his successor Ptolemy, who was called
Philadelphus, he did not only set all those of our nation free who were
captives under him, but did frequently give money [for their ransom]; and,
what was his greatest work of all, he had a great desire of knowing our
laws, and of obtaining the books of our sacred Scriptures; accordingly,
he desired that such men might be sent him as might interpret our law to
him; and, in order to have them well compiled, he committed that care to
no ordinary persons, but ordained that Demetrius Phalereus, and Andreas,
and Aristeas; the first, Demetrius, the most learned person of his age,
and the others, such as were intrusted with the guard of his body; should
take care of this matter: nor would he certainly have been so desirous
of learning our law, and the philosophy of our nation, had he despised
the men that made use of it, or had he not indeed had them in great admiration.
