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a suspicion that this had happened to him for this reason, after propitiating 8.5.10 God for many days, he was restored. And when the king, as I said before, learned these things from Demetrius, having done obeisance, he ordered great care to be taken of the books and to preserve them purely.” 8.5.11 Let these things be abridged for us from the writing of the aforementioned. Come then, let us also examine the polity of the Mosaic legislation from the works of distinguished men. But first I shall set down Philo's account of the journey of the Jews from Egypt, which they made with Moses as their leader, from the first book of the work he entitled *Hypothetica*, where, making his argument on behalf of the Jews, as if to their accusers, he says these things:

8.6.1 ςʹ. FROM PHILO ON THE JOURNEY OF THE JEWS FROM EGYPT “That their ancient ancestor was from the Chaldeans, and that this people migrated from Egypt, having in former times removed from Syria, numbering countless myriads and the land not being sufficient, and in addition being greatly nurtured in youthful spirits, and at the same time God indicating their departure to them through apparitions and dreams, and not least having fallen into a divinely inspired longing for their ancestral and ancient land, from which indeed that ancestor of theirs had also gone to Egypt, whether it seemed good to God or by some providence that they should be most fortunate in all things, so that from that time to the present their nation has both come into being and continues, and so greatly excels in population.” 8.6.2 And a little later he says: “Now a man led them on their exodus and journey, in no way different, if you will, from the many; so they also reviled him as a sorcerer and a charlatan of words. What fine sorcery and villainy, though! from which he not only completely saved the whole people in their lack of water and famine and ignorance of the roads and want of everything, and as it were in all abundance and with the escort of the nations that lay between, but also kept them free from sedition among themselves and most 8.6.3 obedient to himself. And this not for a short time, you see, but for such a time as it is not likely even a household would remain in concord with all abundance. And neither thirst, nor hunger, nor destruction of their bodies, nor fear for the future, nor ignorance of what would happen roused the deceived and 8.6.4 perishing peoples against that sorcerer. And yet what do you want us to say? That he possessed such great art or skill in words or understanding, as to master so many and such strange things which were leading everyone to destruction? For either the natures of the people under him were not ignorant nor difficult, but obedient and not without forethought for the future, or that these were as wicked as could be, but God was soothing their difficulties and watching over both the present and the future. For whichever of these should seem most true to you, appears to contribute to praise and 8.6.5 honor and zeal concerning them all. And so these are the things concerning the 8.6.5 exodus. But when they came into this land, how they were established and took possession of the country is declared in the sacred records; but I do not think it right to go through the probable details concerning them more by way of history than by some 8.6.6 reasoning. For which do you prefer: that being still superior in the multitude of their bodies, though having been utterly afflicted, they were nevertheless strong and with weapons in hand then took the country by force, conquering both Syrians and Phoenicians together as they fought in their own land? Or should we suppose that they were unwarlike and unmanly and altogether few, and without preparations for war, but that they met with respect from these people and the

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ὑπόνοιαν ὅτι διὰ τοῦτ' αὐτῷ γέγονεν, ἐξιλασάμενος τὸν 8.5.10 θεὸν ἐν πολλαῖς ἡμέραις ἀποκατέστη. μεταλαβὼν δὲ ὁ βασιλεύς, καθὼς προεῖπον, περὶ τούτων τὰ παρὰ τοῦ ∆ημητρίου, προσκυνήσας ἐκέλευσε μεγάλην ἐπιμέλειαν ποιεῖσθαι τῶν βιβλίων καὶ συντηρεῖν ἁγνῶς.» 8.5.11 Ταῦθ' ἡμῖν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ δηλωθέντος ἐπιτετμήσθω γραφῆς. φέρε λοιπὸν καὶ τὸ πολίτευμα τῆς κατὰ Μωσέα νομοθεσίας ἐκ τῶν παρὰ τοῖς ἀνδράσι διαφανῶν θεασώμεθα. πρῶτα δὲ θήσω Φίλωνος τὰ περὶ τῆς ἀπ' Αἰγύπτου πορείας τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἣν πεποίηνται Μωσέως ἡγουμένου, ἀπὸ τοῦ πρώτου συγγράμματος ὧν ἐπέγραψεν Ὑποθετικῶν, ἔνθα τὸν ὑπὲρ Ἰουδαίων, ὡς πρὸς κατηγόρους αὐτῶν, ποιούμενος λόγον ταῦτά φησιν·

