1. NOW it happened that the Egyptians grew delicate and lazy, as to pains-taking, and gave themselves up to other pleasures, and in particular to the love of gain. (Verse 7) They also became very ill-affected towards the Hebrews, as touched with envy at their prosperity1; for when they saw how the nation of the Israelites flourished2, and were become eminent already in plenty of wealth, which they had acquired by their virtue and natural love of labor, they thought their increase was to their own detriment3. And having, in length of time, forgotten the benefits they had received from Joseph, particularly the crown being now come into another family, they became very abusive4 to the Israelites, and contrived many ways of afflicting them; (Verse 11) for they enjoined them to cut a great number of channels for the river, and to build walls for their cities and ramparts5, that they might restrain the river, and hinder its waters from stagnating, upon its running over its own banks6: they set them also to build pyramids, (17) and by all this wore them out; and forced them to learn all sorts of mechanical arts, and to accustom themselves to hard labor7. And four hundred years did they spend under these afflictions; for they strove one against the other which should get the mastery, the Egyptians desiring to destroy the Israelites by these labors, and the Israelites desiring to hold out to the end under them.8

2. While the affairs of the Hebrews were in this condition, there was this occasion offered itself to the Egyptians, which made them more solicitous for the extinction of our nation9. One of those sacred scribes, (18) who are very sagacious in foretelling future events truly, told the king, that about this time there would a child be born to the Israelites, who, if he were reared, would bring the Egyptian dominion low, and would raise the Israelites; that he would excel all men in virtue, and obtain a glory that would be remembered through all ages. Which thing was so feared by the king, that, according to this man's opinion, he commanded that they should cast every male child, which was born to the Israelites, into the river, and destroy it; that besides this, the Egyptian 10midwives (19) should watch the labors of the Hebrew women, and observe what is born11, for those were the women who were enjoined to do the office of midwives to them; and by reason of their relation to the king, would not transgress his commands. He enjoined also, that if any parents should disobey him, and venture to save their male children alive, (20) they and their families should be destroyed. This was a severe affliction indeed to those that suffered it, not only as they were deprived of their sons, and while they were the parents themselves, they were obliged to be subservient to the destruction of their own children, but as it was to be supposed to tend to the extirpation of their nation, while upon the destruction of their children, and their own gradual dissolution, the calamity would become very hard and inconsolable to them. And this was the ill state they were in. But no one can be too hard for the purpose of God, though he contrive ten thousand subtle devices for that end; for this child, whom the sacred scribe foretold, was brought up and concealed from the observers appointed by the king; and he that foretold him did not mistake in the consequences of his preservation, which were brought to pass after the manner following: -

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FOOTNOTES

1 Josephus changes the biblical statement (Exod. 1:7) that Israel in Egypt “was fruitful and increased greatly” into one that the Egyptians became bitterly disposed towards the Hebrews through envy of their prosperity ( εὐδαιμονίας), omitting all mention of their increase in numbers, presumably because he is sensitive to the tremendous increase in the number of Jews during the first century B.C.E. and the first century C.E. and its implications. On envy as a recurring theme in Josephus.

2 Josephus appears to be following the Hebrew text (Exod. 1:7), “the land was filled with them,” whereas the LXX reads, “the land multiplied them.”

3 Exod. 1:7 speaks of the increase of the Israelites in numbers and strength but does not speak of their tremendous wealth—a contemporary charge in Josephus’ day—and does not say that this was at the Egyptians’ expense. Josephus also omits the biblical statement (Exod. 1:10) that the Egyptians feared that in the event of war the Israelites would join their enemies—in effect, the charge of dual loyalty (cf., e.g., Apion 2.38).

4 Here Josephus uses the word ἐνύβριζον, while in three other places ( Ant. 2.268, 4.3, and 4.242) he uses the word ὕβριςwith reference to the Egyptians’ insolent treatment of the Israelites. Significantly, the LXX nowhere characterizes the Egyptians’ treatment of the Israelites as ὕβρις. Philo, like Josephus influenced by the Hellenic tradition, has God refer to the intolerable outrages ( ὕβρεις) of the Egyptians toward the Israelites ( De Vita Mosis 1.14.72).

