亞里斯提書信

亞里斯提書信（英語：Letter of Aristeas；古希臘語：Επιστολή τοῦ Αριστέα），是公元前3世紀或2世紀初的希臘化作品。一些聖經學者，如Bruce M. Metzger（英語：Bruce M. Metzger），認為該信是偽造的。^[1]^[2] 這封書信是最早提到亞歷山大圖書館的文字。 ^[3] 猶太史家約瑟夫斯^[4]，解釋書信的五分之二，稱該信是馬莫拉（Marmora）的亞里斯提，寫給斐羅克拉特（Philocrates）。72名翻譯員應亞歷山大港圖書館長的要求，從耶路撒冷前往埃及翻譯希伯來文聖經成希臘語，即七十士譯本。然而，一些學者，如Roger S. Bagnall（英語：Roger S. Bagnall），認為這件事是虛構的。 ^[5] 1958年，Victor Tcherikover（英語：Victor Tcherikover）稱亞里斯提書信是猶太教護教學的作品，以向希臘化世界的希臘人保護猶太教的價值與合理性。^[6]

《亞里斯提書信》的開頭。梵諦岡圖書館，11世紀。

歷史

托勒密二世與七十士交談。Jean-Baptiste de Champaigne（英語：Jean-Baptiste de Champaigne）繪，1672。

亞里斯提書信，是馬莫拉的亞里斯提寫給其兄弟斐羅克拉特的信，內容主要涉及希伯來律法的希臘語翻譯，即七十士譯本的翻譯過程。^[7] 作者自稱是友愛者托勒密二世 (公元前281-246年在位)的廷臣。

現知，有二十多份希臘手稿保存下來，可追溯到11世紀至15世紀。在其他古代文本中，也引用該信，如約瑟夫斯的《猶太古史》 (c. 93 AD）、斐洛的《摩西生平》 (c. 15 AD)、優比西烏《福音傳》中摘錄的亞里斯托布魯（英語：Aristobulus of Alexandria）作品片段（c.160 BC）。^[8]

在《亞里斯提書信》中，埃及國王，可能是托勒密二世，在亞歷山大圖書館館長法勒魯姆的德米特里的敦促下，將希伯來律法翻譯成希臘語，以將希伯來人的知識添加至帝國已經收集了的大量書籍中。國王積極促成，賦予被俘虜的猶太人自由，派遣使節向耶路撒冷的聖殿獻上奢華的禮物。聖殿的大祭司從十二支派中各選出6人，一共72人。大祭司發表了讚揚律法的長篇佈道。當譯者到達亞歷山大時，國王喜極而泣，在隨後7日內，向譯者提出哲學問題。譯者們為這些問題提出了聰明的答案。 72名翻譯員，隨後在整整72天內，完成任務。亞歷山大的猶太人，在聽到以希臘語宣讀的律法後，紛紛索要副本，並咒詛任何更改譯文的人。國王重賞翻譯員，翻譯員便返鄉了。^[9] 相似的敘述元素在《巴比倫塔木德》的《五聖卷》（Megillah）^{[註 1]}中重新講述。 ^[10]

公元2世紀作者的主要目標之一，似乎是確立七十士譯本優於其他希伯來聖經版本。作者顯已希臘化的，將宙斯描繪成以色列上帝的另一個名字。雖然信中批評希臘的偶像崇拜和性道德，但措辭採取遊說，語氣和緩，而非敵意的攻擊。作者詳述猶太教，尤其是耶路撒冷聖殿，咸認為是在勸人改宗猶太教。^[11]

