Aristeas at Night

I have a dream... but because I have so many dreams... here is a tiny drop of the dream I may never finish. Below are excerpts from the Letter of Aristeas that I made the other morning. I don't feel like commenting on it. But I have put in bold things I find interesting.

The Letter of Aristeas probably dates to the first part of the 2nd century BC and was probably written, like Artapanus, in Egypt. It is the earliest version of the story of how the Pentateuch was translated into Greek, that is, the story of the Septuagint. The story would grow and grow over time. In this earliest version, however, it is only the Pentateuch that is being translated, not the whole Old Testament. And also unlike later versions, they do not all separately translate it and miraculously find that their translations are all alike. It is a team effort.

The letter is agreed to be pseudonymous, meaning that it is not a real letter from someone named Aristeas to someone named Philocrates. It is a literary device the author uses to present the story of the Septuagint's translation, an event that was celebrated by the Jews of Egypt each year. The letter is thus one of many examples of a fairly common literary practice at the time.

Here are the excerpts I thought most helpful (with some modifications and paraphrase), taken from R. J. H. Shutt's translation in the OTP vol. 2.
_________
1 I have composed a trustworthy narrative, Philocrates, of the meeting that we had with Eleazar, high priest of the Jews, because you attach great importance to hearing a personal account of the mission, its content, and purpose. I have tried to give you a clear presentation of it by giving details of each aspect, because I realize your scholarly disposition-- 2 a supreme quality in a man who has continually tried to increase his learning and understanding... This is the way to acquire a pure disposition of mind: by attaining the noblest goals and by living by a rule that does not err when it comes to piety, the highest of all goals...

9 When Demetrius of Phalerum was appointed keeper of the king [of Egypt's] library, he undertook many different negotiations aimed at collecting, if possible, all the books in the world... 10 We were present when the question was put to him, "How many thousands of books are there [in the royal library]?" His reply was, "Over two hundred thousand, O King. I shall take urgent steps to increase in a short time the total to five hundred thousand. Information has reached me that the lawbooks of the Jews are worth translation and inclusion in your royal library."

11 "What is there to prevent you from doing this?" he said...

Demetrius replied, "Translation is needed. They use letters characteristic of the language of the Jews, just as Egyptians use the formation of their letters in accordance with their own language" ...

The king, in answer to each point, gave orders that a letter be written to the high priest of the Jews that the aforementioned project might be carried out. 12 I considered that it was an opportunity in connection with the ... release of those deported from Judea by the father of the king...

14 When therefore we came on some opportunity for their release, as we have shown before, we spoke the following words to the king 15 "... The laws have been established for all the Jews, and it is our plan not only to translate but also to interpret them. But what justification will we have for our mission when large numbers [of Jews] are in slavery in your kingdom? ...

16 These people worship God the overseer and creator of all, whom all people worship including ourselves, O King, except that we have a different name. Their name for him is Zeus and Jove...

I beg you to release those held in slavery"

17 He wasted no time, while we offered hearty prayer to God to dispose his mind to release them all. Humanity is God's creation and is changed and transformed by him. Thus with many different prayers I implored the Lord with all my heart that he might be convinced to grant my request" ...

29 To the great king, from Demetrius. Your command, O King, concerned the collection of missing volumes needed to complete the library and of items that accidentally fell short of the required condition... 30 Scrolls of the Law of the Jews ... are missing, for these are written in Hebrew characters and language. But they have been transcribed somewhat carelessly and not as they should be, according to the report of the experts, because they have not received royal patronage. 31 These must also be in your library in an accurate version, because this legislation, as could be expected from its divine nature, is very philosophical and genuine.

35 King Ptolemy to Eleazar the high priest, hearty greetings... 38 We have decided that your Law will be translated into Greek letters from what you call the Hebrew letters, in order that they too should take their place with us in our library with the other royal books...

[83-105 gives a description of the temple and city of Jerusalem, ca. 200BC]

96 It was an occasion of great amazement to use when we saw Eleazar engaged in his ministry, and all the glorious vestments, including the wearing of the garment with precious stones on it... 99 Their appearance makes one awe-struck and dumbfounded. A person would think he had come out of this world and into another one. I emphatically assert that everyone who comes near the spectacle of what I have described will experience astonishment and amazement beyond words, his very being transformed by the hallowed arrangement in every single detail.

