Watch the video above and talk about it with a group or mentor. Learn more.
Learn about the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, and why it was important to Jews and early Christians.
Key Points:
- The Septuagaint (often abbreviated “LXX”) is an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew and Aramaic Old Testament (OT). The work was completed by seventy-two scholars.
- The LXX contains the entire OT as we know it. It also includes several other Jewish religious texts written in Greek.
- The LXX is a thought-for-thought translation rather than a word-for-word translation.
- Many of the Dead Sea Scrolls are copied from the LXX.
- By the time Jesus was born, the entire Hebrew OT was available in Greek – the common langauge of the Mediterranean.
- When the New Testament (NT) writers quote the OT, they are usually quoting from the LXX, not the Masoretic Text (MT).
Quote This:
The LXX is an invaluable tool for Bible scholars and a testament to the long history of Bible translation.
Talk About It
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- What do you think is the value of the Septuagint (LXX) translation of the Old Testament (OT) for Christians today?
- Why do you think the New Testament (NT) writers so often quoted from the LXX translation when they quoted the OT?
- If you were to prove to a skeptic beyond a shadow of a doubt that the biblical accounts have been faithfully transmitted over time, would that skeptic still need faith to follow God? Why or why not?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