參考

註

^ 或譯密基拿，即《以斯帖記》、《路得記》、《傳道書》、《雅歌》及《耶利米哀歌》。《以斯帖記》中有相似的敘述元素。

註腳

^ Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. (Palo Alto: Mayfield) 1985; André Pelletier, SJ, La Lettre d'Aristée à Philocrate (Paris) 1962.
^ Metzger, B. The Bible in Translation. Baker Academic. 2001: 15. Most scholars who have analyzed the letter have concluded that the author cannot have been the man he represented himself to be but was a Jew who wrote a fictitious account in order to enhance the importance of the Hebrew Scriptures by suggesting that a pagan king had recognized their significance and therefore arranged for their translation into Greek.
^ The Cambridge Companion to the City in Literature, edited by Kevin R. McNamara, p.36
^ Antiquities XII:ii passim (Online （頁面存檔備份，存於互聯網檔案館） in Greek and English at York University)
^ The narrative is "open to the gravest suspicion, and the letter abounds with improbabilities and is now generally regarded as more or less fabulous," observed The Classical Review 335/6 (August–September 1919:123), reporting H. St.J. Thackeray's The Letter of Aristeas, with an Appendix of the Ancient Evidence on the Origin of the LXX..
^ Tcherikover, V. The Ideology of the Letter of Aristeas. Harvard Theological Review. 1958-04, 51.2: 59-85. Modern scholars commonly regard the "Letter of Aristeas" as a work typical of Jewish apologetics, aiming at self-defense and propaganda, and directed to the Greeks. Here are some instances illustrating this general view. In 1903 Friedlander wrote that the glorification of Judaism in the letter was no more than self-defense, though "the book does not mention the antagonists of Judaism by name, nor does it admit that its intention is to refute direct attacks". Stein sees in the letter "a special kind of defense, which practices diplomatic tactics", and Tramontano also speaks of "an apologetic and propagandist tendency". Vincent characterizes it as "a small unapologetic novel written for the Egyptians" (i.e. the Greeks in Egypt). Pheiffer says: "This fanciful story of the origin of the Septuagint is merely a pretext for defending Judaism against its heathen denigrators, for extolling its nobility and reasonableness, and first striving to convert Greek speaking Gentiles to it". Schürer classes the letter with a special kind of literature, "Jewish propaganda in Pagan disguise", whose works are "directed to the pagan reader, in order to make propaganda for Judaism among the Gentiles". Andrews, too, believes that the role of a Greek was assumed by Aristeas in order "to strengthen the force of the argument and commend it to non-Jewish readers. Even Gutman, who rightly recognizes that the Letter sprang 'from an inner need of the educated Jew,' sees in it 'a strong means for making Jewish propaganda in the Greek world.
^ Letter of Aristeas. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 2012 [14 August 2012]. （原始內容存檔於2015-05-06）.
^ Hereen, Achille; Seminaire, Grande; Bruges, Belgium. Origin of the Septuagint according to Tradition. Bible Source Texts Septuagint Version. Veritas Bible. 2009–2012 [14 August 2012]. （原始內容存檔於27 July 2012）.
^ Smith, Prof. Barry D. Jewish History from Alexander to the Death of Seleucus IV Eupator (333-175 BCE). The Intertestamental Period. Crandall University. 2 September 2010 [14 August 2012]. （原始內容存檔於23 June 2012）.
^ Letter of Aristeas | Letter of Aristeas to Philocrates, intertextual.bible, [2023-08-27], （原始內容存檔於2023-04-07）
^ Letter of Aristeas (Full Text in Greek and English) – Page 2 – ELLOPOS. [2023-04-07]. （原始內容存檔於2023-04-10）（美國英語）.

書目

Dries De Crom, "The Letter of Aristeas and the Authority of the Septuagint", Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha 17,2 (2008), 141–160.

外部連結

Online version in English translation （頁面存檔備份，存於互聯網檔案館） from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library
Translation by H. StJ. Thackeray at archive.org
Aristeas: 2015 Critical Translation with Audio Drama （頁面存檔備份，存於互聯網檔案館） at biblicalaudio
Online version of the Greek text from the Online Critical Pseudepigrapha （頁面存檔備份，存於互聯網檔案館）
Jewish Encyclopedia article （頁面存檔備份，存於互聯網檔案館） (1901–06).
Scholarly assessments （頁面存檔備份，存於互聯網檔案館）, Early Jewish Writings website
Lecture summary, Dr James Davila (1999), University of St Andrew's.

