Apion An Epicurean(?)

I found this article from Cambridge (David Patterson) that says that Democritus also mentioned the Jewish practice of ritualistic cannibalism. I have not seen this before in Democritus, but if he did, then makes Apion's connection to Epicureanism even stronger. I think Mr. Patterson is in error, and it is a different Democritus that is mentioned in the Suda.

Of course some aspects of ritualistic blood-drinking are still practiced openly, for example in the ritual of Metzitzah B'peh (not to be confused with simple Brit Milah). https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/healt…/safe-bris.page

Quote from Bryan

I found this article from Cambridge (David Patterson) that says that Democritus also mentioned the Jewish practice of ritualistic cannibalism.

I want to dig deeper into this, because I was under the impression that Greek and Hebrew cultures did not interact until just after Epicurus' time.

Quote from Bryan

I have not seen this before in Democritus, but if it was true it makes the connection to Epicureanism even stronger.

I think that the author may have mixed up two, different Democrituses from the Thrace region. The Jewish Encyclopedia notes that the Democritus mentioned in a work by the Greek lexicographer Suidas was not Democritus of Abdera, the philosopher and atomist, but a different, unknown Democritus from Thrace (https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3408-…accusation#3489).

I would be avoid taking at face value any claims of Jewish ritual cannibalism or blood-drinking or inferring that the metzitzah b’peh is a vestige of this.

Anyway the attitudes of Greek philosophers to Judaism is an interesting subject. Their dogged adherence to their own traditions was a cause both of exasperation and admiration. Among some middle and late Platonists the Jews were numbered among the wise ancient peoples like the Egyptians, Babylonians, Brahmins, etc. Numenius of Apamea (a major influence for Plotinus and Porphyry) thought that Pythagoras learned from Moses and famously remarked that that Plato was Moses in Attic Greek. Porphyry was very familiar with the Jewish scriptures and one of his sharpest criticisms of the Christians is that they abandoned the venerable Jewish wisdom tradition for a ridiculous novelty.

I do wonder how later Epicureans might have appraised Jewish tradition. I imagine the initial assessment would have found little of value in it but they also initially rejected Homer and the Greek poetic heritage and I think later generations were reassessing that.

Excellent summary of the historical context! Thanks for posting.

I agree with Cassius that it would not be fruitful to peruse who is lying - Apion or Josephus. There are may instances of Josephus were he is proud of his deceit, which is for him a virtue when used as in instrument in his success.

Josephus problem - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Quote from Eggplant Wizard

I would be avoid taking at face value any claims of Jewish ritual cannibalism or blood-drinking or inferring that the metzitzah b’peh is a vestige of this.

Even if we believe Josephus (who denies that Greeks were ever kept as prisoners in the temple and eaten), Josephus does admit to other instances of Jewish cannibalism, including eating children (although not ritualistically, but out of hunger) which horrified the Romans. For example:

Flavius Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book VI, Whiston chapter 3, Whiston section 4

"There was a certain woman that dwelt beyond Jordan, her name was Mary... ....snatching up her son, who was a child sucking at her breast, she said, "O thou miserable infant!... ...Come on; be thou my food." As soon as she had said this, she slew her son, and then roasted him, and eat the one half of him, and kept the other half by her concealed. Upon this the seditious came in presently, and smelling the horrid scent of this food, they threatened her that they would cut her throat immediately if she did not show them what food she had gotten ready. She replied that she had saved a very fine portion of it for them, and withal uncovered what was left of her son..."

The idea that Apion was Epicurean is very appealing, but it seems there is no direct evidence.