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Hebrew
Colonization
In Early Greece
The
Witness Of The Apocrypha
And Flavius Josephus
An important and fascinating correspondence took place between the
Jewish high priest and the king of the Spartans (Lacedemonians) of
Greece. The date of this correspondence has been commonly assigned by
Palmer, Grimm and others, to B.C. 330-309. It provides evidence that the
early inhabitants of Greece were in fact Israelites.
In the Apocryphal book of First Maccabees chapter 12, verses
5-23, we read:
“And this is the copy of the letters which Jonathan wrote to the
Lacedemonians: Jonathan the high priest, and the elders of the nation,
and the priests, and the other people of the Jews, unto the
Lacedemonians their brethren send greeting: There were letters sent in
times past unto Onias the high priest from Darius, who reigned then
among you, to signify that ye are our brethren, as the copy here
underwritten doth specify. At which time Onias entreated the ambassador
that was sent honourably, and received the letters, wherein declaration
was made of the league and friendship, lest we should become strangers
to you altogether, for there is a long time passed since ye sent unto
us. We therefore at all times without ceasing, both in our feast, and
other convenient days, do remember you in the sacrifices which we offer,
and in our prayers, as reason is, and as it becometh us to think upon
our brethren, and we are right of your honour. As for ourselves, we have
had great troubles and wars on every side, forsomuch as the kings that
are round about us have fought against us. Howbeit we would not be
troublesome unto you, nor to others of our confederates and friends in
these wars. For we have help from heaven that succoureth us, so as we
are delivered from our enemies, and our enemies are brought under foot.
For this cause we chose Numenius the son of Antiochus, and Antipater the
son of Jason, and sent them unto the Romans, to renew the amity that we
had with them, and the former league. We commanded them also to go unto
you, and to salute you, and to deliver you our letters concerning the
renewing of our brotherhood. Wherefore now you shall do well to give us
an answer thereto. And this is the copy of the letters which Onias sent:
Areus king of the Lacedemonians to Onias the high priest, greeting: It
is found in writing, that the Lacedemonians and Jews are brethren, and
that they are of the stock of Abraham. Now therefore, since this is come
to our knowledge, ye shall do well to write unto us of your prosperity.
We do write back again to you, that your cattle and goods are ours, and
ours are yours. We do command therefore our ambassadors to make report
unto you on this wise.”
Flavius
Josephus
We
reproduce the passage from Flavius Josephus further relating to this
kinship of the Jews of the Maccabean age with the Spartans. It includes
an answer to the above letter of Areus king of the Lacedemonians to
Onias the high priest:
“Jonathan having thus gotten a glorious victory, and slain two
thousand of the enemy, returned to Jerusalem. So when he saw that all
his affairs prospered according to his mind, by the providence of God,
he sent ambassadors to the Romans, being desirous of renewing that
friendship which their nation had with them formerly. He enjoined the
same ambassadors, that, as they came back, they should go to the
Spartans, and put them in mind of their friendship and kindred.* So when
the ambassadors came to Rome, they went into their senate, and said what
they were commanded by Jonathan their high priest to say, how he had
sent them to confirm their friendship. The senate then confirmed what
had been formerly decreed concerning their friendship with the Jews, and
gave them letters to carry to all the kings of Asia and Europe, and to
the governors of the cities, that they might safely conduct them to
their own country. Accordingly, as they returned, they came to Sparta,
and delivered the epistle which they had received of Jonathan to them; a
copy of which here follows: ‘Jonathan, the high priest of the Jewish
nation, and the senate, and body of the people of the Jews, to the
ephori and senate, and body of the people of the Lacedemonians, send
greeting. If you be well, and both your public and private affairs be
agreeable to your mind, it is according to our wishes. We are well also.
When in former times an epistle was brought to Onias, who was then our
high priest, from Areus, who at that time was your king, by Demoteles,
concerning the kindred that was between us and you, a copy of which is
here subjoined, we both joyfully received the epistle, and were well
pleased with Demoteles and Areus, although we did not need such a
demonstration, because we were well satisfied about it from the sacred
writings, yet did not we think fit first to begin the claim of this
relation to you, lest we should seem too early in taking to ourselves
the glory which is now given us by you. It is a long time since this
relation of ours to you hath been renewed; and when we, upon holy and
festival days, offer sacrifices to God, we pray to Him for your
preservation and victory. As to ourselves, although we have had many
wars that have compassed us around, by reason of the covetousness of our
neighbours, yet did not we determine to be troublesome either to you or
others that were related to us;+ but since we have now overcome our
enemies, and have occasion to send Numenius the son of Antiochus, and
Antipater the son of Jason, who are both honourable men belonging to our
senate, to the Romans, we gave them this epistle to you also, that they
might renew that friendship which is between us. You will therefore do
well yourselves to write to us, and send us an account of what you stand
in need of from us, since we are in all things disposed to act according
to your desires.’ So the Lacedemonians received the ambassadors
kindly, and made a decree for friendship and mutual assistance, and sent
it to them.” (An exerpt from Antiquities
xiii.5 by Flavius Josephus)
Notes:
* The
ambassadors claim “brotherhood” and “kindred” with the Spartans,
but only “friendship” with the Romans.
+ “to
you or to others that were related to us” - Jewish opinion did not
exclude Israelite origin to other nations, but claimed it.
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