Polybius Makes No Mention of Judea (part of Samaria) in late Seleucid Period

By Published On: August 31st, 20260.6 min read
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Historiae, apud: Josephus, Antiquitates Judaicae, XII, 135-136 – Niese = Polybius, Historiae, XVI,
39:1, 3, 4-Biittner-Wobst = F21R

(135) Polybius of Megalopolis attests these statements of mine; for in the sixteenth book of his History he says the following: “Scopas, the general of Ptolemy, set out for the upper country and during the winter subdued the Jewish nation.” (136) And in the same book he says that, after Scopas was defeated by Antiochus, “Antiochus took Batanaia, Samaria, Abila and Gadara, and after a short time there also came over to him those Jews, who live near the temple of Jerusalem, as it is called, concerning which we have more to say, especially concerning the renown of the temple, but we shall defer the account to another occasion.”

 

 

FRANZ KAFKA

Shall they say of me that at the beginning of my trial I wanted to end it, and now, at its end, I want it to begin again? I don’t want them to say that. I’m grateful they’ve sent these half mute insensitive men to accompany me on this journey and that it’s been left to me to say myself what needs to be said.