The Meaning and Development of the “Christianized Septuagint”

The term “Christianized Septuagint” refers to the early Christian adoption, preservation, and selective adaptation of the Septuagint (LXX)—the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. Although the Septuagint originated as a Jewish translation for Greek‑speaking Jews in the 3rd century BCE, it eventually became so central to Christian communities that Judaism distanced itself from it, turning instead to the developing Masoretic Text tradition.

Over time, the Septuagint underwent a process of “Christianization,” shaped by how early Christians interpreted, transmitted, and edited the text.

Key Features of the “Christianized” Septuagint

1. Expansion of the Septuagint’s Origin Story  

Early Christians promoted the idea that the Septuagint’s creation was miraculously inspired, a narrative used to justify the inclusion of books such as the Wisdom of Solomon and the Additions to Daniel—works not accepted into the later Jewish canon.

2. Preference for Readings Supporting Christian Doctrine  

Christians highlighted specific Greek renderings that aligned with emerging Christian beliefs. A well‑known example is parthenos (“virgin”) in Isaiah 7:14, used to support the doctrine of Jesus’ virgin birth. This translation became a major point of contention between Christians and Jewish scholars.

3. Christian Editorial Recensions  

By the 4th century CE, Christian scholars—including Lucian of Antioch—produced formal recensions (edited versions) of the Septuagint. These revisions refined the Greek style and standardized the text for liturgical use in Christian worship.

4. Theological Interpretation of Key Terms  

Christians often used expressions such as ego eimi (“I am”) in the LXX to argue that Jesus claimed divine identity in the New Testament. Yet the Christianized LXX itself renders the short form of Exodus 3:14 not as ἐγώ εἰμι (“I am”) but as ὁ ὢν (“the Being”), showing that the Christian theological reading was not based on a direct textual equivalence.

Misconceptions About a “Jewish Septuagint” Today

Many assume that the Septuagint available today represents the original Jewish Greek translation. In reality, no complete, non‑Christianized Jewish Septuagint has survived as a unified corpus.

What we do have includes:

• A few Jewish Greek fragments among the Dead Sea Scrolls, sometimes associated with an early Jewish Septuagint.
• Evidence that the Torah (Pentateuch) was the only portion officially translated during the early Alexandrian period.
• Later books translated at different times, with no single Jewish “final edition” that escaped Christian modification.

All complete manuscripts that survive today are 4th‑century or later Christian codices, containing:

• Books not found in the Hebrew canon (the deuterocanonical books)
• Readings shaped by Christian theological influence

The Decline of the Septuagint in Judaism

After 70 CE, the earlier Jewish Greek translations evidently lost their influence in the Jewish communities. Jewish communities turned to newer Greek translations that aligned more closely with the proto‑Masoretic text, such as the 2nd‑century translation by Aquila of Sinope. These later translations survive only in fragments but demonstrate Judaism’s shift away from what many consider to be the LXX.

Modern Attempts to Reconstruct the “Old Greek”

Some scholars attempt to reconstruct the earliest Jewish form of the Septuagint—often called the “Old Greek”—using critical editions such as:

• The Göttingen Septuagint
• The Rahlfs‑Hanhart edition

These editions are suspposed to peel back layers of Christian editorial influence. However, some mistakenly treat these reconstructions as if they were the original Jewish Septuagint, even though they remain scholarly reconstructions rather than preserved Jewish manuscripts.

Summary: A Jewish Origin, a Christian Transmission

While the origins of the Septuagint are considered Jewish, the entire surviving corpus reflects Christian transmission, preservation, and theological shaping. The Septuagint we possess today is therefore at most should understood as a Christianized form of an originally Jewish translation—one that has been edited, expanded, and interpreted through the lens of Christian belief after the death of the apostles.

One can find much more about the Septuagint through the links provided on our page: The Septuagint.