Septuagint's Proverbs and the Wisdom of Amenemope
Septuagint's Proverbs and the Wisdom of Amenemope

Author: Scriptural Research Institute

Publisher: Scriptural Research Institute

Published: 2020-03-29

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1989852076

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The book of Proverbs was historically attributed to King Solomon, who is explicitly referred to as the author of some of the proverbs within it. A number proverbs are known to have been copied from older collections of proverbs, most notably the Wisdom of Amenemope, which was apparently written by Amenemope son of Kanakht sometime before Pharaoh Akhenaten circa 1350 BC. The Wisdom of Amenemope is an ancient Egyptian text that has mostly survived to the present, dating to sometime between 1550 and 1350 BC. It served as an inspiration for several books in the Jewish Tanakh (Christian Old Testament), including the Deuteronomy, Psalms, Proverbs, and the Wisdom of Sirach. The most significant influence of Amenemope on the Tanakh is found in the book of Proverbs, which copies some of Amenemope verbatim. The Wisdom of Amenemope was lost for over 2400 years, however, in the late 1800s, several copies were found by Egyptologists both on papyrus and tablets. It is not clear when exactly it was lost, but it was no longer in circulation by the time the Septuagint was translated at the Library of Alexandria circa 250 BC, and there is no evidence the Library ever acquired a copy of it. If the biblical story of Solomon is essentially accurate, then his Egyptian wife would have almost certainly given him a copy of the Wisdom of Amenemope, as it carried the name of her father. This was not the Amenemope that wrote the Wisdom of Amenemope, however, it still would have made a good present to a barbarian king she would no doubt want to Egyptianize. The influence of Solomon's wives over his beliefs is a central aspect of his story within the biblical narrative, with the Levites that wrote the surviving versions of the books of Kingdoms (Samuel and Kings) ultimately describing the downfall of the unified kingdom of Israel (Judea and Samaria) as being because of his actions. Whether Solomon existed or not, the Book of Proverbs was compiled by someone who ascribed it to him. This person drew on many ancient sources, but clearly had a copy of the Wisdom of Amenemope in his possession. The fact that the author of Proverbs translated texts directly from Amenemope is not in doubt, and almost all major Christian denominations have recognized the preeminence of the Wisdom of Amenemope on the compilation of Proverbs.

Wisdom of Amenemope
Wisdom of Amenemope

Author: Scriptural Research Institute

Publisher: Scriptural Research Institute

Published: 2020-03-27

Total Pages: 71

ISBN-13: 1989852068

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The Wisdom of Amenemope (also called the Wisdom of Amenemopet, Instruction of Amenemope, or Instructions of Amenemopet) is an ancient Egyptian text that has mostly survived to the present, dating to sometime between 1550 and 1350 BC. Egyptian wisdom literature served as an inspiration for several ancient Israelite books, including the Deuteronomy, Psalms, Proverbs, and the Wisdom of Joshua ben Sira. The most significant influence of Amenemope on the Israelite texts is found in the book of Proverbs, which appears to be directly influenced by Amenemope. The Wisdom of Amenemope was lost for over 2000 years, however, in the late 1800s, several copies were found by Egyptologists both on papyrus and tablets. The various copies all dated to the 21st through 27th dynasties of Egypt, circa 1170 to 500 BC, meaning the Wisdom of Amenemope was in circulation for over 600 years before being lost. It is not clear when exactly it was lost, but it was no longer in circulation by the time the Septuagint was translated at the Library of Alexandria circa 250 BC, and there is no evidence the Library ever acquired a copy of it. If the biblical story of Solomon is essentially accurate, then his Egyptian wife would have almost certainly given him a copy of the Wisdom of Amenemope, as it carried the name of her father. This was not the Amenemope that wrote the Wisdom of Amenemope, however, it still would have made a good present to a barbarian king she would no doubt want to Egyptianize. The influence of Solomon's wives over his beliefs is a central aspect of his story within the biblical narrative, with the Levites that wrote the surviving versions of the books of Kingdoms (Samuel and Kings) ultimately describing the downfall of the unified kingdom of Israel (Judea and Samaria) as being because of his actions. Yet, he was described as building the first temple in Jerusalem, and so continued to be revered by the Levites. Whether Solomon existed or not, the Book of Proverbs was compiled by someone who ascribed it to him. This person drew on many ancient sources but clearly had a copy of the Wisdom of Amenemope in his possession. The fact that the author of Proverbs translated texts directly from Amenemope is not in doubt, and almost all major Christian denominations have recognized the preeminence of the Wisdom of Amenemope in the compilation of Proverbs.

