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To clarify, there are examples of fragments from Qumran which appear to be Hebrew Vorlage of the LXX version.


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The History of the Septuagint

What is the Septuagint? Why is it important to know about it?
The Septuagint is not actually “another bible� although it does differ significantly with later translations. It is the Old Testament that Jesus, his disciples and his early followers used and quoted from. It is not a “Catholic� Bible either as many may think, since many Catholic people use the Septuagint. The Septuagint pre-dates the Catholic Church hundreds of years.

The word “Septuagint� means “Seventy� and sometimes appears as “LXX� which is the Greek number for “Seventy.� This is because tradition has it that Seventy Jewish scribes (possibly seventy-two) were called to Alexandria (Egypt) to translate the original Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. Hebrew at the time was becoming a lost language (which we read about in Ezra chapter 7 and Nehemiah chapter 8). The time of the writing was between 300 B.C. and 250 B.C. The writings of the Septuagint have been found at the Dead Sea Scrolls confirming they had been written well before Jesus was born on earth.
Historians disagree on how much of the Old Testament Scriptures were translated in Alexandria at the time. Some believe it was only the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy). Others believe it included the Law and the Prophets. Most do agree however that the complete Septuagint that we have today was completed by 150 B.C. This is confirmed by at least two sources. The first one is the actual letters themselves which have been found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The second is from other ancient documents found in Cave 4 of Qumran (dating back to 150 B.C.) that speak of the translation of the scriptures which included the “law� the “writings� and the “prophets.� When Jesus was here on earth, He and his disciples quoted from the Septuagint.
The early Christians used the Septuagint as well. The scriptures and languages of the time at Jerusalem were Aramaic and Greek (not Hebrew).
Centuries after Jesus Christ was here on earth, between 350 and 500 A.D., some Jewish leaders got together and created what is called the Masoretic Text. Later, the Latin Vulgate (written by St. Jerome) was completed. Jerome used the Masoretic Text to translate the Modern Hebrew into Latin (which was the growing language of the time). Thus, perhaps most, if not all of our Modern English Bibles (including King James, American Standard, etc.), derive from the Masoretic Text and NOT the original text which was used by Jesus and his disciples.

Although the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text agree in most cases, they disagree on many important facts. We will look at some of them. A chart for the agreement of teh New Testament and the LXX can be foudn on this site: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~rgjon.../spexecsum.htm .

The New Testament authors show a clear preference for the Septuagint over Masoretic readings. The following site shows the agreement of the LXX and the NT.
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~rgjones3/Septuagint/spexecsum.htm

Matthew relies on the Septuagint for the assertion that the Messiah's mother was to be a virgin (Matthew 1.23). Jesus himself follows the traditional Septuagint wording in condemning the Pharisees' traditions (Matthew 15.8-9). The Septuagint clearly prophesies that Jesus will heal the blind (Luke 4.18-19) - but the Masoretic text is more obscure. The Septuagint foretold that the Messiah's death would be unjust (Acts 8.32-33) and that the Gentiles would seek the Lord (Acts 15.16-17). The Hebrew has the nations being "possessed" along with Edom. Paul knows that a remnant of Israel will be saved because he was reading the Old Testament in Greek (Romans 9.27-28). Perhaps if his topic were the return to the Holy Land and not salvation, he would have found the Hebrew reading more suitable. Following the Greek, he knows that the Messiah will conquer his people's sin - not that he would come to those who had already cleansed themselves from sin, as the Hebrew would have it (Romans 11.26-27). Paul's thought that Jesus would rule the Gentiles also depends on a Septuagint reading (Romans 15.12). The author of the book of Hebrews - to prove the deity of Christ - proclaims the truth that Jesus is worshipped by all the angels of God (Hebrews 1.6). But the Hebrew Old Testament does not contain that verse. Also on the basis of the Greek Old Testament, that author asserts that the incarnation was prophesied (Hebrews 10.5-7) - that Jesus would have a body, which he would offer for our sanctification (Hebrews 10.10). The Masoretic text at this point stresses auditory capability. Finally, where the Masoretic text described a nonviolent suffering servant, the Septuagint prophesied a sinless Messiah (1 Peter 2.22).

Other Examples of Answered Contradictions by Using the Septuagint:

1. The Ancestry of Jesus. Notice in Luke 3: 36 that Cainan is within the lineage of Christ. But if you go back to the lineage in the Old Testament (in Genesis 11:12), Cainan is not in the lineage within the Masoretic Text (or most modern Bibles today). The Septuagint however does include Cainan and agrees with the book of Luke on the ancestry.

2. Example # 2: In the book of Job, his children are killed in chapter 1 vs. 18-19, yet later in the book, it appears his children are still alive in Job 19:17 (KJV) “My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body. 18 Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.�
Many modern English translations falsely try to re-translate this into “the brothers or my mother� but that is not in the Hebrew Text. It is simply changed to make sense for modern readers. (See Strong’s Definitions).
The LXX makes it clearer because it specifies that the children were actually his concubine’s sons and not his children from his wife. LXX: 17 “And I besought my wife, and earnestly intreated the sons of my concubines. 18 But they rejected me for ever; whenever I rise up, they speak against me. 19 They that saw me abhorred me: the very persons whom I had loved, rose up against me.�

3. Another example of confusion in the Masoretic Text is the story of Joshua in chapter Ten. In the middle of the chapter there is a battle. In the middle of the battle it states: 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD hearkened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. 15 Then Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal. 16 These five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makke'dah.
Verse fifteen was mistakenly inserted making it appear as if the war stopped immediately but the next verse continues the war. At the end of the chapter (verse 43) the exact verse is repeated. Obviously, there was a copyist error with verse fifteen being added when it should not have been.
If one reads the Septuagint, however, the verse is not even inserted. The war continues and verses 14-17 reads as follows: 14 And there was not such a day either before or after, so that God should hearken to a man, because the Lord fought on the side of Israel. 15 -16 And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave that is in Makeda. 17 And it was told Joshua, saying, The five kings have been found hid in the cave that is in Makeda. (Note: verse 43 is not in the Septuagint either which leaves the verse out completely).

4. There are many small variations in the Masoretic vs. Qumran texts, but few have any significance. Here are a few of the more notable ones.
Exodus 1:5 in the Masoretic text says 70 people went into Egypt. When Stephen said “75� in Acts 7:14, one could assume scripture was (inerrantly) recording Stephen reciting from a Septuagint error, which said 75. However, the Dead Sea Scrolls also say 75, so perhaps Stephen and the Septuagint were correct here.

