The Septuagint

Photo: A section from the Book of Esther
in the Codex Sinaiticos manuscripts of
.the Septuagint, from the 4th century AD

The Septuagint, also called the "Greek Old Testament" was traditionally commissioned by Ptolemy II, King of Egypt, and created by 72 Jewish scholars, six from each of the 12 tribes, in 72 days.
Based on the legend, each sage was isolated and wrote a separate translation, but when all 72 were compared, they were all identical.

It is widely believed that Ptolemy sponsored the translation for use by the many Alexandrian Jews who were not fluent in Hebrew but fluent in Koine Greek.

In course of the years the Septuagint became the source text for much of the Jewish world and early Christianity, as well as the canonical version of the Old Testament for the Orthodox Church.

The origin of the term "Septuagint" is the Latin word septuaginta, which means seventy.

According to a letter from Aristeas to Philocrates, it is believed that the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek was completed on December 27, in 175 BC.

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