Translation of the Torah into Greek
Jewish translators in Alexandria rendered the Torah into Greek, beginning the collection later called the Septuagint.
Full Account
A large Greek-speaking Jewish population in Egypt needed access to the Scriptures. Translators therefore rendered the five books of Moses from Hebrew into Koine Greek. The Letter of Aristeas preserves an embellished account associating the work with royal patronage and seventy-two translators.
The name Septuagint, often abbreviated LXX, eventually came to refer more broadly to the Greek Old Testament. The Torah translation was the beginning of that longer process, not a single translation of every book completed at one moment.
Historical Significance
The Septuagint became the Bible of many Greek-speaking Jews and was extensively used by early Christians and New Testament writers.
People, Places and Sources
- Key people: Jewish translators in Alexandria; Ptolemy II Philadelphus by tradition
- Key places: Alexandria; Egypt
- Languages: Hebrew, Greek