The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Old Testament (originally written in Hebrew). It was completed sometime before the time of Jesus (circa 300 to 100 BC).
Since the New Testament of the Bible was written in Greek, the writers often used the Septuagint when they cited passages from the Old Testament.
The word Septuagint is not found in the Bible but may appear in the footnotes or reference pages of some translations.
In addition to the writings found in the Protestant Old Testament, the Septuagint also includes:
- 1 Esdras
- 1 Maccabees
- 2 Maccabees
- Baruch
- Bel and the Dragon (sometimes Daniel 14)
- The Letter of Jeremiah
- Judith
- The Prayer of Azariah / the Song of the Three Young Men (sometimes inserted in Daniel 3)
- The Prayer of Manasseh
- Sirach / Ecclesiasticus
- Susanna (sometimes Daniel 13)
- Tobit
- Wisdom
- Expanded Esther (additional text for Esther)
See why “Christians Should Consider the Entire Bible.”
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.