says that the Law was in Hebrew when it was translated by the
Seventy.

Under Antiochus and Vespasian, when they wanted to abolish the books,
and when there was no prophet, they could not do so. And under the
Babylonians, when no persecution had been made, and when there were so
many prophets, would they have let them be burnt?

Josephus laughs at the Greeks who would not bear ...

Tertullian.[230]--_Perinde potuit abolefactam eam violentia cataclysmi
in spiritu rursus reformare, quemadmodum et Hierosolymis Babylonia
expugnatione deletis, omne instrumentum Judaicae literaturae per Esdram
constat restauratum._

He says that Noah could as easily have restored in spirit the book of
Enoch, destroyed by the Deluge, as Esdras could have restored the
Scriptures lost during the Captivity.

+(Theos) hen te hepi Nabouchodonosor aichmalosia tou laou,
diaphthareison ton graphon ... henepneuse Esdra to ierei hek tes phyles
Leui tous ton progegonoton propheton pantas hanataxasthai logous, kai
hapokatastesai to lao ten dia Moyseos nomothesian.+[231] He alleges this
to prove that it is not incredible that the Seventy may have explained
the holy Scriptures with that uniformity which we admire in them. And he
took that from Saint Irenaeus.[232]

Saint Hilary, in his preface to the Psalms, says that Esdras arranged
the Psalms in order.

The origin of this tradition comes from the 14th chapter of the fourth
book of Esdras. _Deus glorificatus est, et Scripturae vere divinae creditae
sunt, omnibus eandem et eisdem verbis et eisdem nominibus recitantibus
ab initio usque ad finem, uti et praesentes gentes cognoscerent quoniam
per inspirationem Dei interpretatae sunt Scripturae, et non esset mirabile
Deum hoc in eis operatum: quando in ea captivitate populi quae facta est
a Nabuchodonosor, corruptis scripturis et post 70 annos Judaeis
descendentibus in regionem suam, et post deinde temporibus Artaxerxis
Persarum regis, inspiravit Esdrae sacerdoti tribus Levi praeteritorum
prophetarum omnes rememorare sermones, et restituere populo eam legem
quae data est per Moysen._

632

_Against the story in Esdras, 2 Maccab._ ii;--Josephus, _Antiquities_,
II, i--Cyrus took occasion from the prophecy of Isaiah to release the
people. The Jews held their property in peace under Cyrus in Babylon;
hence they could well have the Law.

Josephus, in the whole history of Esdras, does not say one word about
this restoration.--2 Kings xvii, 27.

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