Septuagint's Solomon and the Testament of Solomon
Septuagint's Solomon and the Testament of Solomon

Author: Scriptural Research Institute

Publisher: Scriptural Research Institute

Published: 2020-07-07

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 1989852408

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King Solomon is arguably the most famous of all ancient Israelite kings, with several books in the Septuagint dedicated to him, or about him, or even by him, yet, to date, no archeological evidence for his life has been found. Additionally, the Testament of Solomon has survived from the Second Temple era which displays another side of King Solomon. The lifetime of King Solomon falls during the Third Intermediate Period (dark age) in Egyptian history, and therefore are no records of Solomon within the very limited Egyptian records from the time. Egyptologists believe the Kingdom of Egypt collapsed at the beginning of the time period, and by the time that Solomon would have lived, in the early-9th century BC, the king of Egypt only controlled the northern region, while the rest of Egypt was under the rule of the High Priest of Amen (Amun). The various books associated with Solomon that made it into the Septuagint, include 3rd Kingdoms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom of Solomon, and Psalms of Solomon, als of which have been retranslated into modern English. The first book in this collection is 3rd Kingdoms, which tells the life of Solomon, likely from Ezra the Scribe's perspective, 500 years later. The book likely dates to before the reign of King Josiah, circa 700 BC, but is believed to have been redacted by Ezra the Scribe, or someone else in his era. The second book, Proverbs, also called Proverbs of Solomon, is generally attributed to King Solomon, who is explicitly referred to as the author of some of the proverbs. A number proverbs are known to have been copied from older collections of proverbs, most notably the Wisdom of Amenemope, which was apparently written by Amenemope son of Kanakht sometime before Pharaoh Akhenaten, circa 1350 BC. The third book, Ecclesiastes is generally also attributed to King Solomon, however, he is not mentioned anywhere by name. The idea that King Solomon was the author, is found in the introduction to the text. At some point before the Greek translation was made, someone added an introduction and conclusion to the text, in which the author is described as being the 'son of David,' and a 'King in Jerusalem.' The fourth book, Song of Songs, also called the Song of Solomon, is a song about King Solomon theoretically written in his time, circa 950 BC. The book does not list its author, but it was clearly written by a woman in love with Solomon. She is believed to have been referring to herself as a Shulamite in chapter 7, which suggests she was Abishag the Shulamite, King David's youngest concubine. The fifth book, Wisdom of Solomon was added to the Septuagint sometime between 250 and 132 BC, and while it was traditionally attributed to King Solomon, today scholars generally believed to have been composed in Greek, shortly before it was added to the Septuagint. The Wisdom of Solomon itself appears to have been redacted before the Greek translation, as the first half is about the spirit of wisdom, Sophia in Greek, who is credited with actually doing most of what the Lord (Iaw/Yahweh) was credited with doing in the Septuagint and Masoretic Texts, however, this changes abruptly to crediting the Lord in chapter 11, and Sophia disappeared entirely from the rest of the book. The sixth book, Psalms of Solomon, is also called Psalms of Salomon in many of the surviving manuscripts, although it is not clear why. At this time, it is universally agreed that the Psalms of Solomon is a pre-Christian work, as early Christian writers referred to it even though it is clearly not about the life of Jesus as described in the gospels. The seventh book, Testament of Solomon, was widely used by Christian and Gnostic astrologers in the first few centuries of the Christian era.

