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  • From: Harold Holmyard <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Septuagint vs Hebrew, effect on Christianity
  • Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2006 09:09:41 -0500

Schmuel wrote:

Schmuel
One good book is by Floyd Nolen Jones.
http://www.floydjones.org/LXX.pdf The Septuagint: A Critical Analysis

HH: This does not look like a good piece of writing, as reviewed here:
http://ecclesia.org/truth/defense.html

Harold, that is not a "review", not even close.

HH: Yes, it is a review, though not as formal as you might like.

Do you just cruise for a link and not even check it out carefully ?

HH: Here is one assertion by Jones that I have had a chance to check out. He says:

2. A letter, purporting to be written by a certain Aristeas to his brother Philocrates during the
reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246 B.C.), relates how Philadelphus, persuaded by his
librarian (Demetrius of Phalerum) to obtain a translation of the Hebrew Scriptures for his royal
library, appealed to the high priest at Jerusalem.

HH: Later he adds:

Others speculate that the LXX was primarily prepared for the benefit of a large population of Greek-speaking Jews living in and around Alexandria, Egypt. Yet, it is unlikely that in a space of approximately 35 years the Jews of Alexandria would have found such a translation needful or desirable. It is noteworthy that we find no vestige of any versions having been made by the Jews into the languages of other countries – countries in which they had settled for much longer periods than in Alexandria.

HH: But his figure of approximately 35 years is skewed at best. Here is a note from Wikipedia on the presence of Jews in Alexandria. I include a large paragraph to show the somewhat independent position of the Jews in this city as compared with many other places:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Egypt

The history of the Jews of Alexandria dates from the foundation of the city by Alexander the Great, 332 B.C., at which they were present. From the very beginning their numbers seem to have been considerable;

HH: Before continuing with the quotation, let me say that 332 minus 285 gives 47 years, not "approximately 35" count of Jones. That 47 year figure uses the 285 B.C. date, which was the first year of the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus and not necessarily the year the Old Greek translation began. There were evidently large numbers of Jews in Alexandria from the start, probably because Jews had been living in Egypt in considerable numbers from the time of the Babylonian Captivity in 587 B.C. The line of reasoning Jones pursues is inaccurate and misleading.

HH: Here is the rest of the quote:


at all events, they formed a very large portion of the population under the successors of Alexander. A separate section of the city was assigned to them by the first Ptolemies, so that they might not be hindered in the observance of their laws by continual contact with the pagan population. Moreover, the whole city was divided into five districts, which were named after the first five letters of the Greek alphabet. Of these five districts two were denominated Jewish districts, because the majority of their inhabitants were Jews. As regards number and position, the Jews in Alexandria enjoyed a greater degree of political independence there than elsewhere. While the Jewish inhabitants of other cities of the Roman empire, without any political separation, formed private societies for religious purposes, or else became a corporation of foreigners like the Egyptian and Phenician merchants in the large commercial centers, those of Alexandria constituted an independent political community, side by side with that of the heathen population.

HH: Perhaps it was their political independence and integration into the society that allowed the Jews in Alexandria to pursue a Greek translation of the Bible.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard





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