5. Deuteronomy 32:43 has "let all God’s angels worship him" while the Masoretic text does not. Hebrews 1:6 quotes this.

6. The Masoretic 1 Samuel 17:4 says Goliath was 6 cubits and a span, or roughly 9 feet 9 inches. However, the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls say 4 cubits and a span, or about 6 feet, 9 inches.

7. The Septuagint version of Jeremiah is 60 verses (1/8 shorter) than the Massoretic text. The Dead Sea scroll 4QJerb supports some of these absences. One scroll contained the Hebrew of Psalm 151, which is also in the Septuagint.

8. Greek, Latin or Hebrew?

Some people rely upon the Textus Receptus, but the Textus Receptus was also compiled centuries after Jesus. It was compiled as a mixture of Greek and Latin because the original writers/translators did not have access to all of the original Greek texts at the time, so they put the Latin translations (which derived from the Masoretic Text) within the partial Greek translation.

Some people also would question the Septuagint because it was written in Greek and not Hebrew. Even St. Jerome (who wrote the Latin Vulgate) chose the Hebrew Masoretic Text over the Greek Septuagint because he felt that the Hebrew language was “more inspired� than the Greek. A contemporary of his however, St. Augustine, chose the Septuagint over the Masoretic Text because it was the most authentic text.
Most of the Old Testament books have been found at the Dead Sea Scrolls and match the Septuagint as opposed to the Masoretic Text. Many of them have been found written in Aramaic as well as some Hebrew. The greatest approval of the Septuagint we may have though is based on a yet Older Text. It is the oldest known complete Old Testament Text (Torah only) in the world. It is the Samaritan Pentateuch. It dates to at least the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile and by tradition even pre-dates the Babylonian exile. It is written in the original Hebrew Script as opposed to the Modern Hebrew Script. It also matches the Septuagint over 90 percent in comparison as opposed to the late Hebrew Pentateuch (Masoretic Text) re-written between 350 and 500 A.D. This agreement between the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Septuagint is within the Torah/Pentateuch which is Genesis through Deuteronomy. The Prophets and the Writings are not in the Samaritan Pentateuch. The Samaritan Text to my knowledge has never been translated into Greek and is not translated into English yet. There are some Professors working on an English translation at this time.

Another important factor to remember is that when the Septuagint was translated, as we mentioned earlier, the Hebrew language was almost lost. It would not have made sense to translate the original Hebrew into Hebrew. Most of the books written at that time were translated into languages other than Hebrew. It would naturally be the case that the books of the time would be found in other languages while most of the Hebrew writings were either scarce or lost.

I made the statement that Jesus quoted the Greek Septuagint. A response might be that Jesus did not speak Greek. That would be a correct response. However, one can quote a statement while using a different language. I will use modern day terms to make it more understandable.
Septuagint / Greek: “The ball is red.�
Jesus and His disciples / Aramaic: “The ball is red.�
Masoretic Text / Hebrew: “The ball is green.�
As you can see above. Jesus, his disciples, and the Septuagint agree with the same statement while the Masoretic text does not. This also applies to many Biblical statements.

Sometimes the modern English versions will incorrectly translate a Hebrew word. Let’s give an example:
If you read Isaiah 7:14 in the King James Version, it incorrectly translates the Hebrew word “almah� into the word “virgin� when the Hebrew word actually means “young woman.�
If you read Isaiah 7:14 in the New American Standard Version, you will see the word “virgin� but if you went to the Strong’s Old Testament Hebrew (which is also based on the Masoretic Text), you will see the actual Hebrew word means “maiden� or “young woman.�
If you read the Septuagint though and refer to a Greek Lexicon, not only is the word “virgin� but the actual definition is “virgin.� No questions asked.
As we read earlier, many modern English versions also mistranslate Job 19:17 (See above).

The Septuagint was written around 250 B.C. and was the Old Testament that Jesus and his disciples used. The Septuagint agrees on the following texts: Remember that almost all of our modern Bibles derive from the Messoretic Text. Strong’s Hebrew (not Greek) Definitions are also based upon the Hebrew Messoretic Text. Many modern English versions have still used the Masoretic Text as their source of text but simply changed many words so the text will make more sense. This is known as “falsifying� the Masoretic Text. An example of this would be where a modern Bible may use the word “virgin� in Isaiah 7:14 but when you read the Strong’s Definitions, the true definition for the Hebrew word is “almah� which means “young woman� or “maiden.� If one reads the same verse in the Septuagint however, the word is “virgin� and the definition is “virgin.�

Here are some contradictions in the KJV and Masoretic Text that are not contradictory in the LXX.

Example One
KJV / Masoretic Text (1,7000 or 7,000?)
2 Sam 8:4 (1,700 horsemen)
4 And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough for a hundred chariots.
1 Chr 18:4 7,000 horsemen
4 And David took from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers; and David hamstrung all
the chariot horses, but left enough for a hundred chariots

LXX (Seven Thousand in Both)
2 Sam 8:4 - 4 And David took a thousand of his chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all his chariot horses, and he reserved to himself a hundred chariots. 4 And David took of them a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand infantry: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but there were reserved of them a hundred chariots.

Example Two
KJV / Masoretic
1 Ki 5:11 11 And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.
2 Chr 2:10 10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.."

LXX (Agrees on both)
1 Ki 5:11-And Solomon gave to Chiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food for his house, and twenty thousand baths of beaten oil thus Solomon gave to Chiram yearly.
2 Chr 2:10- And, behold, I have given freely to thy servants that work and cut the wood, corn for food, even twenty thousand measures of wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand measures of wine, and twenty thousand measures of oil.

Example Three
KJV/Masoretic
1 Ki 5:16 (3,300 foremen)
16 besides Solomon's three thousand three hundred chief officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried on the work.

2 Chr 2:18 (3,600 foremen)
18 Seventy thousand of them he assigned to bear burdens, eighty thousand to quarry in the hill country, and three thousand six hundred as overseers to make the people work.

LXX (agrees on both)
1 Ki 5:16 besides the rulers that were appointed over the works of Solomon, there were three thousand six hundred masters who wrought in the works.
2 Chr 2:18 And he made of them seventy thousand burden-bearers, and eighty thousand hewers of stone, and three thousand six hundred taskmasters over the people.

Example Four
KJV / Masoretic
2 Sam 24:13 (7 years)
13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
1 Chr 21:12 (3 years)
12 either three years of famine; or three months of devastation by your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or else three days of the sword of the LORD, pestilence upon the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.' Now decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me."

