Author Description

Although the orgins of The Septuagint, the most influential of the Greek versions of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, are uncertain, different versions of a legend about the miraculous nature of its translation have existed since antiquity. The legend describes how Ptolemy Philadelphus (285-247 BCE) commissioned 72 Jewish scribes to translate the sacred Hebrew scriptures for his famous library in Alexandria and how the scribes, working independently, produced identical Greek versions. Adapted and changed by Jews, Pagans, Christians, and Muslims for many different reasons, all versions of the legend are included in this volume.