The Septuagint is the first translation of the Bible into another language. According to tradition, it was commissioned by Emperor Ptolemy the Great to add the Hebrew Scriptures to the new library he founded in his capital, Alexandria, Egypt. It is said that the Emperor employed seventy scholars to translate the Old Testament's Hebrew into Greek. The version's name is the greek word for "seventy" and is abbreviated by the Roman numeral for "seventy," LXX. It is significant because almost all the authors of the New Testament used its vocabulary and style.

This note was written by Rev. Robert E. Smith in 1994 for Project Wittenberg and was placed by him in the public domain.

Send comments, suggestions and offers to translate to:
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Project Wittenberg Coordinator
Concordia Theological Seminary
6600 N. Clinton St.
Ft. Wayne, IN 46825
Phone: (260) 481-2123
Fax: (260) 481-2126

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