Septuagint Info

There are print versions of the Septuagint, both new and used, in The Scriptorium.

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Links of Interest

The Septuagint is a treasure that has been shamefully neglected for centuries. It is particularly upsetting when you realize that all the modern English translations either completely ignore its testimony or else rely on it solely when the Masoretic text proves itself to be corrupted. While it can be readily agreed that the LXX contains numerous poor translations from the Hebrew, this does not change the fact that it bears witness against the omissions in the Hebrew in many places. This practice of modern translation will surely change in time as the scholars continue to digest the discoveries from the Dead Sea.

Fortunately, there seems to be a modern resurgence of interest in the Septuagint and new information is being shared online daily. We will try to keep up with new links as they are found and present them here. If you have something to add to this list, please send it to economy1@gnte.org.

Please note that these Septuagint links do not originate in a single sectarian or denominational doctrine but actually represent a fairly diverse spectrum of religious backgrounds.  It is also interesting to note, however, how narrow a viewpoint is represented by the anti-LXX group.

Pages at the economy publishing Website:

• An Historical Account of the Septuagint Version
• The Neglected Septuagint
• A Brief History of the Apocrypha
• Preface and Introduction to Goodspeed's Apocrypha
• A Brief Note on the Vulgate
• Qumran Cave IV and the Tetragrammaton
• Range Four - Septuagint Studies
• Hard Copy LXX and Interlinears

Links to Other Pages:

• GREAT NEWS!  We have recently been made aware of a project to produce a Greek-English interlinear Septuagint!  This is a wonderful project and I have been informed that plans are in place to make this work available in print by the end of 2005.  Not only does this provide a Greek-English interlinearization, but the Strong's numbering system has been adapted to provide for all the Greek Old Testament words Strong never numbered.  While we are waiting for final publication, however, the text is available at this time in freely downloadable PDF files, as well as being available for a very reasonable price on CD-ROM.  This is really an exciting development and prayers and thanks go out to the sister who took the time to call me personally to let me know what she had found.

• At last, the Septuagint is in a usable online version! Here is the link you need. You only need to have the Symbol font installed to view the Greek, and you can search! The only drawback is that the files it apparently draws from are in all-caps. That means if you use the "display in lower case," which appears to be the default, you won't have final sigma displayed correctly.  
  
  (The Symbol font inexplicably sticks lower case final sigma in capital "V"!  Will everyone PLEASE adopt as the standard Greek font mapping the one which makes the most sense for English users: i.e. put final sigma at lower case "j", which it vaguely resembles, and THETA and PSI at Q and Y, respectively, the capital forms of which vaguely resemble the Greek characters? Witness:

V = j
Q = Q
Y = Y

Is that so difficult?)  

Several other interesting versions are available here as well, including a Hebrew OT (but you'll need to install the fonts provided at the website to work in Hebrew). Also, you can have a parallel display of up to three versions at once. The Unbound Bible

• This site, also linked to elsewhere, has a really fascinating page that the author states is a work in process and part of a larger project.  In any event, it provides side by side comparisons between the New Testament quotations of the Old Testament as given in the Masoretic text and the Septuagint.  Check it out.  Comparison of the Septuagint and Hebrew Old Testament, based on New Testament quotations
  
• Text Families is a nice discussion breaking down some of the reasons Old Testament scholars are excited about Qumran.  This discussion includes mention of the Samaritan Pentateuch relative to the Masoretic and the LXX.  It is a part of a larger essay entitled "The Text of the Hebrew Bible"
  
• A new English translation of the Septuagint is in the works and one of the translators recently notified me of the existence of a website resource that the translators have set up. Here is a link to that site.  LXX.ORG: TRANSLATOR'S PAGE

• This link is the actual introduction to the Brenton Septuagint (mirrored at this site, above). Introduction. An Historical Account of the Septuagint Version This site also has a few books from Brenton's translation!

• This link is one of the best links pages about the LXX (except for the one you're on!). Septuagint

• Here is an English translation of the LXX version of the Psalms. The Orthodox Psalter

• This link is an illustrated page with a summary explanation of the history of the Septuagint.  Orthodox Scripture Texts

• This link is a very thorough narrative of the history and development of the Bible canon, including the place of the Septuagint in that story. INTRODUCTION TO THIS STUDY

• Here is a link to the Catholic Encyclopedia article on the Septuagint. Catholic Encyclopedia: SEPTUAGINT VERSION

• Version Descriptions is an interesting article that attempts to be a comprehensive discussion of the origins of the Bible translations.  Although falling somewhat short of this lofty goal, the discussion is quite readable and appears to be accurate in its brevity.
  

• History of the Bible is another article attempting to discuss comprehensively the origins of the Bible translations, although too brief to be of use except by way of introduction.
  

• This link is a quite readable history of the Septuagint. Science Speaks

• This is a link to a nice overview of Septuagint issues. The Septuagint
• Another link to a summary of the issues surrounding the Septuagint.  The Septuagint: God's Blessing on Translation 

• Here is link to a wonderful starting point for information on the Septuagint. All Scripture Is Inspired by God. . . : Thoughts on the Old Testament Canon

• This link is a brief examination of the doctrine of canonicity. The Apocrypha and the Old Testament (CAUTION: this site also has some questionable teachings in places.)

• Here is another link discussing the concept of a "canon" of the Bible. The Canon of the Old Testament

• Another look at the Canon is found at this link. The Jewish Canon

• And another.... Canon of The Old Testament

• One more... Who Has the Correct Bible: Catholics or Protestants?
  
