The "Law of the Land" in the Land of Lagides: A Comparative Analysis of Exodus 21:1-32

Septuagint Exodus has long been recognized as an outlier when it comes to the general rigidity and stereotypical translation practices found in other books within the LXX corpus. The general freedom exhibited by the translator, though expressed within careful limits, is well-documented when it comes to grammatical, syntactical, and lexicographical evaluations. This thesis, while engaging in the descriptive analysis of these topics, is also directed towards a new type of synthesis: a comparison of the translation with Ptolemaic legal norms. It is due to the idiosyncrasies and anomalies arising from a translation-technical analysis that the question is asked, “Could these differences be accounted for by consulting Greek legal and societal standards?” With respect to Exodus 21.1-32, the answer in many cases is, “Yes.” This study demarcates these potential influences on a verse by verse basis after briefly identifying the broader legal structures and forces at play in Ptolemaic Egypt.