Letter of Aristeas

1917 printed page 30 / §§33–36

Printed page 30 Original marginal section labels beginning on this page: §33, §34, §35, §36. The opening continues §32 from the preceding page. accurate translation may deposit it in a conspicuous place{1} in a manner worthy of the undertaking and of thy gracious will. Fare ever well!"{2} When this memorial had been presented, the king ordered that a letter should be written to Eleazar on these matters, informing him also of the emancipation of the captives. He presented also towards the construction of bowls and vials and a table and cups for libations fifty talents' weight of gold and seventy talents of silver and of precious stones a great number (enjoining the treasurers to leave to the craftsmen the selection of such materials as they might desire), and for sacrifices and other purposes as much as an hundred talents in money. _(d)_ THE LETTERS OF PTOLEMY AND ELEAZAR I{3} will give thee an account of the construction _of the gifts_ when I {3} have set out copies of the letters. The tenour of the king's letter was as follows :— "King Ptolemaeus to Eleazar the high priest greeting and health. "Forasmuch as there are many Jews settled in our realm who were forcibly removed from Jerusalem by the Persians at the time of their power, and others who entered Egypt as captives in the train of our father—of these he enrolled many in the army, giving them higher than the ordinary pay, and in like manner, having proved TRANSLATOR’S NOTES (1917) — printed page 30 {1} _i. e._ in the Alexandrian library (cf. § 38). But the sense is doubtful ; possibly we should translate " may make the meaning plain." {2} _Εὐτύχει_, as Mahaffy has shown, is the regular formula at the end of an address from a subordinate to his superior, and is therefore correctly used here. A person addressing his subordinate or his equal uses _ἔρρωσο_ (so in the letters that follow, §§ 40, 46). {3} Lit. "we."