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the sacrifices, relating nothing arrogant to themselves, using the sign of the one who ordained them. For the one offering the sacrifice makes the offering of his own soul in every way. And concerning these things, therefore, I think the matters of our discourse have become worthy of mention, because of the solemnity of the law, which I have been led to clarify for you, Philocrates, because of your love of learning.” These things the high priest set forth to the Greeks who had come to him concerning the idea allegorized in the sacred laws, as to those who were about to encounter the interpretations of the scriptures that would be published. But it is time to hear what Aristobulus, who had partaken of the philosophy of Aristotle in addition to his ancestral one, related concerning the things mentioned in the sacred books as members of God; this is that same man whom the second book of Maccabees also mentions at the beginning of the book in the treatise to King Ptolemy; he himself also clarifies this manner:

8.10.1 10. FROM ARISTOBULUS CONCERNING THE SO-CALLED MEMBERS OF GOD

“Besides what has been sufficiently said concerning the proposed questions, you too, O king, have remarked that through our law both hands and an arm and a face and feet and walking are signified in reference to the divine power; which will receive due discussion and will in no way contradict what has been said before by us. But I wish to exhort you to take the interpretations in a natural way and to hold a fitting conception concerning God, and not to fall into a mythical and human state. For in many ways our lawgiver Moses, in what he wishes to say, when speaking on other matters—I mean those relating to appearance—he reports natural dispositions and constructions of great matters. Those therefore who are able to understand well, admire the wisdom concerning him and the divine spirit, according to which he has also been proclaimed a prophet; of whom are the aforementioned philosophers and many others and poets who have received great starting-points from him, for which they are also admired. But to those who do not partake of power and understanding, but are attached only to the written text, he does not seem to clarify anything of majesty. I will begin to take up each signification, as far as I am able. But if I do not succeed in the matter nor persuade, do not attribute the irrationality to the lawgiver, but to me, who am unable to distinguish what was thought by him. Hands, then, are understood manifestly and more commonly in our case. For when you, being a king, send out forces, wishing to accomplish something, we say: the king has a great hand, with the hearers being brought to the power which you possess. And this is also signified through our legislation when Moses says thus: ‘With a mighty hand God brought you out of Egypt.’ And again he says that God said to him: ‘I will send my hand and I will strike the Egyptians.’ And concerning the death that occurred of the cattle and of the others he says to the king of the Egyptians, saying: ‘Behold, the hand of the Lord will be upon your cattle and on all that is in the fields, a great death,’ so that it is made clear that hands signify the power of God; for it is also possible to understand by metaphor that all the strength of men and their activities are in their hands. Therefore the lawgiver has properly transferred it to majesty, saying that accomplishments are the hands of God. And a divine standing would properly be called, according to majesty, the establishment of the world. For God is over all things, and all things have been subjected and have taken a stand; so that men understand that these things are immovable. And I say this, that heaven has never become earth, nor earth heaven, nor the sun a shining moon, nor

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τὰς θυσίας μηθὲν ὑπερήφανον ἑαυτοῖς συνιστορῶσι, σημειώσει κεχρημένοι τοῦ 8.9.37 διατάξαντος. τῆς γὰρ ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς τοῦ παντὸς τρόπου τὴν προσφορὰν ποιεῖται ὁ τὴν θυσίαν προσάγων. καὶ περὶ τούτων οὖν νομίζω τὰ τῆς ὁμιλίας ἄξια λόγου καθεστάναι, διὰ τὴν σεμνότητα τοῦ νόμου, ἣν προῆγμαι διασαφῆσαί σοι, Φιλόκρατες, δι' ἣν ἔχεις φιλομάθειαν.» 8.9.38 Ταῦτα μὲν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς τοῖς ἥκουσιν ὡς αὐτὸν Ἕλλησι περὶ τῆς ἀλληγορουμένης ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς νόμοις ἰδέας διεστείλατο, ὡς ἂν μέλλουσι ταῖς ἐκδοθησομέναις περιτεύξεσθαι τῶν γραφῶν ἑρμηνείαις. ὁ δὲ Ἀριστόβουλος καὶ τῆς κατ' Ἀριστοτέλην φιλοσοφίας πρὸς τῇ πατρίῳ μετειληχώς, ὁποῖα περὶ τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἱεραῖς βίβλοις φερομένων ὡς περὶ θεοῦ μελῶν διῆλθεν ἐπακοῦσαι καιρός· οὗτος δ' αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνος, οὗ καὶ ἡ δευτέρα τῶν Μακκαβαίων ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς βίβλου μνημονεύει ἐν τῷ πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον τὸν βασιλέα συγγράμματι τοῦτον καὶ αὐτὸς διασαφεῖ τὸν τρόπον·

8.10.1 ιʹ. ΑΡΙΣΤΟΒΟΥΛΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΩΝ ΟΝΟΜΑΖΟΜΕΝΩΝ ΩΣ ΘΕΟΥ ΜΕΛΩΝ

