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what benefit is there in both, if it is sealed? So too is the matter of the books sent to us from you. For if we are not able to read what has been sent to us from you, such a thing will be of no benefit to us. But deign to send us translators who from a young age have been accurately educated in both the Hebrew and the Greek language. Then the teachers of the Hebrews, having selected the aforementioned seventy-two translators, sent them according to the pattern that Moses once made, when he went up to the mountain by the command of the Lord, having heard, "Take with you seventy men and go up to the mountain." But he, for the sake of peace among the tribes, so that he would not take five men from some and six from others and create strife among the tribes, thought it better to take seventy-two and to add to the number. In the same way, then, as I said, they also sent these men, who translated the books on the island called Pharos, just as we said before, in the manner we have shown. And so the books, having been translated into Greek, were deposited in the first library, the one built in the Brucheion, as I have already said. And for this library there came to be another one, named its daughter, up in the Serapeum. And the time of the ten Ptolemies and Cleopatra passed, two hundred and fifty-nine years. After the first Ptolemy, son of Lagus, who reigned for forty years, and after the seventh year of the second Ptolemy, also called Philadelphus, the number of the Ptolemies and the years are as follows. Ptolemy Philadelphus, 38 years, in whose 7th year, more or less, the aforementioned 72 translators translated the scriptures. After the time of the translation of the scriptures, the years and the kings are as follows. The aforementioned Ptolemy Philadelphus, remaining years 31. Ptolemy Euergetes, 24 years. Ptolemy Philopator, 21 years. Ptolemy Epiphanes, 22 years. Ptolemy Philometor, 34 years. Ptolemy Philologus and Euergetes, 29 years. Ptolemy Soter, 15 years. Ptolemy also called Alexas, 12 years. Ptolemy the brother of Alexas, who was exiled by his mother, 8 years. Ptolemy Dionysus, 31 years. Cleopatra, daughter of Ptolemy, 32 years, who was joined to Antony the king and to Octavius. In total 259 years, as is set forth above. And the Lagid kings, the Ptolemies descended from Lagus, ceased, by whom a hippodrome constructed in Alexandria alone was named Lagion. Then, the kings of the Romans. Augustus, 56 