Apion was an Egyptian, and he spun a wild yarn about the Jews' exodus from Egypt. Josephus calls it a "novel account," which is a polite way of saying it was complete fiction. But here's the thing: why should we be surprised by Apion's lies about our ancestors when he's perfectly happy to lie about himself?
According to Josephus, Apion was actually born in Oasis, Egypt. Yet, he apparently "pretends to be, as a man may say, the top man of all the Egyptians." He tries to claim Alexandria as his birthplace! He's so eager to distance himself from his real origins that he's willing to disown his family and his true home. Now, why would he do that?
Josephus suggests Apion is trying to escape the perceived "pravity of his family" by falsely claiming to be from Alexandria. He hates and reproaches Egyptians, and in doing so, reveals his own insecurities. After all, people usually brag about their homeland, right? They value the identity it gives them and call out those who falsely claim it.
So, why would the Egyptians claim to be related to the Jews in the first place? Josephus offers two possibilities. Maybe they see it as a point of pride, wanting to share in our perceived glory. Or, perhaps more darkly, they want to drag us down to their level, making us partakers of their own shame.
But Apion, our fabulist, seems to have another agenda. He throws around this "originally Egyptian" insult, Josephus says, as a way to get back at the Alexandrians. They granted him citizenship, and now he repays them with slander, knowing full well how much they dislike their Jewish fellow citizens. In the process, he smears all Egyptians, but he seems not to care.
Ultimately, Josephus’s assessment of Apion is pretty blunt: "he is no better than an impudent liar." A strong statement, and one that reminds us that even in ancient times, people were wrestling with issues of identity, truth, and prejudice. It makes you wonder, doesn't it? How much of what we think we know about history is based on truth, and how much is spun from the agendas of people like Apion? And, more importantly, how can we learn to tell the difference?