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they think they alone are bound to do, and yet even if they did this, it would be nothing wonderful, but for the land to receive for them a certain remission and 8.7.18 ease, as another beginning of its future care and cultivation. For what, in God's name, prevented them from leasing it out in the preceding year and collecting that year's rent from the cultivators? But, as I said, they in no way accept any of such things, out of providence, it seems to me, for the land. 8.7.19 And of their benevolence this is also truly a great sign: since they themselves abstain from working that year, they do not think they ought to gather or store up the fruits that are produced, since they do not come to them from their own labors; but, since God has provided them, and the earth brings them forth of its own accord, they think it right that those who wish or are in need, both of travelers and of the oth 8.7.20 ers, should use them with freedom. And concerning these things, enough for you. For as to why the law established these things for them on the seventh periods, you would not ask of me, having perhaps often heard before from many physicians and philosophers and natural scientists about this, what power this principle of the seventh has, both in relation to the universe and indeed in relation to human nature.” 8.7.21 So much from Philo. And Josephus relates similar things to him in the second book of his work *On the Antiquity of the Jews*, writing himself in this manner:

8.8.1 8. FROM JOSEPHUS ON THE POLITY ACCORDING TO MOSES

“Who it was that best established the laws and attained the most just belief concerning God, it is possible to understand from the laws themselves by compar 8.8.2 ing them; for now we must speak of these things. Now, the particular differences in customs and laws among all peoples are countless. 8.8.3 One might summarize them in main points; for some have entrusted the authority of their governments to monarchies, others to the rule of the few, and still others to the masses, but our lawgiver paid regard to none of these, but, as one might say, forcing the term, he set forth the polity as a theocracy, ascribing the rule and the power to God, and persuading all to look to Him as the cause of all good things, both those which all men possess in common and those which they themselves have obtained when in desperate need; and that it is not possible for any of the things done to escape His notice, 8.8.4 nor any of the things one might think to oneself. But He showed Him to be both uncreated and unchangeable for all eternity, surpassing in beauty every mortal form, and known to us by his power, but unknown 8.8.5 as to what he is in essence. That the wisest among the Greeks were taught to think these things about God, He having provided the principles, I omit to say now, but that they are noble and fitting to the nature and majesty of God, they have strongly testified; for both Pythagoras and Anaxagoras and Plato and the philosophers from the Stoa after him, and almost all, appear to have thought thus concerning the nature of God. 8.8.6 But they, philosophizing for a few, did not dare to bring forth the truth of their doctrine to the multitudes who were possessed by their opinions, but our lawgiver, inasmuch as he provided works consistent with the laws, not only persuaded those of his own time, but also instilled in those who would ever be born from them an unshakeable 8.8.7 faith concerning God. The reason is that he greatly surpassed all others in the usefulness of his manner of legislation. For he did not make piety a part of virtue, but he saw and established the other virtues as parts of it, I mean justice, moderation, endurance, and the harmony of the 8.8.8 citizens with one another in all things. For all actions and pursuits and

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οἴονται δεῖν μόνοι καίτοι κἂν εἰ τοῦτ' ἐποίουν, οὐδὲν ἂν θαυμαστὸν ἦν, ἀλλὰ τὴν χώραν αὐτοῖς ἄνεσίν τινα καὶ 8.7.18 ῥᾳστώνην, εἰς ἀρχὴν ἑτέραν τῆς αὖθις ἐπιμελείας καὶ γεωργίας, λαβεῖν. ἐπεὶ τί ἐκώλυε πρὸς θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρελθόντος ἔτους αὐτὴν προεκδοῦναι καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἐργαζομένων τὸν ἐκείνου φόρον τοῦ ἔτους ἐκλέγειν; ἀλλ', ὥσπερ ἔφην, κατ' οὐδένα τρόπον οὐδὲν τῶν τοιούτων, προνοίᾳ μοι δοκεῖ τῆς χώρας, ἐκδέ8.7.19 χονται. τῆς δὲ φιλανθρωπίας αὐτῶν καὶ τοῦτο μέγα ὡς ἀληθῶς σημεῖον ἐπεὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ τῶν ἔργων ἐκείνου τοῦ ἔτους ἀνέχουσι, τοὺς γινομένους καρποὺς οὐκ οἴονται δεῖν συλλέγειν οὐδ' ἀποτίθεσθαι, μὴ ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων πόνων περιόντας αὐτοῖς· ἀλλ', ἅτε τοῦ θεοῦ παρεσχηκότος αὐτοῖς, ἀνιείσης ἐπ' αὐτομάτου τῆς γῆς, τοὺς βουλομένους ἢ δεομένους τῶν τε ὁδοιπόρων καὶ τῶν ἄλ 8.7.20 λων ἀξιοῦσι μετὰ ἀδείας χρῆσθαι. καὶ περὶ μὲν τούτων ἅλις σοι. τὸ γὰρ ταῖς ἑβδόμαις ἤδη τὸν νόμον αὐτοῖς στῆσαι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἂν ἐμὲ ἀπαιτήσαις, ἴσως πολλῶν πολλάκις καὶ ἰατρῶν καὶ φιλοσόφων καὶ φυσιολόγων ἀκηκοὼς περὶ τούτου πρότερον, ἥντινα ἄρα δύναμιν ἔχει πρός τε τὴν τῶν συμπάντων καὶ δῆτα πρὸς τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν φύσιν οὗτος ὁ τῆς ἑβδόμης λόγος.» 8.7.21 Τοσαῦτα μὲν ὁ Φίλων. ὅμοια δ' αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ Ἰώσηπος ἱστορεῖ ἐν δευτέρῳ συγγράμματι ὧν πεποίηται Περὶ τῆς τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀρχαιότητος, τοῦτον γράφων καὶ αὐτὸς τὸν τρόπον·

