Epiphanius Cyprensis, De mensuribus et ponderibus (vs. B)

The discourse of the holy and blessed father of ours, Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus. The narration and information concerning all those books which the king assembled. The translation of them under Ptolemy. First it is necessary for us to set forth the translation of the books of the Old Law for your revelation, for the knowledge of them is beneficial to you, so that you may know which ones they were, or who they were, and who became the cause of their translation, and when first the divine books were translated from Hebrew into the Greek language. And the seventy-two Hebrew men first translated them under King Ptolemy, who were chosen from the twelve tribes of Israel. Six men from each tribe, in number seventy-two. And this is their name: from the tribe of Ruben: Josephus, Ezekiel, Malachi, Jesse, Hezekiah, Elisha. From the tribe of Simeon: Judah, Simon, Samuel, Adadviyaz, Matthew, Selemiya. From the tribe of Levi: Nehemiah, Joseph, Theodosius, Biseas, Onnias, Dakis. From the tribe of Judah: Jonathan, Abreoz, Elisha, Ananias, Zechariah, Kelka. From the tribe of Issachar: Salkoros, Jacob, Jennaios, Sabateos, Symeon, Levi. From the tribe of Zebulun: Judah, Joseph, Symeon, Zechariah, Samuel, Selemiya.

From the tribe of Gad: Sabateos, Jacob, Sedekia, Isaphros, Isias, Sabetheos. From the tribe of Asher: Theodosios, Jason, Jesus, Theodotos, John, Josaphat. From the tribe of Dan: Theophile, Abraham, Arsania, Jason, Endemia, Daniel. From the tribe of Naphtali: Jeremiah, Eleazar, Zacharia, Benias, Eliseus, Matthew. From the tribe of Joseph: Samuel, Joseph, Judah, Jonan, Caleb, Destheos. From the tribe of Benjamin: Isalon, John, Theodosios, Arsama, Abiteos, Ezekiel. These are the names of the seventy-two translators who translated the books under King Ptolemy. Now, in order to reveal to all the cause of that translation, after that first Ptolemy, a second Ptolemy reigned in Alexandria, who was called Philadelphus, a lover of good, a lover of wisdom, who prepared libraries and gathered together all the books that exist in the world. He wrote a letter and made diligent all the kings of the world and all the rulers and scribes who were under his authority, so that they would not be negligent in sending to him all the books of the rhetoricians, the artisans, the wise men, the physicians, the investigators, and any other books.

And when that work was accomplished and he had gathered books from all over the world, the king asked the one to whom he had entrusted the library. One day he said to him: "How many books have been collected in that library?" And he answered the king and said: "There are four thousand eight hundred books, more or less. But we hear that there are still books from Ethiopia, and from India, and from Persia, from Elam, from Babylon, from Assyria and Chaldea, from Phoenicia and from Elam. But in Jerusalem and in Judea there are the divine books of the prophets which tell us of the creation of God and of the world. Now if it pleases your majesty, send for them and write to those who are the teachers in Jerusalem, so that they may guide you, that I may also place them in the library for your good service.