The Septuagint is the earliest known Greek translation of the Old Testament from the original Hebrew ToRaH. It was likely created for the Jewish community in Egypt, where Greek was the dominant language at the time. Linguistic analysis suggests that the Hebrew ToRaH (the first five books of the Old Testament), was translated around the mid-3rd century BCE, with the remainder of the Old Testament being translated during the 2nd century BCE. 

Since much of the early Christian church spoke Greek, early Christians often relied on the Greek Septuagint to find prophecies they believed were fulfilled by Christ. However, Jews viewed this as a misuse of their divinely inspired, sacred, and unchanging word of YaHuWaH and eventually ceased using the Septuagint altogether, leaving its history to be shaped within the Christian church. The Greek text of the Septuagint, rather than the original Hebrew, became the primary basis for Old Latin, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Georgian, Slavonic, and parts of the Arabic translations of the Heberw ToRaH (what Christians are conditioned to call the Old Testament). It has remained the standard version of the Old Testament in the Greek church. St. Jerome used the Septuagint as the foundation when he began his translation of the Vulgate Old Testament in 382 CE.

The name Septuagint (also known as the LXX) is derived from the Latin word for seventy, referring to the tradition that 70 (or 72) Jewish scholars were involved in the translation process. The translation was commissioned in the third and second centuries B.C. in Alexandria, Egypt, a major center of Hellenistic culture and scholarship.

During this period, much of the Jewish population in the Hellenistic world, including in Alexandria, was becoming increasingly Hellenized. As a result, many Jews were more familiar with Greek than Hebrew or Aramaic, necessitating a Greek translation of the Scriptures. While the exact reasons for the translation are debated, it is generally agreed that it was made to provide Jews living in Greek-speaking regions access to their sacred texts.

Contrary to the statement that by the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C., most people in Israel spoke Greek as their primary language, Hebrew and Aramaic remained dominant languages in Judea, though Greek was widely understood and used, particularly in urban areas and among the elite.

The Septuagint is significant as one of the earliest and most influential translations of a major religious text. It also played a crucial role in the early Christian Church, where it was often quoted in the New Testament and used by Greek-speaking Jewish and Christian communities.

 Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 3522, also known as P.Oxy.L 3522, is a small fragment of the Greek Septuagint (LXX) written on papyrus in scroll form. This fragment is one of the many manuscripts discovered at Oxyrhynchus, a site in Egypt where a vast number of ancient documents were uncovered. It has been cataloged with the number 3522 and palaeographically dated to the 1st century CE. The fragment contains text from Job 42:11-12 and is notable for including the tetragrammaton (YHWH) to represent the Divine Name. This makes it one of the few extant fragments of the Septuagint that preserves the Divine Name in Hebrew characters within a Greek text.

The fragment was published in 1983 by P. J. Parsons in The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, vol. L (50). Also the fragment is catalogued with number 857 in the list of manuscripts of the Septuaginta as the classification of Alfred Rahlfs, also as LDAB 3079.[3] 

LESSER-KNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE GREEK SEPTUAGINT (LXX):

1. Multiple Translators and Translation Phases:

• The Septuagint was not translated by a single group of scholars at one time. Different books were translated by different people, and the translation occurred in stages over several decades. This resulted in varying translation styles and levels of fidelity to the Hebrew text.

2. Use of the Septuagint in Judaism:

• The Septuagint was originally a Jewish project intended to serve the needs of Greek-speaking Jews in the Diaspora, particularly in Alexandria, Egypt. It was widely used in Jewish communities before it was adopted by early Christians.

3. Influence on the New Testament:

• The Septuagint heavily influenced the authors of the New Testament. Many quotations from the Old Testament in the New Testament are taken directly from the Septuagint rather than the Hebrew text, which sometimes results in differences from the Hebrew Masoretic Text.

4. Canonical Differences:

• The Septuagint contains books that are not found in the Hebrew Bible, such as the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and the Maccabees. These books are considered canonical in the Catholic and Orthodox Christian traditions but are not included in the Jewish Tanakh.

5. Translation Techniques:

• The translators of the Septuagint employed a variety of techniques, including literal translation, paraphrasing, and even interpreting the text to make it more understandable for Greek readers. This resulted in some passages that differ significantly from the Hebrew original.

6. Use of the Tetragrammaton:

• In some of the oldest fragments of the Septuagint, the Divine Name (YHWH) is written in Hebrew characters, even though the rest of the text is in Greek. This practice was later replaced by the use of the Greek word "Kyrios" (Lord).

7. Septuagint as a Textual Witness:

• The Septuagint is a crucial textual witness for understanding the Hebrew Bible. It provides insights into how the Hebrew text was understood and interpreted by Jewish communities in the Hellenistic period. In some cases, the Septuagint preserves readings that differ from the Masoretic Text but are supported by other ancient manuscripts, like the Dead Sea Scrolls.

