The Letter Of Aristeas
1926 anthology, complete selected publisher reading text
Rutherford H. Platt
24 And when the whole company expressed their approval, they bade them pronounce a curse in accordance with their custom upon anyone who should make any alteration either by adding anything or changing in any way whatever any of the words which had been written or making any omission.
25 This was a very wise precaution to ensure that the book might be preserved for all the future time unchanged.
26 When the matter was reported to the king, he rejoiced greatly, for he felt that the design which he had formed had been safely carried out.
27 The whole book was read over to him and he was greatly astonished at the spirit of the lawgiver.
28 And he said to Demetrius, ‘How is it that none of the historians or ‘the poets have ever thought it worth their while to allude to such a wonderful achievement?’
29 And he replied, ‘Because the law is sacred and of divine origin. And some of those who formed the intention of dealing with it have been smitten by God and therefore desisted from their purpose.’
30 He said that he had heard from Theopompus that he had been driven out of his mind for more than thirty days because he intended to insert in his history some of the incidents from the earlier and somewhat unreliable translations of the law.
31 When he had recovered a little, he besought God to make it clear to him why the misfortune had befallen him.
32 And it was revealed to him in a dream, that from idle curiosity he was wishing to communicate sacred truths to common men, and that if he desisted he would recover his health.
33 I have heard, too, from the lips of Theodektes, one of the tragic poets, that when he was about to adapt some of the incidents recorded in the book for one of his plays, he was affected with cataract in both his eyes.
34 And when he perceived the reason why the misfortune had befallen him, he prayed to God for many days and was afterwards restored.
35 And after, the king, as I have already said, had received the explanation of Demetrius on this point, he did homage and ordered that great care should be taken of the books, and that they should be sacredly guarded.
36 And he urged the translators to visit him frequently after their return to Judea, for it was only right, he said, that he should now send them home.
37 But when they came back, he would treat them as friends, as was right, and they would receive rich presents from him.
38 He ordered preparations to be made for them to return home, and treated them most munificently.
39 He presented each one of them with three robes of the finest sort, two talents of gold, a sideboard weighing one talent, all the furniture for three couches.
40 And with the escort he sent Eleazar ten couches with silver legs and all the necessary equipment, a sideboard worth thirty talents, ten robes, purple, and a magnificent crown, and a hundred pieces of the finest woven linen, also bowls and dishes, and two golden beakers to be dedicated to God.
41 He urged him also in a letter that if any of the men preferred to come back to him, not to hinder them.
42 For he counted it a great privilege to enjoy the society of such learned men, and he would rather lavish his wealth upon them than upon vanities.
43 And now Philocrates, you have the complete story in accordance with my promise.
44 I think that you find greater pleasure in these matters than in the writings of the mythologists.
45 For you are devoted to the study of those things which can benefit the soul, and spend much time upon it. I shall attempt to narrate whatever other events are worth recording, that by perusing them you may secure the highest reward for your zeal.