Data Over Dogma The Legend of the Septuagint
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Mar 23, 2026 They unpack the legendary Letter of Aristeas and the myth of the Septuagint’s miraculous translators. They explore why a Greek Bible was made and how translation styles vary across the Pentateuch. They probe Exodus 22’s ownership dispute language and the debate over Elohim as God, judges, or divine images in ancient legal practice.
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Read Ancient Claims As Rhetoric First
- Consider the rhetorical goals when reading ancient texts; the Letter of Aristeas defends Greek-speaking Jewish identity and argues the translation is divinely approved.
- Use translations and commentaries (e.g., Benjamin Wright) to spot apologetic framing versus history.
Septuagint Shows Multiple Translators Over Time
- Linguistic and stylistic differences across Pentateuch books show the Septuagint translations were produced at different times by different hands, not by a single 72-person event.
- Genesis is freer, Deuteronomy more literal and Semitic, indicating a long, multi-stage translation process.
Septuagint Shaped Early Christian Scripture Choices
- Christianity relied on the Septuagint as its Bible until Jerome promoted the Hebraica Veritas, shifting later Western translations back to Hebrew.
- Dead Sea Scrolls later showed Septuagint often reflects alternate ancient Hebrew texts, keeping it text-critically important.
