deprived, be once abrogated? although indeed these Romans,
who are now the lords of the habitable earth, have forbidden
the Egyptians to have the privileges of any city whatsoever;
while this fine fellow, who is willing to partake of such a
privilege himself as he is forbidden to make use of, endeavors
by calumnies to deprive those of it that have justly received
it; for Alexander did not therefore get some of our nation to
Alexandria, because he wanted inhabitants for this his city, on
whose building he had bestowed so much pains; but this was
given to our people as a reward, because he had, upon a
careful trial, found them all to have been men of virtue and
fidelity to him; for, as Hecateus says concerning us,
"Alexander honored our nation to such a degree, that, for the
equity and the fidelity which the Jews exhibited to him, he
permitted them to hold the country of Samaria free from
tribute. Of the same mind also was Ptolemy the son of Lagus,
as to those Jews who dwelt at Alexandria." For he intrusted
the fortresses of Egypt into their hands, as believing they
would keep them faithfully and valiantly for him; and when
he was desirous to secure the government of Cyrene, and the
other cities of Libya, to himself, he sent a party of Jews to
inhabit in them. And for his successor Ptolemy, who was
called Philadelphus, he did not only set all those of our
nation free who were captives under him, but did frequently
give money [for their ransom]; and, what was his greatest
work of all, he had a great desire of knowing our laws, and of
obtaining the books of our sacred Scriptures; accordingly, he
desired that such men might be sent him as might interpret
our law to him; and, in order to have them well compiled, he
committed that care to no ordinary persons, but ordained