Judeans as the Greeks saw them

There is scholarly argument as to the purpose of Aristeas to Philocrates.  One of the more pervasive arguments is that the text was a means of proselytizing Judaism to the Greeks.  This is unlikely.  It is more likely that the text was written pseudonymously (as we have noted) for the purpose of countering pervading beliefs about the Judean people and their praxis.  We have Josephus’ version of Apion’s statements regarding the Greek perception of the Judeans.  We also have Diodorus’ account of when Antiochus invaded Jerusalem.  This gives us an idea of how Greeks perceived Judeans as a people, rather than how they perceived Judean “philosophy” which many of them later attempted to cultivate, and later to usurp.

Diodorus, the Sicilian, 1^st cen BCE. 

Ως Αντιοχος ο βασιλευς, φησιν ρπολιορκει τα Ιεροσολυμα, οι δε Ιουδαιοι μεχρι μεν τινος αντεσχον, εξαναλωθεντων δε των επιτηδειων απαντων ηναγκαοθησαν περι διαλυσεως διαπρεσβευσασθαι. Οι δε πλειους αυτω των φιλων συνεβουλευον κατα κρατος αιρησειν την πολιν και το γενος αρδην ανελειν των Ιουδαιων´μονους γαρ απαντων εθνων ακοινωνητους ειναι της προς αλλο εθνος επιμιξιας και πολεμιους υπολαμβανειν παντας.  Απεδεικνουν δε και τους προγονους αυτων ως ασεβεις και μισουμενους υπο των θεων εξ απασης της Αιγυπτου πεφυγαδευμενους.  Τους γαρ αλφους η λεπρας εχοντας εν τοις σωμασι χαθαρμου χαριν ως εναγεις συναθροισθεντας υπεροριους εκβεβλησθαι´ τους δε εξορισθεντας καταλαβεσθαι μεν τους περι τα Ιεροσολυμα τοπους συστησαμενους δε το των Ιουδαιων εθνος παραδοσιμον ποιησαι  το μισος το προς τους ανθρωπους´ δια τουτο δε και νομιμα παντελως εξελλαγμενα καταδειξαι το μηδενι αλλω εθνει τραπεζης καινωνειν μηδ᾽ευνοειν το παραπαν.  Υπεμνησαν δε  αυτον και περι του προγενομενου μισους τοις προγονοις προς τουτο το εθνος.  Αντιοχος γαρ ο προσαγορευθεις Επριφαης καταπολεμησας τους Ιουδαιους εισηλθεν εις τον αδυτον του θεου σηκον οι νομιμον εισειναι μονον τον ιερεα´ Ευρων δε εν αυτω λιθνον αγαλμα ανδρος βαθυπωγωνος καθημενον επ ονου, μετα χειρας εχον βιβλιον, τουτο μεν υπελαβε Μουσεως ειναι του κτισαντος τα Ιεροσολυμα και συστησαμενου το εθνος προς δε τουτοις νομοθετησαντος τα μισανθρωπα και παρανομα εθη τοις Ιουδαιοις´ Αυτος δε στυγησας την μισανθρωπιαν παντων εθνων εφιλοτιμηθη καταλυσαι τα νομιμα.  Διο τω αγαλματι του κιστου και τω υπαιθρω βωμω του θεου μεγαλην υν θυσας το δε αιμα προσεχεεν αυτοις και τα κρεα σκευασας προσεταξε τω μεν απο τουτων ξωμω τας ιερας αυτων βιβλους και περιεχουσας τα μισοξενα νομιμα καταρραναι τον δε αθανατον λεγομενον παρ´αυτοις λυχνον και καομενον αδιαλειπτως εν τω ναω κατασβεσαι των τε κρεων αναγκασαι προσενεγκασθαι τον αρχειρεα και τους αλλους Ιουδαιους.  Ταυτα δη διεξιοντες οι φιλοι τον Αντιοχον παρεκαλουν μαλιστα μεν αρδην ανελειν το εθνος ει δε μη, καταλυσαι τα νομιμα και συναναγκασαι τας αγωγας μεταθεσθαι.  Ο δε βασιλευς μεγαλοψυχος ων και το ηθος ημερος λαβων ομηρους απελυσε των εγκληματων τους Ιουδαιους φορους τε τους οφειλομενους πραξαμενος και τα τειχη περιελων των Ιεροσολυμων.

Then King Antiochus, says Diodorus, was laying siege to Jerusalem, the Judeans held out for a time, but when all their supplies were exhausted, they found themselves compelled to make overtures for a cessation of hostilities.  Now the majority of his friends advised the king to take the city by storm and to wipe out completely the race of Judeans, since they alone of all nations avoided dealings with any other people and looked upon all men as their enemies.  They pointed out, too, that the ancestors of the Judeans had been driven out of all Egypt as men who were impious and detested by the gods.  For by way of purging the country all persons who had white or leprous marks on their bodies had been assembled and driven across the border, as being under a curse;  the refugees had occupied the territory round about Jerusalem, and having organized the nation of the Judeans had made their hatred of mankind  into a tradition, and on this account had introduced utterly outlandish laws;  not to break bread with any other race, nor to show them any good will at all.  His friends reminded Antiochus also of the enmity that in times past his ancestors had felt for this people.  Antiochus called Ephiphanes, on defeating the Judeans had entered the innermost sanctuary of the god’s temple, where it was lawful for the priest alone to enter.  Finding there a marble statue of a heavily bearded man seated on an ass, with a book in his hands, he supposed it to be an image of Moses, the founder of Jerusalem and organizer of the nation, the man, moreover, who had ordained for the Judeans their misanthropic and lawless customs.  And since Epiphanes was shocked by such hatred directed against all mankind, he had set himself to break down their traditional practices.  Accordingly, he sacrificed before the image of the founder and the open-air altar of the god a great sow and poured its blood over them.  Then, having prepared its flesh, he ordered that their holy books, containing the xenophobic laws, should be sprinkled with the broth of the meat;  that the lamp, which they called undying and which burns continually in the temple, should be extinguished;  and that the high priest and the rest of the Judeans should be compelled to partake of the meat.  Rehearsing all these events, his friends strongly urged Antiochus to make an end of the race completely, or, failing that, to abolish their laws and force them to change their ways.  But the king, being a magnanimous and mild-mannered person, took hostages but dismissed the charges against the Judeans, once he had exacted the tribute that was due and had dismantled the walls of Jerusalem.