Septuagint

The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. Translation began with the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) in Egypt during the third century BC. Other books were translated later by different translators. Their translations vary in how closely they follow the Hebrew text.

The name Septuagint comes from an ancient tradition about the translation of the Pentateuch. The Letter of Aristeas says that 72 Jewish elders produced the translation. This number was commonly rounded to 70, and the Septuagint became known by the abbreviation LXX, the Roman numeral for 70.

Manuscripts of the Septuagint also contain books that are not part of the Hebrew Bible. New Testament writers often quote the Septuagint, and in some places its wording differs from the Hebrew text.

See Ancient Versions of the Bible; Canon of the Bible; Old Testament Canon.