Obtaining Various Greek Versions of the Hebrew Scriptures

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Vlad Kotenko
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Obtaining Various Greek Versions of the Hebrew Scriptures

Post by Vlad Kotenko »

In addition to the Greek Septuagint, there are some other Greek versions of the Hebrew Scriptures, such as the texts which are understood to have been produced by Theodotion, Aquila, and Symmachus. Does anyone know where one can download or read the Greek texts of those versions and the English translations?
S Walch
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Re: Obtaining Various Greek Versions of the Hebrew Scriptures

Post by S Walch »

Unfortunately, as most of the editions of Theodotion, Aquila, and Symmachus have come down to us in fragments of the Hexapla, and many just as marginal comments in other manuscripts (and not always in Greek!), there are no separate editions for them.

The most we have at the moment are the commentary notes in Frederick Field's Origen's Hexapla, freely available from the Internet archive - link

The Göttingen Septuagint Edition also contains text-critical notes noting all known differences from the LXX of T, A, and S (and also ECF and Josephus), albeit these are not cheap. Logos has the full collection - link
Vlad Kotenko
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Re: Obtaining Various Greek Versions of the Hebrew Scriptures

Post by Vlad Kotenko »

Thank you for explaining what remains of Theodotion’s, Aquila’s, and Symmachus’ versions. Do you know whether there are any critical apparatuses for the Septuagint which contain references to the extant fragments of those versions?
S Walch
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Re: Obtaining Various Greek Versions of the Hebrew Scriptures

Post by S Walch »

Other than the critical apparatus contained in the Göttingen Septuagint, then I know of no separate apparatus that references the versions of T, A, or S.
Ken M. Penner
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Re: Obtaining Various Greek Versions of the Hebrew Scriptures

Post by Ken M. Penner »

Vlad Kotenko wrote: April 7th, 2017, 2:27 pm In addition to the Greek Septuagint, there are some other Greek versions of the Hebrew Scriptures, such as the texts which are understood to have been produced by Theodotion, Aquila, and Symmachus. Does anyone know where one can download or read the Greek texts of those versions and the English translations?
The Wikipedia article on Hexapla gives a good overview of the evidence available. I second S Walch in his recommendation of the two resources that are closest to what you are looking for: Field and the second apparatus of the Göttingen Septuagint. Also check out hexapla.org; I wish they would publish some of their results!
Ken M. Penner
Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, St. Francis Xavier University
Co-Editor, Digital Biblical Studies
General Editor, Lexham English Septuagint
Co-Editor, Online Critical Pseudepigrapha pseudepigrapha.org
S Walch
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Re: Obtaining Various Greek Versions of the Hebrew Scriptures

Post by S Walch »

Ken M. Penner wrote: April 10th, 2017, 8:19 amAlso check out hexapla.org; I wish they would publish some of their results!
Agreed. However my main concern would be how much they're going to be charging for publications once they get around to doing them. My feeling is; probably a lot.

For anyone who's interested, I've produced a somewhat preliminary 'New Hexapla', based on the readings given in Fried's Hexapla - although only done Genesis Chapter 1, Habakkuk Chapter 1, Obadiah, Haggai, and Zephaniah at this moment in time (so, few small books). In a format quite a bit easier to read than Fried's Hexapla :)

Can either pop it on here (MS word or PDF format), or email.
Vlad Kotenko
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Re: Obtaining Various Greek Versions of the Hebrew Scriptures

Post by Vlad Kotenko »

Frederick Field’s work is in the Latin language, but it is not difficult to locate the Bible passages from the Hexapla. One source says that there is an English translation of the Latin preface in the work, but I was not able to download it.
https://catalyst.library.jhu.edu/catalog/bib_2585709

The Greek abbreviations Α, Θ, and Σ refer to Aquila, Theodotion, and Symmachus. Do you know what is the full form of the abbreviation O’ used in in the verses?

You can upload the PDF files containing the texts which you have worked on.
S Walch
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Re: Obtaining Various Greek Versions of the Hebrew Scriptures

Post by S Walch »

Vlad Kotenko wrote: April 10th, 2017, 3:07 pmOne source says that there is an English translation of the Latin preface in the work, but I was not able to download it.https://catalyst.library.jhu.edu/catalog/bib_2585709
Recently ordered Gerard Norton's English trans of Fields Prolegomena (my Latin isn't good enough to read through the Prolegomena), so will give my thoughts on the above once I've received and read it :)
Do you know what is the full form of the abbreviation O’ used in in the verses?
Would be Origen, aka Origen's Greek text (as Origen's Greek text might not necessarily be the same as the LXX that we get later), usually including his editorial insertions.
You can upload the PDF files containing the texts which you have worked on.
Thy wish... :)
Origens Hexapla.pdf
(358.89 KiB) Downloaded 276 times
Ken M. Penner
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Re: Obtaining Various Greek Versions of the Hebrew Scriptures

Post by Ken M. Penner »

Ο´=LXX
Ken M. Penner
Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, St. Francis Xavier University
Co-Editor, Digital Biblical Studies
General Editor, Lexham English Septuagint
Co-Editor, Online Critical Pseudepigrapha pseudepigrapha.org
S Walch
Posts: 274
Joined: June 13th, 2011, 4:27 pm
Location: Manchester, UK

Re: Obtaining Various Greek Versions of the Hebrew Scriptures

Post by S Walch »

Should also say: any errors you notice (as I was copying via typing, and not copy & paste), please inform me so I can correct them :)
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