Template:Septuagint

The seventy of Ptolemy

The Septuagint is a translation of the Hebrew Bible and some related texts into Koine Greek. The Septuagint derives its name from the Latin versio septuaginta interpretum, "translation of the seventy interpreters". Legend has it that the title refers to seventy or seventy-two Jewish scholars were hired by a Greek King of Egypt, Ptolemy II Philadelphus,, to translate the Torah from Biblical Hebrew into Greek, for inclusion in the Library of Alexandria.

The story reaches as far back as the Letter of Aristeas to his brother Philocrates referred to by Aristobolus writing in a passage preserved by Eusebius, and by Philo of Alexandria. References are repeated, with embellishments, by Philo of Alexandria, Josephus and by various later sources, including St. Augustine.

Evidently, Ptolemy's chief librarian Demetrios of Phaleron wanted the Hebrew law translated and preserved. This took place between 300-200 BC which was clearly a time of deep apostasy. There were many Jews who did not follow the ways of these Jews and several hundred years later accepted the teachings of Jesus on no need for this ritual sacrifice and dead stone temples.

Eventually, many Jews were so deluded by sophistry and their false interpretation of the ancient scripture that they could not recognize the simple message of Jesus about charity and love instead of force and violence and how His words about calling no man on earth father and loving your neighbor was in sync with Moses.