The first Republic before the Roman Republic

Isaac Orobio (c. 1617 – 1687) was a medical professor and councilor to the King of France. He stated that the first Republic was the Israelitic Republic of the multitudes that left Egypt, eight centuries before the Roman Republic. According to Voltaire, he was the most erudite Jew of his time. Here is the text of Isaac Orobio : 

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“This is how the Lord God dealt with the Israelitic Republic that He founded, filled with favors, preeminence, extraordinary freedoms, and privileges among all the peoples of the universe. He fortified it against its enemies’ greatest attacks, giving it just laws, rights, and judgments in which it could live and preserve itself perfectly. He prepared an eternal permanence if it kept them and miserable ruins and dispersion if it violated them and made unworthy pacts with its neighbors.

Israel rebelled one and many times against its powerful King, idolized and conspired with its neighboring nations against the Power of the Lord God, giving tribute to the worship and adoration of strange gods. It angered its rightful owner to destroy it, but his Divine Mercy stopped the sword of his justice. He forgave his rebellious Republic again and again, suspending the deserved punishment with only the satisfaction of repentance, leaving it in greater obligations of gratefulness. He then put it in the power of the Chaldeans so that, among the humiliations, ignominies, and miseries of captivity, it would recognize its mistakes and the lost happiness of leaving the grace of its King and falling into the hands of men. Israel partially corrected its mistakes, but left the Republic forced to undergo the rigorous punishment of the ancient crime of idolatry. However, this was not the only cause of its ruin, as it not only rebelled against its King in this way but also in many others in which it disobeyed the Divine Decrees.

Not only is rebellious the one who denies the King and submits to a strange Lord but also he who, confesses and maliciously tries to disobey him by committing crimes that the King prohibits as High Treason, with the penalty of death. The Republic of Israel left the idolatry that had previously caused its ultimate ruin and that of its ten tribes, but did not leave the other sins that deserved total extermination and eternal death.”

Here is the paleographic restitution of the original text : 

“Así procedió el Señor Dios nuestro con su República Israelitica fundada, llena de favores, preeminencia, extraordinarias franquezas y privilegios entre todas las gentes del universo. Fortificó contra los mayores ataques de sus enemigos, le dio justas leyes, fueros y juicios en los que pudiera vivir y conservarse perfectamente. Preparó una eterna permanencia si las guardaba  y miserables ruinas y dispersión si las violaba y hacía indignos pactos con sus vecinos. Israel se rebeló una y muchas veces contra su poderoso Rey, idolatró y conspiró con sus naciones vecinas contra la Potencia del Señor Dios Suyo, dando tributos a culto y adoración a dioses extraños. Irritó a su justo poseedor para que lo destruyera, pero su Divina Piedad detuvo la espada de su justicia. Perdonó una y otra vez a su rebelde República, suspendiendo el merecido castigo con solo la satisfacción del arrepentimiento, dejándola en mayores obligaciones de sentido agradecimiento. La puso después en poder de los Caldeos para que, entre los desprecios, ignominias y miserias de la cautividad, conociera sus errores y la cuartada felicidad perdida al salir de la gracia de su Rey y caer en manos de los hombres. Israel enmendó en parte sus errores, pero dejó la República forzada del riguroso castigo del antiguo crimen de la idolatría. Sin embargo, esta no fue la única causa de su ruina, ya que no solo se rebeló contra su Rey por este medio, sino también por muchos otros en los que desobedeció los Decretos Divinos. No solo es rebelde aquel que niega al Rey y reconoce al extraño Señor, sino también aquel que, confesándole, procura maliciosamente desobedecerlo cometiendo delitos que prohíbe como de Lesa Majestad, con pena de muerte. La República de Israel dejó la idolatría que antes había causado su última ruina y sus diez tribus, pero no dejó los demás pecados que merecían una total exterminación y muerte eterna.”