121 Eleazar selected men of the highest merit and of excellent education due to the distinction of their parentage. They had not only mastered the Jewish literature, but had made a serious study of that of the Greeks as well. 122 ... They had a tremendous natural facility for the negotiations and questions arising from the Law, with the middle way as their commendable ideal... 126 [Eleazar] was only dispatching them for the common improvement of all the citizens. 127 The good life, he said, consisted in observing the laws...

128 It is worthwhile to mention briefly [Eleazar's] reflections in reply to questions [from the King] raised through us. It is my opinion that humanity as a whole shows a certain amount of concern for the parts of their legislation having to do with meats and drink and animals considered to be unclean. 129 For example, we inquired why--since there is only one creation--some things are considered unclean for eating and others for touching...

132 [Eleazar] began first by demonstrating that God is one, that his power is shown in everything, since every place is filled with his sovereignty. [He showed] that nothing that people do on earth secretly is hidden to him.

134 He proceeded to show that all the rest of humanity--"except ourselves," as he said--believe that there are many gods. Because people are far more powerful than the gods whom they vainly worship, they make images of stone and wood. Then they declare that these are likenesses of those ... whom they worship...

137 Those who have invented these fabrications and myths are usually ranked to be the wisest of the Greeks. 138 There is surely no need to mention the rest of the very foolish people, Egyptians and those like them, who have put their confidence in animals and most of the snakes and monsters, worship them, and sacrifice to them both while they are alive and dead.

139 In his wisdom, the legislator... being endowed by God to know universal truths, surrounded us with unbroken palisades and iron walls to prevent our mixing with any of the other peoples in any matter. We are thus kept pure in body and soul, preserved from false beliefs to worship the only God all powerful over all creation.

142 So to prevent our perversion by contact with others or mixing with bad influences, he hedged us in on all sides with strict observances connected with meat and drink and touch and hearing and sight, after the manner of the Law.

144 Do not take the contemptible view that Moses enacted this legislation because of an excessive preoccupation with mice and weasels or suchlike creatures. The fact is that everything has been solemnly set in order for unblemished investigation and amendment of life for the sake of righteousness...

150 Everything pertaining to conduct permitted us toward these creatures and toward animals has been set out symbolically. Thus the cloven hoof, that is the separation of the claws of the hoof, is a sign of setting apart each of our actions for good, 151 because the strength of the whole body in action rests on the shoulders and the legs. The symbolism conveyed by these things forces us to make a distinction in the performance of action, with righteousness as our goal...

181 The king ordered the finest apartments to be given [the translators] near the citadel and the preparations for the banquet to be made...

195 The king said to the next [guest], "What would be for you the supreme blessing for living?" The reply was, "To know that God is Lord over all, and that we do not ourselves direct our plans in the finest of actions, but God brings to completion the affairs of mortals and guides [them] with his sovereign power."

203 On the day afterward the seating and banqueting arrangements were again carried out in the same order... 210 [The king asked one of the guests,] "What is the essence of godliness?" He replied, "The realization that God is continually at work in everything and is omniscient. A human cannot hide from him an unjust deed or evil action."

[at the fifth banquet] 250 "How can one reach agreement with a woman?" [The guest] replied, "By recognizing that the female sex is bold, positively active for something it desires, easily liable to change its mind because of poor reasoning powers, and of naturally weak constitution."

[at the sixth banquet] 268 "At what thing ought one to feel pain?" To which [the guest] replied, "At the misfortunes of our friends, when we see them long drawn out and incurable. When they are dead and released from evils, reason does not indicate for them any pain. But when humans attribute to themselves even what is to their advantage, everyone suffers. The escape from evil takes place only through the power of God"

293 When [the seventy-second guest at the seventh banquet] finished speaking there was a long burst of applause accompanied by delighted cheers. When it subsided, the king took a cup and drank a toast to all the assembled company and to the speeches they had made.

295 If I have dwelt at length on these matters, Philocrates, I beg your pardon. I admired these men tremendously... 297 To tell lies concerning matters that are being chronicled is inappropriate. If I were to make a single error, it would be impious...

301 Three days afterward, Demetrius took the men with him... There he assembled them in a house that had been duly furnished near the shore... 302 They set to completing their several tasks, reaching agreement among themselves on each by comparing versions...

304 At the first hour of the day they attended the court daily, and after offering salutations to the king, retired to their own quarters. 305 Following the custom of all Jews, they washed their hands in the sea in the course of their prayers to God, 306 and then proceeded to the reading and explication of each point...

307 The outcome was such that in seventy-two days the business of translation was completed, just as if the result was achieved by some deliberate design... 311 They commanded that a curse should be laid... on anyone who would alter the version by any addition or change to any part of the written text, or any deletion either.