8.6.1 ςʹ. ΦΙΛΩΝΟΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΗΣ ΑΠ' ΑΙΓΥΠΤΟΥ ΠΟΡΕΙΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΙΟΥ∆ΑΙΩΝ «Τὸν μὲν παλαιὸν αὐτοῖς πρόγονον ἀπὸ Χαλδαίων εἶναι, τὸν δὲ λαὸν ἀναστῆναι τοῦτον ἐξ Αἰγύπτου μετῳκισμένον ἀπὸ Συρίας τὸ πάλαι, μυριάσι τε ἀμυθήτοις πλήθοντα καὶ τῆς γῆς οὐκ οὔσης ἱκανῆς, πρὸς δ' ἔτι καὶ νεότητι φρονημάτων ἐντεθραμμένον μεγάλως καὶ ἅμα τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ φασμάτων καὶ ὀνειράτων ἔξοδον αὐτοῖς δηλοῦντος, καὶ οὐδενὸς ἧττον εἰς πόθον κατὰ δαίμονα ἐμπεσόντας τῆς πατρίου καὶ ἀρχαίας γῆς ὅθεν δὴ καὶ τὸν πρόγονον ἐκεῖνον αὐτοῖς μετελθεῖν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, εἴτε τῷ θεῷ δὴ δόξαν εἴτε προνοίᾳ τινί πάντων εὐδαιμονῆσαι μάλιστα, ὡς ἀπ' ἐκείνου μέχρις εἰς τὸ παρὸν τό τε ἔθνος αὐτοῖς καὶ γεγενῆσθαι καὶ διαμένειν κἀπὶ τοσοῦτον ὑπερβάλλειν εἰς πολυανδρίαν.» 8.6.2 Καὶ μετὰ βραχέα φησίν· «Ἀνήρ γε μὴν αὐτοῖς ἡγεῖτο τῆς τε ἐξόδου καὶ τῆς πορείας εἰς οὐδὲν τῶν πολλῶν, εἰ βούλει, διάφορος· οὕτω καὶ ἐλοιδόρουν γόητα καὶ κέρκωπα λόγων. καλῆς μέντοι γοητείας καὶ πανουργίας! ἐξ ἧς τόν γε λαὸν ἅπαντα ἐν ἀνυδρίᾳ καὶ λιμῷ καὶ τῶν ὁδῶν ἀγνοίᾳ καὶ ἀπορίᾳ τῶν συμπάντων οὐ μόνον εἰς τὸ παντελὲς διεσώσατο καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν εὐθηνίᾳ πάσῃ καὶ παραπομπῇ τῶν μεταξὺ κειμένων ἐθνῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀστασιάστους αὐτοὺς καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν μάλιστα 8.6.3 εὐπειθεῖς διεφύλαξε. καὶ ταῦτα οὐκ ὀλίγον δήπου χρόνον, ἀλλ' ὅσον οὐδ' οἰκίαν ἐν ὁμοφροσύνῃ συμμεῖναι μετὰ πάσης εὐθηνείας εἰκός ἐστι. καὶ οὐ δίψος, οὐ λιμός, οὐ φθορὰ σωμάτων, οὐχὶ φόβος περὶ τῶν μελλόντων, οὐκ ἄγνοια τῶν συμβησομένων ἐπὶ τὸν γόητα ἐκεῖνον ἐπῆρε τοὺς ἐξαπατωμένους καὶ περι8.6.4 φθειρομένους λαούς. καίτοι τί βούλει φῶμεν; ἐκείνῳ τινὰ εἶναι τοσαύτην τέχνην ἢ δεινότητα λόγων ἢ σύνεσιν, ὡς τῶν τοσούτων καὶ τοιούτων ἀτόπων καὶ πρὸς ὄλεθρον ἅπαντας ἀγόντων ἐπικρατεῖν; ἢ γὰρ τὰς φύσεις τῶν ὑπ' αὐτὸν ἀνθρώπων οὐκ ἀμαθῶς οὐδὲ δυσκόλως, ἀλλ' εὐπειθῶς καὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος οὐκ ἀπρονοήτως ἔχειν ἢ τούτους μὲν ὡς μάλιστα κακοὺς εἶναι, τὸν δὲ θεὸν τὰς δυσκολίας αὐτοῖς πραΰνειν καὶ τοῦ παρόντος καὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος ὥσπερ ἐπιστατεῖν. ὅπερ γάρ σοι μάλιστα ἂν ἐκ τούτων ἀληθὲς εἶναι δόξῃ, πρὸς ἐπαίνου καὶ 8.6.5 τιμῆς καὶ ζήλου περὶ αὐτῶν συμπάντων ἰσχύειν φαίνεται. καὶ τὰ μὲν τῆς 8.6.5 ἐξόδου δὴ ταῦτα. ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην ἦλθον, ὅπως μέν ποτε ἄρα ἱδρύθησαν καὶ τὴν χώραν ἔσχον ἐν ταῖς ἱεραῖς ἀναγραφαῖς δηλοῦται· οὐ μὴν ἔγωγε δικαιῶ μᾶλλον καθ' ἱστορίαν ἢ κατά τινα λογισμὸν περὶ αὐτῶν τὰ εἰκότα 8.6.6 ἐπεξελθεῖν. πότερον γάρ ποτε βούλει τῷ πλήθει τῷ κατὰ τῶν σωμάτων ἔτι περιόντας, καίπερ εἰς τέλος κεκακωμένους, ὅμως δ' ἰσχύοντας καὶ τὰ ὅπλα ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντας εἶτα κατὰ κράτος ἑλεῖν τὴν χώραν, Σύρους τε ὁμοῦ καὶ Φοίνικας ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἐκείνων γῇ μαχομένους νικῶντας; ἢ τοὺς μὲν ἀπολέμους καὶ ἀνάνδρους εἶναι καὶ παντελῶς ὀλίγους ὑποθώμεθα καὶ τῶν εἰς πόλεμον παρασκευῶν ἀπόρους, αἰδέσεως δὲ τυχεῖν παρὰ τούτοις καὶ τὴν