[Megillah-10] 或譯密基拿，即《以斯帖記》、《路得記》、《傳道書》、《雅歌》及《耶利米哀歌》。《以斯帖記》中有相似的敘述元素。

[Harris-1] Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible. (Palo Alto: Mayfield) 1985; André Pelletier, SJ, La Lettre d'Aristée à Philocrate (Paris) 1962.

[2] Metzger, B. The Bible in Translation. Baker Academic. 2001: 15. Most scholars who have analyzed the letter have concluded that the author cannot have been the man he represented himself to be but was a Jew who wrote a fictitious account in order to enhance the importance of the Hebrew Scriptures by suggesting that a pagan king had recognized their significance and therefore arranged for their translation into Greek.

[3] The Cambridge Companion to the City in Literature, edited by Kevin R. McNamara, p.36

[Josephus-4] Antiquities XII:ii passim (Online （頁面存檔備份，存於互聯網檔案館） in Greek and English at York University)

[5] The narrative is "open to the gravest suspicion, and the letter abounds with improbabilities and is now generally regarded as more or less fabulous," observed The Classical Review 335/6 (August–September 1919:123), reporting H. St.J. Thackeray's The Letter of Aristeas, with an Appendix of the Ancient Evidence on the Origin of the LXX..

[6] Tcherikover, V. The Ideology of the Letter of Aristeas. Harvard Theological Review. 1958-04, 51.2: 59-85. Modern scholars commonly regard the "Letter of Aristeas" as a work typical of Jewish apologetics, aiming at self-defense and propaganda, and directed to the Greeks. Here are some instances illustrating this general view. In 1903 Friedlander wrote that the glorification of Judaism in the letter was no more than self-defense, though "the book does not mention the antagonists of Judaism by name, nor does it admit that its intention is to refute direct attacks". Stein sees in the letter "a special kind of defense, which practices diplomatic tactics", and Tramontano also speaks of "an apologetic and propagandist tendency". Vincent characterizes it as "a small unapologetic novel written for the Egyptians" (i.e. the Greeks in Egypt). Pheiffer says: "This fanciful story of the origin of the Septuagint is merely a pretext for defending Judaism against its heathen denigrators, for extolling its nobility and reasonableness, and first striving to convert Greek speaking Gentiles to it". Schürer classes the letter with a special kind of literature, "Jewish propaganda in Pagan disguise", whose works are "directed to the pagan reader, in order to make propaganda for Judaism among the Gentiles". Andrews, too, believes that the role of a Greek was assumed by Aristeas in order "to strengthen the force of the argument and commend it to non-Jewish readers. Even Gutman, who rightly recognizes that the Letter sprang 'from an inner need of the educated Jew,' sees in it 'a strong means for making Jewish propaganda in the Greek world.

[7] Letter of Aristeas. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 2012 [14 August 2012]. （原始內容存檔於2015-05-06）.

[8] Hereen, Achille; Seminaire, Grande; Bruges, Belgium. Origin of the Septuagint according to Tradition. Bible Source Texts Septuagint Version. Veritas Bible. 2009–2012 [14 August 2012]. （原始內容存檔於27 July 2012）.

[9] Smith, Prof. Barry D. Jewish History from Alexander to the Death of Seleucus IV Eupator (333-175 BCE). The Intertestamental Period. Crandall University. 2 September 2010 [14 August 2012]. （原始內容存檔於23 June 2012）.

[11] Letter of Aristeas | Letter of Aristeas to Philocrates, intertextual.bible, [2023-08-27], （原始內容存檔於2023-04-07）

[12] Letter of Aristeas (Full Text in Greek and English) – Page 2 – ELLOPOS. [2023-04-07]. （原始內容存檔於2023-04-10）（美國英語）.

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