Septuagint: Tobit (Sinaiticus Version)
Septuagint: Tobit (Sinaiticus Version)

Author: Scriptural Research Institute

Publisher: Scriptural Research Institute

Published: 2021-02-26

Total Pages: 94

ISBN-13: 1990289029

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The Book of Tobit appears to be from an older sect of Judaism, likely the one led by the 'false priest' Tobiah, who was expelled from the temple by Ezra when his genealogy could not be proven in 2ⁿᵈ Ezra. 2ⁿᵈ Ezra was the version of Ezra used by the Pharisee sect which emerged under the Hasmonean Dynasty, while Tobit, along with Enoch, Jubilees, and Job appears to have primarily been used by the Essenes sects. The Book of Tobit is generally viewed as fiction by most scholars for a variety of reasons. One major reason it is viewed as fiction is the presence of Tobit's cousin Ahikar, in both versions of the book, who is the protagonist of the Words of Ahikar, a book set in the same era, which is also considered fiction. It is quite clear from the text of Tobit, that it is the same Ahikar, and not just someone with the same name, as Ahikar's betrayal by his nephew is mentioned, which is part of the early section of Ahikar. Nevertheless, both books, Tobit and Ahikar survive in various forms, meaning that they were edited multiple times before the versions that survive to the present were transcribed. The surviving copies of the Septuagint include two versions of the Book of Tobit, the more common form, found in the Codex Vaticanus, Codex Alexandrinus, and most other surviving copies of the Septuagint, and the less common version found in the Codex Sinaiticus. The differences between the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus versions of Tobit are too extensive to treat the books as the same book, however, their story is essentially the same. The two books must have had a common source, however, the Sinaiticus's version is over 20% longer than the Vaticanus's version, and appears to be an older version of Tobit. One of the reasons that the Book of Tobit is interpreted as fiction, is the existence of historical errors and anachronisms found in the Vaticanus version, which includes the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar and the Persian king Ahasuerus jointly destroying Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Nineveh was sacked by Babylonian King Nabopolassar in 612 BC, along with Median and Persian allies, led by the Median King Cyaxares, who then integrated the city into his Median Empire. Nabopolassar's son Nebuchadnezzar, who assumed the throne in 605 BC, finally conquered the remnants of the Assyrian forces in Syria at the Battle of Carchemish that same year, however, he did not attack or destroy Nineveh. Meanwhile, the name Ahasuerus was the Aramaic name of Xerxes, the Persian king who ruled between 486 and 465 BC.

