Jewish Perspectives on Hellenistic Rulers

Tessa Rajak is Professor of Ancient History, University of Reading, and Horace W. Goldsmith Visiting Professor at Yale. She was Codirector of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Parkes Greek Bible in the Graeco-Roman World Project. Her many publications include Josephus: The Historian and his Society. Sarah Pearce is Senior Lecturer in History, University of Southampton and was Codirector of the AHRC Parkes Greek Bible in the Graeco-Roman World Project. She is the author of The Land of the Body: Studies in Philo's Representation of Egypt. James Aitken was Research Fellow of the AHRC Parkes Institute Greek Bible in the Graeco-Roman World Project and is currently Teaching Fellow in Hebrew and Aramaic at Cambridge University. He is the author of The Semantics of Blessing and Cursing in Ancient Hebrew. Jennifer Dines was Research Associate of the AHRC Parkes Institute Greek Bible in the Graeco-Roman World Project and a former Lecturer at Heythrop College, University of London. She is the author of a classic handbook, The Septuagint.

• preface abbreviations Introduction: Tessa Rajak part one: theories and practices of hellenistic rulers 1. Philosophy and Monarchy in the Hellenistic World Oswyn Murray 2. The Character of Ptolemaic Aristocracy: Problems of Definition and Evidence Jane Rowlandson part two: rulers in greek-jewish texts 3. Persia through the Jewish Looking-Glass Erich Gruen 4. Ben Sira on Kings and Kingship Benjamin Wright 5. The Image of the Oriental Monarch in the Third Book of Maccabees Philip Alexander and Loveday Alexander 6. The Angry Tyrant Tessa Rajak 7. The Narrative Function of the King and the Library in the Letter of Aristeas Sylvie Honigman 8. Kingship and Banditry: The Parthian Empire and Its Western Subjects Richard Fowler part three: light from the septuagint translators? 9. Translating for Ptolemy: Patriotism and Politics in the Greek Pentateuch? Sarah Pearce 10. Poet and Critic: Royal Ideology and the Greek Translator of Proverbs James Aitken 11. The King's Good Servant? Loyalty, Subversion, and Greek Daniel Jennifer Dines 12. The Terminology of Government in the Septuagint--in Comparison with Hebrew, Aramaic, and Other Languages Lester Grabbe 13. The Court Function of the Interpreter in Genesis 42.23 and Early Greek Papyri Trevor Evans part four: ideologies of jewish rule 14. The Greek Bible and Jewish Concepts of Royal Priesthood and Priestly Monarchy Arie van der Kooij 15. Royal Ideology: 1 and 2 Maccabees and Egypt Jan Willem van Henten 16. Constructing Kings--from the Ptolemies to the Herodians: The Archaeological Evidence Douglas Edwards cumulative bibliography list of contributors indexes general ancient sources modern authors