And Jacob and his family lived in Goshen, and had possession of the land and multiplied therein exceedingly.[[96]]
APPENDIX II.
An Account of the Translation of the Jewish Laws
from the Hebrew into Greek, as contained in the
Works of Flavius Josephus.[[97]]
When Alexander had reigned twelve years, and after him Ptolemy Soter forty years, Philadelphus then took the kingdom of Egypt, and held it forty years within one. He procured the law to be interpreted, and set free those that were come from Jerusalem into Egypt, and were in slavery there, who were a hundred and twenty thousand. The occasion was this:—Demetrius Phalerius, who was library-keeper to the King, was now endeavouring, if it were possible, to gather together all the books that were in the habitable earth, and buying whatsoever was anywhere valuable, or agreeable to the King’s inclination (who was very earnestly set upon collecting of books); to which inclination of his, Demetrius was zealously subservient.
And when once Ptolemy asked how many ten thousands of books he had collected, he replied that he had already about twenty times ten thousand; but that, in a little time, he should have fifty times ten thousand.
But he said he had been informed that there were many books of laws among the Jews worthy of inquiring after, and worthy of the King’s library, but which, being written in characters and in a dialect of their own, will cause no small pains in getting them translated into the Greek tongue: that the character in which they are written seems to be like to that which is the proper character of the Syrians, and that its sound, when pronounced, is like to theirs also; and that this sound appears to be peculiar to themselves. Wherefore, he said, that nothing hindered why they might not get those books to be translated also; for while nothing is wanting that is necessary for that purpose, we may have their books also in this library.
So the King thought that Demetrius was very zealous to procure him abundance of books, and that he suggested what was exceeding proper for him to do; and therefore he wrote to the Jewish high priest that he should act accordingly.
Now there was one Aristeus, who was amongst the King’s most intimate friends, and, on account of his modesty, very acceptable to him. This Aristeus resolved frequently, and that before now, to petition the King that he would set all the captive Jews in his kingdom free; and he though this to be a convenient opportunity for the making that petition. So he discoursed, in the first place, with the captains of the King’s guards, Sosibius of Tarentum and Andreas, and persuaded them to assist him in what he was going to intercede with the King for.