When this was over, what the King had decreed was quickly brought to a conclusion: and this in no more than seven days’ time; the number of the talents paid for the captives being above four hundred and sixty, and this, because their masters required the twenty drachmæ for the children also, the King having, in effect, commanded that these should be paid for, when he said, in his decree, that they should receive the fore-mentioned sum for every slave. Now when this had been done after so magnificent a manner, according to the King’s inclinations, he gave order to Demetrius to give him in writing his sentiments concerning the transcribing of the Jewish books; for no part of the administration is done rashly by these kings, but all things are managed with great circumspection. On which account I have subjoined a copy of these epistles, and set down the multitude of the vessels sent as gifts (to Jerusalem), and the construction of every one, that the exactness of the artificers’ workmanship, as it appeared to those that saw them, and which workmen made every vessel, may be made manifest, and this on account of the excellency of the vessels themselves. Now the copy of the epistle was to this purpose:— “Demetrius to the great King. When thou, O King, gavest me a charge concerning the collection of books that were wanting to fill your library, and concerning the care that ought to be taken about such as are imperfect, I have used the utmost diligence about those matters. And I let you know, that we want the books of the Jewish legislation, with some others; for they are written in the Hebrew characters, and, being in the language of that nation, are to us unknown. “It hath also happened to them, that they have been transcribed more carelessly than they should have been, because they have not had hitherto royal care taken about them. Now it is necessary that thou shouldst have accurate copies of them. And indeed this legislation is full of hidden wisdom, and entirely blameless, as being the legislation of God: for which cause it is, as Hecateus of Abdera says, that the poets and historians make no mention of it, nor of those men who lead their lives according to it,[98] since it is a holy law, and ought not to be published by profane mouths. “If then it please thee, O King, thou mayst write to the high priest of the Jews, to send six of the elders out of every tribe, and those such as are most skilful of the laws, that by their means we may learn the clear and agreeing sense of those books, and may obtain an accurate interpretation of their contents, and so may have such a collection of these as may be suitable to thy desire.”