LXX (agrees on both)
2 Sam 24:13- And Gad went in to David, and told him, and said to him, Choose one of these things to befall thee, whether there shall come upon thee for three years famine in thy land; or that thou shouldest flee three months before thine enemies, and they should pursue thee; or that there should be for three days mortality in thy land. Now then decide, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

1 Chr 21:12 either three years of famine, or that thou shouldest flee three months from the face of thine enemies, and the sword of thine enemies shall be employed to destroy thee, or that the sword of the Lord and pestilence should be three days in the land, and the angel of the Lord shall be destroying in all the inheritance of Israel. And now consider what I shall answer to him that sent the message.

Other examples:

KJV / Masoretic
Genesis 2: 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made (this makes it unclear whether God worked on the Sabbath or not)

LXX:
Genesis 2: 2 And God finished on the sixth day his works which he made, (this text would clearly mean that God rested on the Sabbath).


Ancestry from a Childless Man?
Here is yet another example of what many modern critics call a contradiction:

In the Masoretic Text and many modern Bibles today, Jeremiah 22:30 reads as follows:

Jeremiah 22:30 - Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

Yet when one reads the ancestry of Jesus, Matthew 1:1-11, it states in verses 1-22 that after the Israelites were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel� and so forth until Jesus was born. In other words, Jechonias was an ancestor of Jesus. How can this be answered?

In the Septuagint, the verse reads like this:

29 Land, land, hear the word of the Lord. 30 Write ye this man an outcast: for there shall none of his seed at all grow up to sit on the throne of David, or as a prince yet in Juda.
So we see that there is no contradiction in the Septuagint. Jechonias became an outcast and his children (at least one) survived and became part of the lineage of Jesus the Messiah.

Even a leading atheist named Frank Zindler (although being sarcastic) made a good point when he stated the following:

“The problem for true believers is this: The Greek version(Septuagint) reflects a Hebrew text more than a thousand years older than the Hebrew text used as the standard for the King James. Shouldn't we follow the Greek — even if it is a translation — instead of the Hebrew? It should be noted that the authors of the New Testament, when citing the Old Testament, cited it in Greek resembling the LXX far more often than the Masoretic Textus Receptus. If the LXX was good enough for Jesus, shouldn't it be good enough for Presbyterians?�


Conclusion: The question to each of us is this: Which text would we choose to believe? A text that was written hundreds of years before Jesus on earth and the same one that Jesus and his disciples quoted, and has less discrepancies, or one that was written hundreds of years after Jesus which has more discrepancies.

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You can read more about the LXX and its history on the following websites:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/P...nt/spindex.htm

http://www.geocities.com/bkitc/Bible...04184376984%20

http://septuagint-interlinear-greek-...m/downbook.htm

http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/

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Please see this site: It is easier to read.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/P...nt/spindex.htm

The following table shows Septuagint readings which differ from the Masoretic text, but which are supported by the Dead Sea Scrolls. Underlining is used to highlight the differences so supported. The "Septuagint" column largely reflects Brenton's translation, and the "Masoretic Text" is based on the American Standard Version. The table is limited to the first five books of the Bible, but similar variations prevail elsewhere.
I have made clarifications where those translations do not sufficiently delineate differences in the source texts. For instance, Brenton translated the Greek word sunagwghn in Gen 1.9 with "place," which I have replaced with the more exact "gathering."
Note also that for extended passages such as Gen 1.9 and Ex 22.5, the Dead Sea Scroll evidence in favor of the Septuagint reading is often fragmentary. That is, if the entire scroll were still extant, it would definitely contain additional material not present in the Masoretic text, and the material that has been recovered agrees with the Septuagint.
Although the Dead Sea Scrolls often support Septuagint readings, they also frequently oppose them. Thus, the alignments listed below are evidence for the antiquity of Hebrew source text of the Septuagint and for the diversity of the Hebrew Old Testament in ancient times. But they do not, in themselves, argue that the Hebrew source the Septuagint is based upon is preferable to the Masoretic text.
The list of passages given below was generated using the footnotes in The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible, Abegg, Flint, and Ullrich, HarperCollins, 1999.

