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han　is　sufficient　for　my　purpose。　Now　Clearchus　said　this　by　way　of　digression；　for　his　main　design　was　of　another　nature。　But　for　Hecateus　of　Abdera；　who　was　both　a　philosopher；　and　one　very　useful　ill　an　active　life；　he　was　contemporary　with　king　Alexander　in　his　youth；　and　afterward　was　with　Ptolemy；　the　son　of　Lagus；　he　did　not　write　about　the　Jewish　affairs　by　the　by　only；　but　composed　an　entire　book　concerning　the　Jews　themselves；　out　of　which　book　I　am　willing　to　run　over　a　few　things；　of　which　I　have　been　treating　by　way　of　epitome。　And；　in　the　first　place；　I　will　demonstrate　the　time　when　this　Hecateus　lived；　for　he　mentions　the　fight　that　was　between　Ptolemy　and　Demetrius　about　Gaza；　which　was　fought　in　the　eleventh　year　after　the　death　of　Alexander；　and　in　the　hundred　and　seventeenth　olympiad；　as　Castor　says　in　his　history。　For　when　he　had　set　down　this　olympiad；　he　says　further；　that　〃in　this　olympiad　Ptolemy；　the　son　of　Lagus；　beat　in　battle　Demetrius；　the　son　of　Antigonus；　who　was　named　Poliorcetes；　at　Gaza。〃　Now；　it　is　agreed　by　all；　that　Alexander　died　in　the　hundred　and　fourteenth　olympiad；　it　is　therefore　evident　that　our　nation　flourished　in　his　time；　and　in　the　time　of　Alexander。　Again；　Hecateus　says　to　the　same　purpose；　as　follows：　〃Ptolemy　got　possession　of　the　places　in　Syria　after　that　battle　at　Gaza；　and　many；　when　they　heard　of　Ptolemy's　moderation　and　humanity；　went　along　with　him　to　Egypt；　and　were　willing　to　assist　him　in　his　affairs；　one　of　whom　（Hecateus　says）　was　Hezekiah　（17）　the　high　priest　of　the　Jews；　a　man　of　about　sixty…six　years　of　age；　and　in　great　dignity　among　his　own　people。　He　was　a　very　sensible　man；　and　could　speak　very　movingly；　and　was　very　skillful　in　the　management　of　affairs；　if　any　other　man　ever　were　so；　although；　as　he　says；　all　the　priests　of　the　Jews　took　tithes　of　the　products　of　the　earth；　and　managed　public　affairs；　and　were　in　number　not　above　fifteen　hundred　at　the　most。〃　Hecateus　mentions　this　Hezekiah　a　second　time；　and　says；　that　〃as　he　was　possessed　of　so　great　a　dignity；　and　was　become　familiar　with　us；　so　did　he　take　certain　of　those　that　were　with　him；　and　explained　to　them　all　the　circumstances　of　their　people；　for　he　had　all　their　habitations　and　polity　down　in　writing。〃　Moreover；　Hecateus　declares　again；　〃what　regard　we　have　for　our　laws；　and　that　we　resolve　to　endure　any　thing　rather　than　transgress　them；　because　we　think　it　right　for　us　to　do　so。〃　Whereupon　he　adds；　that　〃although　they　are　in　a　bad　reputation　among　their　neighbors；　and　among　all　those　that　come　to　them；　and　have　been　often　treated　injuriously　by　the　kings　and　governors　of　Persia；　yet　can　they　not　be　dissuaded　from　acting　what　they　think　best；　but　that　when　they　are　stripped　on　this　account；　and　have　torments　inflicted　upon　them；　and　they　are　brought　to　the　most　terrible　kinds　of　death；　they　meet　them　after　an　extraordinary　manner；　beyond　all　other　people；　and　will　not　renounce　the　religion　of　their　forefathers。〃　Hecateus　also　produces　demonstrations　not　a　few　of　this　their　resolute　tenaciousness　of　their　laws；　when　he　speaks　thus：　〃Alexander　was　once　at　Babylon；　and　had　an　intention　to　rebuild　the　temple　of　Belus　that　was　fallen　to　decay；　and　in　order　thereto；　he　commanded　all　his　soldiers　in　general　to　bring　earth　thither。　But　the　Jews；　and　they　only；　would　not　comply　with　that　command；　nay；　they　underwent　stripes　and　great　losses　of　what　they　had　on　this　account；　till　the　king　forgave　them；　and　permitted　them　to　live　in　quiet。〃　He　adds　further；　that　〃when　the　Macedonians　came　to　them　into　that　country；　and　demolished　the　＇old＇　temples　and　the　altars；　they　assisted　them　in　demolishing　them　all　（18）　but　＇for　not　assisting　them　in　rebuilding　them＇　they　either　underwent　losses；　or　sometimes　obtained　forgiveness。〃　He　adds　further；　that　〃these　men　deserve　to　be　admired　on　that　account。〃　He　also　speaks　of　the　mighty　populousness　of　our　nation；　and　says　that　〃the　Persians　formerly　carried　away　many　ten　thousands　of　our　people　to　Babylon；　as　also　that　not　a　few　ten　thousands　were　removed　after　Alexander's　death　into　Egypt　and　Phoenicia；　by　reason　of　the　sedition　that　was　arisen　in　Syria。