250 BCCode: LXXKoine Greek
The Septuagint (LXX)
The earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, produced in Alexandria for Hellenistic Jews and cited throughout the New Testament.
Historical Sources & Antecedents
What Texts and Translations Did This Version Use?
The foundational manuscripts, earlier translations, and polyglots consulted during compilation.
This is an original manuscript or ancient textual witness with no prior recorded translation parent.
Subsequent Lineage & Revisions
Who In The Future Used This Translation?
Modern revisions, authorized successors, and descendants shaped by this text.
Curatorial Commentary
Historical Context & Textual Significance
According to the ancient Letter of Aristeas, 72 Jewish scholars (six from each of the twelve tribes) were sent from Jerusalem to Alexandria at the request of Pharaoh Ptolemy II Philadelphus to translate the Torah into Greek for the Great Library of Alexandria. Completed over the 3rd to 2nd centuries BC, the Septuagint became the Bible of the early Christian church and the primary source for Old Testament citations in the New Testament.
Textual Legacy & Impact:
The Bible of the Apostles and the early Gentile Church; provided key theological Greek vocabulary such as Christos (Messiah), Kyrios (Lord), and Parthenos (Virgin).
Where Can You View Original Surviving Copies Today?
Known physical copies preserved in world archives and library vaults.
Vatican Library
British Library