Reference Scroll Septuagint Masoretic Text
Gen 1.9 4QGenh1 Let the water which is under the heaven be collected into one gathering Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place
Gen 1.9 4QGenk And the water which was under the heaven was collected into its gatherings, and the dry land appeared. [Not in MT.]
Gen 1.14 4QGenk let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and foryears let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years
Gen 6.20 6QGen of all reptiles creeping upon the earth after theirkind of every creeping thing of the ground afteritskind
Gen 35.23 4QGen-Exoda the first-born of Jacob; Ruben, Symeon Reuben, Jacob's first-born, andSimeon
Gen 41.7 4QGenc And the seven thin ears and blasted with the wind devoured the seven choice and full ears And the thin ears swallowed up the seven rank and full ears.
Gen 41.16 4QGenj And Joseph answered Pharao and said, Without God an answer of safety shall not be given to Pharao. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
Gen 41.24 4QGenj And the seventhin and blasted ears devoured the seven fine and full ears and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears
Ex 1.1 4QExodb that came into Egypt together with Jacob their father who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Jacob)
Ex 1.5 4QExodb And all the souls born of Jacob were seventy-five. And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventysouls
Ex 1.12 2QExoda But as they humbledthem, by so muchtheymultiplied, and grew exceedingly strong But the more they afflictedhim, the morehemultiplied andthe more he spread abroad.
Ex 2.3 4QExodb put itin the marsh by the river laid it in the flags by the river's brink
Ex 2.6 4QExodb And having opened it, she sees the babe And she opened it, and saw [him] the child
Ex 2.6 4QExodb and the daughter of Pharao had compassion on him And shehad compassion on him
Ex 2.11 4QExodb And it came to pass inthat length of time And it came to pass inthose days
Ex 2.16 4QExodb And the priest of Madiam had seven daughters, shepherding the flock Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters
Ex 3.8 4QGen-Exoda and Amorites, and Pherezites,and Gergesites, and Evites, and Jebusites and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite
Ex 3.15 4QGen-Exoda the God of Abraam,andGod of Isaac the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac
Ex 3.16 4QExodb Go then and gather the elders of the children of Israel Go, and gather the elders of Israel together
Ex 3.16 4QExodb and Godof Isaac, andGodof Jacob of Isaac, and of Jacob
Ex 3.19 4QExodb will not let you go,savewith a mighty hand will not give you leave to go,no, not by a mighty hand
Ex 4.6 4QGen-Exoda brought his hand outof his bosom he took it out
Ex 5.4 4QExodb Why do ye, Moses and Aaron, turn the people from their works? Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, loosethe people from their works?
Ex 5.8 4QGen-Exoda
4QExodb Let us arise anddo sacrifice to our God Let us go andsacrifice to our God
Ex 5.9 4QExodb Let the works of these men be made grievous, and let them carefor these things Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labortherein
Ex 5.13 4QGen-Exoda as when straw was given you as when there was straw
Ex 7.10 4QGen-Exodm
4QGen-Exoda And Moses and Aaron went inbeforePharao And Moses and Aaron went inuntoPharaoh
Ex 8.16 4QExodc Stretch forth thy rodwith thy handand smite the dust of the earth Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the earth
Ex 9.6 4QpaleoExodm all the cattle ofthe Egyptiansdied all the cattle of Egyptdied
Ex 9.7 4QpaleoExodm that of all the cattle of thechildren of Israel there died not one there was not so much as one of the cattle of the Israelitesdead
Ex 9.8 4QpaleoExodm And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, Take you handfuls of ashes And Jehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes
Ex 9.28 2QExoda and the hail and the fire and hail
Ex 10.15 4QExodc And they covered the face of the earth, and the land was wasted For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened
Ex 10.17 4QExodc pardon (plural) therefore Now therefore forgive (singular)
Ex 10.24 4QpaleoExodm And Pharao called Mosesand Aaron And Pharaoh called unto Moses
Ex 12.3 2QExoda Speak to all the congregationof the childrenof Israel Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel
Ex 12.6 4QpaleoGen-Exodl all the multitude of the congregationof the childrenof Israel the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel
Ex 12.36 4QpaleoExodm and they spoiled the Egyptians And they despoiledEgypt {?}
Ex 12.39 2QExoda for the Egyptians cast them out because they were thrust out of Egypt
Ex 13.3 4QExode Remember this day, in which ye came forth out of the land of Egypt Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt
Ex 13.5 4QExode And it shall come to pass when the Lordthy God shall And it shall be, when Jehovah shall
Ex 14.10 4QExodc the Egyptians Egypt {?}
Ex 17.2 4QExodc
4QpaleoExodm Why do ye revile me, andwhy tempt ye the Lord? Why strive ye with me? Wherefore do ye tempt Jehovah?
Ex 17.12 4QpaleoExodm
4QExodc But the hands of Moses wereheavy But Moses' handswas heavy
Ex 18.6 4QpaleoExodm Behold, thy father-in-law Jothor I, thy father-in-law Jethro
Ex 18.13 4QpaleoExodm Moses from morning till evening Moses from themorning unto the evening
Ex 18.16 4QpaleoExodm whenever there is a dispute among them,andthey come to me when they have a matter, they come unto me
Ex 18.21 4QpaleoExodm captains of thousands andcaptains of hundreds,andcaptains of fifties rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties
Ex 22.5 4QpaleoExodm he shall make compensation of his own field according to his produce; and if he shall have fed down the whole field [Not in MT.]
Ex 23.8 4QpaleoGen-Exodl for gifts blindthe eyes of the seeing for a bribe blindeth them that have sight
Ex 23.9 4QpaleoGen-Exodl And yeshall not afflict a stranger And a sojourner shaltthounot oppress
Ex 26.10 4QpaleoExodm And thou shalt makeloops fifty And thou shalt makefifty loops
Ex 26.30 4QpaleoGen-Exodl And thou shalt set up the tabernacle according to the pattern shewed thee in the mount. And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereofwhich hath been showed thee in the mount
Ex 28.7 pap7QLXXExod It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined one to another It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined
Ex 32.7 4QpaleoExodm And the Lord spoke to Moses,saying, Go And Jehovah spake unto Moses, Go
Ex 32.13 4QpaleoExodm that they shall possessitfor ever they shall inherititfor ever
Ex 32.27 4QpaleoExodm Put every one his sword on his thigh,andgo through and return from gate to gate through the camp Put ye every man his sword upon his thigh,andgo to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp
Ex 40.17 4QExod-Levf And it came to pass in the first month, in the second year after their going forth out of Egypt, at the new moon And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month
Ex 40.22 4QExod-Levf And he brought the ark intothe tabernacle and he brought the ark in the tabernacle
Lv 1.17 4QLevb And he shall break it off from the wingsandshall not separate it and he shall rend it by the wings thereof, butshall not divide it asunder
Lv 2.1 4QExod-Levf and he shall pour oil upon it, and shall put frankincense on it: it is a sacrifice and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon
Lv 2.8 4QLevb And heshall offer And thoushalt bring
Lv 2.11 4QLevb Ye shall not leaveneverysacrifice which ye shall bring to the Lord Each meal-offering, which ye shall offer unto Jehovah, shall not be made with leaven
Lv 3.11 4QLevb the priest shall offer these on the altar And the priest shall burnitupon the altar
Lv 3.11 pap4QLXXLevb it is a sacrificeof sweet savour, a burnt-offering to the Lord it is the food of the offering made by fire unto Jehovah
Lv 4.4 pap4QLXXLevb and he shall put his hand on the head of the calf before the Lord, and shall slay the calf in the presence of the Lord and he shall lay his hand upon the head of the bullock, and kill the bullock before Jehovah
Lv 4.7 pap4QLXXLevb And the priest shall put of the blood of the calf on the horns of the altar And the priest shall put of the blood upon the horns of the altar
Lv 4.27 pap4QLXXLevb And if a soul of the people of the land should sin unwillingly, in doing a thing And if any one of the common people sin unwittingly, in doing any of the things which
Lv 5.6 pap4QLXXLevb and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he has sinned, and his sin shall be forgiven him and the priest shall make atonement for him as concerning his sin
Lv 5.9 pap4QLXXLevb for it is a sin-offering it is a sin-offering
Lv 5.19 pap4QLXXLevb For he has surely been guilty It is a trespass-offering
Lv 10.1 11QLevb And the twosons of Aaron, Nadab and Abiud And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron
Lv 10.1 11QLevb which the Lord did not command them which he had not commanded them
Lv 11.26 2QpaleoLev And whichever among the beasts divides the hoof and makes claws Every beast which parteth the hoof, and the foot does not cleave
Lv 13.42 11QpaleoLeva And if there should be inhisbaldness of head But if there be inthebald head
Lv 14.51 4QLev-Numa sprinkle uponthe house seven times sprinkle towardthe house seven times
Lv 15.3 11QpaleoLeva And this is the law of his uncleanness; whoever has a gonorrhoea out of his body, this is his uncleanness in him by reason of the issue, by which, his body is affected through the issue: all the days of the issue of his body, by which his body is affected through the issue, there is his uncleanness And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his uncleanness
Lv 17.4 4QLevd and shall not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of witness, so as to sacrifice it for a whole-burnt-offering or peace-offering to the Lord to be acceptable for a sweet-smelling savour: and whosoever shall slay it without, and shall not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of witness, so as to offer it as a gift to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord; blood shall be imputed to that man, he has shed blood; that soul shall be cut off from his people and hath not brought it unto the door of the tent of meeting, to offer it as an oblation unto Jehovah before the tabernacle of Jehovah: blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people
Lv 17.11 4QLevd For the life ofallflesh is its blood For the life of the flesh is in the blood
Lv 18.30 11QpaleoLeva for I am the Lord your God I am Jehovah your God
Lv 21.8 11QpaleoLeva for I the Lord that sanctifythemam holy for I Jehovah, who sanctifyyou, am holy
Lv 22.5 4QLeve or whosoever shall touch any uncleanreptile or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing
Lv 22.18 4QLevb according to all their confession oraccording to all their choice whether it be any of their vows, andany of their freewill-offerings
Lv 22.24 11QpaleoLeva thou shalt not offerthemto the Lord ye shall not offer unto Jehovah
Lv 22.31 4QLevb And ye shall keep my commandments and do them Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am Jehovah
Lv 25.46 4QLevb And ye shall distributethem to your children after you And ye shall maketheman inheritancefor your children after you
Num 3.3 4QLev-Numa whom theyconsecrated to the priesthood whom heconsecrated to minister in the priest's office
Num 4.6 4QLXXNum and shall put the staves through and shall put in the stavesthereof
Num 4.8 4QLXXNum shall put the staves into it shall put in the staves thereof
Num 11.32 4QNumb and all the night, and all the day the next and all the night, and allthe next day
Num 12.6 4QNumb And he said to them, Hear And he said, Hear
Num 13.23 4QNumb cut down thence a bough and one cluster of grapesupon it cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes
Num 13.24 4QNumb And they calledthat place That place was called(singular verb)
Num 16.1 4QNumb Phaleth the sonof Ruben Peleth, sonsof Reuben
Num 16.2 4QNumb and men of renown men of renown
Num 16.5 4QNumb And he spoke to Core and all his assembly, saying, God has visited and known those that are his and who are holy, and has brought them to himself; and whom he has chosenfor himself, he has brought to himself. and he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, In the morning Jehovah will show who are his, and who is holy and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he shall choose will he cause to come near unto him.
Num 18.30 4QNumb from the wine-press of the wine-press
Num 18.31 4QNumb ye and your households ye and yourhousehold
Num 19.3 4QNumb they shall bring her out of the camp into a clean place, and shall kill her he shall bring her forth without the camp, andone shall slay her