8. Reception in Early Christianity:

• The early Christian Church adopted the Septuagint as its Old Testament. This was partly because many early Christians were Greek-speaking, and the Septuagint was the version of the Scriptures they were familiar with. It also played a role in theological disputes between Christians and Jews in the early centuries.

9. Influence on Christian Theology:

• The Septuagint's translation of certain Hebrew terms and concepts significantly influenced Christian theology. For example, the Greek word "parthenos" (virgin) used in Isaiah 7:14 in the Septuagint was understood by early Christians as a prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus.

10. Textual Variants and Critical Editions:

• Modern critical editions of the Septuagint, such as those by Alfred Rahlfs and the Göttingen Septuagint, compile and compare numerous manuscript variants. These editions help scholars understand the textual history and transmission of the Septuagint.

11. Cultural and Linguistic Adaptations:

• The translators of the Septuagint sometimes adapted cultural and linguistic elements to make the text more accessible to Greek readers. For example, Egyptian terms and concepts familiar to the Greek-speaking Jewish community in Alexandria were used.

12. Manuscript Discoveries:

• Important discoveries of Septuagint manuscripts have been made in the 20th century, such as those from the Cairo Genizah and the Dead Sea Scrolls. These discoveries have provided new insights into the text's history and its use in ancient Jewish communities.

13. Septuagint in the Context of Hellenistic Judaism:

• The Septuagint is part of a broader Hellenistic Jewish literary tradition that includes works like the writings of Philo of Alexandria and the historian Josephus. This context helps to understand how Jewish thought and culture were expressed in a Greek-speaking environment.

14. Liturgical and Educational Use:

• The Septuagint was not only used in worship but also served as an educational tool for teaching Greek-speaking Jews about their heritage. It played a key role in the religious and cultural life of the Jewish Diaspora.

These facts highlight the complexity and significance of the Septuagint in both Jewish and Christian history, as well as its lasting impact on biblical studies. 

the history, context, and significance of the Septuagint:

• Tov, Emanuel. The Text-Critical Use of the Septuagint in Biblical Research (2nd Edition). Simor Ltd., 1997. This book provides an in-depth analysis of the Septuagint and its role in biblical studies.

• Jobes, Karen H., and Moisés Silva. Invitation to the Septuagint. Baker Academic, 2000. This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the Septuagint, including its history, significance, and use in early Christianity.

• Wright, Benjamin G., III. The Letter of Aristeas: 'Aristeas to Philocrates' or 'On the Translation of the Law of the Jews'. Commentaries on Early Jewish Literature, 2015. This work provides commentary and analysis of the Letter of Aristeas, a key source for the history of the Septuagint.

• Hengel, Martin. The 'Hellenization' of Judaea in the First Century after Christ. SCM Press, 1989. This book explores the cultural and linguistic context of Judea under Hellenistic influence, offering insights into the linguistic landscape during the time of the Septuagint's translation.

These resources provide a solid foundation for understanding the history, context, and significance of the Septuagint.

more Resources:

• Rahlfs, Alfred. Septuaginta: Id est Vetus Testamentum graece iuxta LXX interpretes (2nd edition). Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2006. This is a critical edition of the Septuagint and provides valuable context for studying its manuscripts.

• Tov, Emanuel. The Greek and Hebrew Bible: Collected Essays on the Septuagint. Brill, 1999. This collection of essays discusses various aspects of the Septuagint, including the use of the tetragrammaton in Greek manuscripts.

• McLean, Norman. The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Volume XV. Egypt Exploration Society, 1922. This volume contains a detailed description and analysis of P.Oxy.L 3522 and other papyri from the Oxyrhynchus site.

These resources provide further insights into the significance of the fragment and its place within Septuagint studies.

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We don't claim to be self-professed prophets, teachers, leaders, or mentors and are not part of any clique, sect, or recruitment center. The resources mentioned on our website and YouTube channel, such as Strong's Concordance, Encyclopedia Britannica, the dictionary, word etymology, scholarly resources, etc., serve as tools for a broader perspective. Nonetheless, our ultimate trust remains in the unchanging ToRaH of the Creator and God of Israel. We always encourage everyone to measure all opinions against the unchanging ToRaH of the Creator and God of Israel.

There is no commandment in the Hebrew ToRaH from the God of Israel stating that all Israelites must pray through someone to commune with Him. Instead, the Hebrew TaNaKh emphasizes direct communication between individuals and YaHuWaH, without the need for intermediaries.

Ezekiel 18:30-32

30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the YaHuWaH God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith YaHuWaH God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

BaT DaBaR 7:14 “2 Chronicles” Hebrew TaNaKh

14 When my people, who bear MY NAME humble themselves, pray, and seek my favor and TURN from their evil ways; I will hear in my heavenly abode, and FORGIVE their sins, and will heal their land.

 MaKhiYaH 6:8 “Micah”

8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth YaHuWaH require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy ALuWaH?

ZaMaR 119:10-11 “Psalm”

10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.