BOOK IV.

OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE JEWS,

CHAP. I.

OF THE JEWISH PHILOSOPHY, FROM THE TIME OF THE RETURN FROM THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY, TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

THE state of learning and science among the ancient Hebrews, in the early period of their history, while they resided in their own country, has been already described. From the time of the Babylonish captivity, the Israelites no longer existed as an entire nation. Upon the return of the two tribes of Judah and Ephraim to Palestine, the other ten tribes being almost entirely dispersed, this remnant of the Hebrews lost their ancient name, and were called Jews.1 Passing over the subsequent history of the dispersed tribes, as too uncertain to afford any interesting particulars concerning the state of philosophy among them, we shall inquire into the philosophical history of the Jews in Palestine from the time of their return from captivity.

In this part of our work we must extend the meaning of the term philosophy; for, in the strict sense of the word, we find few traces of philosophy in the history of the Jews. There were not wanting, indeed, among this people, men of ability and learning; but their general taste and manners, and particularly their traditionary method of instruction, were so unfavourable to scientific researches, that few philosophers, properly so called, arose in Palestine. Nevertheless, in order to prepare the way for an accurate account of the state of philosophy among the Saracens and Christ

› Vid. Basnage Hist. Jud. 1. vii. c. 4. Budd. Hist. Eccl. V. T. t. ii. p. 523.

ians, it is necessary that we briefly mark the progress of learning and knowledge among the Jews.

After the revival of the sacred commonwealth of the Jews, though the spirit of prophecy ceased in the person of Malachi, wise men were raised up by Divine Providence to restore their national worship, to explain to them the Divine law, and to conduct their affairs, both civil and religious. Among these, were Esdras, Zorobabel, Nehemiah, and Salthiel. Esdras, as a scribe well instructed in the law of Moses, certainly takes the first place among the learned Jews of this period, but he cannot with propriety be ranked among philosophers; nor is there any sufficient ground for considering him as the author of the Cabbalistic doctrine.°

The changes which took place in the Jewish nation, after the Babylonish captivity, produced material alterations in their philosophical and religious tenets. Two events in the Jewish history must be particularly noticed, on account of the great influence which they had upon the state of opinions; the one, the separation of the Samaritans from the Jews, which began in the time of Esdras; the other, the settling of a colony of Jews in Egypt under Alexander the Great, which was afterwards so increased by their successors, that the Jews in Egypt were little inferior, either in nnmber or consequence, to those in Judea.

About two hundred years before the time of Esdras, when Salmanassar, king of the Assyrians, had carried the ten tribes of Israel captive into Assyria, he repeopled Samaria with a colony from Babylon, Chuta, and several other places. The country being soon afterwards harassed with wild beasts, the new settlers concluded that this calamity had befallen them, because they did not worship the god of the land, and sent a complaint to this purpose to the king of Assyria. Upon this, the king sent them one of the priests who had been taken from the country, "to teach them how they should fear the Lord." Thus

942.

*D. Knibbe Hist. Proph. I. ii. c. 6. Budd. Hist. Eccl. V. T. t. ii. p. Esdras, vii. 6, &c. Basnage. l. iii. c. 5. § 4, 2. l. vii. c. 2. § 7. Buxtorf. Tiberiad. c. 10. Budd, H. E. t. ii. p. 1019.

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*2 Kings, xvii. 24. Joseph. Ant. 1. ix. c. ult. Beniam. Tudelens. Itin. p. 37. Basnage, l. ii. c. 4. p. 84.

the worship of the true God of Israel was restored in Samaria. At the same time, however, the idolaters retained their respective superstitions, and, "whilst they feared the Lord, served other gods." Hence the Jews, when they returned to Judea from that captivity by which they had been punished for their former propensity towards idolatry, entertained a rooted aversion against the inhabitants of Samaria, and would not allow them any concern in executing the national design of rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem. The mutual jealousies which arose from this cause were carried to the most violent extremity. Esdras and Zerobabel solemnly denounced an anathema upon the Samaritans and the Samaritans, in their turn, made use of all their interest with the king of Assyria to obstruct the rebuilding of the temple.*

At the extinction of the Persian monarchy, in consequence of Alexander's conquests, the Samaritans endeavoured to accomplish a union, both civil and ecclesiastical, with the Jews. For this purpose, Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, who was of Babylonish extraction, brought about a marriage between his daughter and Menasses, the brother of Jaddus, the Jewish high priest; fully expecting that Menasses would succeed his brother in the priesthood, and that by this means a coalition would be accomplished. The event, however, did not correspond to his wishes. The Jews highly resented this profane alliance, excluded Menasses from the succession, and banished him from the city. Sanballat, on the other hand, took his son-in-law under his protection; obtained permission from Alexander to build a temple upon Mount Garizim similar to that at Jerusalem, and appointed Menasses its high priest. With Menasses a powerful body passed over from the Jews to the Samaritans; and much pains was taken to bring back their doctrine and worship to the pure standard of the law of Moses. But all this was insufficient to subdue the enmity of the Jews, who execrated the Samaritans as heretical and profane, and maintained, that they themselves alone possessed the true religion. Frequent hostilities

↑ Eisenmenger. Jud. Detect. p. i. c. 2.

xi. § 4. Basnage, l. ii. c. 5. § 1.

