Section 220
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 189 saved us, giving us the sign of the Virgin. But not as some say, that now presume to interpret the Scriptures. ' Behold a young woman shall conceive and bear a son,' as Theodotian of Ephesus and Aquila of Pontus, have translated, both of them Jewish pro selytes. Whom the Ebionites following, assert that Jesus was be gotten of Joseph." After a little, he adds : " For before the Ro mans established their empire, whilst yet the Macedonians had possession of Asia, Ptolemy the son of Lagus being ambitious to adorn the library established by him in Alexandria, with the works of all men, as many as were worthy of being studied, requested of the inhabitants of Jerusalem to have their works translated into the Greek ; but as they were yet subject to the Macedonians, they sent seventy of their elders that were best skilled in the Scriptures, and in both languages, to Ptolemy, and thus Providence favoured his design. But as he wished them to make the attempt separately, and apprehensive, lest by concert they might conceal the truth of the Scriptures by their interpreta tion, therefore separating them from one another, he commanded all to write the same translation. And this he did in all the books. Assembling therefore in the same place, in the presence of Ptolemy, and each of them comparing their respective versions, God was glorified, and the Scriptures were recognised as truly divine, as all of them rendered the same things, in the very same expres sions, and the same words, from the beginning to the end. So that the Gentiles present knew that the Scriptures were translated by a divine inspiration. Neither was it any thing extraordinary that God should have done this, who, indeed, in the captivity of the people under Nebuchadnezzar, when the Scriptures had been destroyed, and the Jews returned to their country after seventy years, subsequently in the times of Artaxeres king of the Persians, he inspired Esdras the priest, of the tribe of Levi, to compose anew all the discourses of the ancient prophets, and to restore to the people the laws given by Moses." Thus far Irenaeus.