Antiquities Book 12, Chapter 1
How Ptolemy The Son Of Lagus Took Jerusalem And Judea By Deceit And Treachery, And Carried Many Thence, And Planted Them In Egypt.
1. Now when Alexander, king of Macedon, had put an end to the dominion
of the Persians, and had settled the affairs in Judea after the
forementioned manner, he ended his life. And as his government fell
among many, Antigonus obtained Asia, Seleucus Babylon; and of the other
nations which were there, Lysimachus governed the Hellespont, and
Cassander possessed Macedonia; as did Ptolemy the son of Lagus seize
upon Egypt. And while these princes ambitiously strove one against
another, every one for his own principality, it came to pass that there
were continual wars, and those lasting wars too; and the cities were
sufferers, and lost a great many of their inhabitants in these times of
distress, insomuch that all Syria, by the means of Ptolemy the son of
Lagus, underwent the reverse of that denomination of Savior, which he
then had. He also seized upon Jerusalem, and for that end made use of
deceit and treachery; for as he came into the city on a sabbath day, as
if he would offer sacrifices 1 he, without any trouble, gained the city,
while the Jews did not oppose him, for they did not suspect him to be
their enemy; and he gained it thus, because they were free from
suspicion of him, and because on that day they were at rest and
quietness; and when he had gained it, he ruled over it in a cruel
manner. Nay, Agatharchides of Cnidus, who wrote the acts of Alexander's
successors, reproaches us with superstition, as if we, by it, had lost
our liberty; where he says thus: "There is a nation called the nation of
the Jews, who inhabit a city strong and great, named Jerusalem. These
men took no care, but let it come into the hands of Ptolemy, as not
willing to take arms, and thereby they submitted to be under a hard
master, by reason of their unseasonable superstition." This is what
Agatharchides relates of our nation. But when Ptolemy had taken a great
many captives, both from the mountainous parts of Judea, and from the
places about Jerusalem and Samaria, and the places near Mount Gerizzim,
he led them all into Egypt, 2 and settled them there. And as he knew
that the people of Jerusalem were most faithful in the observation of
oaths and covenants; and this from the answer they made to Alexander,
when he sent an embassage to them, after he had beaten Darius in battle;
so he distributed many of them into garrisons, and at Alexandria gave
them equal privileges of citizens with the Macedonians themselves; and
required of them to take their oaths, that they would keep their
fidelity to the posterity of those who committed these places to their
care. Nay, there were not a few other Jews who, of their own accord,
went into Egypt, as invited by the goodness of the soil, and by the
liberality of Ptolemy. However, there were disorders among their
posterity, with relation to the Samaritans, on account of their
resolution to preserve that conduct of life which was delivered to them
by their forefathers, and they thereupon contended one with another,
while those of Jerusalem said that their temple was holy, and resolved
to send their sacrifices thither; but the Samaritans were resolved that
they should be sent to Mount Gerizzim.
of the Persians, and had settled the affairs in Judea after the
forementioned manner, he ended his life. And as his government fell
among many, Antigonus obtained Asia, Seleucus Babylon; and of the other
nations which were there, Lysimachus governed the Hellespont, and
Cassander possessed Macedonia; as did Ptolemy the son of Lagus seize
upon Egypt. And while these princes ambitiously strove one against
another, every one for his own principality, it came to pass that there
were continual wars, and those lasting wars too; and the cities were
sufferers, and lost a great many of their inhabitants in these times of
distress, insomuch that all Syria, by the means of Ptolemy the son of
Lagus, underwent the reverse of that denomination of Savior, which he
then had. He also seized upon Jerusalem, and for that end made use of
deceit and treachery; for as he came into the city on a sabbath day, as
if he would offer sacrifices 1 he, without any trouble, gained the city,
while the Jews did not oppose him, for they did not suspect him to be
their enemy; and he gained it thus, because they were free from
suspicion of him, and because on that day they were at rest and
quietness; and when he had gained it, he ruled over it in a cruel
manner. Nay, Agatharchides of Cnidus, who wrote the acts of Alexander's
successors, reproaches us with superstition, as if we, by it, had lost
our liberty; where he says thus: "There is a nation called the nation of
the Jews, who inhabit a city strong and great, named Jerusalem. These
men took no care, but let it come into the hands of Ptolemy, as not
willing to take arms, and thereby they submitted to be under a hard
master, by reason of their unseasonable superstition." This is what
Agatharchides relates of our nation. But when Ptolemy had taken a great
many captives, both from the mountainous parts of Judea, and from the
places about Jerusalem and Samaria, and the places near Mount Gerizzim,
he led them all into Egypt, 2 and settled them there. And as he knew
that the people of Jerusalem were most faithful in the observation of
oaths and covenants; and this from the answer they made to Alexander,
when he sent an embassage to them, after he had beaten Darius in battle;
so he distributed many of them into garrisons, and at Alexandria gave
them equal privileges of citizens with the Macedonians themselves; and
required of them to take their oaths, that they would keep their
fidelity to the posterity of those who committed these places to their
care. Nay, there were not a few other Jews who, of their own accord,
went into Egypt, as invited by the goodness of the soil, and by the
liberality of Ptolemy. However, there were disorders among their
posterity, with relation to the Samaritans, on account of their
resolution to preserve that conduct of life which was delivered to them
by their forefathers, and they thereupon contended one with another,
while those of Jerusalem said that their temple was holy, and resolved
to send their sacrifices thither; but the Samaritans were resolved that
they should be sent to Mount Gerizzim.