Num 20.24
4QNumb Let Aaron be added to his people Aaron shall be gathered unto his peoples
Num 22.9 4QNumb And God came to Balaam, and saidto him And God came unto Balaam, and said
Num 22.10 4QNumb sent them to me,saying sent unto me, saying
Num 22.11 4QNumb Behold, a people has come forth out of Egypt, and has covered the face of the land, and it has encamped near to me; and now come, curse it for me, if indeed I shall be able to smite it, and cast it out of the land. Behold, the peoplethatis come out of Egypt, it covereth the face of the earth: now, come curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.
Num 22.13 4QNumb Depart quickly to yourlord Get you into yourland
Num 22.17 4QNumb will do for theewhatsoever thou shalt say whatsoever thou sayest unto me I will do
Num 22.18 4QNumb shall not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord God, to make it little or great in my mind I cannot go beyond the word of Jehovah my God, to do less or more
Num 23.3 4QNumb if Godwill appear to me and meet me peradventure Jehovahwill come to meet me
Num 24.1 4QNumb he did not go according to his custom to meettheomens he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments
Num 24.6 4QNumb as gardens by a river, and as tents which God pitched As gardens by the river-side, Aslign-aloes which Jehovah hath planted
Num 25.16 4QNumb And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,Speak to the children of Israel, saying, And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 26.17 4QNumb to Aroadi, the family of the Aroadites; toAriel, the family of the Arielites of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites
Num 26.21 4QNumb the family of the Jamunites the family of the Hamulites
Num 26.23 4QNumb the family of thePhuaites the family of thePunites
Num 26.30 4QNumb And these are the sons of Galaad; toAchiezer These are the sons of Gilead: ofIezer
Num 26.32 4QNumb and to Opher, the family of the Opherites and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites
Num 26.33 4QNumb and these were thenamesof the daughters of Salpaad and the nameof the daughters of Zelophehad
Num 26.34 4QNumb These are the families of Manasse according These are the families of Manasseh;and
Num 27.1 4QNumb the daughters of Salpaad the son of Opher the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher
Num 28.14 4QNumb for onelamb for alamb
Num 30.7 4QNumb and her husband should hear, andhold his peace at her in the day in which he should hear and her husband hear it, andin the day that he heareth it holds his peace at her
Num 30.8 4QNumb But if her husband should straitly forbid her in the day in which he should hear her, noneof her vows or obligationsshall stand But if her husband disallow her in the day that he heareth it, then he shall make void her vow
Num 31.30 4QNumb from the sheep, and from the asses of the asses, and of the flocks
Num 31.48 4QNumb And allthose who were appointed to be officers And the officers that were
Num 31.50 4QNumb a ring, ora bracelet signet-rings, ear-rings
Num 31.52 4QNumb sixteen thousandandseven hundred sixteen thousand seven hundred
Num 32.30 4QNumb But if they will not pass over armed with you to war before the Lord, then shall ye cause to pass over their possessions and their wives and their cattle before you into the land of Chanaan, and they shall inherit with you in the land of Chanaan but if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan
Num 35.5 4QNumb and on the side to the west two thousand cubits and for the west side two thousand cubits
Num 35.21 4QNumb he is a murderer: let the murderer by all means be put to death:the avenger of blood he is a murderer: the avenger of blood
Num 36.1 4QNumb before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the heads before Moses, and before the princes
Dt 1.39 4QDeuth this day knows (singular) not good or evil this day have no knowledge (plural) of good or evil
Dt 3.20 4QDeutm until the Lord your God give your brethren rest until Jehovah give rest unto your brethren
Dt 3.27 4QDeutd Go up onto the top Get thee up untothe top
Dt 5.1 4QDeutj Hear, Israel, the ordinances and judgments, all that I speak in your ears this day Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I speak in your ears today
Dt 5.3 4QDeutn here alive this day here alive
Dt 5.5 4QDeutn And I stood between the Lord and you at that time to report to you the wordsof the Lord I stood between Jehovah and you at that time, to show you the word of Jehovah
Dt 5.8 4QDeutn Thou shalt not make to thyself an image,norlikeness of any thing Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, norany likeness of anything
Dt 5.9 4QDeutn upon the children to the third and fourth generation upon the children, andupon the third and upon the fourth generation
Dt 5.14 4QDeutn but on the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: thou shalt do in it no work, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, thine ox, and thine ass, and all thy cattle, and the stranger that sojourns in the midst of thee; that thy man-servant may rest, and thy maid, and thine ox, as well as thou but the seventh day is a sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, northy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, northine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou
Dt 5.15 4QDeutn therefore the Lord appointed thee tokeep the sabbath day and to hallow it therefore Jehovah thy God commanded thee toperformthe sabbath day
Dt 5.19 4QDeutn Thou shalt not steal Neither shalt thou steal
Dt 5.20 4QDeutn Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor
Dt 5.21 4QDeutn Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife; thou shalt not covetthy neighbour's house Neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor's wife; neithershalt thou desirethy neighbor's house
Dt 5.24 4QDeutn in this day we have seen that God shall speak to man we have seen this day that God doth speak with man
Dt 5.27 4QDeutj Do thou draw near, and hear all that the Lord our God shall say to you Go thou near, and hear all that Jehovah our God shall say
Dt 5.29 4QDeutk1 O that there were such a heart in them, that they should fear me and keep my commands always Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep allmy commandments always
Dt 7.4 4QpaleoDeutr For he will draw away thy son from me, andhewill serve other gods For he will turn away thy son from following me, that theymay serve other gods
Dt 7.15 5QDeutcorr And the Lord thy God shall remove from thee all sickness; and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou hast seen, and all that thou hast known And Jehovah will take away from thee all sickness; and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest
Dt 7.19 4QpaleoDeutr the great temptations which thine eyes have seen, thesigns and great wonders the great trials which thine eyes saw, andthesigns, and the wonders
Dt 7.23 4QDeute And the Lord thy God shall deliver them into thy hands But Jehovah thy God will deliver them upbefore thee
Dt 8.2 4QDeutc that he might afflict thee, andtry thee that he might humble thee, to prove thee
Dt 8.5 4QDeutj so the Lord thy God will chasten thee so Jehovah thy God chasteneth thee
Dt 8.7 4QDeutf For the Lord thy God will bring thee into a good and extensive land For Jehovah thy God bringeth thee into a good land
Dt 8.8 4QDeutn vines, figs vines andfig-trees
Dt 8.9 4QDeutf, 4QDeutn a land on which thou shalt not eat thy bread with poverty, andthou shalt not want any thing upon it a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack anything in it
Dt 8.12 5QDeutcorr and dwelt in them and dwelt therein
Dt 8.19 5QDeutcorr I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall surely perish I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish
Dt 10.10 2QDeutc the Lord heard me at that time also,andthe Lord would not destroy you Jehovah hearkened unto me that time also; Jehovah would not destroy thee
Dt 11.7 4QDeutj, 4QDeutk1 all the mighty worksof the Lord all the great workof Jehovah
Dt 11.8 4QDeutk1 that ye may live, and be multiplied, and that ye may go in and inherit the land, into which ye go across Jordanto inherit it that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go over to possess it
Dt 11.10 4QDeutk1 For the land into whichyegoest to inherit it, is not as the land of Egypt, whence ye came out, whensoever they sow the seed, and water it with theirfeet, as a garden of herbs For the land, whitherthougoest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thyfoot, as a garden of herbs
Dt 12.1 4QpaleoDeutr And these are the ordinances These are the statutes
Dr 12.19 4QDeutc all the time that thou livest upontheearth as long as thou livest inthyland
Dt 13.3 1QDeuta ye shall not hearken thou shalt not hearken
Dt 13.6 4QDeutc And if thy brother by thyfather or mother If thy brother, the son of thy mother
Dt 13.8 11QDeut shall not sparehim neither shalt thou spare
Dt 13.18 4QpaleoDeutr to do that which is good and pleasing before the Lord thy God to do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah thy God
Dt 15.15 1QDeutb therefore I charge theeto do this thing therefore I command thee this thing to-day
Dt 16.8 4QDeutc thou shalt not do in it any work thou shalt do no worktherein
Dt 20.1 4QDeutf and a people and a people
Dt 20.17 4QDeutk2 Pherezite, andthe Evite Perizzite, the Hivite
Dt 23.13 4QpaleoDeutr thou shalt dig with it, and shaltbring back thou shalt dig therewith, and shaltturn back
Dt 24.2 4QDeuta And if she should go And when she is departed out of his house, she may go
Dt 24.5 4QDeuta neither shall any thing belaid upon him neither shall he becharged with any business
Dt 26.19 4QDeutc renowned, and a boast in praise, and in name
Dt 27.26 4QDeutc and all the people shall say (plural) And all the people shallsay (singular)
Dt 30.11 4QDeutb neither is it farfrom thee neither is it far off
Dt 30.14 4QDeutb in thy mouth, and in thine heart,and in thine hands to do it in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it
Dt 31.1 1QDeutb And Moses finished speaking all And Moses went and spake
Dt 31.5 1QDeutb And the Lord has delivered them toyou (plural) And Jehovah will deliver them up beforeyou (singular)
Dt 31.9 4QDeuth And Moses wrote the words of this lawin a book, and gave it And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it
Dt 31.11 4QDeutb ye shall read this law thou shalt read this law
Dt 31.16 4QDeutc and theywillforsakeme, and breakmy covenant and will forsake (singular) me, and break (singular)my covenant
Dt 31.17 4QDeutc they shall say in that day, Because the Lord my God is not with me, these evils have come upon me. he will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?
Dt 31.18 4QDeutc And I will surely turn away my face from them in that day And I will surely hide my face in that day
Dt 31.19 4QDeutc now write the words of this song Now therefore write ye this song
Dt 31.28 4QDeutb Gather together to me the heads of your tribes, and your elders, and your judges, and your officers Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers
Dt 32.8 4QDeutj the number of the angels of God the number of the children of Israel
Dt 32.37 4QDeutq and the Lordsaid, Where are their gods And hewill say, Where are their gods
Dt 32.37 4QDeutq on whomthey trusted in whichthey took refuge
Dt 32.43 4QDeutq Rejoice, ye heavens, with him, and let all the angels of God worship him; rejoice ye Gentiles, with his people, and let all the sons of God strengthen themselves in him [4QDeutq has "and bow down to him all you gods," which merges the last two items underlined in the LXX]]; for he will avenge the blood of his sons, and he will render vengeance,and recompense justice to his enemies, and will reward them that hate him; and the Lord shall purgethe land of his people Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: For he will avenge the blood of his servants, And will render vengeance to his adversaries, And will make expiation forhis land, for his people
Dt 34.6 4QDeutl And they buried him And he buried him