«Πλὴν ἱκανῶς εἰρημένων πρὸς τὰ προκείμενα ζητήματα ἐπεφώνησας καὶ σύ, βασιλεῦ, διότι σημαίνεται διὰ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ παρ' ἡμῖν καὶ χεῖρες καὶ βραχίων καὶ πρόσωπον καὶ πόδες καὶ περίπατος ἐπὶ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως· ἃ τεύξεται λόγου καθήκοντος καὶ οὐκ ἀντιδοξήσει τοῖς προειρημένοις ὑφ' ἡμῶν 8.10.2 οὐδέν. παρακαλέσαι δέ σε βούλομαι πρὸς τὸ φυσικῶς λαμβάνειν τὰς ἐκδοχὰς καὶ τὴν ἁρμόζουσαν ἔννοιαν περὶ θεοῦ κρατεῖν, καὶ μὴ ἐκπίπτειν εἰς τὸ μυθῶδες 8.10.3 καὶ ἀνθρώπινον κατάστημα. πολλαχῶς γὰρ ὃ βούλεται λέγειν ὁ νομοθέτης ἡμῶν Μωσῆς ἐφ' ἑτέρων πραγμάτων λόγους ποιούμενος λέγω δὲ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν, φυσικὰς διαθέσεις ἀπαγγέλλει καὶ μεγάλων πραγμάτων κατα8.10.4 σκευάς. οἷς μὲν οὖν πάρεστι τὸ καλῶς νοεῖν, θαυμάζουσι τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν σοφίαν καὶ τὸ θεῖον πνεῦμα, καθ' ὃ καὶ προφήτης ἀνακεκήρυκται· ὧν εἰσιν οἱ προειρημένοι φιλόσοφοι καὶ πλείονες ἕτεροι καὶ ποιηταὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ μεγάλας 8.10.5 ἀφορμὰς εἰληφότες, καθὸ καὶ θαυμάζονται. τοῖς δὲ μὴ μετέχουσι δυνάμεως καὶ συνέσεως, ἀλλὰ τῷ γραπτῷ μόνον προσκειμένοις οὐ φαίνεται μεγα8.10.6 λεῖόν τι διασαφῶν. ἄρξομαι δὲ λαμβάνειν καθ' ἕκαστον σημαινόμενον, καθ' ὅσον ἂν ὦ δυνατός. εἰ δὲ μὴ τεύξομαι τοῦ πράγματος μηδὲ πείσω, μὴ τῷ νομοθέτῃ προσάψῃς τὴν ἀλογίαν, ἀλλ' ἐμοὶ τῷ μὴ δυναμένῳ διαιρεῖσθαι 8.10.7 τὰ ἐκείνῳ νενοημένα. χεῖρες μὲν οὖν νοοῦνται προδήλως καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν κοινότερον. ὅταν γὰρ δυνάμεις ἐξαποστέλλῃς σὺ βασιλεὺς ὤν, βουλόμενός τι κατεργάσασθαι, λέγομεν· μεγάλην χεῖρα ἔχει ὁ βασιλεύς, φερομένων τῶν 8.10.8 ἀκουόντων ἐπὶ τὴν δύναμιν ἣν ἔχεις. ἐπισημαίνεται δὲ τοῦτο καὶ διὰ τῆς νομοθεσίας ἡμῶν λέγων ὁ Μωσῆς οὕτως· «Ἐν χειρὶ κραταιᾷ ἐξήγαγεν ὁ θεός σε ἐξ Αἰγύπτου.» καὶ πάλιν εἰρηκέναι αὐτῷ φησι τὸν θεόν· «Ἀποστελῶ τὴν χεῖρά μου καὶ πατάξω τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους.» καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ γεγονότος θανάτου τῶν κτηνῶν καὶ τῶν ἄλλων φησὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων λέγων· «Ἰδοὺ χεὶρ κυρίου ἐπέσται ἐν τοῖς κτήνεσί σου καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις θάνατος μέγας,» ὥστε δηλοῦσθαι τὰς χεῖρας ἐπὶ δυνάμεως εἶναι θεοῦ· καὶ γὰρ ἔστι μεταφέροντας νοῆσαι τὴν πᾶσαν ἰσχὺν τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τὰς ἐνεργείας ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν εἶναι. 8.10.9 διόπερ καλῶς ὁ νομοθέτης ἐπὶ τὸ μεγαλεῖον μετενήνοχε, λέγων τὰς συντελείας χεῖρας εἶναι θεοῦ. στάσις δὲ θεία καλῶς ἂν λέγοιτο κατὰ τὸ μεγαλεῖον 8.10.10 ἡ τοῦ κόσμου κατασκευή. καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ πάντων ὁ θεός, καὶ πάνθ' ὑποτέτακται καὶ στάσιν εἴληφεν· ὥστε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καταλαμβάνειν ἀκίνητα εἶναι ταῦτα. λέγω δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον, ὡς οὐδέποτε γέγονεν οὐρανὸς γῆ, γῆ δ' οὐρανός, οὐδ' ἥλιος σελήνη λάμπουσα, οὐδὲ