Introduces students to the Septuagint and its importance for the study of the Hebrew Bible. Students are guided in the comparative reading of various texts in the Hebrew Bible and the Septuagint. The course further presents current issues, topics, and problems in Septuagint studies and students are guided in focused research in a specialised area of Septuagint studies.
Students develop an understanding of how the Septuagint has been used in textual criticism of the Old Testament. Students also cultivate an understanding of the importance of the Septuagint to Greek speaking Jews and Christians in the time of Jesus and in early antiquity.
As the earliest translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint remains one of the most important sources of information about ancient Scripture. Together with the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Septuagint has been invaluable for research on the Hebrew Bible in contemporary scholarship.
It is estimated that between seventy and eighty percent of quotations from the Old Testament in the New Testament are from the Septuagint. A close study of the Septuagint and its history facilitates not only the interpretation of the Old Testament, but also key passages in the New Testament.
The course focuses on Old Testament texts that highlight the redemptive mission of God in the history of Israel and the nations.
The course explores the cultural and contextual background of the people who first translated the Old Testament into Greek.
The course considers the various ways in which the Septuagint was used by Jews in the time of the Roman Empire and early antiquity and Christians in the early Church, respectively.
Students are guided to master the principles and procedures of using the Septuagint in the interpretation of Old Testament texts.
The course examines the importance and impact of access to the Bible in translation for people who are not able to read it in the original languages.
