155 texts in Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha
And it all starts with a letter. I'm talking about the Letter of Aristeas. It's not actually part of the Bible itself, but it's a fascinating ancient text that claims to tell us ho...
The Letter of Aristeas, an ancient text attributed to a courtier in the service of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (that's Ptolemy the Second, Philadelphus – quite a name. ) suggests that’...
I want to tell you a story, a personal one, about a mission I undertook. It all started with a plea. I saw an opportunity to speak to the king, to advocate for the Jewish captives....
It begins with a letter. Not just any letter, but the Letter of Aristeas. Now, the actual author of this letter is debated by scholars. But for now, let's just call him Aristeas. H...
The Letter of Aristeas, an ancient text, gets right to that point. It tells us that the joy of learning, the pursuit of wisdom, it's just… different. More profound than any fleetin...
And it all begins with a king and a library. Our tale comes from the Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating document that purports to be a firsthand account of the translation. Whether ...
Our journey begins with a letter—the Letter of Aristeas—a fascinating, and some would say embellished, account of just how this monumental translation project unfolded. Imagine Egy...
It’s a question that weaves through history, a tapestry of voluntary migration, military service, and, unfortunately, enslavement. One fascinating, though potentially embellished, ...
We're diving into the Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text that offers a glimpse into the world of Hellenistic Judaism. Imagine you're an advisor to a powerful king, and you're t...
That’s exactly where Aristeas found himself, as recounted in the Letter of Aristeas. Imagine being tasked with securing the freedom of countless captives. It's a daunting mission, ...
We're about to dive into a story where freeing a people became not just a political act, but an offering to the Divine. Imagine this: King Ptolemy Philadelphus, ruler of Egypt in t...
The Letter of Aristeas, an ancient text that purports to describe the translation of the Hebrew Bible into the Greek Septuagint, touches on just that question. And it does so in a ...
It’s a question that echoes through history, and sometimes, the answer comes in the form of a royal decree. I think it's worthwhile to share a copy of this ancient decree with you,...
More often, it's a tale riddled with injustice, with power used to justify the unthinkable. The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating document supposedly written in the 2nd century BCE...
That's the backdrop to our story today, a story of liberation, wisdom, and a little bit of royal generosity. We're diving into the Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text that purpo...
The story, as told in the Letter of Aristeas, is a fascinating glimpse into a world of kings, scholars, and, well, a whole lot of money. The narrative picks up with a pressing matt...
Our 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 the events surroundin...
And it all starts with a letter. The Letter of Aristeas, as it's known, recounts the tale of how the Torah—the first five books of Moses—came to be translated into Greek. Now, the ...
It’s a story filled with diplomacy, royal patronage, and a little bit of legend. It all starts with a king – Ptolemy Philadelphus, ruler of Egypt back in the 3rd century BCE. He wa...
It’s a story filled with intrigue, royal ambition, and a touch of the miraculous. It all starts with a letter… or rather, The Letter of Aristeas. This ancient text, attributed to s...
This is the picture we get from the Letter of Aristeas, where the author describes the actions of a powerful ruler who went above and beyond. He boasts, "I have set at liberty more...
It all starts with a letter, aptly named the Letter of Aristeas. Imagine being a fly on the wall as this letter is dictated. It’s addressed to Philocrates, and the writer, Aristeas...
Specifically, the Letter of Aristeas. This isn't a letter in the Bible, but a letter about the Bible – or rather, about its translation into Greek, which became known as the Septua...
That’s precisely the scene that unfolds in the Letter of Aristeas. It’s not just any letter; it’s a record, a moment frozen in time, detailing a remarkable exchange between a Jewis...
That's the request King Ptolemy II Philadelphus supposedly received, and it kicks off the fascinating story we find in the Letter of Aristeas. Now, this letter, attributed to someo...
It all begins with a letter – the Letter of Aristeas. Imagine this: you're a high-ranking official in the court of Ptolemy Philadelphus, the Greek ruler of Egypt in the 3rd century...
That’s precisely what happened back in the 3rd century BCE, according to the Letter of Aristeas. This fascinating text, attributed to a courtier named Aristeas in the service of Eg...
Our story comes to us from the Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating historical text. Think of it as a first-hand account – or at least, a very cleverly written piece of ancient PR – d...
The Letter of Aristeas gives us a peek behind the curtain. It's a fascinating text, purporting to be from an official in the court of Ptolemy Philadelphus, telling the story of how...
The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text that purports to describe the creation of the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible), gives us a glimpse into this questi...
Picture the weight of it, the gleam of it. The Letter of Aristeas tells us it was two cubits long, one cubit broad, and one and a half cubits high. Now, a cubit is an ancient measu...
This letter, purportedly written by a Greek official named Aristeas, gives us a glimpse into the creation of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. But amidst t...
Around the edge, where the surface curves upward to meet your gaze, there's a mesmerizing pattern. What is it? A series of precious stone "eggs," meticulously carved. The Letter of...
But nestled within this letter are descriptions of the Temple in Jerusalem, and some of its most magnificent furnishings. Today, we're focusing on just one small detail: a table. B...
The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text that purports to describe the translation of the Hebrew Bible into the Septuagint, gives us a glimpse. But within its pages, there are al...
Within its pages, we find a glimpse of the artistry involved in constructing the vessels of the Temple. One small detail in particular catches our eye, an ornate foot that supports...
The Letter of Aristeas gives us a tantalizing glimpse. This ancient text, purporting to be a letter from an official named Aristeas to his brother Philocrates, describes the proces...
We catch a glimpse of it, not from the Bible itself in this case, but from an ancient letter – The Letter of Aristeas. This fascinating text, though not part of the core biblical c...
That’s the kind of artistry we encounter in the Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating document that purports to describe the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, creating what w...
But there’s also another set of treasures that had a similar effect: the vessels created for the Temple in Jerusalem during the time of the Second Temple. And the Letter of Aristea...
It wasn't just about function; it was about honoring something bigger than themselves. Take, for instance, the description we find in the Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text tha...
It's not just about the bling, you know. It's about the dedication, the artistry, the sheer audacity of the project. Take, for instance, the story told in the Letter of Aristeas. W...
It’s a fascinating document, purporting to be written by a Greek official named Aristeas to his brother Philocrates. In it, he describes the process of commissioning the translatio...
The Letter of Aristeas asks us to do just that, to linger in the details. It’s a fascinating ancient text purporting to be a letter from an official in the court of Ptolemy II Phil...
We read about it, we imagine it, but sometimes it's the small, sensory details that truly bring history to life. One of the most fascinating accounts we have comes from the Letter ...
It’s a question that might make you squeamish, but it also speaks to the incredible ingenuity and meticulousness of the ancient priests. The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating docum...
We get a glimpse, a vivid snapshot, from the Letter of Aristeas. This letter, a fascinating document from the Hellenistic period, purports to be written by a Greek official named A...
The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text attributed to an official in the court of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-247 BCE), gives us a glimpse into just such a scene. It describes,...