5 Exod. 1:11 specifies that the Israelites built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. The LXX speaks not of store cities but “strong cities” and adds “On, which is Heliopolis.”

6 The statement that the Israelites were forced to build walls and ramparts so as to prevent the river from forming pools when it overflowed its banks is Josephus’ addition.

7 This statement of the reason why the Egyptians forced the Israelites to build pyramids is Josephus’ addition.

8 Rappaport (25) asserts that with this extra-biblical comment Josephus the apologist is seeking to present the Israelites as particularly patriotic. Similarly, the Midrashic tradition ( Midrash Num. Rabbah 15.20) states that the Israelites went immediately to their work and labored with all their strength. This statement of a contest, in effect, between the Egyptians and the Israelites as to who could outlast the other is Josephus’ addition.

9 The episode which follows (Ant. 2.205-17) is Josephus’ expansion of the biblical narrative (Exod. 1:15-22).

10 The biblical text (Exod.1:15) indicates that there were two Hebrew midwives and gives their names. Josephus was apparently troubled by the question as to how two midwives could supervise so huge a population of the Israelites, since, according to Exod. 12:37 the number of adult men alone who left Egypt was 600,000; hence he does not specify the number of midwives.

11 Josephus’ Pharaoh is perhaps less cruel than the Bible’s Pharaoh, inasmuch as in Exod. 1:15 he gives orders to the Hebrew midwives to put the male children to death, whereas Josephus has him give the orders to Egyptian midwives, explaining that Pharaoh did so because women who were his compatriots were not likely to transgress his will. Nodet ( ad loc.), however, remarks that the Hebrew text is ambiguous and can be understood either as “to the Hebrew midwives” or “to the midwives of the Hebrews” (so also the LXX) and does not necessarily exclude Egyptian midwives. Significantly, Josephus does not indicate whether or not the midwives obeyed the king’s order. Note also that Josephus reverses the biblical order, since he puts the decree that the males be cast into the river before his instructions to the midwives. Moreover, he does not specifically state that the midwives were to put the males to death; rather, he says that they were to observe the deliveries of the Hebrew women. J. Cohen (1993:56) observes that the role of the midwives is totally absent in Jubilees, Ezekiel the Tragedian, Philo, and Bib. Ant.

(16) As to the affliction of Abraham's posterity for 400 years, see Antiq. B. I. ch. 10. sect. 3; and as to what cities they built in Egypt, under Pharaoh Sesostris. and of Pharaoh Sesostris's drowning in the Red Sea, see Essay on the Old Testament, Append. p. 132-162.

(17) Of this building of the pyramids of Egypt by the Israelites, see Perizonius Orig. Aegyptiac, ch. 21. It is not impossible they might build one or more of the small ones; but the larger ones seem much later. Only, if they be all built of stone, this does not so well agree with the Israelites' labors, which are said to have been in brick, and not in stone, as Mr. Sandys observes in his Travels. p. 127, 128.

(18) Dr. Bernard informs us here, that instead of this single priest or prophet of the Egyptians, without a name in Josephus, the Targum of Jonathan names the two famous antagonists of Moses, Jannes and Jambres. Nor is it at all unlikely that it might be one of these who foreboded so much misery to the Egyptians, and so much happiness to the Israelites, from the rearing of Moses.

(19) Josephus is clear that these midwives were Egyptians, and not Israelites, as in our other copies: which is very probable, it being not easily to be supposed that Pharaoh could trust the Israelite midwives to execute so barbarous a command against their own nation. (Consult, therefore, and correct hence our ordinary copies, Exodus 1:15, 22. And, indeed, Josephus seems to have had much completer copies of the Pentateuch, or other authentic records now lost, about the birth and actions of Moses, than either our Hebrew, Samaritan, or Greek Bibles afford us, which enabled him to be so large and particular about him.

(20) Of this grandfather of Sesostris, Ramestes the Great, who slew the Israelite infants, and of the inscription on his obelisk, containing, in my opinion, one of the oldest records of mankind, see Essay on the Old Test. Append. p. 139, 145, 147, 217-220.