The following table displays some of the more noteworthy Septuagint-Dead Sea Scrolls alignments in the remainder of the Bible.


Reference Scroll Septuagint Masoretic Text
1 Sam 2.9 4QSama granting his petition to him that prays; and he blesses the years of the righteous Not in MT.

1 Sam 2.22 4QSama he heard what his sons did to the children of Israel he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting
1 Sam 2.33 4QSama thy house shall fall by the sword of men thy house shall die in the flower of their age
1 Sam 11.8 4QSama and the men of Juda seventy thousand and the men of Judah thirty thousand
1 Sam 17.4 4QSama Goliath, by name, out of Geth, his height was four cubits and a span
named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span
2 Sam 4.2 4QSama And Jebosthe [4QSama has Mephibosheth] the son of Saul And Saul's son
2 Sam 8.7 4QSama And David took the golden bracelets which were on the servants of Adraazar king of Suba, and brought them to Jerusalem. And Susakim king of Egypt took them, when he went up to Jerusalem in the days of Roboam son of Solomon And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem
Ps 17.11 11QPsc They have now cast me out and compassed me round about: they have set their eyes so as to bow them down to the ground. They have now compassed us in our steps; They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
Ps 22.16 5/6HevPs the assembly of the wicked doers has beset me round: they pierced my hands and my feet. A company of evil-doers have inclosed me; Like a lion are my hands and feet [or, My hands and feet are shriveled - the meaning of the Masoretic Hebrew is uncertain]
Ps 30.10 4QPsr The Lord heard, and had compassion upon me; the Lord is become my helper. Hear, O Jehovah, and have mercy upon me: Jehovah, be thou my helper.
Ps 49.12 4QPsc And man being in honour, understands not: he is compared to the senseless cattle, and is like to them. But man being in honor abideth not: He is like the beasts that perish.
Ps 71.6 4QPsa from the belly of my mother thou art my protector Thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels
Ps 118.8 4QPsb It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in Jehovah Than to put confidence in man.
Ps 119.119 11QPsa I have reckoned [11QPsa, discount] all the sinners of the earth as transgressors Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross
Ps 126.1 4QPse When the Lord turned the captivity of Sion When Jehovah brought back those that returned to Zion
Ps 138.1 11QPsa I will give thee thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart I will give thee thanks with my whole heart
Ps 145.5 11QPsa And they shall speak of the glorious majesty of thy holiness Of the glorious majesty of thine honor
Ps 145.13 11QPsa thy dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful in his words, and holy in all his works. [This is an acrostic psalm. The additional line is required to fill the gap between the verse for the Hebrew letter nun (verse 13) and the samek verse (14). With this addition, the psalm has 22 verses, one for each letter in the Hebrew alphabet.] thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
Prov 14.34 4QProvb Righteousness exalts a nation: but sins diminish tribes. Righteousness exalteth a nation; But sin is a reproach to any people.
Is 61.1-2 1QIsaa, 1QIsab The Spirit of the Lord is upon me The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me
Is 65.1 1QIsaa I became manifest to them that asked not for me I am inquired of by them that asked not for me
Jer 10.6-8, 10 4QJerb Not in LXX or 4QJerb There is none like unto thee, O Jehovah; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Who should not fear thee, O King of the nations? for to thee doth it appertain; forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their royal estate, there is none like unto thee. But they are together brutish and foolish: the instruction of idols! it is but a stock. ...But Jehovah is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth trembleth, and the nations are not able to abide his indignation.
Lam 1.13 4QLam He has sent fire from his lofty habitation, he has brought it down into my bones From on high hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them
Lam 1.17 4QLam Jerusalem has become among them as a removed woman Jerusalem is among them as an unclean thing
Dan 2.20 4QDana the name of the great Lord will be blessed Blessed be the name of God
Dan 2.28 4QDana Nabuchodonosor what things must come to pass in the last days. O king, may you live forever, thy dream, and the vision of thy head upon thy bed, are as follows Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these
Dan 2.31 4QDana that image was very great, and the appearance of it excellent This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was excellent
Dan 5.7 4QDana the king shouted in a great voice to call in the enchanters, magicians, Chaldeans, and soothsayers The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers
Dan 8.4 4QDana I saw the ram butting to the east, and to the north, and to the west and south I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward
Joel 1.17 4QXIIc The heifers have started at their mangers The seeds rot under their clods
Zech 10.12 4QXIIg And I will strengthen them in the Lord their God; and they shall boast in his name, saith the Lord And I will strengthen them in Jehovah; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith Jehovah
Mal 2.16 4QXIIa But if thou shouldest hate thy wife and put her away, saith the Lord God of Israel For I hate putting away, saith Jehovah, the God of Israel

spin

This date of 150 BCE is total and utter rubbish.

It is possible that some of the torah was translated into Greek by then, but how much we cannot say. We do know that Josephus felt the necessity to translate the "history" into Greek, indicating that it hadn't been translated by 100 CE.

As Nehemiah as we have it wasn't mostly written until after the time of Josephus, it too couldn't have been translated into Greek so early. (Just look at all that Josephus knows about the book of Nehemiah and you'll find it's the equivalent of the first few chapters, yet Josephus had wonderful literary access for his history, citing from very many sources, amplifying biblical sources with classical, and not so classical, historians.

The crap about the seventy-two comes from the letter of Aristeas, or better, Pseudo-Aristeas, a work which makes a few important anachronistic errors, indicating that the writer wasn't aware of the actual history of the period in which he sets his letter (such as the reference to Demetrius of Phalerion).

One thing out of all this that is certain is that the LXX ws not completed by 150 BCE.


spin

meforevidence

spin: This date of 150 BCE is total and utter rubbish.

Response: Can you support your statement? I have history and archeology supporting mine and am willing to provide you with more evidence if it would do any good.

spin: It is possible that some of the torah was translated into Greek by then, but how much we cannot say. We do know that Josephus felt the necessity to translate the "history" into Greek, indicating that it hadn't been translated by 100 CE.

Response: Actually, there has been another version of Josephus found which is Aramaic. It may be older than the Greek translation. Josephus was translated into both languages. Furthermore, Josephus may have simply quoted instead of “translate� the history.

spin: As Nehemiah as we have it wasn't mostly written until after the time of Josephus, it too couldn't have been translated into Greek so early. (Just look at all that Josephus knows about the book of Nehemiah and you'll find it's the equivalent of the first few chapters, yet Josephus had wonderful literary access for his history, citing from very many sources, amplifying biblical sources with classical, and not so classical, historians.

Response: Please show me exactly what part of Nehemiah you are speaking of. As far as the book of Nehemiah, I am not sure you are correct on this. He quoted 1st Esdras (which was Greek by the way) almost verbatim which was a similar story to Nehemiah and Ezra and was also dated to at the very latest 150 B.C.

