Читать книгу Judaism I - Группа авторов - Страница 51

In his own historical account of the time of the Diadochi (322–275 BCE), after Ptolemy I Lagus, Josephus comes to speak of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, and reports on the king’s initiative on the translation of the Torah (Ant. 12.11–118). In Josephus, too, the translation took place on the island of Pharos in a house built near the beach (Ant. 12.103), by 72 translators (Ant. 12.39, 56). »Then he (Demetrius of Phaleron) entreated them (now they had everything they needed) to begin the work right away. The elders they made an accurate interpretation, with great zeal and great pains, and this they continued to do until the ninth hour … In all, the writing down and translation of the laws took seventy-two days« (Ant. 12.103–107).³⁹ The representatives and officials of the Jewish community expressed their agreement and the wish that »since the interpretation was happily finished, it might continue in the state it now was, and might not be altered« (Ant. 12.108).⁴⁰