Introduction to the Septuagint

The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible created by Jews seeking a place of legitimacy for diaspora Jewishness and faith among the traditions of Hellenistic culture, was a monumental religious and culturalachievement. ThisGreek Old Testament, in its original form and revised versions, providedthe scripturalbasis for Judaism in the Greek-speaking diaspora, enabledthe emergence and spread of Christianity, and influenced translations of the Bible into African and European languages.Over time, however, theSeptuagint's relevancefaded for Jews,and the Hebrew text eventually reasserted its dominance within Judaism.This led many to neglect the Septuagint as an authentic witness to the biblical tradition. But the Septuagint remained important, inspiring biblical writings and further translations into Latin, Coptic, and Armenian. In combination with the Qumran biblical texts, it provides yet further indication of the multivocal state of the Hebrew Bible around the turn of the eras and proves to be a text of continuous interest for biblical scholarship and cultural-historical studies. Siegfried Kreuzer's Introduction to the Septuagint presents, in English,the most extensive introductionofthe Septuagintto date.It offerscomprehensive overviews of the individual biblical writings, including the history of research, current findings and problems, and perspectives for future research. Additionally, this survey presents a history of the Septuagint in its Greco-Hellenistic background, theories of its genesis, the history of its revisions,its lore in antiquity,andan overview of the most important manuscripts and witnesses of the convoluted transmission history of the text. The text includes extensive bibliographies that show the ongoing interest in Septuagint studies and provide a reliable basis for future studies. A collaboration representing multiple nationalities, professional perspectives, and denominational traditions, this dependable guide invites newcomers and experts alike to venture into the rich world of one of the most influential works of literature in history.

All in all, Kreuzer's Introduction to the LXX is an inexpensive must-have for everyone seriously interested in the study of the Old Testament in general and the Septuagint in particular. It may serve as both a treasure trove with various details and a starting point from which scholars are prompted to plunge deeper into a text, its transmission, reception, and interpretation--Thomas J. Kraus "TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism", The book-by-book approach is very useful and the collaborative multiple authorship gives this excellent resource on the topic a balanced and detailed perspective.--Stefano Salemi "Journal for the Study of the Old Testament", [ Introduction to the LXX] certainly has the making of a standard reference work, which will not need to be replaced in any near future.--Johanna Erzberger "The Journal of Septuagint and Cognate Studies", [Introduction to the Septuagint] is an excellent and affordable handbook on the Septuagint, an incredibly valuable resource for those interested in textual criticism of the Septuagint and adjacent questions about the composition and use of the text.--Joseph Scales "Reading Religion", This is a truly useful resource for those who work closely with the LXX and it is highly recommended.

Dr. Siegfried Kreuzer ist emeritierter Professor fÃ"r Altes Testament an der Kirchlichen Hochschule Wuppertal.