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The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

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<strong>The</strong> Greek version, like <strong>the</strong> Targum <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Palestinians, originated, no doubt, in <strong>the</strong> first<br />

place, in a felt national want on <strong>the</strong> part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Hellenists, who as a body were ignorant <strong>of</strong><br />

Hebrew. Hence we find notices <strong>of</strong> very early<br />

Greek versions <strong>of</strong> at least parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Pentateuch.'<br />

But this, <strong>of</strong> course, could not suffice. On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

h<strong>and</strong>, <strong>the</strong>re existed, as we may suppose, a natural<br />

curiosity on <strong>the</strong> part <strong>of</strong> students, specially in<br />

Alex<strong>and</strong>ria, which had so large a Jewish<br />

population, to know <strong>the</strong> sacred books on which <strong>the</strong><br />

religion <strong>and</strong> history <strong>of</strong> Israel were founded. Even<br />

more than this, we must take into aooount <strong>the</strong><br />

literary tastes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first three Ptolemies<br />

(successors in Egypt <strong>of</strong> Alex<strong>and</strong>er <strong>the</strong> Gxeat), <strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> exceptional favour which <strong>the</strong> Jews for a time<br />

enjoyed. Ptolemy I. (Lagi) was a great patron <strong>of</strong><br />

learning. He projected <strong>the</strong> Museum in Alex<strong>and</strong>ria,<br />

which was a home for literature <strong>and</strong> study, <strong>and</strong><br />

founded <strong>the</strong> great library. In <strong>the</strong>se undertakings<br />

Demetrius Phalereus was his chief adviser. <strong>The</strong><br />

tastes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first Ptolemy were inherited by his son<br />

Ptolemy II.

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