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| Septuagint translators | |
|---|---|
| Name | Septuagint translators |
| Caption | Ancient translators associated with the creation of the Septuagint |
| Birth date | c. 3rd–2nd centuries BCE |
| Birth place | Alexandria, Ptolemaic Kingdom |
| Occupation | Translators, scribes, scholars |
| Notable works | Septuagint, Greek Old Testament |
Septuagint translators were the Jewish and Hellenistic scholars traditionally credited with rendering the Hebrew Bible into Koine Greek in Alexandria during the Ptolemaic Kingdom and later Hellenistic and Roman periods. Their work produced the Septuagint text family that circulated across Hellenistic Judaism, influenced early Christianity, and intersected with the textual traditions of Masoretic Text and Samaritan Pentateuch. Debates about authorship, dating, and technique connect figures and institutions such as Ptolemy II Philadelphus, Philo of Alexandria, Josephus, Aquila of Sinope, and Origen.
Scholarly reconstructions place major translation activity in Alexandria under the patronage of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, during interactions between Jews of the Diaspora and Hellenistic culture. The translators worked within networks involving Library of Alexandria, Museum of Alexandria, and Jewish institutions, and their output reflects linguistic contact among Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Aramaic, and Koine Greek. The corpus influenced Jewish communities in Alexandria, Antioch, Rome, and Jerusalem, and became central to scriptural usage in Early Christianity, including the writings of Paul the Apostle, Luke the Evangelist, and the Church Fathers.
Traditional narratives include the legend in Letter of Aristeas claiming a commission by Ptolemy II Philadelphus and completion by seventy-two translators, a tale echoed by Philo of Alexandria and summarized by Josephus in his Antiquities of the Jews. Later Christian writers like Eusebius and Clement of Alexandria repeated aspects of the legend, while Origen and Jerome discussed divine inspiration and the authority of Greek renderings. Medieval Jewish traditions and rabbinic literature offer polemical responses found near texts associated with Talmudic debate and later Maimonides commentary.
Specific attributions include names and associations such as translators of the Pentateuch per the Letter of Aristeas, and individual figures linked to revisions or alternatives: Aquila of Sinope (Greek recension), Theodotion (Hellenistic recension), and Symmachus the Ebionite. Early Christian scholars identify Lucian of Antioch and editors tied to Hexapla traditions; Origen compiled critical comparisons among Septuagint, Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion. Later medieval scholars reference Sophronius of Jerusalem and Byzantine editors in transmission history. Attribution complexities also involve Jewish scribes in Alexandrian synagogues and Hellenistic scholars affiliated with Library of Alexandria.
Translators navigated semantic and syntactic challenges moving from Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic into Koine Greek, producing literal and dynamic equivalents. Features include Hebraisms in Greek, calques, divergent renderings of divine names (e.g., YHWH), and lexical choices that affected theology and exegesis in Pharisaic and Proto-orthodox contexts. Comparative techniques are visible when contrasted with recensions by Aquila of Sinope, Theodotion, and Symmachus the Ebionite; the Hexapla of Origen demonstrates methodological attempts to collate Hebrew and Greek columns for textual criticism. Philological study draws on inscriptions from Ptolemaic Egypt, papyri from Oxyrhynchus, and bilingual documents from Elephantine.
The Greek translations shaped scriptural citation and theological development in Hellenistic Judaism, influenced authors such as Philo of Alexandria and Josephus, and were the primary Scriptures for Greek-speaking Christians, including Apostle Paul, Gospel of Matthew (tradition), and Church Fathers like Augustine of Hippo and Jerome (who later produced a Latin Vulgate). Jewish reception varied: some communities accepted Greek scriptures for liturgy and study in Alexandria and Babylonia, while rabbinic circles increasingly privileged the Masoretic Text; polemics surface in Talmudic references and medieval controversies addressed by Rashi and Maimonides.
Surviving evidence includes major witnesses: the Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Alexandrinus, and fragmentary papyri from Judean Desert caves and Oxyrhynchus Papyri. Textual families—Alexandrian, Western, and Byzantine—reflect diverse transmission routes through Jewish and Christian communities, with variants sometimes aligning with Samaritan Pentateuch readings or diverging toward Masoretic Text norms. Scribal practices, liturgical adaptations, and patristic citations shaped the textual history conserved in institutions like Saint Catherine's Monastery and collections such as the British Library.
Contemporary research engages institutions and projects such as the Septuaginta: Vetus Testamentum Graecum critical editions, the Göttingen Septuagint project, and digital initiatives hosted by universities in Oxford, Cambridge, and Heidelberg. Debates center on dating of various books, the extent of Alexandrian versus Palestinian translation activity, the role of Ptolemy II Philadelphus in patronage narratives, and methodological issues in reconstructing pre-Christian Hebrew Vorlage. Scholars including proponents of documentary hypotheses cite evidence from Dead Sea Scrolls, papyrology, and comparative linguistics; critics analyze reception history in Early Christianity, Byzantine liturgy, and Rabbinic responses. Ongoing discoveries in Qumran and advances in computational philology continue to refine models of Septuagint formation and the identities of its translators.
Category:Septuagint Category:Translations into Greek Category:Ancient Jewish scholars