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against apion-第18章

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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 
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