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“Of those who die on campaign, whoever dies with distinction, shall we not first say that he is of the golden race? Most certainly. And shall we not obey Hesiod, that when any of this race die, they become holy spirits upon the earth, noble, averters of evil, guardians of mortal men? We shall indeed obey him. Having inquired then of the god how we should place the daemonic and the divine, and with what distinction, shall we place them in this way and in that which he may prescribe? Why should we not? For the rest of time, then, shall we so serve and worship their tombs as being those of daemons? And we shall hold the same customs for any of those judged to be pre-eminently good in life, when they die of old age or in some other way.” 13.11.2 And these things are fitting for the death of those beloved of God, whom you would not be wrong to call soldiers enlisted for the true piety. Whence also it is our custom to go to their tombs and to make our prayers beside them and to honour their blessed souls, as it is reasonable that these things are done by us. 13.11.3 But we have selected these things from Plato; but another lover of the beautiful might find even more than these in the same author that are in harmony with our doctrines, and perhaps also in others. But since others before us have also touched upon the same subject as ours, it seems good to me that we should also examine what has been wrought by them. And I will set forth first the words of Aristobulus, the philosopher from the Hebrews, which run as follows:

13.12.1 12. HOW ARISTOBULUS THE PERIPATETIC, A HEBREW BEFORE OUR TIME, ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE GREEKS DERIVED THEIR IMPULSE FROM THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HEBREWS; FROM THE WORKS OF ARISTOBULUS TO KING PTOLEMY

ADDRESSED “It is manifest that Plato followed our legislation and is clearly seen to have worked through each of the things in it. For before Demetrius of Phalerum, by means of others, before the conquest of Alexander and the Persians, there had been translated the account of the exodus of the Hebrews, our fellow-citizens, from Egypt, and the manifestation of all that happened to them, and the conquest of the land, and the explanation of the whole legislation, so that it is very clear that the aforementioned philosopher has taken many things; for he became very learned, just as Pythagoras also transferred many things from us and incorporated them into his own system of doctrines. 13.12.2 But the entire interpretation of all things according to the law was made in the time of the king surnamed Philadelphus, your ancestor, who showed a greater ambition, while Demetrius of Phalerum managed the affair.” 13.12.3 Then after saying some things in between he adds, saying: “For one must understand the divine voice not as spoken word, but as constructions of works, just as also through the legislation Moses has told us that the whole genesis of the world consists of words of God. For he says continuously of each thing: ‘And God 13.12.4 said, and it was so.’ And it seems to me that Pythagoras and Socrates and Plato, having examined everything, have followed this, saying that they hear the voice of God, contemplating accurately the construction of all things as having been made by God and held together unceasingly. Furthermore, Orpheus also, in the poems of what is called by him the Sacred Discourse, sets forth thus concerning all things being controlled by divine power, and being created, and God being over all. And he speaks thus: 13.12.5 I will speak to those for whom it is lawful, but put up the doors, you profane, fleeing the ordinances of the just, which the divine one has set for all together; but you listen, offspring of the light-bringing Moon, Musaeus. For I shall tell true things; nor

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«Τῶν δὲ δὴ ἀποθανόντων ἐπὶ στρατείας ὃς ἂν εὐδοκιμήσας τελευτήσῃ, ἆρ' οὐ πρῶτον μὲν φήσομεν τοῦ χρυσοῦ γένους εἶναι; Πάνυ γε μάλιστα. Ἀλλ' οὐ πεισόμεθα Ἡσιόδῳ, ἐπειδάν τινες τοῦ τοιούτου γένους τελευτήσωσιν, ὡς ἄρα οἱ μὲν δαίμονες ἁγνοὶ ἐπιχθόνιοι τελέθουσιν, ἐσθλοί, ἀλεξίκακοι, φύλακες μερόπων ἀνθρώπων; Πεισόμεθα μὲν οὖν. ∆ιαπυθόμενοι ἄρα τοῦ θεοῦ πῶς χρὴ τοὺς δαιμονίους τε καὶ θείους τιθέναι καὶ τίνι διαφόρῳ, οὕτω καὶ ταύτη θήσομεν ᾗ ἂν ἐξηγῆται; Τί δ' οὐ μέλλομεν; Τὸν λοιπὸν δὴ χρόνον ὡς δαίμονας γεγονότας οὕτω θεραπεύσομέν τε καὶ προσκυνήσομεν αὐτῶν τὰς θήκας; τὰ αὐτὰ δὲ ταῦτα νομιοῦμεν, ὅταν τις γήρᾳ ἤ τινι ἄλλῳ τρόπῳ τελευτήσῃ τῶν ὅσοι ἂν διαφερόντως ἐν τῷ βίῳ ἀγαθοὶ κριθῶσι.» 13.11.2 Καὶ ταῦτα δὲ ἁρμόζει ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν θεοφιλῶν τελευτῇ, οὓς στρατιώτας τῆς ἀληθοῦς εὐσεβείας οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοις εἰπὼν παραλαμβάνεσθαι. ὅθεν καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς θήκας αὐτῶν ἔθος ἡμῖν παριέναι καὶ τὰς εὐχὰς παρὰ ταύταις ποιεῖσθαι τιμᾶν τε τὰς μακαρίας αὐτῶν ψυχάς, ὡς εὐλόγως καὶ τούτων ὑφ' 13.11.3 ἡμῶν γιγνομένων. ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἡμεῖς μὲν ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν Πλάτωνος ἀνελεξάμεθα· φιλόκαλος δέ τις ἄλλος καὶ τούτων ἔτι πλείω ἂν εὕροι παρὰ τῷ αὐτῷ σύμφωνα τοῖς ἡμετέροις δόγμασι, τάχα δὲ καὶ παρ' ἑτέροις. ἐπεὶ δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμῖν ὑποθέσεως προλαβόντες ἐφήψαντο καὶ ἄλλοι, εὖ μοι δοκεῖ ἐπισκέψασθαι δεῖν καὶ τὰ τούτοις πεπονημένα. παραθήσω δὲ πρώτου Ἀριστοβούλου, τοῦ ἐξ Ἑβραίων φιλοσόφου, τὰς οὕτως ἐχούσας φωνάς·

