Today, the term is usually used to refer generally to the various Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible, as well as some additional books, such as Tobit, Maccabees, and Sirach, to name a few. Rather, it refers to a collection of Greek translations produced by numerous scribes over the course of a few hundred years and, in all likelihood, composed in different locations. So, when scholars use this term, it does not refer to a single text. But, technically speaking, there is no such thing as “ the Septuagint.” If you own a modern copy of the Septuagint (e.g., Rahlfs or Brenton editions), it is an “eclectic” edition, that is, a collection of the best and most reliable Greek manuscripts reconstructed to approximate the original translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek. The term Septuagint is often thought of as the Greek version (or translation) of the Hebrew Bible, much like the Vulgate is the Latin version or the Peshitta is the Syriac version. Still, many Christians today have little to no knowledge of it.
And it sheds much-needed light on the development of the New Testament. It was preferred to the Hebrew by the Early Christian Church. It was considered by Philo and Josephus to be on an equal footing with the Hebrew Bible. It is the oldest translation of the OT into another language. The Septuagint is quite possibly the most important translation of the Bible.
WHY SHOULD CHRISTIANS CARE ABOUT THE SEPTUAGINT? “Gentlemen, have you a Septuagint? If not, sell all you have, and buy a Septuagint.” ~ Ferdinand Hitzig (19th-century German theologian)
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