〃　The　same　person　takes　notice　in　his　history；　how　large　the　country　is　which　we　inhabit；　as　well　as　of　its　excellent　character；　and　says；　that　〃the　land　in　which　the　Jews　inhabit　contains　three　millions　of　arourae；　（19）　and　is　generally　of　a　most　excellent　and　most　fruitful　soil；　nor　is　Judea　of　lesser　dimensions。〃　The　same　man　describe　our　city　Jerusalem　also　itself　as　of　a　most　excellent　structure；　and　very　large；　and　inhabited　from　the　most　ancient　times。　He　also　discourses　of　the　multitude　of　men　in　it；　and　of　the　construction　of　our　temple；　after　the　following　manner：　〃There　are　many　strong　places　and　villages　（says　he）　in　the　country　of　Judea；　but　one　strong　city　there　is；　about　fifty　furlongs　in　circumference；　which　is　inhabited　by　a　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　men；　or　thereabouts；　they　call　it　Jerusalem。　There　is　about　the　middle　of　the　city　a　wall　of　stone；　whose　length　is　five　hundred　feet；　and　the　breadth　a　hundred　cubits；　with　double　cloisters；　wherein　there　is　a　square　altar；　not　made　of　hewn　stone；　but　composed　of　white　stones　gathered　together；　having　each　side　twenty　cubits　long；　and　its　altitude　ten　cubits。　Hard　by　it　is　a　large　edifice；　wherein　there　is　an　altar　and　a　candlestick；　both　of　gold；　and　in　weight　two　talents：　upon　these　there　is　a　light　that　is　never　extinguished；　either　by　night　or　by　day。　There　is　no　image；　nor　any　thing；　nor　any　donations　therein；　nothing　at　all　is　there　planted；　neither　grove；　nor　any　thing　of　that　sort。　The　priests　abide　therein　both　nights　and　days；　performing　certain　purifications；　and　drinking　not　the　least　drop　of　wine　while　they　are　in　the　temple。〃　Moreover；　he　attests　that　we　Jews　went　as　auxiliaries　along　with　king　Alexander；　and　after　him　with　his　successors。　I　will　add　further　what　he　says　he　learned　when　he　was　himself　with　the　same　army；　concerning　the　actions　of　a　man　that　was　a　Jew。　His　words　are　these：　〃As　I　was　myself　going　to　the　Red　Sea；　there　followed　us　a　man；　whose　name　was　Mosollam；　he　was　one　of　the　Jewish　horsemen　who　conducted　us；　he　was　a　person　of　great　courage；　of　a　strong　body；　and　by　all　allowed　to　be　the　most　skillful　archer　that　was　either　among　the　Greeks　or　barbarians。　Now　this　man；　as　people　were　in　great　numbers　passing　along　the　road；　and　a　certain　augur　was　observing　an　augury　by　a　bird；　and　requiring　them　all　to　stand　still；　inquired　what　they　staid　for。　Hereupon　the　augur　showed　him　the　bird　from　whence　he　took　his　augury；　and　told　him　that　if　the　bird　staid　where　he　was；　they　ought　all　to　stand　still；　but　that　if　he　got　up；　and　flew　onward；　they　must　go　forward；　but　that　if　he　flew　backward；　they　must　retire　again。　Mosollam　made　no　reply；　but　drew　his　bow；　and　shot　at　the　bird；　and　hit　him；　and　killed　him；　and　as　the　augur　and　some　others　were　very　angry；　and　wished　imprecations　upon　him；　he　answered　them　thus：　Why　are　you　so　mad　as　to　take　this　most　unhappy　bird　into　your　hands？　for　how　can　this　bird　give　us　any　true　information　concerning　our　march；　who　could　not　foresee　how　to　save　himself？　for　had　he　been　able　to　foreknow　what　was　future；　he　would　not　have　come　to　this　place；　but　would　have　been　afraid　lest　Mosollam　the　Jew　should　shoot　at　him；　and　kill　him。〃　But　of　Hecateus's　testimonies　we　have　said　enough；　for　as　to　such　as　desire　to　know　more　of　them；　they　may　easily　obtain　them　from　his　book　itself。　However；　I　shall　not　think　it　too　much　for　me　to　name　Agatharchides；　as　having　made　mention　of　us　Jews；　though　in　way　of　derision　at　our　simplicity；　as　he　supposes　it　to　be；　for　when　he　was　discoursing　of　the　affairs　of　Stratonice；　〃how　she　came　out　of　Macedonia　into　Syria；　and　left　her　husband　Demetrius；　while　yet　Seleueus　would　not　marry　her　as　she　expected；　but　during　the　time　of　his　raising　an　army　at　Babylon；　stirred　up　a　sedition　about　Antioch；　and　how；　after　that；　the　king　came　back；　and　upon　his　taking　of　Antioch；　she　fled　to　Seleucia；　and　had　it　in　her　power　to　sail　away　immediately　yet　did　she　comply　with　a　dream　which　forbade　her　so　to　do；　and　so　was　caught　and　put　to　death。〃　When　Agatharehides　had　premised　this　st