13.12.1 ιβʹ. ΟΠΩΣ ΚΑΙ Ο ΠΡΟ ΗΜΩΝ ΕΞ ΕΒΡΑΙΩΝ ΑΡΙΣΤΟΒΟΥΛΟΣ Ο ΠΕΡΙΠΑΤΗΤΙΚΟΣ ΕΚ ΤΗΣ ΠΑΡ' ΕΒΡΑΙΟΙΣ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΣ ΩΜΟΛΟΓΕΙ ΤΟΥΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΑΣ ΩΡΜΗΣΘΑΙ· ΕΚ ΤΩΝ ΑΡΙΣΤΟΒΟΥΛΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙ ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΩΙ

ΠΡΟΣΠΕΦΩΝΗΜΕΝΩΝ «Φανερὸν ὅτι κατηκολούθησεν ὁ Πλάτων τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς νομοθεσίᾳ καὶ φανερός ἐστι περιειργασμένος ἕκαστα τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ. διηρμήνευται γὰρ πρὸ ∆ημητρίου τοῦ Φαληρέως δι' ἑτέρων, πρὸ τῆς Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Περσῶν ἐπικρατήσεως, τά τε κατὰ τὴν ἐξαγωγὴν τὴν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου τῶν Ἑβραίων, ἡμετέ ρων δὲ πολιτῶν, καὶ ἡ τῶν γεγονότων ἁπάντων αὐτοῖς ἐπιφάνεια καὶ κράτησις τῆς χώρας καὶ τῆς ὅλης νομοθεσίας ἐπεξήγησις, ὡς εὔδηλον εἶναι τὸν προειρημένον φιλόσοφον εἰληφέναι πολλά· γέγονε γὰρ πολυμαθής, καθὼς καὶ Πυθαγόρας πολλὰ τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν μετενέγκας εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δογματοποιίαν κατε13.12.2 χώρισεν. ἡ δ' ὅλη ἑρμηνεία τῶν διὰ τοῦ νόμου πάντων ἐπὶ τοῦ προσαγορευθέντος Φιλαδέλφου βασιλέως, σοῦ δὲ προγόνου, προσενεγκαμένου μείζονα φιλοτιμίαν, ∆ημητρίου τοῦ Φαληρέως πραγματευσαμένου τὰ περὶ τούτων.» 13.12.3 Εἶτα μεταξύ τινα εἰπὼν ἐπιφέρει λέγων· «∆εῖ γὰρ λαμβάνειν τὴν θείαν φωνὴν οὐ ῥητὸν λόγον, ἀλλ' ἔργων κατασκευάς, καθὼς καὶ διὰ τῆς νομοθεσίας ἡμῖν ὅλην τὴν γένεσιν τοῦ κόσμου θεοῦ λόγους εἴρηκεν ὁ Μωσῆς. συνεχῶς γάρ φησιν ἐφ' ἑκάστου· «καὶ εἶπεν ὁ 13.12.4 θεὸς, καὶ ἐγένετο.» δοκοῦσι δέ μοι περιειργασμένοι πάντα κατηκολουθηκέναι τούτῳ Πυθαγόρας τε καὶ Σωκράτης καὶ Πλάτων λέγοντες ἀκούειν φωνῆς θεοῦ, τὴν κατασκευὴν τῶν ὅλων συνθεωροῦντες ἀκριβῶς ὑπὸ θεοῦ γεγονυῖαν καὶ συνεχομένην ἀδιαλείπτως. ἔτι δὲ καὶ Ὀρφεὺς ἐν ποιήμασι τῶν κατὰ τὸν Ἱερὸν Λόγον αὐτῷ λεγομένων οὕτως ἐκτίθεται περὶ τοῦ διακρατεῖσθαι θείᾳ δυνάμει τὰ πάντα καὶ γενητὰ ὑπάρχειν καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων εἶναι τὸν θεόν. λέγει δ' οὕτως· 13.12.5 φθέγξομαι οἷς θέμις ἐστί, θύρας δ' ἐπίθεσθε βέβηλοι, φεύγοντες δικαίων θεσμούς, θείοιο τιθέντος πᾶσιν ὁμοῦ· σὺ δ' ἄκουε, φαεσφόρου ἔκγονε Μήνης Μουσαῖ'. ἐξενέπω γὰρ ἀληθέα· μηδέ