XVII.  Next, since it was to inhabitants of Jerusalem, most devout Jews, Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, Egyptians, and Libyans, Cretans too, and Arabians, and Mesopotamians, and my own Cappadocians, that the tongues spake, and to Jews (if any one prefer so to understand it), out of every nation under heaven thither collected; it is worth while to see who these were and of what captivity.  For the captivity in Egypt and Babylon was circumscribed, and moreover had long since been brought to an end by the Return; and that under the Romans, which was exacted for their audacity against our Saviour, was not yet come to pass, though it was in the near future.  It remains then to understand it of the captivity under Antiochus, which happened not so very long before this time.  But if any does not accept this explanation, as being too elaborate, seeing that this captivity was neither ancient nor widespread over the world, and is looking for a more reliable—perhaps the best way to take it would be as follows.  The nation was removed many times, as Esdras related; and some of the Tribes were recovered, and some were left behind; of whom probably (dispersed as they were among the nations) some would have been present and shared the miracle.

ΙΖʹ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν Ἱερουσαλὴμ εὐλαβεστάτοις Ἰουδαίοις, Πάρθοις, καὶ Μήδοις, καὶ Ἐλαμίταις, Αἰγυπτίοις, καὶ Λίβυσι, Κρησί τε καὶ Ἄραψι, Μεσοποταμίταις τε καὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς Καππαδόκαις, ἐλάλουν αἱ γλῶσσαι, καὶ τοῖς ἐκ παντὸς ἔθνους τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν Ἰουδαίοις (εἴ τῳ φίλον οὕτω νοεῖν), ἐκεῖσε συνειλεγμένοις, ἄξιον ἰδεῖν, τίνες ἦσαν οὗτοι, καὶ τῆς ποίας αἰχμαλωσίας. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ εἰς Αἴγυπτον καὶ Βαβυλῶνα περίγραπτός τε ἦν, καὶ πάλαι τῇ ἐπανόδῳ λέλυτο. Ἡ δὲ ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων οὔπω γεγένητο, ἔμελλε δὲ, εἴσπραξις οὖσα τῆς κατὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος θρασύτητος. Λείπεται δὴ τὴν ὑπ' Ἀντιόχου ταύτην ὑπολαμβάνειν, οὐ πολὺ τούτων οὖσαν τῶν καιρῶν πρεσβυτέραν. Εἰ δέ τις ταύτην μὲν οὐ προσίεται τὴν ἐξήγησιν, ὡς περιεργοτέραν (οὔτε γὰρ παλαιὰν εἶναι τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν, οὔτ' ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς οἰκουμένης χεθεῖσαν), ζητεῖ δὲ τὴν πιθανωτέραν, ἐκεῖνο ἴσως ὑπολαβεῖν ἄμεινον, ὅτι πολλάκις, καὶ ὑπὸ πλειόνων, τοῦ ἔθνους μεταναστάντος, ὡς τῷ Ἔσδρᾳ ἱστόρηται, αἱ μὲν τῶν φυλῶν ἀνεσώθησαν, αἱ δὲ ὑπελείφθησαν: ὧν εἰκὸς διασπαρεισῶν εἰς ἔθνη πλείονα, τηνικαῦτα παρεῖναί τινας, καὶ μετέχειν τοῦ θαύματος.