Septuagint: Letter of Jeremiah
Septuagint: Letter of Jeremiah

Author: Scriptural Research Institute

Publisher: Scriptural Research Institute

Published: 1901

Total Pages: 45

ISBN-13: 1989604161

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The Letter of Jeremiah was included in the Septuagint, generally, after Lamentations, which was likewise traditionally attributed to Jeremiah or Baruch. This letter claims to be the letter that Jeremiah had written for the Judahites that had been taken away as captives when the Babylonians conquered Judah, as described in the Book of Judah, that Baruch took to Babylon. There are several letters included in the Book of Jeremiah that are attributed to Jeremiah, as well as a letter in the Book of Baruch that claims to be Jeremiah’s letter to the Judahites in Babylonia. The authenticity of the Letter of Jeremiah has been debated throughout its existence, for multiple reasons, including the content of the letter itself, which seems to be implying Judahites should not stop worshiping the sun, moon, and stars, to worship the idols of Babylon. The worship of the sun, moon, and stars was banned by King Josiah, the son-in-law of Jeremiah, under what was most likely Jeremiah's spiritual leadership, in order to promote the god Yahweh. This policy was clearly reversed under the reign of King Jehoiakim, and the prophet Jeremiah appears to have spent much of Jehoiakim’s rule in prison. Baruch was sent by the Judahite court to be Jeremiah’s scribe, however, Baruch clearly described his god as being the sun in the Book of Baruch, which he identified as having the sacred name of Amen. In 1st Ezra, the Egyptian King Necho II also identified the Judahite god as being the sun god, meaning the Judahites at the time of Jeremiah and Baruch, were predominantly worshiping the sun like the surrounding kingdoms, nevertheless, Jeremiah urged them to abandon sun-worship, and worship Yahweh. Therefore, the Letter of Jeremiah was almost certainly not written by Jeremiah, although might have been written by Baruch. This is the general Catholic interpretation, and the Letter of Jeremiah is inserted as the final chapter of the Book of Baruch in Catholic Bibles. The history of the Letter and its place in the Christian canon has been debated since the earliest surviving Christian writings on it. Origen of Alexandria, writing in the early-3rd-century AD, considered the Book of Jeremiah, Lamentations, and the Letter of Jeremiah to be one bigger Book of Jeremiah. Epiphanius of Salamis, writing in the late-3rd-century, considered the Book of Jeremiah, Book of Baruch, Lamentations, and the Letter of Jeremiah to be one bigger Book of Jeremiah. This view was repeated by Athanasius I of Alexandria in the mid-4th-century, and Cyril of Jerusalem in the late-4th-century. The view that the Septuagint’s Book of Jeremiah, Book of Baruch, Lamentations, and the Letter of Jeremiah are one large Book of Jeremiah was then canonized by the Council of Laodicea in 364 AD. The idea that the Letter of Jeremiah should not be part of Biblical canon is traced to Jerome, the translator of the original official Latin translation of the Bible, in the late-4th-century. The Masorites, a Jewish sect of scribes, had been copying a Hebrew translation of the scriptures that included books of Jeremiah and Lamentations, but not Baruch or the Letter. Jerome interpreted this as evidence that the Book of Baruch and the Letter of Jeremiah originated in Greek, and were not originally Judahite or Samaritan works, like the texts the Masorites were copying. As a result, he relegated the two Greek works to the Apocrypha section of his Bible, where they have generally stayed in Catholic and Protestant bibles ever since. Fragments of the Letter of Jeremiah have been discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls, written in Hebrew, and dated to circa 100 BC, so the letter did not originate in Greek. The Eastern Orthodox Bibles continued to include the Letter of Jeremiah, as did the Ethiopian Tewahedo Bibles, which includes the Letter as part of Paralipomena of Jeremiah, along with 4th Baruch.

Septuagint: Prayer of Manasseh
Septuagint: Prayer of Manasseh

Author: Scriptural Research Institute

Publisher: Scriptural Research Institute

Published: 2020-02-02

Total Pages: 23

ISBN-13: 1989604986

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The Prayer of Manasseh was found in some copies of the Septuagint, but not all. It is believed to have been added in the 2nd-century BC, which is why it is not found in all copies. The 5th-century Codex Alexandrinus includes the Prayer of Manasseh as one of the 14 Odes, appearing directly after Psalms, however, it often appears at different positions within Bibles, and is treated as a separate work by many Christian denominations. The Prayer of Manasseh is unusual in that it is written by one of the 'evil' kings of Judea, who restored Baalism, and restored the statue of Ba'al to King Solomon's Temple. It is a prayer dedicated to 'the Lord' which is a direct translation of the title Ba'al, and may, therefore, be seen as a Baalist prayer. This is something that has concerned Jews and Christians throughout history, which is why it is not universally considered canon by either Jews or Christians. The author of the Septuagint's 2nd Paralipomenon (Masoretic Diḇrê Hayyāmîm) attempted to resolve the question of Manasseh's prayer by adding a story of his repentance and return to worshiping the Lord (Masoretic Yahweh) after being imprisoned by the King of Assyria, however, that story is not viewed as possible by many, as it would have meant that Judea was conquered by the Assyrians, who then incarcerated the Judean King in Nineveh. There are no records of this, however, Manasseh is mentioned as the King of Judea in the Assyrian records, and the two nations appear to have had cordial relations. The fact that the author of 2nd Paralipomenon felt he needed to explain the existence of the Prayer of Manasseh, proves it was in use by Jews at the time, although, it may not be the Prayer that ended up in the Septuagint. Fragments of a Hebrew Prayer of Manasseh have been found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, however, not enough of them survives to determine how much the two Prayers originally deviated.

