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ARISTEAS

(Gk. Aristaíos),

LETTER OF

Purported to be an epistle from Aristeas, a member of Ptolemy II Philadelphus’ court, to his brother Philocrates, this pseudepigraphon tells a story of the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek (the LXX). Aristeas describes how Ptolemy II (285-247 b.c.e.) came to make a formal request to the high priest in Jerusalem, asking him to provide 72 translators (six from each of the 12 tribes) who would undertake the creation of a Greek version of the Jewish Law (the Pentateuch). Included in this section of the letter are a catalog of the gifts sent by the Egyptian king to the high priest, the librarian’s report to the king about the Jewish Scriptures, the full “texts” of the king’s request and the high priest’s affirmative reply, and substantial descriptions of the Jerusalem temple and Palestine. When the translators arrive in Alexandria, the king prepares a seven-day-long banquet. During the banquet, the description of which takes up nearly one third of the book, the king questions each of the visitors about their god and religion. A brief description of the successful translation of the Law into Greek concludes the work.

The letter probably was written in Egypt, perhaps Alexandria, during the latter half of the 2nd century. Its purpose is twofold: 1) to offer an extended “apology” for Judaism and the Jewish Law; and 2) to defend the complete adequacy of the Greek translation of the Law for religious purposes. As the story came to be usurped, transmitted, and altered by Christians in the defense of their use of the LXX over against the Hebrew Bible, this second theme has come to dominate the reading of the text. However, given the extended reflections on Jewish Law, the temple, Palestine, and the wise counsel of the translators, it seems clear that the primary purpose was to promote a better understanding of Judaism in an Egyptian environment.

Bibliography. R. J. H. Shutt, “Letter of Aristeas,” OTP 2 (Garden City, 1985): 7-34; J. R. Bartlett, The Jews in the Hellenistic World (Cambridge, 1985).

James R. Mueller

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

ARISTEAS

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)