Theophrastus (372 – 288
BCE)
Disciple of Aristotle,
succeeded him as head of the Peripatetic school of philosophy in Athens.
And indeed, says
Theophrastus, the Syrians, of whom the Jews constitute a part, also now
sacrifice live victims according to their old mode of sacrifice; if one ordered
us to sacrifice in the same way we would have recoiled from the entire
business. For they are not feasted on the sacrifices, but burning them whole at
night and pouring on them honey and wine, they quickly destroy the offering, in
order that the all-seeing sun should not look on the terrible thing. And they
do it fasting on the intervening days.
During this whole time,
being philosophers by race, they converse with each other about the deity, and
at night-time they make observations of the stars, gazing at them and calling
on God by prayer. They were the first to institute sacrifices both of other
living beings and of themselves; yet they did it by compulsion and not from
eagerness for it. (On Piety, quoted by Porphry (3rd
century CE), On Abstinence 2.26)
הן עמנו לא היה בלתי
נודע בערים [שונות] בימי קדם, שהרי מנהגים רבים כבר הועברו לחלק מהן, אף נמצאו ראויים
לחיקוי על ידן. דברים אלה ברורים גם מחיבורו של תיאופראסטוס "על החוקים".
הוא מציין בו כי חוקי הצורים אוסרים להישבע שבועות של נוכרים, והוא כולל בהן גם את
השבועה המכונה "קורבן". אין למצוא [שבועה] זו אצל שום אומה אחרת זולת
היהודים, ומובנה בתרגום מעברית "דורון לאלוהים". (על החוקים אצל
יוספוס, נגד אפיון, א, 166-167, תרגום של א. כשר, נגד אפיון, החברה
ההיסטורית הישראלית, ירושלים, תשנ"ז).
Wherever date-palms grow abundantly, the soil is salt, both in Babylon, they
say, where the tree is indigenous, in Libya, in Egypt and in Phoenicia; while
in Coele-Syria, where are most palms, only in three districts, they say, where
the soil is salt, are dates produced which can be stored... However some say
that the people of Syria use no cultivation, except cutting out wood and
watering, also that the date-palm requires spring water rather than water from
the skies; and that such water is abundant in the valley in which are the palm
groves. And they add that the Syrians say that this valley extends through
Arabia to the Red Sea, and that many profess to have visited it, and that it is
in the lowest part of it that the date-palms grow. The only dates that will
keep, they say, are those which grow in the Valley of Syria, while those that
grow in Egypt, Cyprus and elsewhere are used when fresh. (Historia Plantarum,
II, 6:2, 5, 8, trans. A. Hort, LCL, GLAJJ I, p.13).
Among the plants that grow in Arabia, Syria and India the aromatic
plants are somewhat exceptional and distinct from the plants of other lands;
for instance, frankincense, myrrh, cassia, opobalsam, cinnamon and all other
such plants.( Historia Plantarum , IV, 4:14, trans. A. Hort, LCL,
GLAJJ, I, 15).
The frankincense and myrrh trees they say should be cut at the rising of
the Dogstar and on the hottest days, and so also the "Syrian balsam".(Historia
Plantarum IX, 1:6 trans. A. Hort, LCL, GLAJJ, I, 15).
Balsam grows in the valley
of Syria. They say that there are only two parks in which it grows, one of
about four acres, the other much smaller. The tree is as tall as a good-sized
pomegranate and is much branched; it has a leaf like that of rue, but is pale;
and it is evergreen; the fruit is like that of the terebinth (אלה) in size, shape
and color, and this too is very fragrant, indeed more so than the gum.
The gum, they say, is collected by making incisions, which is done with
bent pieces of iron at the time of the Dog-star, when there is scorching heat;
and the incisions are made both in the trunks and in the upper parts of the
tree. The collecting goes on throughout the summer; but the quantity which
flows is not large; in a day a single man can collect a shell-full; the
fragrance is exceeding great and rich, so that which comes from a small amount
is perceived for a wide distance. However it does not reach us in a pure state;
what is collected is mixed with other things; for it mixes freely with other
things; and what is known in Hellas is generally mixed with something else. The
boughs are also very fragrant. (3) In fact it is on account of these boughs,
they say, that the tree is pruned (as well for a different reason), since the
boughs cut off can be sold for a good price. In fact the culture of the trees
has the same motive as the irrigation (for they are constantly irrigated). And
the cutting of the boughs seems likewise to be partly the reason why the trees
do not grow tall; for, since they are often cut about, they send out branches
instead of putting out all their energy in one direction.
Balsam is said not to grow wild anywhere. From the larger park are
obtained twelve vessels containing each about three pints, from the other only
two such vessels; the pure gum sells for twice its weight in silver, the mixed
sort at a price proportionate to its purity. Balsam then appears to be of exceptional
fragrance. (Historia Plantarum IX, 6:1-4 trans. A. Hort, LCL,
GLAJJ, I, 16).
ראה:
GLAJJ = Stern, M. Greek and Latin Authors on
Jews & Judaism, Vols. I-III, Jerusalem, 1976-1984.
גוטמן, י', הספרות
היהודית ההלניסטית א, ירושלים, תשכ"ט, עמ' 74-88.
מלז-מודז'ייבסקי,
י', 'דמות היהודי במחשבת יוון סביב שנת 300 לפסה"נ', בתוך א' כשר, ג' פוקס,
א' רפפורט, (עורכים), יוון ורומא בארץ-ישראל, ירושלים 1989, עמ' 14-3.
שטרן, מ', "סדר
הזמנים של הידיעות הראשונות על היהודים בספרות היוונית", מחקרים בתולדות
ישראל בימי הבית השני, ירושלים, תשנ"א, עמ' 417-421.