The Septuagint: Why an Ancient Greek Translation Was Crucial for Early Christianity

Explore how the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of Hebrew scriptures, became the primary Old Testament for early Christians and profoundly shaped their theology.

By Garret Merkley · Explainer · Jul 21, 2026

Branched from The Lingua Franca of Faith: How Common Languages Aided Early Christian Spread

Quick take

The Septuagint (LXX) is the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, produced in Alexandria from the 3rd to 2nd centuries BCE.
It served as the standard Old Testament for Greek-speaking Jews and, critically, for the burgeoning early Christian movement.
New Testament authors frequently quoted the Septuagint, integrating its language and theological nuances into Christian scripture.
Its widespread accessibility in the Hellenistic world was vital for the rapid spread and theological development of early Christianity.

The Septuagint (often abbreviated as LXX) is the oldest surviving Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament. It was produced primarily in Alexandria, Egypt, beginning in the 3rd century BCE, to serve the needs of the large, Greek-speaking Jewish diaspora who no longer spoke Hebrew. For these communities, Hebrew was becoming a foreign language, and a Greek version of their sacred texts was essential for worship, study, and cultural preservation.

How It Came to Be

The traditional story, recounted in the Letter of Aristeas, claims 72 Jewish scholars (six from each of the twelve tribes) were sent from Jerusalem to Alexandria by Ptolemy II Philadelphus to translate the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) into Greek. While the legend suggests a miraculous, identical translation completed in 72 days, the reality was a more gradual process spanning several centuries, involving many translators who worked on different books. Over time, the Septuagint grew to include all the books of the Hebrew canon, along with additional texts not found in the later Hebrew Masoretic Text.

The Language of Early Christian Scripture

For early Christians, especially those living outside Judea and speaking Greek, the Septuagint was their primary, and often only, version of the Old Testament. Most New Testament authors and speakers of Jesus's sayings quoted from the Septuagint when referring to the Old Testament. This meant that the specific wording, theological interpretations, and even the order and inclusion of certain books within the Septuagint directly influenced the development of early Christian thought and doctrine. It provided a common textual foundation for understanding prophecies, the nature of God, and the identity of Jesus, bridging the gap between Jewish tradition and the Hellenistic world.

What's in a Name?

The name 'Septuagint' comes from the Latin word *septuaginta*, meaning 'seventy,' a reference to the traditional 70 or 72 translators.
It is often abbreviated as LXX, the Roman numeral for seventy.

The Septuagint's importance to early Christian scripture cannot be overstated. It served as the indispensable bridge between the Hebrew tradition and the Hellenistic world, making the Old Testament accessible to a vast Greek-speaking audience. By adopting the Septuagint, early Christians inherited a ready-made scriptural foundation that profoundly shaped their theology, worship, and evangelism. Its influence is evident in the language of the New Testament, the writings of the Church Fathers, and the formation of the Christian biblical canon. Without the Septuagint, the early spread and theological development of Christianity would have been fundamentally different, likely facing significant linguistic and conceptual barriers.

Is the Septuagint still used today?

Yes, the Septuagint remains the official Old Testament translation for the Greek Orthodox Church and is studied by biblical scholars for its insights into ancient Jewish and Christian textual traditions.

How does the Septuagint differ from the Hebrew Bible?

The Septuagint contains some books (often called Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical books) not found in the later Hebrew Masoretic Text. There are also textual variations, differing word choices, and sometimes different verse numbering or order within shared books.

Did Jesus and the apostles use the Septuagint?

While Jesus likely spoke Aramaic and quoted from Hebrew scriptures, the New Testament, written in Greek, frequently quotes the Old Testament using the Septuagint's wording. This suggests the Septuagint was the common and authoritative text for the early Christian community that produced the New Testament.

Why did some later Christians move away from the Septuagint?

As Christianity grew, some scholars, like Jerome in the 4th century, felt it was important to translate the Old Testament directly from Hebrew sources (leading to the Latin Vulgate). This was done to address differences between the Septuagint and the Hebrew text, especially in theological debates with Jewish scholars who used the Hebrew text.