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to be dry in winter, but to be full in summer. And he says in the first book thus: “And swimming above, another most wondrous sight: a stream harmonious with the baths of the great one fills the deep current which it sends forth,” 9.37.2 and what follows. To which, again, returning to the matter of its fullness, he adds: “For a high-gleaming stream, rushing in rainy snows, most welcome, whirls beneath the bordering towers, and shows the dry and dusty ground of the fount, far-gleaming, as a very great wonder to the peoples,” 9.37.3 and what follows this. Then again, concerning the fountain of the high priest and its drainage, he narrates thus: “And the pipes spew out a steep stream through the water-bearing earth,” and whatever else follows this.” So much, then, from the works of Alexander Polyhistor. 9.38.1 And concerning the waters in Jerusalem, Aristeas also, in the book written by him On the Interpretation of the Law of the Jews, relates these things:

9.38.2 41. FROM ARISTEAS CONCERNING THE WATERS IN JERUSALEM “The house looks toward the east, and its back parts toward the west. The whole floor is laid with stone and has slopes toward the proper places for the sake of the inflow of waters, which happens for the washing away of the blood from the sacrifices; for many myriads of beasts are offered on the 9.38.3 days of the feasts. And there is an unfailing supply of water, as a copious spring flows naturally from within, and moreover there are wonderful and indescribable reservoirs underground, as they showed, for a circuit of five stades from the foundation of the temple, and from these countless pipes, as the streams connect with each other in each part; and all these have been leaded at the bottom and along the walls, and over these a great amount of plaster has been poured, all things having been skillfully made.” 9.39.1 In addition to these things, since Polyhistor has made mention of the prophecy of Jeremiah, it would be most unreasonable for us to remain silent about it. Let this therefore also be set forth:

9.39.2 42. FROM EUPOLUMUS CONCERNING JEREMIAH THE PROPHET, LIKEWISE “Then Jonacheim; under him Jeremiah the prophet prophesied. This man, being sent by God, found the Jews sacrificing to a golden idol, 9.39.3 whose name was Baal. And he declared to them the misfortune that was to come. But Jonacheim attempted to burn him alive; but he said that with this wood they would cook for the Babylonians and, as captives, dig the canals of the Tigris 9.39.4 and Euphrates. But the king of the Babylonians, Nebuchadnezzar, having heard what was foretold by Jeremiah, 9.39.5 called upon Astibares, the king of the Medes, to campaign with him. And having taken Babylonians and Medes and gathering one hundred and eighty thousand infantry, and one hundred and twenty thousand cavalry, and ten thousand chariots, he first overthrew Samaria and Galilee and Scythopolis and the Jews dwelling in Gileaditis; then he took Jerusalem and captured Jonacheim, the king of the Jews, alive; and having selected the gold in the temple and the silver and the bronze, he sent it to Babylon, apart from the ark and the tablets in it; but Jeremiah kept possession of this.” 9.40.1 To these it is necessary to add also the things concerning the captivity of the Jews which happened under Nebuchadnezzar;

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χειμῶνι ξηραίνεσθαι, ἐν δὲ τῷ θέρει πληροῦσθαι. λέγει δὲ ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ οὕτως· «Νηχόμενος δ' ἐφύπερθε τὸ θαμβηέστατον ἄλλο δέρκηθρον· συναοιδὰ μεγιστούχοιο λοετροῖς ῥεύματος ἐμπίπλησι βαθὺν ῥόον ἐξανιείσης,» 9.37.2 καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. οἷς πάλιν ὑποβὰς περὶ τῆς πληρώσεως ἐπιλέγει· «Ῥεῦμα γὰρ ὑψιφάεννον, ἐν ὑετίοις νιφετοῖσιν ἱέμενον, πολυγηθές, ὑπαὶ πύργοις συνόροισιν στρωφᾶται, καὶ ξηρὰ πέδῳ κεκονιμένα κρήνης τηλεφαῆ δείκνυσιν ὑπέρτατα θάμβεα λαῶν,» 9.37.3 καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἀκόλουθα. εἶτα πάλιν περὶ τῆς τοῦ ἀρχιερέως κρήνης καὶ τῆς ἀποχετεύσεως διέξεισιν οὕτως· «Αἰπὺ δ' ἄρ' ἐκπτύουσι διὰ χθονὸς ὑδροχόοισι σωλῆνες,» καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τούτοις ἕπεται.» Τοσαῦτα μὲν δὴ τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ Πολυΐστορος. 9.38.1 Περὶ δὲ τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὑδάτων καὶ ὁ Ἀριστέας ἐν τῷ γραφέντι αὐτῷ βιβλίῳ Περὶ τῆς ἑρμηνείας τοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων νόμου ταῦτα ἱστορεῖ·

