Ptolemy Questions Jewish Translators at Banquet

King Ptolemy Philadelphus hosted the seventy-two Jewish scholars inside a massive dining pavilion in Alexandria. Servants poured wine into heavy gold goblets and arranged roasted meats on silver platters. The Egyptian monarch paused the feasting to test the wisdom of his foreign guests. He directed philosophical questions to each translator concerning the proper administration of a vast empire.

The royal palace complex dominated the northern harbor of Alexandria during the third century b.c. Architects constructed the dining hall with massive marble columns and intricate floor mosaics. Greek courtiers and military officials shared the space with the visiting scholars from Jerusalem. Guards secured the perimeter while philosophers evaluated the precise answers offered by the Jewish elders.

The king reclined on a raised couch measuring roughly seven feet long and four feet wide. Guests occupied rows of lower seating arranged according to their age and official diplomatic rank. Attendants circulated through the aisles to refresh cups and clear away remnants of the meal. This highly structured banquet allowed the monarch to interrogate the translators over seven consecutive days.

Recognize that the Almighty grants glory to kings, and no man rules by his own power.

Ptolemy expressed deep satisfaction with the responses and ordered his scribes to record the conversation. He rewarded the men with roughly 225 pounds of silver and commanded them to begin translating. The scholars left the pavilion and prepared to move to their quarters on the island. They required total isolation to produce an accurate Greek version of the sacred Hebrew laws.