29

participation. For what we would not otherwise have obtained from the Jews, since they would have hidden their oracles because of their envy towards us, of these we have been made worthy by the divinely ordained interpretation, which were translated by men among them approved for both their intelligence and their ancestral learning. 8.1.8 Aristaeus writes these things, a man otherwise learned, but also present at the events under the second Ptolemy, surnamed Philadelphus, under whom the translation of the Jewish scriptures, accomplished through the zeal of the king, was deemed worthy of the libraries in Alexandria. It is time to listen to him as he relates the manner of it word for word:

8.2.1 2. OF ARISTAEUS CONCERNING THE INTERPRETATION OF THE SCRIPTURES AMONG THE JEWS

"Demetrius of Phalerum, having been appointed over the king's library, was given large sums of money for the purpose of collecting all the books in the world, and by making purchases and transcriptions he brought the king's purpose to completion as far as 8.2.2 was in his power. So, in our presence he was asked how many tens of thousands of books there were, and he said: 'More than twenty, O King; and I will make haste in a short time to bring the remainder up to fifty tens of thousands.' It has also been reported to me that the laws of the Jews are worthy of transcription and of a place in your 8.2.3 library. 'What then,' he said, 'prevents you from doing this? For all things necessary have been provided for you.' And Demetrius said: 'It needs translation; for in Judea they use their own characters, just as the Egyptians do with the form of their letters, and they have their own language.' They are supposed 8.2.4 to use Syriac, but this is not so; it is another dialect. And when the king understood each point, he ordered a letter to be written to the high priest of the Jews, so that the aforesaid matter might be brought to completion." And after other things he adds: 8.2.5 "And when these things were accomplished, he commanded Demetrius to submit a memorandum concerning the transcription of the Jewish books. For everything was administered for these kings by decrees and with great exactness, and nothing was done carelessly or at random. Therefore I have included the memorandum and the copies of the letters, and the number of things sent, and the workmanship of each, because each of them was distinguished by its magnificence and art. And a copy of the memorandum is as follows:

8.3.1 3. LETTER OF DEMETRIUS OF PHALERUM TO PTOLEMY, KING OF EGYPT

"To the great king, from Demetrius. At your command, O king, concerning the books that are wanting for the completion of the library, that they should be collected, and that those which are damaged should receive suitable attention, having undertaken 8.3.2 the care of these matters not superficially, I make this report to you. The books of the law of the Jews are wanting, along with a few others. For they happen to be written in Hebrew characters and language; and they have been transcribed rather carelessly and not as they should be, as is reported by those who know; for they have not received royal 8.3.3 foresight. But it is necessary that these also should be in your possession in an accurate form, because this legislation is more philosophical and faultless, as being divine. For this reason, prose writers and poets and the multitude of historians have been far from mentioning the aforesaid books and the men who have lived according to them, because the ... in is a certain pure and reverend

29

μεταλήψεως. ὧν γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως ἐτύχομεν παρὰ Ἰουδαίων, ἀποκρυψάντων ἂν τὰ παρ' αὐτοῖς λόγια διὰ τὸν πρὸς ἡμᾶς φθόνον, τούτων ἐκ τῆς θεόθεν οἰκονομηθείσης ἑρμηνείας ἠξιώθημεν πρὸς τῶν παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐπί τε συνέσει καὶ τῇ πατρίῳ παιδείᾳ δεδοκιμασμένων ἀνδρῶν μεταβληθέντων. 8.1.8 γράφει δὲ ταῦτα Ἀρισταῖος, ἀνὴρ λόγιος μὲν ἄλλως, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ παρατυχὼν τοῖς πραχθεῖσι κατὰ τὸν δεύτερον Πτολεμαῖον, τὸν ἐπικληθέντα Φιλάδελφον, καθ' ὃν τὰ τῆς ἑρμηνείας τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν γραφῶν διὰ σπουδῆς τοῦ βασιλέως γενόμενα τῶν κατὰ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν βιβλιοθηκῶν ἠξιώθη. ἐπακοῦσαι δὲ αὐτοῦ καιρὸς τόνδε πρὸς λέξιν ἱστοροῦντος τὸν τρόπον·

8.2.1 βʹ. ΑΡΙΣΤΑΙΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΤΗΣ ΕΡΜΗΝΕΙΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΑΡΑ ΙΟΥ∆ΑΙΟΙΣ ΓΡΑΦΩΝ

