Abstract
Even though the Letter of Aristeas was unmasked as a pseudepigraphon over 400 years ago, the question of its value as a historical source continues to dominate the field of Septuagint Studies. First, this chapter discusses how the genre of the Letter of Aristeas is actually a mix of historiography, rhetorical display, Hellenistic philosophy, and biblical wisdom literature. Next, it discusses several recent approaches to the problem of historicity: the search for a kernel of historical truth in the Letter, the application of insights from the study of ancient historiography, and the Letter as a source for the reception history of the Septuagint. Finally, it addresses the identification of the Aristeas story as a social myth of Alexandrian Jewish society.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | The Oxford Handbook of the Septuagint |
Editors | Alison Salvesen, T. Michael Law |
Place of Publication | Oxford |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Pages | 121-134 |
Number of pages | 14 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9780199665716 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780199665716 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2021 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Ancient historiography
- Genre
- Historicity
- Reception history
- Rhetoric
- Social myth