The Letter of Aristeas : 'Aristeas to Philocrates' or 'on the Translation of the Law of the Jews'.

Intro -- Preface -- Table of Contents -- I. INTRODUCTION -- 1. The Present Commentary -- 2. Historical Value -- 3. Title of the Book -- 4. The Author of Aristeas and His Provenance -- 5. Date -- 6. Textual Criticism -- a. The Manuscripts -- b. Josephus and Eusebius -- 7. Integrity of Aristeas and Its Sources -- 8. Genre, Literary Forms and Structure -- a. Genre -- b. Literary Forms -- c. Structure -- 9. Relation to Other Jewish Literature -- 10. Audience and Purpose -- II. GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY -- Editions and Translations -- Other Literature -- III. TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY -- Preface ( 1-8) -- The Library Project ( 9-11) -- The Liberation of the Jewish Slaves ( 12-27) -- Demetrius's Report ( 28-34a) -- Ptolemy II's Letter to Eleazar ( 34b-40) -- Eleazar's Reply to Ptolemy ( 41-51a) -- The Construction of the King's Gifts ( 51b-82) -- Ptolemy Requisitions Gifts for the Jerusalem Temple ( 51b-56) -- The Table ( 57-72) -- The Bowls ( 73-82) -- Jerusalem and its Environs ( 83-120) -- The Temple ( 84-87) -- The Temple's Water System ( 88-91) -- The Priests and Their Ministrations ( 92-95) -- The High Priest's Vestments ( 96-99) -- The Citadel ( 100-104) -- The City and Its Streets ( 105-106) -- The Surrounding Countryside and Comparison to Alexandria ( 107-111) -- Palestine and its Resources ( 112-118) -- The Mines of Arabia ( 119-120) -- Eleazar's Farewell to the Translators ( 121-127) -- Eleazar's Apologia for the Law ( 128-171) -- Why Distinguish between Clean and Unclean Animals ( 128-133) -- Eleazar Criticizes Gentile Idol Worship ( 134-139) -- The Purpose of Kosher Law ( 140-143) -- Kosher Laws Explained Allegorically ( 144-157) -- Tefillin and Mezuzot ( 158-160) -- Kosher Laws Continued ( 161-171) -- The Reception of the Translators at Alexandria ( 172-186).

Excursus on Aristeas, Hellenistic Symposia and Peri Basileus Literature (Part 1) -- The Symposia ( 187-300) -- The First Symposium ( 187-202) -- The Second Symposium ( 203-220) -- The Third Symposium ( 221-235) -- The Fourth Symposium ( 236-247) -- The Fifth Symposium ( 248-261) -- The Sixth Symposium ( 262-274) -- The Seventh Symposium ( 275-292) -- Excursus on Aristeas, Hellenistic Symposia and Peri Basileus Literature (Part 2) -- Aristeas's Praise of the Translators ( 295-300) -- The Execution of the Translation ( 301-307) -- The Proclamation of the Translation ( 308-316) -- The Departure of the Translators ( 317-321) -- Epilogue ( 322) -- Abbreviations -- Index of Names and Subjects -- Index of Ancient Sources -- Index of Modern Authors.

The series Commentaries on Early Jewish Literature (CEJL) is devoted to the study of Jewish documents and traditions that can be dated or traced back to the Hellenistic and Roman periods (ca. 300 BCE-150 CE). The literature covered by the series represents a rich diversity of literary forms and religious perspectives. Formally, these writings include testaments, apocalypses, legends, expansions and interpretations of biblical writings, psalms and prayers, poetry, historiography, and wisdom literature. They witness to an immensely creative period during which many Jews were struggling to preserve a living faith in the wake of social, political, and religious upheavals in the Mediterranean world and the Near East.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.