II。OfSacredHistoryWhatmemorialsthereforeremaintogiveuslightintotheoriginalsofancientnations，andthehistoryofthoseages，wecommonlycallthefirstages？TheBible，itwillbesaid；thatis，thehistoricalpartofitintheOldTestament。But，mylord，eventhesedivinebooksmustbereputedinsufficienttothepurpose，byeverycandidandimpartialmanwhoconsiderseithertheirauthorityashistories，orthemattertheycontain。Forwhatarethey？andhowcometheytous？AtthetimewhenAlexandercarriedhisarmsintoAsia，apeopleofSyria，tillthenunknown，becameknowntotheGreeks：thispeoplehadbeenslavestotheEgyptians，Assyrians，Medes，andPersians，astheseveralempiresprevailed：tenpartsintwelveofthemhadbeentransplantedbyancientconquerors，andmelteddownandlostintheeast，severalagesbeforetheestablishmentoftheempirethatAlexanderdestroyed：theothertwopartshadbeencarriedcaptivetoBabylonalittlebeforethesameera。
Thiscaptivitywasnotindeedperpetual，liketheother；butitlastedsolong，andsuchcircumstances，whatevertheywere，accompaniedit，thatthecaptivesforgottheircountry，andeventheirlanguage，theHebrewdialectatleastandcharacter：andafewofthemonlycouldbewroughtupon，bythezealofsomeparticularmen，toreturnhome，whentheindulgenceofthePersianmonarchsgavethemleavetorebuildtheircityandtorepeopletheirancientpatrimony。Eventhisremnantofthenationdidnotcontinuelongentire。Anothergreattransmigrationfollowed；andtheJews，thatsettledundertheprotectionofthePtolemys，forgottheirlanguageinEgypt，astheforefathersoftheseJewshadforgottheirsinChaldea。MoreattachedhowevertotheirreligioninEgypt，forreasonseasytobededucedfromthenewinstitutionsthatprevailedafterthecaptivityamongthem，thantheirancestorshadbeeninChaldea，aversionoftheirsacredwritingswasmadeintoGreekatAlexandria，notlongafterthecanonofthesescriptureshadbeenfinishedatJerusalem；formanyyearscouldnotintervenebetweenthedeathofSimontheJust，bywhomthiscanonwasfinished，ifhediedduringthereignofPtolemySoter，andthebeginningofthisfamoustranslationunderPtolemyPhiladelphus。TheHellenistJewsreportedasmanymarvellousthingstoauthorise，andeventosanctifythistranslation，astheotherJewshadreportedaboutEsdraswhobegan，andSimontheJustwhofinished，thecanonoftheirscriptures。Theseholyromancesslidintotradition，andtraditionbecamehistory：thefathersofourChristianchurchdidnotdisdaintoemploythem。St。Jerome，forinstance，laughedatthestoryoftheseventy-twoelders，whosetranslationswerefoundtobe，uponcomparison，wordforwordthesame，thoughmadeseparately，andbymenwhohadnocommunicationwithoneanother。ButthesameSt。Jerome，inthesameplace，quotesAristeas，oneoftheguardofPtolemyPhiladelphus，asarealpersonage。
TheaccountpretendedtobewrittenbythisAristeas，ofallthatpassedrelatingtothetranslation，wasenoughforhispurpose。Thisheretained，andherejectedonlythemoreimprobablecircumstances，whichhadbeenaddedtothetale，andwhichlaiditopentomostsuspicion。Inthisheshowedgreatprudence；andbetterjudgment，thanthatzealous，butweakapologistJustin，whobelievedthewholestoryhimself，andendeavoredtoimposeitonmankind。
Thusyousee，mylord，thatwhenweconsiderthesebooksbarelyashistories，deliveredtousonthefaithofasuperstitiouspeople，amongwhomthecustomandartofpiouslyingprevailedremarkably，wemaybeallowedtodoubtwhethergreatercreditistobegiventowhattheytellusconcerningtheoriginal，compiledintheirowncountryandasitwereoutofthesightoftherestoftheworld；thanweknow，withsuchacertaintyasnoscholarpresumestodeny，thatweoughttogivetowhattheytellusconcerningthecopy？
TheHellenistJewswereextremelypleased，nodoubt，tohavetheirscripturesinalanguagetheyunderstood，andthatmightspreadthefameoftheirantiquity，anddohonortotheirnation，amongtheirmasterstheGreeks。Butyetwedonotfindthattheauthorityofthesebooksprevailed，orthateventheyweremuchknownamongthepaganworld。Thereasonofthiscannotbe，thattheGreeksadmirednothingthatwasnotoftheirowngrowth，“suatantummirantur“：for，onthecontrary，theywereinquisitiveandcredulousinthehighestdegree，andtheycollectedandpublishedatleastasmanyidletraditionsofothernations，astheypropagatedoftheirown。JosephuspretendedthatTheopompus，adiscipleofIsocratesbeingabouttoinsertinhishistorysomethingshehadtakenoutofholywrit，thepoormanbecametroubledinmindforseveraldays：andthathavingprayedtoGod，duringanintermissionofhisillness，torevealtohimthecauseofit，helearnedinhissleepthatthisattemptwasthecause；uponwhichhequittedthedesignandwascured。IfJosephushadbeenalittlemoreconsistentthanheisveryoften，suchastoryasthiswouldnothavebeentoldbyone，whowasfond，asJewsandChristiansingeneralhavebeen，tocreateanopinionthattheGentilestooknottheirhistoryalone，buttheirphilosophyandalltheirvaluableknowledge，fromtheJews。Notwithstandingthisstory，therefore，whichistoldinthefifteenthbookoftheJewishantiquities，andmeansnothing，ormeanstoshowthatthedivineprovidencewouldnotsufferanecdotesofsacredtobemingledwithprofanehistory；thepracticeofJosephushimself，andofallthosewhohavehadthesamedesigninview，hasbeentoconfirmtheformerbythelatter，andatanyratetosupposeanappearanceatleastofconformitybetweenthem。WearetoldHecateusAbderita，forthereweretwoofthatname，wroteahistoryfavorabletotheJews：and，nottomultiplyinstances，thoughImighteasilydoit，evenAlexanderPolyhistoriscalledin。HeisquotedbyJosephus，andpraisedbyEusebiusasamanofpartsandgreatvarietyoflearning。Histestimony，aboutthedelugeandtowerofBabel，isproducedbySt。CyrilinhisfirstbookagainstJulian：andJustintheapologistandmartyr，inhisexhortationtotheGreeks，makesuseofthesameauthority，amongthosethatmentionMosesasaleaderandprinceoftheJews。ThoughthisPolyhistor，ifIrememberrightwhatIthinkIhavemetwithinSuidas，spokeonlyofawomanhecalledMoso，“cujusscriptumestlexHebraeorum。“HadtheGreekhistoriansbeenconformabletothesacred，Icannotseethattheirauthority，whichwasnotcotemporary，wouldhavebeenofanyweight。TheymighthavecopiedMoses，andsotheydidCtesias。