The crap about the seventy-two comes from the letter of Aristeas, or better, Pseudo-Aristeas, a work which makes a few important anachronistic errors, indicating that the writer wasn't aware of the actual history of the period in which he sets his letter (such as the reference to Demetrius of Phalerion).

Response: Yes, I said it was based on tradition. Here is what I stated:

“This is because tradition has it that Seventy Jewish scribes (possibly seventy-two) were called to Alexandria (Egypt) to translate the original Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. Hebrew at the time was becoming a lost language (which we read about in Ezra chapter 7 and Nehemiah chapter 8). The time of the writing was between 300 B.C. and 250 B.C. The writings of the Septuagint have been found at the Dead Sea Scrolls confirming they had been written well before Jesus was born on earth.
Historians disagree on how much of the Old Testament Scriptures were translated in Alexandria at the time. Some believe it was only the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy). Others believe it included the Law and the Prophets. Most do agree however that the complete Septuagint that we have today was completed by 150 B.C. This is confirmed by at least two sources. The first one is the actual letters themselves which have been found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The second is from other ancient documents found in Cave 4 of Qumran (dating back to 150 B.C.) that speak of the translation of the scriptures which included the “law� the “writings� and the “prophets.� When Jesus was here on earth, He and his disciples quoted from the Septuagint.

spin: One thing out of all this that is certain is that the LXX ws not completed by 150 BCE.

Response: saying “it isn’t so" is not sufficient. You need to provide more evidence. If we were in court and you were guilty of a crime, saying “I did not do it� would not be sufficient. Most scholars (skeptics or not) agree on the dating of the dead sea scrolls which support the LXX in the majority of cases.

Steven Avery

Remember, the question I was raising in the thread was whether the socalled LXX was used by the folks in the NT, and you changed the point, not I :-)

By folks in the NT, that would be either Jesus and the apostles, or, if not that, perhaps the NT authors (thereby changing the words of Jesus and the apostles). And I challenged the posters here to consider an alternate explanation of the evidence than the "common" one.

Now, I never said that some Greek OT scrolls didn't have some "counterpart" to some Hebrew manuscripts.

However, when you say "counterpart" between a DSS book and a Greek OT manuscripts, can you find any book at all even remotely as close to the Great Isaiah Scroll is to the Masoretic Text -- or even,e.g. the Genesis and Exodus Hebrew scrolls, or just that there is some general affinity, with lots of huge sectional differences and/or verse and phrase variations abounding thoroughout.

btw, just for context to this analysis, do you believe that any Tanach scripture is Inspired and Preserved ? I realize that most on this forum do not, and sometimes this leads to some paradigmic communication difficulties.

Especially if they assume some complex theory of corruption or forgery or fabrication of the NT text that I, at base, simply consider irrelevant. And then then expect me to respond to the resultant target theory built upon a base that has no relevance for me, and that I consider simply a circular corruption conception.

Anyway, your view will make a difference, especially if your answer is no. Then I would wonder why would you go into a big Masoretic/GreekOT comparison. Sincere question. Are you just trying to back up a view that no text is truly Scripture ? Or that you have a general Greek over Hebrew preference, even if it isn't Scripture. Perhaps church tradition over scritpture. Or some other reason.

Please don't forget that the question I raised was the Greek OT/NT relationship. You nicely gave one verse that has support in the DSS, thanks.
Although there are some problems with that one as the Greek OT then disagrees with itself on the very same number 75 (as I remember, I have a little paper on this in archive). So it becomes one of the requested five, with an asterisk :-)

Shalom,
Praxeus
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Messianic_Apologetic/

Steven Avery

Hi meforevidence,
Thanks. I am quite familiar with the website, and have had good communication with the gentlemen whose site it is. However, afaik, hardly any of it has to do with the question I raised, about Greek NT readings that are closer to the Greek OT readings, questioning if the GreekOT reading is *also* supported by the DSS, or the Vulgate OT, Peshitta OT or the Targumim . In my experience most all of these GreekNT/OT closer matches are unsupported by any other early manuscript evidences, (the Latin and Aramaic generally matches the Masoretic Text).

In other words, the "matches" are orphans from the Greek OT line giving the strong appearance of having been a later Greek OT "smoothing" toward the Greek NT. This is an easily understandable explanation, especially if you are familiar with the Greek OT transmission history in the 3rd to 6th century. And Cainan in Luke 3:36 is a good example, where we see the Greek OT gerry-rigging clearer.

If you want me to get involved in the general discussion of the Masoretic Text vs. the Greek OT, that is a large issue, and I could likely easily pick big holes in a number of the examples and arguments that you cut-and-paste.

The DSS are wide-ranging (often disagreeing with themselves) and the Greek OT is widely divergent as well, so discussion by example, devoid of consistent conceptual understanding, is of little consequence, anybody can pull out dozens of verses that sorta match one manuscript with another.

However, again, that was not the issue I raised. And since most of the people on this forum accept no form of the Tanach as Scripture, in a Masoretic/GreekOT discussion we will be looking at the issues through completely different glasses, and perhaps spinning wheels. Which is one reason I limited the focus to the very questionable theory that Jesus and the apostles, and/or the NT authors, were "quoting the Septuagint".

Shalom,
Praxeus
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Messianic_Apologetic/

Steven Avery

meforevidence.. I wouldn't mind going over the evidence from 'history and archaelogy', as you add later, we might be discussing the Ben Sira letter, which is quite interesting. We do have to start from the fact that there is a dearth of early Greek OT fragments outside of Pentateuch. However, if the evidence truly shows the Law, Writings and Prophets in Greek early, tis fine by me.

So far, personally, from what I've seen, I doubt that more than Penteteuch was done early. In the big picture, it doesn't really matter much to my understandings, since all we have in Greek OT extant is the very late and widely divergent and corrupt 4th to 6th century manuscripts. It is hard to relate these readings even with 'diaspora' Philo and Josephus, in any consistent manner. All this Greek OT inconsistency, within their own manuscripts and when compared to supposed earlier sources, is why socalled Septuagint studies is often like nailing jelly to a tree. Even within Septuagint studies, the various texts are quite divergent, with little based on anything other than 4th century and later Chrisian-provenance manuscripts, often from manuscripts of dubious scribal integrity.

Shalom,
Praxeus
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Messianic_Apologetic/

andrewcriddle

It seems reasonably clear that Philo was dependent on Greek translation for his knowledge of the Hebrew Bible.

However he is able to quote from the historical books. (eg the various quotes from 1 Samuel and I Kings in 'On the Unchangeableness of God' and the quotes from Joshua and Judges in 'On the Confusion of Tongues'.)

Hence a Greek translation of these works must have existed at the time of Philo c 30 CE well before Josephus wrote the Antiquities.

Andrew Criddle