THE UNWONTED IMPERATIVE: EXPLORING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN GREEK LEVITICUS 25 IMPERATIVES AND PTOLEMAIC LAND PRACTICES

The Greek Pentateuch (LXX) may have served as a Jewish civic law code under the Ptolemaic government, yet the land laws in LXX Leviticus 25 potentially conflict with Ptolemaic land practices. These tensions could be formally reflected in the Greek translation of Hebrew imperfects. Joel Korytko, analyzing LXX Exodus death penalty clauses, argues that the translator mimicked Ptolemaic legal syntax by rendering a Hebrew imperfect with a Greek imperative to indicate an optional law. Greek imperatives are likewise found in Levitical land laws (Lev. 25:14, 17 and 31) and may operate in the same way. However, after reviewing Korytko’s foundational texts, there are several problems and therefore the theory should not be used to interpret Levitical imperatives. This study will (1) showcase the Ptolemaic land tenure system to identify oppositions between legal codes, (2) attempt to explain Lev. 25:14, 17, and 31 using Korytko’s theory, and (3) discuss methodological considerations regarding the theory arising from the analysis of Levitical imperatives and known Jewish land practices.