9.38.2 μαʹ. ΑΡΙΣΤΕΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΩΝ ΕΝ ΙΕΡΟΥΣΑΛΗΜ Υ∆ΑΤΩΝ «Ὁ δὲ οἶκος ἀποβλέπει πρὸς ἠῶ, τὰ δ' ὀπίσθια αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἑσπέραν. τὸ δὲ πᾶν ἔδαφος λιθόστρωτον καθέστηκε καὶ κλίματα πρὸς τοὺς καθήκοντας τόπους ἔχει τῆς τῶν ὑδάτων ἐπιρροῆς ἕνεκεν, ἣ γίνεται διὰ τὴν σμῆξιν τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν θυσιῶν αἱμάτων· πολλαὶ γὰρ μυριάδες κτηνῶν προσάγονται κατὰ τὰς 9.38.3 τῶν ἑορτῶν ἡμέρας. ὕδατος δὲ ἀνέκλειπτός ἐστι σύστασις, ὡς ἂν καὶ πηγῆς ἔσωθεν πολυρρύτου φυσικῶς ἐπιρρεούσης, ἔτι δὲ θαυμασίων καὶ ἀδιηγήτων ὑποδοχείων ὑπαρχόντων ὑπὸ γῆν, καθὼς ἐπέφαινον, πέντε σταδίων κυκλόθεν τῆς κατὰ τὸ ἱερὸν καταβολῆς, καὶ ἐκ τούτων σύριγγας ἀναρίθμους, καθ' ἕκαστον μέρος ἑαυτὰς συναπτόντων τῶν ῥευμάτων· καὶ ταῦτα πάντα μεμολιβῶσθαι κατ' ἐδάφους καὶ τῶν τοίχων, ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων κεχύσθαι πολὺ πλῆθος κονιάσεως, ἐνεργῶς γεγενημένων ἁπάντων.» 9.39.1 Ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ τῆς Ἱερεμίου προφητείας τοῦ Πολυΐστορος μνήμην πεποιημένου, ἡμᾶς ἀποσιωπῆσαι ταύτην πάντων ἂν εἴη παραλογώτατον. κείσθω τοίνυν καὶ αὕτη·

9.39.2 μβʹ. ΕΥΠΟΛΕΜΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΙΕΡΕΜΙΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΠΡΟΦΗΤΟΥ ΟΜΟΙΩΣ «Εἶτα Ἰωναχείμ· ἐπὶ τούτου προφητεῦσαι Ἱερεμίαν τὸν προφήτην. τοῦτον ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀποσταλέντα καταλαβεῖν τοὺς Ἰουδαίους θυσιάζοντας εἰδώλῳ 9.39.3 χρυσῷ, ᾧ εἶναι ὄνομα Βάαλ. τοῦτον δὲ αὐτοῖς τὴν μέλλουσαν ἀτυχίαν δηλῶσαι. τὸν δὲ Ἰωναχεὶμ ζῶντα αὐτὸν ἐπιβαλέσθαι κατακαῦσαι· τὸν δὲ φάναι τοῖς ξύλοις τούτοις Βαβυλωνίοις ὀψοποιήσειν καὶ σκάψειν τὰς τοῦ Τίγριδος 9.39.4 καὶ Εὐφράτου διώρυχας αἰχμαλωτισθέντας. τὸν δὲ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων βασιλέα ἀκούσαντα Ναβουχοδονόσορ τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου προμαντευθέντα 9.39.5 παρακαλέσαι Ἀστιβάρην τὸν Μήδων βασιλέα συστρατεύειν αὐτῷ. παραλαβόντα δὲ Βαβυλωνίους καὶ Μήδους καὶ συναγαγόντα πεζῶν μὲν ὀκτωκαίδεκα, ἱππέων δὲ μυριάδας δώδεκα καὶ πεζῶν ἅρματα μυρία, πρῶτον μὲν τὴν Σαμαρεῖτιν καταστρέψασθαι καὶ Γαλιλαίαν καὶ Σκυθόπολιν καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῇ Γαλααδίτιδι οἰκοῦντας Ἰουδαίους· αὖθις δὲ τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα παραλαβεῖν καὶτὸν Ἰουδαίων βασιλέα Ἰωναχεὶμ ζωγρῆσαι· τὸν δὲ χρυσὸν τὸν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ καὶ ἄργυρον καὶ χαλκὸν ἐκλέξαντα εἰς Βαβυλῶνα ἀποστεῖλαι, χωρὶς τῆς κιβωτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ πλακῶν· ταύτην δὲ τὸν Ἱερεμίαν κατασχεῖν.» 9.40.1 Τούτοις ἐπισυνάψαι ἀναγκαῖον καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς Ἰουδαίων αἰχμαλωσίας τῆς ὑπὸ Ναβουχοδονόσορ γεγενημένης·