Septuagint: Lamentations
Septuagint: Lamentations

Author: Scriptural Research Institute

Publisher: Scriptural Research Institute

Published: 1901

Total Pages: 49

ISBN-13: 1989604005

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The Septuagint's version of the book of Lamentations, is virtually identical to the Masoretic book of Eykhoh, which translates as 'How?' This was a question many were no doubt asking in the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem, a city that had stood since before the Amarna Letters were written, generally dated to the 1300s BC. The Greek name of the book, Thrênoe, translates as 'laments' or 'wailings,' and is the source of the common English name Lamentations. To date, fragments of Eykhoh / Lamentations have been found in three of the Qumran caves, all dating to the Herodian Dynasty, circa 37 BC to 6 AD, and all in the Assyrian (Hebrew) script, as one would expect from the period. The texts that survive, generally match the texts found in the Masoretic Texts, with minor spelling variations, however, do have a significant number of deviations where the terms 'adonoi (אֲדֹנָ֖י) and dvn (אדוני), and the name Yahweh (יְהוָ֥ה) and Yhwh (יהוה) are concerned. These two sets of terms are synonymous, with 'adonoi (אֲדֹנָ֖י) and dvn (אדוני) being two ways of spelling the Aramaic and Hebrew term 'my lord,' and Yahweh (יְהוָ֥ה) and Yhwh (יהוה) both being the Hebrew spelling of the name of the Jewish god, however, these terms are not used in the Masoretic Texts and the Dead Sea Scrolls in the same places. Meaning, where the Masoretic Texts reads reads 'adonoi,' the Dead Sea Scrolls may read 'dvn' or 'Yhwh,' and in places where the Masoretic Texts reads 'Yahweh,' the Dead Sea Scrolls may again read either 'dvn' or 'Yhwh.' This is most evident in Dead Sea Scroll 4QLama, in which a large amount of the text of chapters 1 and 2 survive, as these terms are more common in those chapters. As all of the fragments of Eykhoh / Lamentations found among the Dead Sea Scrolls date to the Herodian Dynasty, it seems clear that at that time, Yahweh was considered 'Lord' among Jews, however, there is no evidence of the name being in the text that the Greeks translated a couple of centuries earlier at the Library of Alexandria. The Septuagint does include the name Yahweh, as Iaw (Ἰαω), derived from the Aramaic Yhw, in some early fragments, however, there is no evidence that it was used in the text that the Greeks translated Lamentations from.

Septuagint: 2ⁿᵈ Paralipomenon
Septuagint: 2ⁿᵈ Paralipomenon

Author: Scriptural Research Institute

Publisher: Digital Ink Productions

Published: 2019-11-03

Total Pages: 165

ISBN-13: 1989604242

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The term Paralipomena, which means 'things left out,' is a general translation of Divrei-hayyamim, which means 'things in the days.' The books are a collection of texts from various eras of Israelite history, spanning the era of the old Israelite Kingdoms, circa 1000 BC, through the Persian conquest, of circa 539 BC. Scholars have debated the origin of the books throughout their history, and there is no consensus within Rabbinical literature, Christian literature, or modern scholarship. The general Rabbinical view is that the two books of Paralipomena were written by one author, as Divrei-hayyamim, and then translated into Greek. The dominant early Christian view was that the books were written by Ezra the Scribe, circa 350 BC, however, this view was generally abandoned in Western Europe during the Protestant Reformation. Modern scholarly analysis has no consensus, however, the books do themselves indicate the eras they were compiled, nevertheless, the authors remain unknown. Based on the references within 2ⁿᵈ Paralipomenon to the Egyptian king Osorkon I as a Kushite, parts of the book must have been compiled sometime between 943 and 716 BC, when Egypt was part of the Kushite Empire, while later sections of 2ⁿᵈ Paralipomenon must have been compiled sometime after 539 BC, when Cyrus the Great conquered the Babylonian Empire. The surviving Hebrew text of Divrei-hayyamim does, however, contain a reference to the Temple in Jerusalem as the 'Temple of the Gods,' which means the original text of the book has to predate King Josiah's reforms of circa 625 BC, and likely predates King Hezekiah's similar reforms decades earlier. Both Hezekiah and Josiah are recorded as removing the idols of the gods from the temple, which had by all accounts been in the temple since it was built by King Solomon.

