HEB7310EN - Comparative Analysis of Biblical Hebrew and the Septuagint

Course description

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.

How this course benefits students

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.

Why this course is important

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.

Credit hours
3 hours
Subject area
Hebrew Language
Educational level
Doctoral
Learning type
Instructional
Prerequisites
None
Upcoming terms
Pending
* Schedule subject to change. Please contact the Registrar's office with schedule questions.
Professor
Dr. Zacharias Kotze, Professor of Hebrew Language and Literature

How this course relates to missional core values

Biblically based

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.

Missionally driven

The course focuses on Old Testament texts that highlight the redemptive mission of God in the history of Israel and the nations.

Contextually informed

The course explores the cultural and contextual background of the people who first translated the Old Testament into Greek.

Interculturally focused

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.

Practically minded

Students are guided to master the principles and procedures of using the Septuagint in the interpretation of Old Testament texts.

Experientially transformed

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.