Revised Brenton Translation Of The Septuagint

The Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of Jewish sacred writings) is of great importance in the history of both Judaism and Christianity. The first translation of the books of the Hebrew Bible (plus additions) into the common language of the ancient Mediterranean world made the Jewish scriptures accessible to many outside Judaism. Not only did the Septuagint become Holy Writ to Greek speaking Jews but it was also the Bible of the early Christian communities: the scripture they cited and the textual foundation of the early Christian movement. Translated from Hebrew (and Aramaic) originals in the two centuries before Jesus, the Septuagint provides important information about the history of the text of the Bible. For centuries, scholars have looked to the Septuagint for information about the nature of the text and of how passages and specific words were understood. For students of the Bible, the New Testament in particular, the study of the Septuagint's influence is a vital part of the history of interpretation. But until now, the Septuagint has not been available to English readers in a modern and accurate translation. The New English Translation of the Septuagint fills this gap.

The Septuagint is the only extant Greek translation from a Hebrew MSS that is currently lost to us. The Greek Septuagint and its Autograph, were extensively used before the Christian era as has been testified to by historians and many similarities manifest in the Dead Sea Scrolls. During the age of the Messiah and the Apostles it appears they exclusively used either the Greek Septuagint or its Autograph as is demonstrated by the parallels found in their quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures [O.T]. The Septuagint persevered into the age of the early Church Fathers where after it inexplicably fell into disuse. This is a fresh approach to Sir Brenton's translation, in that this it restores the original Hebrew Names as found in the Masoretic Text. While this approach may seem like a glaring paradox it may however be reasoned that a more satisfying though not perfect English translation has subsequently evolved.

A slightly more revised edition of Brenton's English translation of the Septuagint to bring it into better conformity with the underlying Greek.

The Revised Brenton English translation of the Septuagint, Second Edition

This edition of "The Septuagint with Apocrypha" (the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament and the apocryphal books of the same linguistic origin) gives the complete Greek text along with a parallel English translation by Brenton. From the Preface This edition of the Septuagint, including Apocrypha, giving the complete Greek text along with a parallel English translation by Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton (1807-1862), was first published in London in 1851. The Septuagint (from the Latin septuaginta, meaning "seventy," and frequently referred to by the roman numerals LXX) is the Greek translation of the Old Testament. The name derives from the tradition that it was made by seventy (or seventy-two) Jewish scholars at Alexandria, Egypt during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus (285-247 B.C.). It has been preserved in a large number of manuscript copies of the original, and the Greek text in Brenton's edition is based on Vaticanus, an early fourth-century manuscript, with some reliance on other texts, particularly Alexandrinus, a fifth-century manuscript. Although it is not completely understood either when or why the translation was originally done, it is clear that it in large measure reflects the common language of the period and became the "Bible" of Greek-speaking Jews and then later of the Christians. It is worth noting that the Septuagint differs from the Hebrew Old Testament in certain ways: 1) the Greek text varies at many points from the corresponding Hebrew text; 2) the order of the Biblical Books is not the same--the threefold division of the Hebrew canon into the Law, Prophets, and Writings is not followed in the LXX; and 3) several books not found in the Hebrew are included in the LXX-- these books are known as the Apocrypha in the English Bible. While the majority of the Old Testament quotations rendered by the New Testament authors are borrowed directly from the Septuagint, a number of times they provide their own translation which follows the Hebrew text against the Septuagint. In general, the vocabulary and style of the Septuagint is reflected in the theological terms and phraseology chosen by the New Testament writers, and therefore, takes on particular significance for a better overall understanding of the Scriptures. It is not surprising--due to its early widespread use and enduring influence in the Church--that the order of the Biblical Books in the Septuagint, rather than that of the Hebrew O.T., became the accepted order. Although rejected by Protestants as non-canonical, the Apocryphal writings have enduring value as a literary and historical record of the intertestamental period. They often provide important background and illustrative material for a better understanding of the New Testament "world" and thus the New Testament itself.

The Septuagint (or "LXX," or "Greek Old Testament") is a translation of the Hebrew Old Testament and certain Apocrypha, which was sponsored according to tradition in the late 3rd century BC by Ptolemy II Philadelphus, the king of Ptolemaic Egypt (283 BC to 246 BC). The Greek translation was originally created for use by the Alexandrian Jews who were fluent in Koine Greek, but not in Hebrew. Thus the Septuagint is sometimes called the "Apostle's Bible" and the one that Jesus and his disciples would have had access to. It is quoted in the New Testament by writers such as the Apostle Paul, and remained the Scripture of use by the Apostolic Fathers. The translation of the Septuagint into English by Sir Lancelot C. L. Brenton was first published in 1851 and was based primarily upon the Codex Vaticanus, one of the oldest extant manuscripts of the Greek Bible. It remains the standard of use by many scholars and students of Scripture and history. Contained in this volume (The Researchers Library of Ancient Texts Volume III): The English Translation of the Greek Septuagint Bible, Including the Apocrypha.