Septuagint: Esther (Vaticanus Version)
Septuagint: Esther (Vaticanus Version)

Author: Scriptural Research Institute

Publisher: Digital Ink Productions

Published: 2019-11-24

Total Pages: 117

ISBN-13: 1989604323

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The oldest surviving physical copy of Esther is found in the Codex Vaticanus, which dates to circa 350 AD. The version of Ether in the Codex Vaticanus is generally accepted as being the original version added to the Septuagint sometime in the 2ⁿᵈ century BC, however, it claims to have not been translated in Alexandria, like the rest of the Septuagint. There are two other early copies of the common version of Esther found in the Codex Vaticanus, the copy in the Codex Sinaiticus from circa 350 AD, Codex Alexandrinus from circa 450 AD. The term ‘king of the gods’ is found in chapter 4 of the Vaticanus version of Esther, however, does not make sense in the theology that developed in later Judaism, in which there was only one God, indicating the early date of the original composition. The title ‘king of the gods’ was used by Esther in the book, who use the title to refer to the god of the Israelite. While Esther was described as being the Queen (or royal consort) in the texts, she was also described as being a devote worshiped of the Israelite god, and ‘King of the gods’ was not a Zoroastrian title of Ahura Mazda either, as Zoroastrianism was also monotheistic, meaning that this title has to be traced back to the Israelite religion.

Letter of Aristeas and the Pithom Stele
Letter of Aristeas and the Pithom Stele

Author: Scriptural Research Institute

Publisher: Scriptural Research Institute

Published: 2020-09-24

Total Pages: 110

ISBN-13: 198985270X

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In the mid-3rd century BC, King Ptolemy II Philadelphus of Egypt ordered a translation of the ancient Hebrew scriptures for the Library of Alexandria, which resulted in the creation of the Septuagint. The Letter of Aristeas, also called the Letter to Philocrates, was written by someone who claimed to have been part of the events that created the original translation of the Septuagint. It was treated as an authentic historical document by ancient Jewish historians, such as Aristobulus of Alexandria circa 150 BC, Philo of Alexandria circa 15 AD, and Josephus circa 93 AD. As Aristobulus quoted the Letter around 150 BC, the letter clearly predates Aristobulus by enough time for him to see it as an authentic document, which would imply prior to 200 BC. Since the time of Jerome, circa 400 BC, the Letter's authenticity has been debated. It was generally considered authentic until the 1500s when Jerome's views were repeated by the Spanish humanist Luis Vives. The Letter came under attack throughout the 1600s through the 1800s, and by the 1900s was viewed as a fictional document. Most of the arguments levied against it, were based on a lack of understanding of who Ptolemy II Philadelphus was, and why he would be depicted as worshiping the Jewish god. Latin critics did not understand the references to Plato's Cratylus and translated Δία as Dis (Jupiter), which would force the origin of the Letter to a later date after Rome had risen in power. In the time period this Letter is set, Carthage sill dominated the Western Mediterranean and Romans only ruled Italy. The reference to Δία was, in fact, part of a reference to Ζῆνα and Δία found in Plato's Cratylus, which was a reference to the Greek folktales about Zeus being the creator of life. References to the creator god in the letter were traditionally dismissed as being unlikely, as a Greek king would not have worshiped the Jewish god, however, this argument was based on a lack of understanding of Philadelphus. The Pithom Stele, found in the late 1800s shows that Philadelphus embedded himself in the Egyptian religions, portraying himself as the son of Atum, the creator god of ancient Egypt. The Pithom Stele was discovered at Tell el-Maskhuta, Egypt. It had originally been erected in the Temple of Atum at Pithom (Tell el-Maskhuta), circa 264 BC. The city of Pithom appears to have been moved at least once. Pharaoh Necho II seems to have founded a city of Pithom at the site of El Retaba eight miles west of Tell el-Maskhuta, circa 600 BC, when the Canal of the Pharaohs was dug linking the Nile to the Gulf of Suez. This canal was filled with sand and debris repeatedly and then cleared repeatedly. The Greek historian Herodotus, circa 430 BC claimed it was opened on the orders of the Persian King Darius, circa 490 BC. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, circa 330 BC, claimed the canal was never completed, meaning it was not open during his lifetime. It is generally accepted today that Ptolemy II Philadelphus reopened the canal during his lifetime, and built Heroöpolis, which was called Per-Atum (Pithom), including the Temple of Atum where the Pithom Stele was found.