Samuel Remembered

Sifrei Devarim 157:1

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·March 24, 2026

R. Nehorai said: They sought a king only to lead them to idolatry, as it is written (I Samuel, Ibid. 20) "And we, too, will be like all the nations, and our king will judge us and go out before us, and fight our wars."

(Devarim 17:15) "Place shall you place over yourself a king": If he dies, appoint another in his place.

Themes

Continue Reading

Letter of AristeasSeptuagint Studies TorahOur tale begins with a letter – the Letter of Aristeas, to be precise. It purports to be from a courtier named Aristeas to his brother Philocrates, recounting t Letter of AristeasPhilocrates and the TorahIt all starts with a letter, aptly named the Letter of Aristeas. It’s addressed to Philocrates, and the writer, Aristeas, is an official in the court of Ptolemy Letter of AristeasPtolemy Requests Seventy Scholars to Translate TorahLetter of Aristeas turns to Ptolemy Requests Seventy Scholars to Translate Torah. This letter, attributed to someone named Aristeas, a courtier of the king, tel Letter of AristeasPtolemy and the Rabbis of PietyThe Letter of Aristeas, an ancient text purporting to be a firsthand account of the translation of the Torah into Greek, gives us some fascinating insights. It’Letter of AristeasWritten and Oral Law of PhilocratesI’m talking about the kind of gathering described in the Letter of Aristeas, a text that purports to tell the story of how the Hebrew Bible was translated into Letter of AristeasHow the Septuagint Translators Spent Their DaysLetter of Aristeas turns to How the Septuagint Translators Spent Their Days. So, what was a typical day like for these luminaries? Well, according to the Letter