, or
about sixteen cents for every male above the age of twenty, which by the
Mosaic law they had previously paid for the service of the Temple.
This is called in the Gospels the Didrachms; though the Alexandrian
translators of the Bible, altering the sum, either through mistake or on
purpose, have made it in the Greek Pentateuch only half a didrachm, or
about eight cents. This yearly tribute from the Temple the high priest
of Jerusalem had been usually allowed to collect and farm; but in the
latter end of this reign, the high priest Onias, a weak and covetous
old man, refused to send to Alexandria the twenty talents, or fifteen
thousand dollars, at which it was then valued. When Euergetes sent
Athenion as ambassador to claim it, and even threatened to send a body
of troops to fetch it, still the tribute was not paid; notwithstanding
the fright of the Jews, the priest would not part with his money. On
this, Joseph, the nephew of Onias, set out for Egypt, to try and turn
away the king's anger. He went to Memphis, and met Euergetes riding in
his chariot with the queen and Athenion, the ambassador. The king, when
he knew him, begged him to get into the chariot and sit with him; and
Joseph made himself so agreeable that he was lodged in the palace
at Memphis, and dined every day at the royal table. While he was at
Memphis, the revenues of the provinces for the coming year were put up
to auction; and the farmers bid eight thousand talents, or six million
dollars, for the taxes of Coele-Syria, Phoenicia, and Samaria. Joseph
then bid double that sum, and, when he was asked what security he could
give, he playfully said that he was sure that Euergetes and the queen
would willingly become bound for his honesty; and the king was so much
pleased with him that the office was at once given to him, and he held
it for twenty-two years.

Among the men of letters who at this time taught in the Alexandrian
schools was Aristophanes, the grammarian, who afterwards held the office
of head of the museum. At one of the public sittings at which the king
was to hear the poems and other writings of the pupils read, and, by
the help of seven men of letters who sat with him as judges, was to
give away honours and rewards to the best authors, one of the chairs was
empty, one of the judges happened not to be there. The king asked who
should be called up to fill his place; and, after thinking over the
matter, the six judges fixed upon Aristophanes, w