ABSTRACT
The Greek conquest has often been seen as having far-reaching consequences for Judaism. As so often with such over-arching generalities, there is a certain truth in this view but there is also a danger of grave distortion. The process of Hellenization affected the Jews as it did all peoples of the ancient Near East, bringing benefits as well as disadvantages, but it was a very complex and lengthy process. Some of the developments in this period were quite important for Judaism, but they were not always of the spectacular sort. For example, the translation of the Pentateuch into Greek was one of the most momentous events in its subsequent effects on Judaic religion, yet its significance is often overlooked.