Walton. Appar. Bibl. Proleg.

Joseph. Ant. Jud. 1. xi. c. 4-8. I. xii. c. 1. Basnage, l. ii. c. 6. p. 113.

arose between the two countries; and Hyrcanus at last besieged Samaria, and after a long resistance took the city, and razed it, together with its temple, to the ground. The metropolis of Samaria was afterwards rebuilt by the Roman governor, Gibinius, and enlarged and adorned by Herod, who, in honour of Augustus, called the city Sebaste.6

It may be concluded from this narrative, that whatever difference at this time subsisted between the Jews and Samaritans, it was only such as might easily have been compromised; else Sanballat would not have thought of attempting to unite the religious institutions of both nations by making his son-in-law their common high priest. But this necessarily supposes, that the Samaritans had renounced their ancient idolatry, and were now worshippers of the true God, in forms not very different from those appointed by the Mosaic law. Some remains of erroneous opinions concerning the Divine nature, and of Pagan superstition, might, it is true, still be retained, sufficient to give occasion to the censure of Jesus, "Ye know not what ye worship." But there can be no doubt that the Jewish writers, from whom we receive most of our information concerning the Samaritans, through their aversion to this nation, have been guilty of much exaggeration and misrepresentation in their account of the Samaritan doctrine and worship. Of this kind, probably, is the tale of their having the idols of four heathen nations concealed under Mount Garizim, and the notion that they denied the existence of angels. It is not unlikely, however, that they might so far depart from the idea of angels given in the books of Moses (the only sacred scriptures they acknowledged) as to conceive them to be substantial virtues, or powers derived by emanation from

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6 Joseph. Ant. 1. xi. c. 8. l. xii. c. 1. 1. xiii. c. 18. Reland. Palæst. I. ii. p. 979. Basnage, l. c. p. 99.

7 Epiphan. Hæres. ix. t. 1. op. p. 25. Her. xiii. p. 30. Her. xiv. p. 31. Reland. Diss. Misc. p. ii. p. 57.

• Selden is of opinion, * that the Cuthæi, by whom Samaria was in part colonised, were Persians, who dwelt on the borders of the river Cuth, and conjectures, that Nergal, the idol which they worshipped, was the sacred fire of the Persians. If this be admitted, we may reasonably conjecture, that the religion of the Persian magi, the worship of fire, brought by this

* De Düs Syriis, Synt. ii. c. 8. p. 312.

the Divine nature, according to the Oriental philosophy." This may be inferred from the history of Simon Magus, Dositheus, and Menander, whose doctrines appear to have obtained much credit and authority among the Samaritans.

Simon Magus,10 who is commonly understood to have been the person mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, was by birth a Samaritan, and in his native country practised magical arts, which procured him many followers. According to the usual practice of the Asiatics at this time, he visited Egypt, and there, probably, became acquainted with the sublime mysteries taught in the Alexandrian school, and learned those theurgic, or magical operations, by means of which it was believed that men might be delivered from the power of evil demons. Upon his return into his own country, the author of the "Clementine Recognitions" relates, that he imposed upon his countrymen by high pretensions to supernatural powers. And St. Luke attests, that this artful fanatic, using sorcery, had bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that he was Some Great One; and that he obtained such general attention and reverence in Samaria, that the people all gave heed to him from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the Great Power of God.” 12 *

people into Samaria, was united with the worship of the God of Israel; that with this worship was introduced the Oriental doctrine of Divine emanations, taught by the Persian Zoroaster; and that, in this manner, the Gnostic fictions concerning Divine virtues and powers spread among the Samaritans,

9 Reland. 1. c. p. 29. Cellar. Gent. Sam. Diss. Ac. p. 109.

10 Just. Mart. Apol. ii. p. 69. 91. Iren. Hær. l. i. c. 23. § 4.

11 L. ii. c. 21.

12 Acts viii. 9. Iren. adv. Hær. 1. i. c. 23. § 4. p. 100. Theodoret. Hæret. Fab. I. i. c. 1. Aug. de Hær. c. 1. Epiph. Hær. 21-24. Euseb. H. E. 1. iii. c. 26.

* It has been said, that Simon Magus was worshipped by the Romans as a god; and a passage in Justin Martyr,† where he says that, between two bridges on the Tiber, he saw a statue with this inscription, SIMONI SANCTO DEO, has been quoted in support of this assertion. But, besides the great improbability that the Romans would rank a Samaritan among their divinities, it has since appeared that Justin Martyr read this inscrip

† Apol. ii. p. 69. 91.