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ing 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。〃
27。 This is what the Egyptians relate about the Jews; with much more; which I omit for the sake of brevity。 But still Manetho goes on; that 〃after this; Amenophis returned back from Ethiopia with a great army; as did his son Ahampses with another army also; and that both of them joined battle with the shepherds and the polluted people; and beat them; and slew a great many of them; and pursued them to the bounds of Syria。〃 These and the like accounts are written by Manetho。 But I will demonstrate that he trifles; and tells arrant lies; after I have made a distinction which will relate to what I am going to say about him; for this Manetho had granted and confessed that this nation was not originally Egyptian; but that they had come from another country; and subdued Egypt; and then went away again out of it。 But that。 those Egyptians who were thus diseased in their bodies were not mingled with us afterward; and that Moses who brought the people out was not one of that company; but lived many generations earlier; I shall endeavor to demonstrate from Manetho's own accounts themselves。
28。 Now; for the first occasion of this fiction; Manetho supposes what is no better than a ridiculous thing; for he says that〃 king Amenophis desired to see the gods。〃 What gods; I pray; did he desire to see? If he meant the gods whom their laws ordained to be worshipped; the ox; the goat; the crocodile; and the baboon; he saw them already; but for the heavenly gods; how could he see them; and what should occasion this his desire? To be sure? it was because another king before him had already seen them。 He had then been informed what sort of gods they were; and after what manner they had been seen; insomuch that he did not stand in need of any new artifice for obtaining this sight。 However; the prophet by whose means the king thought to compass his design was a wise man。 If so; how came he not to know that such his desire was impossible to be accomplished? for the event did not succeed。 And what pretense could there be to suppose that the gods would not be seen by reason of the people's maims in their bodies; or leprosy? for the gods are not angry at the imperfection of bodies; but at wicked practices; and as to eighty thousand lepers; and those in an ill state also; how is it possible to have them gathered together in one day? nay; how came the king not to comply with the prophet? for his injunction was; that those that were maimed should be expelled out of Egypt; while the king only sent them to work in the quarries; as if he were rather in want of laborers; than intended to purge his country。 He says further; that〃 this prophet slew himself; as foreseeing the anger of the gods; and those events which were to come upon Egypt afterward; and that he left this prediction for the king in writing。〃 Besides; how came it to pass that this prophet did not foreknow his own death at the first? nay; how came he not to contradict the king in his desire to see the gods immediately? how came that unreasonable dread upon him of judgments that were not to happen in his lifetime? or what worse thing could he suffer; out of the fear of which he made haste to kill himself? But now let us see the silliest thing of all: … The king; although he had been informed of these things; and terrified with the fear of what was to come; yet did not he even then eject these maimed people out of his country; when it had been foretold him that he was to clear Egypt of them; but; as Manetho says; 〃he then; upon their request; gave them that city to inhabit; which had formerly belonged to the shepherds; and was called Avaris; whither when they were gone in crowds;〃 he says; 〃they chose one that had formerly been priest of Hellopolls; and that this priest first ordained that they should neither worship the gods; nor abstain from those animals that were worshipped by the Egyptians; but should kill and eat them all; and should associate with nobody but those that had conspired with them; and that he bound the multitude by oaths to be sure to continue in those laws; and that when he had built a wall about Avaris; he made war against the king。〃 Manetho adds also; that 〃this priest sent to Jerusalem to invite that people to come to his assistance; and promised to give them Avaris; for that it had belonged to the forefathers of those that were coming from Jerusalem; and that when they were come; they made a war immediately against the king; and got possession of all Egypt。〃 He says also that 〃the Egyptians came with an army of two hundred thousand men; and that Amenophis; the king of Egypt; not thinking that he ought to fight against the gods; ran away presently into Ethiopia; and committed Apis and certain other of their sacred animals to the priests; and commanded them to take care of preserving them。〃 He says further; that〃 the people of Jerusalem came accordingly upon the Egyptians; and overthrew their cities; and burnt their temples; and slew their horsemen; and; in short; abstained from no sort of wickedness nor barbarity; and for that priest who settled their polity and their laws;〃 he says;〃 he was by birth of Hellopolis; and his name was Osarsiph; from Osyris the god of Hellopolis; but that he changed his name; and called himself Moses。〃 He then says that 〃on the thirteenth year afterward; Amenophis; according to the fatal time of the duration of his misfortunes; came upon them out of Ethiopia with a great army; and joining battle with the shepherds and with the polluted people; overcame them in battle; and slew a great many of them; and pursued them as far as the bounds of Syria。〃
29。 Now Manetho does not reflect upon the improbability of his lie; for the leprous people; and the multitude that was with them; although they might formerly have been angry at the king; and at those that had treated them so coarsely; and this according to the prediction of the prophet; yet certainly; when they were come out of the mines; and had received of the king a city; and a country; they would have grown milder towards him。 However; had they ever so much hated him in particular; t