8.8.1 ηʹ. ΙΩΣΗΠΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΟΥ ΚΑΤΑ ΜΩΣΕΑ ΠΟΛΙΤΕΥΜΑΤΟΣ «Τίς δ' ἦν ὁ μάλιστα κατορθώσας τοὺς νόμους καὶ τῆς δικαιοτάτης περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ πίστεως ἐπιτυχών, πάρεστιν ἐξ αὐτῶν κατανοεῖν τῶν νόμων ἀντιπαρα8.8.2 βάλλοντας· ἤδη γὰρ περὶ τούτων λεκτέον. οὐκοῦν ἄπειροι μὲν αἱ κατὰ μέρος τῶν ἐθῶν καὶ τῶν νόμων παρὰ τοῖς ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις διαφοραί. κεφαλαιω8.8.3 δῶς ἂν ἐπίοι τις· οἱ μὲν γὰρ μοναρχίαις, οἱ δὲ ταῖς ὀλίγων δυναστείαις, ἄλλοι δὲ τοῖς πλήθεσιν ἐπέτρεψαν τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῶν πολιτευμάτων, ὁ δ' ἡμέτερος νομο θέτης εἰς μὲν τούτων οὐδ' ὁτιοῦν ἀπεῖδεν, ὡς δ' ἄν τις εἴποι βιασάμενος τὸν λόγον θεοκρατίαν ἀπέδειξε τὸ πολίτευμα, θεῷ τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τὸ κράτος ἀναθεὶς καὶ πείσας εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἅπαντας ἀφορᾶν ὡς αἴτιον μὲν ἁπάντων ὄντα τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἃ κοινῇ τε πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ὑπάρχει καὶ ὅσων ἔτυχον αὐτοὶ δεηθέντες ἐν ἀμηχάνοις· λαθεῖν δὲ τὴν ἐκείνου γνώμην οὐκ ἐνὸν οὔτε τι τῶν πραττομένων 8.8.4 οὐδὲν οὔθ' ὧν ἄν τις παρ' αὑτῷ διανοηθείη. ἀλλ' αὐτὸν ἀπέφηνε καὶ ἀγένητον καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀΐδιον χρόνον ἀναλλοίωτον, πάσης ἰδέας θνητῆς κάλλει διαφέροντα καὶ δυνάμει μὲν ἡμῖν γνώριμον, ὁποῖος δὲ κατ' οὐσίαν ἐστὶν ἄγνω8.8.5 στον. ταῦτα περὶ θεοῦ φρονεῖν οἱ σοφώτατοι παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ὅτι μὲν ἐδιδάχθησαν, ἐκείνου τὰς ἀρχὰς παρασχόντος, ἐῶ νῦν λέγειν, ὅτι δέ ἐστι καλὰ καὶ πρέποντα τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ φύσει καὶ μεγαλειότητι σφόδρα μεμαρτυρήκασι· καὶ γὰρ Πυθαγόρας καὶ Ἀναξαγόρας καὶ Πλάτων οἵ τε μετ' ἐκεῖνον ἀπὸ τῆς Στοᾶς φιλόσοφοι καὶ μικροῦ δεῖν ἅπαντες οὕτω φαίνονται περὶ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ 8.8.6 φύσεως πεφρονηκότες. ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν πρὸς ὀλίγους φιλοσοφοῦντες εἰς πλήθη δόξαις κατειλημμένα τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ δόγματος ἐξενεγκεῖν οὐκ ἐτόλμησαν, ὁ δ' ἡμέτερος νομοθέτης, ἅτε δὴ τὰ ἔργα παρέχων τοῖς νόμοις σύμφωνα, οὐ μόνον τοὺς καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἔπεισεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἐξ ἐκείνων ἀεὶ γενησομένοις τὴν 8.8.7 περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ πίστιν ἐνέφυσεν ἀμετακίνητον. αἴτιον δ', ὅτι καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς νομοθεσίας πρὸς τὸ χρήσιμον πάντων πολὺ διήνεγκεν. οὐ γὰρ μέρος ἀρετῆς ἐποίησε τὴν εὐσέβειαν, ἀλλὰ ταύτης μέρη τἄλλα καὶ συνεῖδεν αὐτὰ καὶ κατέστησε, λέγω δὲ τὴν δικαιοσύνην, τὴν σωφροσύνην, τὴν καρτερίαν, τὴν τῶν 8.8.8 πολιτῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐν ἅπασι συμφωνίαν. ἅπασαι γὰρ αἱ πράξεις καὶ διατριβαὶ καὶ