Septuagint

Jennifer Dines is Research Associate in the AHRB Parkes Centre Project, 'The Greek Bible in the Graeco-Roman World'. She is also a member of the Strasbourg-based team preparing the Amos volume of the 'Bible d'Alexandrie'.

'An accessible but scholarly handbook on the Greek translation of the Bible, complete with a chapter on the use of the LXX in exegesis, bibliography and indexes. Bery informative and up to date.'   ~ Taken from review in International Review of Biblical Studies, Vol. 51:2004/05

• Contents; Preface; Resources; Abbreviations; 1. What is 'the Septuagint'?; Terminology; Scope of the Term in Antiquity; Scope of the Term in Contemporary Usage; Primary Sources: Manuscripts and Editions; The Earlist Jewish Manuscripts; The Earliest Christian Manuscripts; Printed Editions; Secondary Sources the Christian Versions; The Old Latin; The Coptic; The Content of the Septuagint; Differences between Hebrew and Greek Order; The Individual Books of the Septuagint; The Pentateuch; The Histories; The Poetical Books; The Prophets; Summary; Further Reading; 2. Origins: Facts and Fictions; Introduction; The Letter of Aristeas; Outline of Content; Relevance to the Septuagint; Aristobulus; Sources; Aristobulus on the Septuagint; Earlier Versions of the Septuagint?; Relationship between Aristobulus and The Letter of Aristeas; Aristobulus in Context; Further Reading; 3. Origins: Questions and Issues; Dating, Location and Purpose: The Translation of the Pentateuch; The Translation of the Prophets and the Writings; The Septuagint as a Whole: Theories and Questions: The 'Texts for Worship' Hypothesis; The 'Texts for Study' Hypothesis; The Question of the Septuagint Further Reading; 4. The Status of the Septuagint: from Philo to Jerome; Introduction; Philo of Alexandria (c.20 BCE-c.50 CE); Philo on the Making of the Septuagint; Special Features in Philo's Account; Philo on the 'Inspiration' of the Septuagint; A Defence of the Septuagint?; Josephus (37-c.100 CE); Continuation of the Septuagint Legends in Judaism; Rabbinic Sources and the Septuagint; Continuation of the Septuagint Legends in Christianity; The Defence of the Septuagint; The Septuagint and Jewish Alternatives; Augustine and Jerome; Further Reading; 5. Textual Developments to the Fifth Century CE; The Jewish Versions; The kaige Revision; 'Theodotion'; Aquila; Symmachus; Other Jewish Versions; Christian Use of the Versions; The Christian Recensions; The 'Hesychian Recension'; The Hexaplaric Recension; The Lucianic (Antiochian) Recension; Further Reading; 6. Language and Style; Introduction; The Septuagint and Koine Greek; The Septuagint's First Readers; Summary; Translation Technique; 'Literal' and 'Free' Translations; Conclusion; Further Reading; 7. The Use of the Septuagint: from the Beginnings to the Present; Day; The LXX and the MT: Interpreting the Differences; Identifying Distinctive Theological Elements; Jewish and Christian Reception History: Early Jewish Interpretation; Hellenistic Jewish Authors; Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha; Philo and Josephus; Early Christian Interpretation; Influence of the Septuagint on New Testament Interpretation; Patristic Use of the Septuagint; The Influence of the Septuagint on Biblical Interpretation; Issues in the Patristic Use of the Septuagint; Modern Interest in the Septuagint; The Septuagint and Textual Criticism; Modern Translations; The Septuagint as Christian Scripture; The Septuagint as Jewish Scripture; The Septuagint and Hellenistic Culture; Furt