University of Arkansas
Fall, 2008; Greek 2003
Daniel B. Levine
Assignment: Septuagint.
Due September 05, 2008. [Be sure to complete both Part I and Part
II.]
PART I: Read “The Letter of Aristeas” here
(or: http://www.ccel.org/c/charles/otpseudepig/aristeas.htm)
and type short answers to the following questions.
1. What explanation does the writer give for the presence of Jews in
Egypt? What were the various Jews doing in Egypt when Aristeas visited the
king on their behalf? What does the writer say about the God of the Jews,
as relating to pagan divinity? What does the writer say about Demetrius
of Phalerum (1-16)?
2. How much money was to be involved in freeing the Jewish slaves? How
much money, and what gifts were to be involved in paying for the translation
of the Hebrew texts? (17-40)?
3. The Author says that he described the gifts “because I thought
it was necessary” (83). What do you think the real reason is for the
elaborate description of the altar and the vessels? What is the effect on
the reader? How does this help accomplish an apologetic goal?
4. Why do you think there is so much emphasis on the water system in
the Jerusalem Temple (89-91)?
5. Why do you think there is so much admiration for the sacrificial practices
of the Jewish priests (91-96)?
6. Why do you think there is so much description and admiration of the
dress of the high priest (95-99)?
7. What kind of skills and what sort of character did the translators
have? Why does the author stress this (121-127)?
8. How does the author discuss idolatry (133-138)? How do you think a
pagan reader would have reacted to this passage?
9. Why do you think there is such a long defense of the Jewish dietary
laws? What is the basic explanation for their peculiar practices (139-169)?
10. It was usually problematic for Jews to dine in the house of a non-Jew,
because of dietary restrictions. How did Ptolemy manage to entertain his
Judean guests at a banquet (172-186)?
11. What is the purpose of including the long passage about the King’s
questions, and the Jews’ answers? How does the author “prove”
the accuracy of his account of these banquet discussions (187-300)?
12. Why had God punished the writers Theodectyes and Theopompus for their
earlier uses of translations of the Holy Scriptures of the Jews? Why does
the author include these examples in contrast to Pompey’s sponsored translation
(308-318)?
PART II: Read Philo of Alexandria’s section on the translation
of the Septuagint (Life of Moses
II. 25-45) (or here: http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book25.html)
and answer the following questions:
1. What is Philo’s motivation in writing what he does about the translation
of the Jewish text?
2. How does Philo speak of the rulers of Egypt?
3. What is Philo’s understanding of the art of translation? How does
it match your own experience in translation?
4. What are some differences and similarities between the accounts of
Philo and Aristeas on the creation of the Septuagint?
5. When did Philo live? What is the date of the letter of Aristeas? What
did they hope to accomplish by writing these accounts?
Recent Comments