«Κατασταθεὶς ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως βιβλιοθήκης ∆ημήτριος ὁ Φαληρεὺς ἐχρηματίσθη πολλὰ διάφορα πρὸς τὸ συναγαγεῖν ἅπαντα τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην βιβλία, καὶ ποιούμενος ἀγορασμοὺς καὶ μεταγραφὰς ἐπὶ τέλος ἤγαγεν ὅσον 8.2.2 ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως πρόθεσιν. παρόντων οὖν ἡμῶν ἐρωτηθεὶς πόσαι τινὲς μυριάδες τυγχάνουσι βιβλίων, εἶπεν· Ὑπὲρ τὰς εἴκοσι, βασιλεῦ· σπουδάσω δ' ἐν ὀλίγῳ χρόνῳ πρὸς τὸ πληρωθῆναι πεντήκοντα μυριάδας τὰ λοιπά. προσήγγελται δέ μοι καὶ τὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων νόμιμα μεταγραφῆς ἄξια καὶ τῆς 8.2.3 παρὰ σοὶ βιβλιοθήκης εἶναι. Τί τὸ κωλῦον οὖν, εἶπεν, ἐστί σε τοῦτο ποιῆσαι; πάντα γὰρ ἀποτέτακταί σοι τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν. ὁ δὲ ∆ημήτριος εἶπεν· Ἑρμηνείας προσδεῖται· χαρακτῆρσι γὰρ ἰδίοις κατὰ τὴν Ἰουδαίαν χρῶνται, καθάπερ Αἰγύπτιοι τῇ τῶν γραμμάτων θέσει, καθὸ καὶ φωνὴν ἰδίαν ἔχουσιν. ὑπολαμβά8.2.4 νονται δὲ Συριακῇ χρῆσθαι· τὸ δ' οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλ' ἕτερος τρόπος. μεταλαβὼν δὲ ἕκαστα ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπε γραφῆναι πρὸς τὸν ἀρχιερέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὅπως τὰ προειρημένα τελείωσιν λάβῃ.» Καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα ἐπιλέγει· 8.2.5 «Ὡς δὲ κατεπράχθη ταῦτα, τὸν ∆ημήτριον ἐκέλευσεν εἰσδοῦναι περὶ τῆς τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν βιβλίων ἀναγραφῆς. πάντα γὰρ διὰ προσταγμάτων καὶ μεγάλης ἀκριβείας τοῖς βασιλεῦσι τούτοις διῳκεῖτο καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπερριμμένως οὐδὲ εἰκῆ. διόπερ καὶ τὸ τῆς εἰσδόσεως καὶ τὰ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν ἀντίγραφα κατακεχώρικα καὶ τὸ τῶν ἀπεσταλμένων πλῆθος καὶ τὴν ἑκάστου κατασκευήν, διὰ τὸ μεγαλομερείᾳ καὶ τέχνῃ διαφέρειν ἕκαστον αὐτῶν. τῆς δὲ εἰσδόσεώς ἐστιν ἀντίγραφον τόδε· 8.3.1 γʹ. ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ∆ΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΦΑΛΗΡΕΩΣ ΠΡΟΣ ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΝ ΤΟΝ

ΑΙΓΥΠΤΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΑ «Βασιλεῖ μεγάλῳ παρὰ ∆ημητρίου. Προστάξαντός σου, βασιλεῦ, περὶ τῶν ἀπολειφθέντων εἰς τὴν συμπλήρωσιν τῆς βιβλιοθήκης βιβλιοθήκης βιβλίων, ὅπως ἐπισυναχθῇ καὶ τὰ διαπεπτωκότα τύχῃ τῆς προσηκούσης ἐπισκευῆς, πεποιημέ8.3.2 νος οὐ παρέργως τὴν ἐν τούτοις ἐπιμέλειαν προσαναφέρω σοι. τὰ δὲ τοῦ νόμου τῶν Ἰουδαίων βιβλία σὺν ἑτέροις ὀλίγοις τισὶν ἀπολείπει. τυγχάνει γὰρ Ἑβραϊκοῖς γράμμασι καὶ φωνῇ λεγόμενα· ἀμελέστερον δὲ καὶ οὐχ ὡς ὑπάρχει σεσήμανται, καθὼς ὑπὸ τῶν εἰδότων προσαναφέρεται· προνοίας γὰρ βασιλι8.3.3 κῆς οὐ τετύχηκε. δέον δὲ ἔτι καὶ ταῦθ' ὑπάρχειν παρὰ σοὶ διηκριβωμένα, διὰ τὸ καὶ φιλοσοφωτέραν εἶναι καὶ ἀκέραιον τὴν νομοθεσίαν ταύτην, ὡς ἂν οὖσαν θείαν. διὸ πόρρω γεγόνασιν οἵ τε συγγραφεῖς καὶ ποιηταὶ καὶ τὸ τῶν ἱστορικῶν πλῆθος τῆς ἐπιμνήσεως τῶν προειρημένων βιβλίων καὶ τῶν κατ' αὐτὰ πεπολιτευμένων ἀνδρῶν, διὰ τὸ ἁγνήν τινα καὶ σεμνὴν εἶναι τὴν ἐν