Septuagint

Name given to the Greek version of the OT. The word “Septuagint,” meaning seventy, comes from the early legend that seventy-two (rounded down to seventy) Jewish scholars translated the Pentateuch into Greek during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (282-246 B.C.) in Alexandria, Egypt. This translation of the Hebrew Bible is often designated by the Roman numerals LXX, which mean “seventy.” The term originally applied only to the translation of the Pentateuch. It was subsequently extended to include the rest of the Hebrew Bible. In spite of some of its fanciful details, most scholars agree that the legend preserves the authentic memory of the translation of the Pentateuch in Alexandria in the third century B.C. for Greek-speaking Jews. During the next two centuries in Egypt or elsewhere the Prophets and Writings were translated and the rest of the sacred books were composed. All were finished before the time of Christ.

The Septuagint was used by writers of the NT, particularly the authors of Luke and Hebrews. It provided a bridge of language and ideas between the two testaments. Christian Bibles follow the order of books in the LXX rather than the Hebrew Bible. Since it apparently used a different and earlier version of the Hebrew Bible than the traditional Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT) used today, the LXX can frequently aid in interpreting difficult readings in the MT.