Questions for Friday, September 29

 

Lim 4:4 Pseudo-Hecataeus of Abdera History of Egypt

 

Answer all of the following questions:

• What are the accomplishments of the Moses in this account? 
• How is the Jewish law portrayed here?  What is its purpose?
• In what ways are the laws and customs of the Jews different from those of other people?

 

Lim 4:5 Letter of Aristeas

 

Answer all of the following questions:

• How did the Jewish envoys come to be invited to Alexandria?
• How does the king receive them, and why?
• What is the process by which the Hebrew Bible was translated?
• What appears to you to be the historical value of this source?  What parts do you think are legendary?

 

Lim 4:6-4:7 Maccabees I and II

 

Answer any one of the following questions:

1. In both these accounts, we have descriptions of the events leading up to a known historical event, the Maccabean Revolt (Hunt, 158 discusses this event).  What specific actions were the Jews asked to perform by their Greek ruler?  Why did they find them objectionable?
2. Compare these accounts to the letter of Aristeas.  What might be the basis for the difference in relations between the Jews and the Greeks?