[Avodah] TODAY IN HISTORY 8th of TEVET

[Cantor Wolberg]

Torah translated into Greek (246 BCE)

In a second attempt to translate the Torah into Greek (after an  
unsuccessful attempt 61 years earlier), the ruling Greek-Egyptian  
emperor Ptolemy gathered 72 Torah sages, had them sequestered in 72  
separate rooms, and ordered them to each produce a translation. On the  
8th of Tevet of the year 3515 from creation (246 BCE) they produced 72  
corresponding translations, including identical changes in 13 places  
(where they each felt that a literal translation would constitute a  
corruption of the Torah's true meaning). This Greek rendition became  
known as the Septuagint, "of the seventy" (though later versions that  
carry this name are not believed to be true to the originals). Greek  
became a significant second language among Jews as a result of this  
translation. During Talmudic times, Tevet 8 was observed by some as a  
fast day, expressing the fear of the detrimental effect of the  
translation.