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The Letter of Aristeas and the Authority of the Septuagint*

Centre for Septuagint Studies and Textual Criticism, Faculty of Theology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Sint-Michielsstraat 6 Box 3102, 3000 Leuven, Belgium

The `ideological' features of the Letter of Aristeas have attracted the attention of scholars in the past, and have gained renewed importance in some recent studies. The present study focuses on a specific `ideological' feature, namely, the question of authority. Starting from the latest insights into the literary structure of the Letter of Aristeas , this study identifies two major focal points in the ancient work and briefly reviews the major characters involved in the translation of the Law into Greek. This analysis leads to the identification of two structures of authority, one text-centred, the other community-centred. These are both justified by the central quality of eusebeia that is shown to be operative in the text on two different levels, as put forth in the rhetorical theory of ethos (self-representation).

Key Words: (Pseudo-)Aristeas • ancient rhetoric • Ben Sirach

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