Over Shabbat I read Against (Book One) Apion by Josephus. It is quite frankly incredible, and I highly recommend that everyone read it. You can get a copy here.
I have pasted in some quotes that I found interesting and hopefully will write some more about it later. Enjoy
On Education:
As for ourselves, therefore, we neither inhabit a maritime country, nor do we delight in merchandise, nor in such a mixture with other men as arises from it; but the cities we dwell in are remote from the sea, and having a fruitful country for our habitation, we take pains in cultivating that only. Our principal care of all is this, to educate our children well; and we think it to be the most necessary business of our whole life to observe the laws that have been given us, and to keep those rules of piety that have been delivered down to us.
Against Omens (Quite Humerous)
Moreover, he attests that we Jews went asauxiliaries along with king Alexander, and after him with his successors. I will add further what he says he learned when he was himself with the same army, concerning the actions of a man that was a Jew. His words are these: "As I was myself going to the Red Sea, there followed us a man, whose name was Mosollam; he was one of the Jewish horsemen who conducted us; he was a person of great courage, of a strong body, and by all allowed to be the most skillful archer that was either among the Greeks or barbarians. Now this man, as people were in great numbers passing along the road, and a certain augur was observing an augury by a bird, and requiring them all to stand still, inquired what they staid for. Hereupon the augur showed him the bird from whence he took his augury, and told him that if the bird staid where he was, they ought all to stand still; but that if he got up, and flew onward, they must go forward; but that if he flew backward,they must retire again. Mosollam made no reply, but drew his bow,and shot at the bird, and hit him, and killed him; and as the augur and some others were very angry, and wished imprecation supon him, he answered them thus: Why are you so mad as to take this most unhappy bird into your hands? for how can this bird give us any true information concerning our march, who could not foresee how to save himself? for had he been able to forekno wwhat was future, he would not have come to this place, but would have been afraid lest Mosollam the Jew should shoot at him, and kill him."