Once upon a time the people of Egypt appeared before Alexander of Macedon to complain of Israel. " It is said (Exod. xii. 36), they argued, (The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them/ etc.; and they prayed, " Give us now back the gold and the silver that ye took from us. Givia ben Pesisa said to the wise men (of Israel), " Give me permission to plead against them before Alexander.
If they overcome me, say, (You have overcome a plebeian only,* but if I overcome them, say, ( The law of Moses our master has triumphed over you.} • They accordingly gave him leave, and he went and argued thus, " Whence do ye produce your proof?* " From the law," said they. Then said he, " I will bring no other evidence but from the law. It is said (Exod. xii. 40), ^he sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years/ Pay us now the usufruct of the labor of the sixty myriads whom ye enslaved in Egypt for four hundred and thirty years.8 Alexander gave the Egyptians three days' grace to prepare a reply, but they never put in an appearance. In fact, they fled away and left both their fields and vineyards.