CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT FROM
Alfred C. Barnes
The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029308503
THE FIFTH BOOK OF MACCABEES:
CONTAINING A RECORD OF EVENTS FROM THE TRANSLATION OF THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES INTO GREEK UNDER PTOLEMY PHILADELPHUS, (B.C. 277,) TO THE DEATH OF HEROD’s TWO SONS, IN THE FIFTH OR SIXTH YEAR BEFORE CHRIST.
CHAPTER IIa
B.C.284
The history of the translation of the twenty-four books out of the Hebrew tongue into the Greek tongue, for Ptolemy king of Egypt.
There was a man of Macedon named Ptolemy, endued with knowledge and understanding; whom, as he dwelt in Egypt, the
Egyptians made king over the country of Egypt. Wherefore he, being possessed with a desire of seeking out various knowledge, collected all the books of wise men from every quarter. And being anxious to obtain the Twenty-four b Books, he wrote to the high priest in Jerusalem, to send him seventy elders from among those who were most skilled in those books; and he sent to the priest a letter, with a present. So, when the king’s letter came to the priest, he chose out seventy learned men, and sent them, together with a man named Eleazar c, one excelling in religion, science, and learning: who departed into Egypt. And when their approach was made known to the king, he commanded seventy lodgings to be prepared, and the men to be there entertained. He also ordered a secretary to be appointed for each one, who should take down the interpretation of these books in the Greek character and language. He likewise forbade that anyone of these should hold communication with any of his fellows;
of his fellows; lest they should agree together to make any change in those books. So, the secretaries took down from every one of them the translation of ” the Twenty-four Books.” And when the translations were finished, Eleazar brought them to the king; and compared them together in his presence: on which comparison, they were found to agree. Upon which the king was exceeding glad and ordered a large sum of money to be divided amongst the party. But Eleazar himself he rewarded with a munificent recompense.
He also on that day set free every captive which was found in Egypt, of the tribe of Judah and of Benjamin, that they might return to their own country Syria. The number of them was about one hundred and thirty thousand. Moreover, he ordered money to be distributed among them, so that several denarii came to the share of each person; who, receiving these, departed into their own land. Then he commanded a great table to be made of the purest gold, which should be large enough to contain a representation of the whole land of Egypt, and a picture of the Nile, from the commencement of its stream to the end of it in Egypt, with its various divisions through the country, and how it leaves the whole land. He also ordered the table to be set with many precious stones. And this table was made; and its carving was finished, and it was set with precious stones, and it was carried into the city of Jerusalem, a present to the magnificent house. And, arriving in safety, it was placed in the house, according to the king’s command. And truly men never be held it’s like, for the beauty of the pictures, and the excellence of the workmanship.
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