HOW IS THE HISTORY?

In the 3rd century BCE, Jewish scholars in the city of Alexandria, Egypt, translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek.

In the 3rd century BC, Jewish scholars in the city of Alexandria, Egypt, translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek. Many Jews living in the region around the Mediterranean spoke Greek daily. This Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible is known as the Septuagint (usually abbreviated as LXX).

Some Jewish scholars in Egypt disagree about which books are included in the official list of the Bible, although one official list (the canon) is being agreed upon by another group of Jewish scholars in Palestine. For example, some Jewish scholars in Egypt only accept books written in Hebrew or Aramaic (a Semitic family language similar to Hebrew).

The city of Alexandria on the Nile delta was one of the most important cultural centres in the Mediterranean region in the first century. Its library contained more than 400,000 volumes and was frequently used by the large Jewish community there. The Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, was written by Jewish scholars in the city.

Other Greek-speaking Jews also included books originally written in Greek (some of which even date back to the first century CE). These Greek writings include:

The Books of History: 1 Esdras (the Greek translation of the book of Ezra in the Hebrew Bible); Judith; Tobit; 1-4 Maccabees.

The Books of Poetry and Prophecy, Wisdom, and Stories: Sirach (or Ecclesiastes); Wisdom of Solomon; Baruch; Epistle of Jeremiah; Susanna; Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Youths; and Bells and Dragons.

While many of these titles may now sound familiar to some Christians, many of the early Christians apparently accepted them as part of their Scriptures. In addition to these books, there is also a Greek translation of the Hebrew book of Esther written in the second and first centuries BCE. And, some of the stories listed above were added to the Greek translation of the book of Daniel.

 

The Roman Catholic church Bible still has most of these books, as well as longer translations of Esther and Daniel. Orthodox church Bibles have most of these books, as well as some others, such as the Prayer of Manasseh and a psalm (Psalm 151). Although most Protestant church Bibles now follow the Hebrew Bible list and exclude these other books, some publications continue to include them, placing them between the Old and New Testaments or at the end of the Bible.

 

*Alkitab Study Edition