The Translation of the Torah into Greek

Ptolemy Philadelphus II (285-244 B.C.E.), one of a dynasty of Ptolemies who ruled Egypt (including Eretz Yisroel), asked the High Priest to send him 72 elders of Israel, six from each tribe, to translate the Torah from Hebrew to Greek for him. Their translation is known as the Septuagint (in Hebrew: Targum Shiv’im – “the translation of the 70”). The story of how the translation was done is found in the Talmud, Megillah 9a.