You might be surprised. It wasn't always about conquering new lands and building bigger empires. Sometimes, it was about something surprisingly… human.
The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating ancient text, gives us a peek into the minds of rulers and their advisors. It recounts the story of how the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, came to be. But nestled within this historical narrative are little gems of wisdom, advice given to a king struggling with, well, being a king.
One passage explores the common human inclination toward pleasure, especially food and drink. Sounds relatable. But it also points out that kings have their own unique temptations: the relentless pursuit of more territory and greater fame. The key, according to one wise advisor, is moderation. “What God gives, that you must take and keep, but never yearn for things that are beyond your reach." Good advice for a king, and honestly, pretty good advice for anyone. How often do we find ourselves chasing after something just out of reach, something that leaves us feeling empty even if we attain it? This ancient wisdom suggests contentment lies not in endless acquisition, but in appreciating what we already have.
But the king’s questions didn’t stop there. He then asked how he could be free from envy. A very human question, wouldn't you say? Even for a king with all the power and riches imaginable.
The response? Profound. The advisor replies after a moment of thought, "If you consider first of all that it is God who bestows on all kings glory and great wealth and no one is king by his own power. All men wish to share this glory but cannot, since it is the gift of God."
The advisor is saying that a king's power and glory are not self-made but divinely granted. And since these are gifts from above, envy is rendered futile. Because everyone wants to share in the glory, but not everyone can, because it's the gift of God, not the work of the man.
Imagine the weight lifted from the king’s shoulders by those words. To realize that his position wasn't due to his own merit alone, but a gift, a responsibility even. And that envy is a pointless emotion when we remember the source of all blessings.
This short exchange from the Letter of Aristeas offers a powerful reminder: that the struggles with desire and envy aren't unique to our time. These are timeless human challenges, and the wisdom to overcome them might just be found in the most unexpected places – like in the advice given to an ancient king. It makes you wonder what other timeless wisdom is hidden in ancient texts, waiting to be rediscovered and applied to our modern lives.