years, 6 months, in whose forty-second year our Lord Jesus Christ was born according to the flesh. Tiberius, 23 years, in whose eighteenth year Christ was crucified. And from the cross until the destruction of Jerusalem, the years are as follows. The remaining years of Tiberius, 5. Gaius, 3 years, 9 months, 29 days. Claudius, 13 years, two months less two days. Nero, 13 years, 7 months, 27 days. Galba, 7 months, 26 days. Otho, 3 months, 5 days. Vitellius, 8 months, 12 days. Vespasian, 9 years, 7 months, 12 days. Titus, two years, two months, two days. In this time the desolation of Jerusalem took place, after the fiftieth year of Christ's crucifixion less three months. Domitian, 15 years, 5 months. Nerva, 1 year, 4 months. Trajan, 19 years. Hadrian, 21 years, in whose twelfth year Aquila became known. From Augustus, therefore, until Hadrian, 180 years, 4 months less 9 days, so that it is from the time of the translation of the seventy-two translators until Aquila the translator and the twelfth year of Hadrian, 430 years and 4 months less 9 days. This Hadrian, having been mutilated in his body

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ἐσφραγισμένης τίς ὠφέλεια ἐν ἀμφοτέροις; οὕτω καὶ ἡ παρ' ὑμῶν ἀπεσταλμένη ἡμῖν τῶν βιβλίων ὑπόθεσις. Ἡμῶν γὰρ μὴ δυναμένων ἀναγνῶναι τὰ παρ' ὑμῶν ἡμῖν ἀπεσταλμένα εἰς οὐδὲν ὄφελος γενήσεται ἡμῖν τὸ τοιοῦτον. Ἀλλὰ καταξιώσατε ἑρμηνευτὰς ἡμῖν ἀποστεῖλαι τοὺς ἀπὸ νέας ὑμῖν ἡλικίας ἀκριβῶς τήν τε τῶν Ἑβραίων καὶ τῶν Ἑλλήνων πεπαιδευμένους γλῶσσαν. Τότε τοὺς προγεγραμμένους ἑβδομήκοντα δύο ἑρμηνευτὰς ἐκλεξάμενοι οἱ τῶν Ἑβραίων διδάσκαλοι ἀποστέλλουσι κατὰ τὸν τύπον, ὅν ποτε ἐποίησε Μωυσῆς, ἡνίκα ἀνῆλθεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος διὰ προστάγματος Κυρίου, ἀκούσας ὅτι «παράλαβε μετὰ σεαυτοῦ ἄνδρας ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ ἀνάβηθι εἰς τὸ ὄρος». Αὐτὸς δὲ διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὰς φυλὰς εἰρήνην, ἵνα μὴ ἐξ ἐνίων λάβῃ πέντε ἄνδρας, ἐξ ἄλλων ἓξ καὶ ποιήσῃ στάσιν ἐν ταῖς φυλαῖς, διενοήθη μᾶλλον ἑβδομήκοντα δύο παραλαβεῖν καὶ τῷ ἀριθμῷ προσθεῖναι. Τῷ αὐτῷ δὴ τρόπῳ, ὡς ἔφην, καὶ τούτους ἀπέστειλαν, οἵτινες ἡρμήνευσαν τὰς βίβλους ἐν τῇ Φαρίᾳ καλουμένῃ νήσῳ, καθάπερ ἄνω προείπομεν, ᾧ τρόπῳ ὑπεδείξαμεν. Καὶ οὕτως αἱ βίβλοι εἰς ἑλληνίδα μετενεχθεῖσαι ἀπετέθησαν ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ βιβλιοθήκῃ τῇ ἐν τῷ Βρουχίῳ οἰκοδομηθείσῃ, ὡς ἤδη ἔφην. Ἐγένετο δὲ αὐτῇ τῇ βιβλιοθήκῃ ἑτέρα, ἡ θυγάτηρ αὐτῆς ὀνομασθεῖσα ἄνω ἐν τῷ Σεραπείῳ. Καὶ παρῆλθεν ὁ χρόνος τῶν δέκα Πτολεμαίων καὶ Κλεοπάτρας ἐτῶν διακοσίων καὶ πεντήκοντα καὶ ἐννέα. Μετὰ δὲ τὸν πρῶτον Πτολεμαῖον τὸν Λάγου τὸν βασιλεύσαντα ἔτη τεσσαράκοντα καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἕβδομον ἔτος τοῦ δευτέρου Πτολεμαίου τοῦ καὶ Φιλαδέλφου ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν Πτολεμαίων καὶ τῶν ἐτῶν οὕτως. Πτολεμαῖος Φιλάδελφος ἔτη ληʹ, ἐφ' οὗ ἐν τῷ ζʹ ἔτει αὐτοῦ πλείω ἢ ἐλάσσω οἱ προειρημένοι οβʹ ἑρμηνευταὶ τὰς γραφὰς ἡρμήνευσαν. Μετὰ δὲ τὸν χρόνον τῆς ἑρμηνείας τῶν γραφῶν τὰ ἔτη καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς οὕτως. Πτολεμαῖος ὁ προειρημένος Φιλάδελφος ἔτη λοιπὰ λαʹ. Πτολεμαῖος ὁ Εὐεργέτης ἔτη κδʹ. Πτολεμαῖος ὁ Φιλοπάτωρ ἔτη καʹ. Πτολεμαῖος Ἐπιφανὴς ἔτη κβʹ Πτολεμαῖος Φιλομήτωρ ἔτη λδʹ. Πτολεμαῖος ὁ Φιλόλογος καὶ Εὐεργέτης ἔτη κθʹ. Πτολεμαῖος ὁ Σωτὴρ ἔτη ιεʹ. Πτολεμαῖος ὁ καὶ Ἀλεξᾶς ἔτη ιβʹ. Πτολεμαῖος ὁ τοῦ Ἀλεξᾶ ἀδελφός, ὁ ὑπὸ τῆς μητρὸς ἐξωσθεὶς ἔτη ηʹ. Πτολεμαῖος ὁ ∆ιόνυσος ἔτη λαʹ. Κλεοπάτρα Πτολεμαίου θυγάτηρ ἔτη λβʹ, ἥτις Ἀντωνίῳ συνήφθη τῷ βασιλεῖ τῷ καὶ Ὀκταβίῳ. Ὁμοῦ ἔτη σνθʹ, ὡς ἄνωπρόκειται. Καὶ ἐπαύσαντο αἱ Λαγίδαι βασιλεῖς οἱ ἀπὸ τοῦ Λάγου καταγόμενοι Πτολεμαῖοι, ὑφ' οὗ ἱππικὸν ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείᾳ κατασκευασθὲν μόνῃ Λάγιον ὠνομάσθη. Εἶτα βασιλεῖς Ῥωμαίων. Αὔγουστος ἔτη νϛʹ, μῆνας ϛʹ, οὗτινος ἐν τῷ τεσσαρακοστῷ δευτέρῳ ἔτει ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς κατὰ σάρκα γεγέννηται. Τιβέριος ἔτη κγʹ, οὗ τῷ ὀκτωκαιδεκάτῳ ἔτει ὁ Χριστὸς ἐσταύρωται. Ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ σταυροῦ ἕως τῆς καταστροφῆς Ἱεροσολύμων ἔτη οὕτως. Τὰ λοιπὰ Τιβερίου ἔτη εʹ. Γάϊος ἔτη γʹ, μῆνας θʹ, ἡμέρας κθʹ. Κλαύδιος ἔτη ιγʹ, μῆνας δύο παρ' ἡμέρας δύο. Νέρων ἔτη ιγʹ, μῆνας ζʹ, ἡμέρας κζʹ. Γάλβας μῆνας ζʹ, ἡμέρας κϛʹ. Ὄθων μῆνας γʹ, ἡμέρας εʹ. Βιτέλλιος μῆνας ηʹ, ἡμέρας ιβʹ. Οὐεσπασιανὸς ἔτη θʹ, μῆνας ζʹ, ἡμέρας ιβʹ. Τίτος ἔτη δύο, μῆνας δύο, ἡμέρας δύο. Ἐν τούτῳ τῷ χρόνῳ γέγονεν ἡ ἐρήμωσις Ἱεροσολύμων, μετὰ πεντηκοστὸν ἔτος τῆς Χριστοῦ σταυρώσεως παρὰ μῆνας τρεῖς. ∆ομετιανὸς ἔτη ιεʹ, μῆνας εʹ. Νερούας ἔτος αʹ, μῆνας δʹ. Τραϊανὸς ἔτη ιθʹ. Ἀδριανὸς ἔτη καʹ, οὗτινος τῷ δωδεκάτῳ ἔτει Ἀκύλας ἐγνωρίζετο. Ἀπὸ οὖν Αὐγούστου ἕως Ἀδριανοῦ ἔτη ρπʹ, μῆνες δʹ παρὰ ἡμέρας θʹ, ὡς εἶναι ἀπὸ τοῦ χρόνου τῆς ἑρμηνείας τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα δύο ἑρμηνευτῶν ἕως Ἀκύλα τοῦ ἑρμηνευτοῦ καὶ δωδεκάτου ἔτους Ἀδριανοῦ ἔτη υλʹ καὶ μῆνας δʹ παρὰ ἡμέρας θʹ. Οὗτος ὁ Ἀδριανὸς λωβηθεὶς τῷ σώματι