THE SEPTUAGINT
AS CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURE

Its Prehistory and the Problem of Its Canon

Martin Hengel

with the assistance of Roland Deines

Introduction by
Robert Hanhart

Translated by
Mark E. Biddle

Copyright © T&T Clark International
A Continuum imprint

Published by T&T Clark International
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First published 2002

ISBN 0 567 08287 3

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

In honour of my colleague
Luise Abramowski

CONTENTS

Preface

Select Bibliography

Introduction: Problems in the History of the LXX Text from Its Beginnings to Origen

by Robert Hanhart

I. A Difficult Subject

II. The LXX as a Collection of Writings Claimed by Christians

1. The Translation Legend in Judaism and the Number of the Translators

2. Justin

(a) The Legend in the Apology and Dialogue

(b) Justin’s ‘Old Testament Library’

(c) The Dispute about the Translation of Isaiah 7:14

(d) The Appeal to the Seventy and the Charge of Falsifying Scripture

(e) The ‘Generous’ Treatment of Minor Variants

(f) Justin’s Appeal to the Seventy in his Discussion with Jews in Rome

3. The Seventy in Later ‘Dialogues’

4. The Translation Legend in the Early Fathers after Justin

(a) Persistent Problems

(b) Pseudo-Justin’s Cohortatio ad Graecos

(c) Irenaeus

(d) Clement and Tertullian

(e) Summary

5. The Form of the Christian LXX

6. The Jewish Reaction

7. The Question of the Hebrew ‘Originals’

8. Augustine’s Attempt at Compromise

9. The Problem of the Book of Enoch

III. The Later Consolidation of the Christian ‘Septuagint Canon’

1. The First Codices: The Writings Contained in Them and Their Order

2. The Earliest Canon Lists

3. The ‘Second Class’ Character of the Writings Not Contained in the ‘Hebrew Canon’

4. The Rejection of Authentic ‘Apocrypha’

IV. The Origin of the Jewish LXX

1. The Translation of the Torah and Its Enduring Significance

2. The Translation of Other Writings

(a) Dependence on Palestinian Judaism

(b) The Translation and Origin of Individual Writings

(c) The Writings Not Found in the ‘Hebrew Canon’

3. The Canon in the Jewish Diaspora

(a) The Prologue of Jesus ben Sirach

(b) Philo’s Therapeutae

(c) Josephus: Ap 1:37–43

V. The Origin of the ‘Christian Septuagint’ and Its Additional Writings

1. Early Christianity

2. The Problem of the Inclusion of the Writings Not Contained in the ‘Hebrew Canon’

(a) Writings Outside the ‘Hebrew Canon’

(b) Independent Documents outside the ‘Hebrew Canon’

(c) The Dissemination and Prevalence of These Writings in the Church

Index of Biblical and Extra-Biblical Citations

Index of Authors

Index of Subjects