writers of history like Demetrius and Eupolemus, philosophers like
Aristobulus, composers of novellas and historical fiction like the authors of
theLetter of Aristeas,3 Maccabees, andJoseph and Aseneth,and those who
engaged in cosmology and mythography like Pseudo-Eupolemus, and the
authors of theSibylline Oracles.The capacity to produce such works dem-
onstrates that the writers could partake of higher education and engage
deeply with Hellenic cultural traditions. They were themselves an integral
part of the intelligentsia. Most of the names known to us come from Alex-
andria. But, as we have seen, gymnasium education was available to Jews
elsewhere and doubtless spawned writers whose reputations do not survive.
Jewish writers clearly showed a wide familiarity with the genres,
forms, and styles of Greek literature. They wrote in Greek and they
adapted Greek literary modes. But they employed those conventions to
their own ends. Jewish intellectuals may have embraced Hellenic canons of
literature, but they had no interest in recounting the tale of Troy, the labors
of Herakles, the house of Atreus, or the Greco-Persian wars, let alone the
myths of the Olympian gods. Their heroes were Abraham, Joseph, and
Moses. They appropriated Hellenism to the goals of rewriting biblical nar-
ratives, recasting the traditions of their forefathers, reinvigorating their an-
cient legends, and shaping the distinctive identity of Jews within the larger
world of Hellenic culture. The challenge for the Jews was not how to sur-
mount barriers, cross boundaries, or assimilate to an alien society. In a
world where Hellenic culture held an ascendant position, they strove to
present Judaic traditions and express their own self-definition through the
media of the Greeks — and even to make those media their own.
A particularly striking example can illuminate the point. Tragic drama
is perhaps the quintessential Greek medium. This did not render it off lim-
its to the Jews. The Alexandrian writer Ezekiel, working within the tradi-
tion of classical tragedy, produced a play, theExagZg 3 ,based on the story of
Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Ezekiel hewed closely to the nar-
rative line contained in the book of Exodus, while employing the conven-
tions of the Greek theater. But he inserted some creativity of his own. This
included a remarkable scene in which Moses recounts a dream vision of
God sitting on a throne, summoning Moses to him, handing over his dia-
dem and scepter, and departing. The dramatist here not only exalts the
grandeur of Moses but reconceives Moses’s relationship with God. The ce-
lestial realm appears as analogous to royal governance on earth. Moses’s
ascension to the throne and acquisition of kingly emblems signal his ap-
pointment as YHWH’s surrogate in governing the affairs of men. This had103Judaism in the DiasporaEERDMANS -- Early Judaism (Collins and Harlow) final text
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