To Autolycus 3.22
Summary: The Tyrian archives, as reported by Menander of Ephesus, date Solomon's temple, built with the help of Hiram of Tyre, about 134 years before the founding of Carthage.
Greek text · Otto 8:244–248
Ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τοῦ ναοῦ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τοῦ ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, ὃν ᾠκοδόμησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Σολομὼν μετὰ ἔτη πεντακόσια ἑξήκοντα ἓξ τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐξοδίας τῶν Ἰουδαίων, παρὰ Τυρίοις ἀναγέγραπται ὡς ὁ ναὸς ᾠκοδόμηται, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀρχείοις αὐτῶν πεφύλακται τὰ γράμματα, ἐν αἷς ἀναγραφαῖς εὑρίσκεται γεγονὼς ὁ ναὸς πρὸ τοῦ τοὺς Τυρίους τὴν Καρχηδόνα κτίσαι θᾶττον ἔτεσιν ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα τέσσαρσιν, μησὶν ὀκτώ· (Ἀνεγράφη ὑπὸ Ἱερώμου τοὔνομα βασιλέως Τυρίων, υἱοῦ δὲ Ἀβειβάλου, διὰ τὸ ἐκ πατρικῆς συνηθείας τὸν Ἱέρωμον γεγενῆσθαι φίλον τοῦ Σολομῶνος, ἅμα καὶ διὰ τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν σοφίαν, ἣν ἔσχεν ὁ Σολομών. Ἐν γὰρ προβλήμασιν ἀλλήλους συνεχῶς ἐγύμναζον· τεκμήριον δὲ τούτου, καὶ ἀντίγραφα ἐπιστολῶν αὐτῶν φασιν μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο παρὰ τοῖς Τυρίοις πεφυλαγμένα· γράμματά τε ἀλλήλοις διέπεμπον.) — καθὼς μέμνηται Μένανδρος ὁ Ἐφέσιος, ἱστορῶν περὶ τῆς Τυρίων βασιλείας, λέγων οὕτως· Τελευτήσαντος γὰρ Ἀβειβάλου, βασιλέως Τυρίων, διεδέξατο τὴν βασιλείαν ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ Ἱέρωμος, βιώσας ἔτη πεντήκοντα τρία. Τοῦτον δὲ διεδέξατο Βάζωρος, βιώσας ἔτη μγ΄, ὃς ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη ιζ΄. Μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον Μεθουάσταρτος, βιώσας ἔτη νδ΄, ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη ιβ΄. Μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ Ἀθάρυμος, βιώσας ἔτη νή, ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη θ΄. Τοῦτον ἀνεῖλεν ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ Ἕλλης τοὔνομα, ὃς βιώσας ἔτη ν΄ ἐβασίλευσεν μῆνας η΄. Τοῦτον ἀνεῖλεν Ἰουθώβαλος, ἱερεὺς τῆς Ἀστάρτης, ὃς βιώσας ἔτη μ΄ ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη ιβ΄. Τοῦτον διεδέξατο ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ Βάζωρος, ὃς βιώσας ἔτη με΄ ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη ζ΄. Υἱὸς δὲ τούτου Μέττηνος, βιώσας ἔτη λβ΄, ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη κθ΄. Τοῦτον διεδέξατο Πυγμαλίων, ὃς βιώσας ἔτη νς΄ ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη ζ΄. Ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ ἔτει τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ εἰς Λιβύην φυγοῦσα πόλιν ᾠκοδόμησεν τὴν μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο Καρχηδονίαν καλουμένην, Συνάγεται οὖν πᾶς χρόνος ἀπὸ τῆς Ἱερώμου βασιλείας μέχρι Καρχηδόνος κτίσεως ἔτη ρνε΄, μῆνες ὀκτώ. Τῷ δὲ δωδεκάτῳ ἔτει τῆς Ἱερώμου βασιλείας ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ὁ ναὸς ᾠκοδομήθη, ὥστε τὸν πάντα χρόνον γεγενῆσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ ναοῦ οἰκοδομῆς μέχρι Καρχηδόνος κτίσεως ἔτη ρλγ΄, μῆνες η΄.
English · Claude translation
Also concerning the building of the temple in Judea, which King Solomon built 566 years after the Jews came out of Egypt, it is recorded among the Tyrians how the temple was built, and the documents are preserved in their archives. In these records the temple is found to have been built 134 years and eight months before the Tyrians founded Carthage. (It was recorded by Hieromus, king of the Tyrians, son of Abibalus, because Hieromus had become Solomon's friend through a friendship inherited from his father, and also because of Solomon's surpassing wisdom. They constantly tested each other with riddles; as proof of this, they say that copies of their letters are preserved among the Tyrians to this day, and that they sent writings to each other.) So Menander of Ephesus records in his history of the kingdom of the Tyrians, speaking as follows: “When Abibalus, king of the Tyrians, died, his son Hieromus succeeded to the kingdom; he lived 53 years. He was succeeded by Bazorus, who lived 43 years and reigned 17. After him Methouastartus, who lived 54 years, reigned 12. After him his brother Atharymus, who lived 58 years, reigned 9. He was killed by his brother, named Helles, who lived 50 years and reigned 8 months. He was killed by Iouthobalus, priest of Astarte, who lived 40 years and reigned 12. He was succeeded by his son Bazorus, who lived 45 years and reigned 7. His son Mettenus, who lived 32 years, reigned 29. He was succeeded by Pygmalion, who lived 56 years and reigned 7. In the seventh year of his reign, his sister fled to Libya and built the city that to this day is called Carthage. So the whole time from the reign of Hieromus to the founding of Carthage adds up to 155 years and eight months. And the temple in Jerusalem was built in the twelfth year of the reign of Hieromus; so the whole time from the building of the temple to the founding of Carthage was 133 years and eight months.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The Tyrian king list comes from Menander of Ephesus by way of Josephus (Against Apion 1.116–126). “Hieromus” is Hiram.
- The Greek does not name the one who fled to Libya; it was Pygmalion's sister Elissa (Dido).
- Theophilus's figure of 566 years from the Exodus to the temple differs from 1 Kgs 6:1 (480 years; 440 in the Septuagint).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (numeral misprint: τβ΄ (312) for ιβ΄ (12), as in Josephus, Against Apion 1.122): νδ΄, ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη τβ΄ → νδ΄, ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη ιβ΄.
Cite this passage
Theophilus, Autol. 3.22 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/theophilus-autolycus/3/22/).
Plain text
Theophilus, Autol. 3.22 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/theophilus-autolycus/3/22/).
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