Kings

1,216 texts · Page 2 of 26

The monarchs of Israel and Judah, from Saul's troubled reign to the splendor of Solomon and the fall of the divided kingdom.

Egypt — Joseph the Ruler

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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...

King Ptolemy and the Messiah

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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...

Six Hundred Talents Paid to Redeem Jewish Prisoners

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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...

Septuagint Studies Torah

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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...

Greek and Hebrew of Letter

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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...

Philocrates and the Torah

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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...

The King Sends Lavish Offerings to the High Priest

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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...

Ptolemy Requests Seventy Scholars to Translate Torah

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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...

Eleazar Responds to the King's Letter With Gifts

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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...

Ptolemy Commissions a Magnificent Golden Table

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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...

Precious Stone Eggs Carved Around the Table's Edge

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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...

Translating the Torah of Letter

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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 Magnificent Table at Ptolemy's Royal Court

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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...

The Golden Vials Crafted for the Septuagint King

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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...

Temple Remembered

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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...

Kingdom of Second Temple

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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,...

Ptolemy and the Rabbis of Alexandria

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

We're talking about a place that seemingly had it all. But here's the thing: All that prosperity attracted people from the countryside. Farmers, laborers, folks who knew the land. ...

Ptolemy Strengthens Egypt Through Agriculture

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

It might surprise you. The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating document from around the 2nd century BCE, gives us a glimpse into the mind of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, the Greek ruler ...

Eleazar's Understanding

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The Letter of Aristeas gives us a glimpse into just that kind of bittersweet moment. It paints a picture of devotion, duty, and the complicated emotions that arise when brilliance ...

Eleazar Selects the Wisest Translators for Ptolemy

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

It recounts the story of how the Septuagint – the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible – came to be. And tucked within that grand narrative, we find a little gem about the importa...

Ptolemy Eagerly Awaits the Jewish Translators

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

That’s the backdrop for our story, which comes to us from the Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating document that purports to tell the story of how the Septuagint – that's the Greek tr...

Kingdom of Septuagint of Ptolemy

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

This ancient text, purporting to be a letter from Aristeas, an official in Ptolemy's court, describes the remarkable story of how the Septuagint – the Greek translation of the Hebr...

The Day Ptolemy Declared a Holiday for Jewish Scholars

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

Sometimes, they spring from the most unexpected places – a victory, a chance encounter, a shared feast. Let me tell you a story that hints at just such an origin. Imagine this: You...

Nicanor Ensures the Scholars Feel Welcome at Court

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The Letter of Aristeas gives us a fascinating glimpse into this very issue, specifically concerning the Jewish people in the ancient world. The story goes that King Ptolemy II Phil...

Septuagint Cries Out to God

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

Our guide for this little journey is the Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text that purports to describe how the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, came to be....

Story of Dorotheus

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The air is thick with anticipation. Prayers have just been offered, not just any prayers, but blessings invoking the Almighty to shower the king with prosperity, happiness, and end...

Road to Forgiveness

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

It’s a question rulers have wrestled with for millennia. The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating historical text, gives us a peek into just such a conversation, a moment of royal pon...

A King Asks His Advisors How to Do Good

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

Turns out, this question has been on people's minds for centuries. Let’s peek into the court of a king—specifically, a moment captured in the Letter of Aristeas. This ancient text,...

The Highest Good in Life According to Ancient Sages

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

They weren't just strategizing battles and building empires, you know. They were also pondering the big questions, just like us. The Letter of Aristeas gives us a peek into just su...

What True Courage Looks Like in a Crisis

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

Not as a dry, academic exercise, but as a genuine inquiry into the human spirit. The scene comes to us from the Letter of Aristeas, an ancient text that purports to describe how th...

Legend of Septuagint

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

We find this scene in the Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating document that purports to describe how the Septuagint – the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible – came to be. It's a r...

How Can a Ruler Continue in Prosperity

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text from the Hellenistic period, gives us a peek into the minds of Jewish sages grappling with questions of wealth, power, and virtue. It's f...

Ancient Wisdom on What Matters Most in Life

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The ancient world grappled with these questions just as we do today. And sometimes, tucked away in texts like the Letter of Aristeas, we find little gems of wisdom, insights into w...

Secrets to Good Governance at an Ancient Banquet

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

These aren't just modern questions. They're the kinds of things that leaders have been wrestling with for millennia. And they're exactly the sort of questions posed in the Letter o...

Words of the Heart

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

Ever wake up from a dream and think, "Wow, my brain is still stuck on that?" You're not alone. The ancients pondered this too. The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text purportedl...

Be Mindful of Your Own Position Always

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating text purportedly written in the 2nd century BCE, gives us some food for thought on just that. The text recounts the story of how the Septuagin...

Ancient Advice on What Makes a Good King

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

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 fa...

Ancient Secrets of Lasting Royal Power

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

It’s a question that's haunted leaders for millennia, and, wouldn't you know it, the answer might be older than you think. The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating document from the H...

To Whom Should a King Show Generosity

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

I'm talking about the Letter of Aristeas. It's an incredible text that purports to describe how the Septuagint, that famous Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, came to be. But t...

Ptolemy and the Rabbis of Piety

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The 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’s not just about pow...

Letter from Alexandria of Greek

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The Letter of Aristeas, an ancient text purporting to be a letter written by a Greek official in the court of Ptolemy Philadelphus (285-247 BCE), offers some surprisingly practical...

Ancient Wisdom from the King's Dialogue with Sages

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The ancient world wrestled with these questions too, and sometimes, we find their wisdom tucked away in unexpected places. Take the Letter of Aristeas, for example. It’s not exactl...

How Ancient Advisors Taught the Art of Just Rule

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating ancient text, gives us a glimpse into just that. It recounts the story of how the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, came ...

One Simple Truth for Rulers Who Want to Endure

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The Letter of Aristeas, a text purportedly written by a Greek official named Aristeas in the service of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-247 BCE), recounts the story of how the Hebrew ...

How to Always Maintain Right Judgment

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating Hellenistic Jewish text, gives us a glimpse into that very question, posing it directly to the court of a king. The scene is set: A king, hung...

How a King Can Spot Those Dealing Treacherously

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The story goes that a king, impressed by the wisdom of certain individuals, posed a crucial question: How could he possibly identify those who might be dealing treacherously with h...

What Is the Grossest Form of Neglect a King Can Show

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating ancient text, gives us a glimpse into that very question. Imagine being a king, surrounded by advisors, each vying for your attention. But ins...

A King's Advisor Says Think Before You Act

Apocrypha Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha

The Letter of Aristeas, a fascinating ancient text, gives us some clues. It recounts the story of how the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek – the Septuagint – but tucked away ...