• Here is a link to a discussion of what the Dead Sea Scrolls have taught us about the LXX. The DEAD SEA Scrolls and the Septuagint

• Here is a link to a good bibliography of LXX print resources. Septuagint reading list
  
• You may be interested to take a look at Scholarly Bible Editions, which provides an illustrative example of the use of the LXX in the study of the Old Testament in the Masoretic version.  (This site also provides some suggested Tools for the Study of the Hebrew, many of which are available through The Scriptorium.)

• This link compares the canons of the Masoretic and the LXX in a chart fashion. ACT: The Hebrew Bible and the Septuagint

• This link is a brief history of the LXX. The Greek Septuagint & Ancient Manuscripts

• This is a link to another brief history. Septuagint (LXX)

• Here is a link to a site specializing in the KJV-Only debate. Brian's KJV-only Issue Page

• Here is another link addressing the lessons from Qumran. (CAUTION: This site appears to actively oppose the Christian faith!) The Jeremiah Dilemma
  
• A Septuagint Reading List This site has listed several titles that are available in The Scriptorium
  
• You'll find this link providing a text-based view of the utility of the LXX in the study of the New Testament. Subject: Septuagint  (This site may actually have several useful discussions which I have not fully explored yet.  See also: Messianic Jewish Believers' use of the OT.)
  
• A New Look at the Origin of the Bible is a fairly well written piece discussing the errors of the Anti-LXX crowd.
  
• This site is illustrates the difficulties between the different Old Testament texts regarding the chronology of the Old Testament. CREATION AND CATASTROPHE CHRONOLOGY
  
• Another look at the chronology differences, curiously from a statistical analysis perspective. Comparing Genesis 5 and 11.

Anti-Septuagintal Links:
These links are provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. We do not commend these opinions to you.

Data Sources for the Septuagint

Unfortunately, modern scholars are only now awakening to the urgent need to study and disseminate the Septuagint as a more authentic source of the Old Testament Scriptures. Consequently, there are precious few options for data files. We will continue to investigate these options and report back here.

• GREAT NEWS!  We have recently been made aware of a project to produce a Greek-English interlinear Septuagint!  This is a wonderful project and I have been informed that plans are in place to make this work available in print by the end of 2005.  Not only does this provide a Greek-English interlinearization, but the Strong's numbering system has been adapted to provide for all the Greek Old Testament words Strong never numbered.  While we are waiting for final publication, however, the text is available at this time in freely downloadable PDF files, as well as being available for a very reasonable price on CD-ROM.  This is really an exciting development and prayers and thanks go out to the sister who took the time to call me personally to let me know what she had found.

• The SeedMaster option is one route. It will allow you to use the freeware OLB modules as well as any other modules you might purchase. The Bible Companion Series LXX is primarily Rahlfs', reorganized to be somewhat parallel to the Masoretic-based modern versions. Generally a viable option although a little ways from perfect. The fact that you can buy the module separately at a reasonable price while using freeware software for the other resources is a BIG plus.

• At last, the Septuagint is in a usable online version! Here is the link you need. Several other interesting versions are available here as well, including a Hebrew OT, and finally, you can have a parallel display of up to three versions at once. This is apparently a web-modified version of the CCAT LXX mentioned below, which itself is based upon the Rahlfs critical edition. You are also able to download a copy of the LXX from a link at this site. The Unbound Bible

• You should check out the set of files available at
  gopher://ccat.sas.upenn.edu:3333/11/Religious/Biblical/LXXMorph/
  which is a morphologically coded text. Inconvenient as it might be, you might be able to find some use for it. There is also a parallel-aligned Hebrew/Greek set on this same gopher server.
  Here is the front page for that site, including a link to their project for producing a new English translation of the LXX!

• We are enthusiastic about this recent discovery. The Bible Works program (version 3.5) is now available at a more reasonable price. Although still somewhat pricey ($200), you definitely get your money's worth. We'd really like to see them reach the under-$100 range, but their collection of Bible tools contains things that no other Bible software has. With this software comes a good standard collection of English translations as well as several original language texts and tools. You also get the fine CCAT Septuagint with morphological information, Rahlfs' text, AND Brenton's English Translation of the Septuagint (excepting the Apocrypha for some reason; the included RSV and NRSV Apocryphas are a sufficient substitute). This link provides a complete list of the 3.5 CD-ROM contents, as well as a link to an Acrobat-formatted "brochure". If you've got the cash to spare, this looks like an excellent investment. If you use it, let me know. I can't afford it myself right now.

• There is at last a freeware version of the Septuagint in Greek and English that you may download.  
  This Greek LXX is alleged to be Rahlfs' although I haven't yet examined it closely enough to determine if it isn't actually just the CCAT text (see above).  In any case, it is certainly based upon Rahlfs' text (although one "official site" alleges that it is "Jerome's"!)  A supplemental module includes the books of the Apocrypha.  Read the "lxx.doc" file after installation for a few ways that this LXX differs from Rahlfs' edition, especially regarding harmonization. 
  The English translation is basically Brenton's, although, again, it has been harmonized to match the verse order of the Masoretic-based versions.  Plus, since Brenton's Greek differed significantly from Rahlfs', you cannot run the English and Greek offered here as strict parallels (compare 1Kings/3Kings 4:6 to see an excellent example of why.)
  You'll probably also want an English version of the Apocrypha.  Brenton's is not provided.  The Apocrypha from the RSV is probably better anyway.  

  You'll need at least these files:

  • the Bible software program
  • the Septuagint module
  • the Apocrypha module
  • English translation of the LXX
  • the RSV Apocrypha

  Unzip all files before running the setup program.

Don't forget to check the excellent Septuagint resources in

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Last updated: 04/08/05