Israel and Humanity - The translation of the Law
III.
Translations of the Act.
Whatever the content of the inscriptions on stones erected by Moses and Joshua, he is certain they were intended to instruct the Gentiles. We find further proof of the universal destination of the Mosaic revelation in the high esteem that has made translations of the first Act, we have seen, was attributed to God himself, the Sinai would have brought the Act in all the languages of the Gentiles, because, say the Rabbis, that is what the verse means: "Moses spoke and God answered him by voice [1] ".
When it comes to the Greek Septuagint, we find, indeed, among the doctors of the Synagogue opinions [2] contradictory, some trying to enhance the merit of this translation, those who sought to denigrate the contrary. To explain this latter attitude, Havet M remarked with much truth that when Hellenized Judaism Christianity was released, it was natural that those who curse the Jews remained a work that had led to this result heinous [3]. It is no less true that one can speak more eloquently than do the rabbis of the role of the Greek language as a means of spreading the idea in the Jewish world. We read in the Talmud: "There is no difference between the books (the Bible) and phylacteries (phylacteries) and mezuzot , if n ' is that the former can be written in any language, while the phylacteries and the mezuzah can be written in aschouri (in Assyrian characters). Rabban Simeon, son of Gamaliel, said: Same for books (the Bible) he has been allowed to write in Greek [4] ".
There is therefore no surprise to hear Philo said that even before the Septuagint, there existed in Egypt other Greek translations. This assertion, which has nothing improbable, at least proves that the idea of an ancient translation of the Scriptures, including a Greek version, was well received in Judaism. The opinion of R. Simeon, according to the Talmudic text, was alone among the doctors want to restrict the privilege of the Greek translation of the Scriptures, can additionally be considered a manifestation of Jewish particularism, because enabling the Greek was let all the peoples prissent knowledge of what is published in that language had now become almost universal.
The true intention of the doctor appears in the choice of text which, according to R. Johanan, he supports his opinion: "R. Johanan said: On what basis therefore R. Simeon son of Gamaliel? on this verse: "God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem [5] This means: Let the words of Japheth are heard in the tents Shem! And that one can not argue that we must also understand the language of Gomer and Magog (other son of Japheth Javan like), it is written, the Elohim Japhta Japheth, that is say: What [6] The most divine language of Japheth is received in the tents of Shem [7] ".
Thus the passage chosen is a text prior to the enactment of the Act, it is pronounced by Noah, father of all men, and addressed to all humanity. The most beautiful language of the Gentile world is presented as intended to serve, too, sacred language of the tents of Shem, which are other than synagogues. It is obvious that here everything breathes a breath of religious cosmopolitanism in which once again reveal the true feelings of Israel to the Gentiles.
