Strabo and Tacitus on the Jews

>By such doctrine Moses persuaded a large body of right-minded persons to accompany him to the place where Jerusalem now stands. He easily obtained possession of it as the spot was not such as to excite jealousy, nor for which there could be any fierce contention; for it is rocky, and, although well supplied with water, it is surrounded by a barren and waterless territory. The space within the city is 60 stadia in circumference, with rock underneath the surface. Instead of arms, he taught that their defense was in their sacred things and the Divinity, for whom he was desirous of finding a settled place, promising to the people to deliver such a kind of worship and religion as should not burden those who adopted it with great expense, nor molest them with so-called divine possessions, nor other absurd practices. Moses thus obtained their good opinion, and established no ordinary kind of government. All the nations around willingly united themselves to him, allured by his discourses and promises.

Tacitus:

>Some say that the Jews were fugitives from the island of Crete, who settled on the nearest coast of Africa about the time when Saturn was driven from his throne by the power of Jupiter. Evidence of this is sought in the name. There is a famous mountain in Crete called Ida; the neighboring tribe, the Idaei, came to be called Judaei by a barbarous lengthening of the national name. Others assert that in the reign of Isis the overflowing population of Egypt, led by Hierosolymus and Judas, discharged itself into the neighboring countries. Many, again, say that they were a race of Ethiopian origin, who in the time of king Cepheus were driven by fear and hatred of their neighbors to seek a new dwelling-place. Others describe them as an Assyrian horde who, not having sufficient territory, took possession of part of Egypt, and founded cities of their own in what is called the Hebrew country, lying on the borders of Syria. Others, again, assign a very distinguished origin to the Jews, alleging that they were the Solymi, a nation celebrated in the poems of Homer, who called the city which they founded Hierosolyma after their own name. Most writers, however, agree in stating that once a disease, which horribly disfigured the body, broke out over Egypt; that king Bocchoris, seeking a remedy, consulted the oracle of Hammon, and was bidden to cleanse his realm, and to convey into some foreign land this race detested by the gods.

>The people, who had been collected after diligent search, finding themselves left in a desert, sat for the most part in a stupor of grief, till one of the exiles, Moses by name, warned them not to look for any relief from God or man, forsaken as they were of both, but to trust to themselves, taking for their heaven-sent leader that man who should first help them to be quit of their present misery. They agreed, and in utter ignorance began to advance at random. Nothing, however, distressed them so much as the scarcity of water, and they had sunk ready to perish in all directions over the plain, when a herd of wild asses was seen to retire from their pasture to a rock shaded by trees. Moses followed them, and, guided by the appearance of a grassy spot, discovered an abundant spring of water. This furnished relief. After a continuous journey for six days, on the seventh they possessed themselves of a country, from which they expelled the inhabitants, and in which they founded a city and a temple.

[Source for both: http://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/roman-jews.asp]

Very interesting OP. Interesting to see that a Republic-era thinker had a mostly favorable impression of the Jews, while a writer from the days of the Empire disparaged them.

>>2906289
It likely had something to do with the Jewish rebellions flaring up around the time of tacticus life.

>>2906289
Also, a Greek vs. a Roman

>>2906289
>>2906395
>>2906430
Why do things need be black and white. Some romans and Greeks liked Judaism, others didn't.

Also be sure to read Celsus on the Christians (i.e. der Juden)...

>>2906267
>speculations about the origins of the jews
>historian just poorly translating what some jews said the Talmud says about jewish history
>basically he says: "apparently they were from Egypt or something and this Moses guy who I guess owned land or something idk led them east"

amazing speculation and insight OP

>>2907317
people getting influenced by the events of their time is not really black and white

>>2907703
>jew

>>2907382

"only foolish and low individuals, and persons devoid of perception, and slaves, and women, and children, of whom the teachers of the divine word wish to make converts."

http://www.bluffton.edu/courses/humanities/1/celsus.htm

>>2907703
I never said I believe the speculations. Just that I found them to be interesting. What past people believed to be true is a part of history, just like what actually happened is a part of history.

>>2907986
I'm not criticizing you for your belief or lack thereof, only that this isn't interesting and doesn't help us learn about the history of jews. It is an account from a roman based on what he heard from contemporary jews who also didn't know their own history. Some guy poorly described Exodus for his roman audience and this is somehow interesting speculation?

Your thread is dumb OP

>>2908053
your a dorable