The Septuagint (LXX)

282 BC

"Scripture cannot be broken" (Jesus, John 10:35)

"My word will accomplish what I desire and succeed
in the purpose for which I sent it." (Isa 55:11)

Steve Rudd November 2017

See also: Author’s Preface and Master Introduction

 

 

Six Manuscripts of the Old Testament

Name

Date

Authors

Place

Content

Language

Mosaic (ST)

1446 BC

Moses

Sinai

Book of the Law, Torah

Hieroglyphic Hebrew

Naiothic (SNT)

1050 BC

Samuel

Naioth, Ramah

Torah, Joshua

Paleo-Hebrew

Samaritan Pentateuch (SP)

623/610 BC

Samuel

Naioth, Ramah

Torah

(copy from Josiah)

Paleo-Hebrew

Quattuordecim (XIV)

458-445 BC

Ezra “the 14”

Jerusalem

Tanakh,

(Except Neh., Mal.)

Aramaic-Hebrew

Septuagint (LXX)

282 BC

“the 70”

Alexandria

Tanakh

Greek

Masoretic (MT)

160 AD

Rabbi Yose ben Halafta

Zippori

Tanakh

Aramaic-Hebrew

 

 

 

See also:

1.       Author’s Preface and Master Introduction

2.       6 Old Testament Manuscripts

3.       Origin of the 4 Hebrew scripts used by Jews and in the bible

4.       Book of Law in Hieroglyphic Hebrew alphabet script

 

 

I. Chronological Birth and function of the Septuagint:

1.      282 BC: Birth of the Septuagint (LXX): Historical accounts of the Greek Torah translation process in 282 BC

2.      280 BC: Birth of Synagogues: Synagogues originated at Alexandria Egypt in 280 BC spawned by the Septuagint

3.      150 BC: Septuagint Completed (Gen – Malachi): All Old Testament books 9Tanakh) fully translation into Greek by 150 BC

4.      150 BC: All synagogue worship services in Greek: The Septuagint was the “KJV” of first century synagogues and churches

5.      150 AD: Jews corrupt the Synagogue Septuagint Tanakh: Jews alter the LXX, then abandoned it forever.

6.      160 AD: Shem as Melchizedek: Test case for accuracy of LXX vs. Masoretic

 

II. Anti-Christian, theologically driven, single textual variants in the Old Testament: LXX vs. MT

1.      Shem was NOT Melchizedek. Shem died before Abraham was born.

2.      Shem was second-born and NOT Melchizedek. Japheth “the Great” was firstborn in the LXX.

3.      Angels are commanded to worship Jesus Christ in Deut 32:43 in the LXX (Heb 1:6)

4.      The 70 weeks of Daniel 9 end in 33 AD with the resurrection of Christ in the LXX.

 

III. Single textual variants in the Old Testament: LXX vs. MT

1.      Methuselah was 187 years old when Lamech was born not 167: Gen 5:25

2.      Jacob enters Egypt with 70 or 75 persons: Gen 46:27; Ex 1:5; Deut 10:22; Acts 7:14

3.      Genesis Flood Chronology: Three calculated, deliberate variants in Gen 7:11; 8:4, 14.

4.      471 LXX Verses Identical with SP and Different from MT

 

IV. Dead Sea scrolls that validate the Septuagint against the Masoretic text:

1.      Hebrew DSS that agree with the LXX against the MT

2.      Hebrew DSS that disagree with both the LXX and MT

3.      Hebrew DSS that validate the Samaritan Pentateuch and LXX

4.      154 Dead Sea Scroll variants identical to SP & LXX against the MT

 

V. Septuagint Chronology of Gen 5, 11 is correct:

1.       Creation dates of all reliable ancient literary sources validate the longer Septuagint Chronology:

a.       Every reliable literary source before 100 AD uses the longer LXX chronology and not the shorter Masoretic.

2.       Both Philo and Josephus were using the extant Hebrew manuscript of their day which followed the longer LXX chronology.

a.       This is a huge finding because they were NOT using the Greek Septuagint used in Synagogues as their source text, but the Hebrew Tanakh used in the Jerusalem Temple.

b.      In fact, many scholars make the superficial (and wrong) conclusion that Josephus and Philo used the Septuagint BECAUSE they have the longer chronology.

c.       The correct conclusion is the Philo and Josephus were using the Pre-Masortic Hebrew Text when the numbers agreed with the Greek LXX.

3.       The literary sources below become the primary proof that the Jews around 160 AD in Zippori changed the Hebrew text for anti-Christian theological reasons.

4.       Today the Septuagint contains the original chronological numbers for the age of the earth at 5554 BC.

225 BC: Demetrius the chronographer: 5500 BC

170 BC: Book of Jubilees: 3906 BC (estimate)

158 BC: Eupolemus: 5307 BC

10 AD:  Testament of Moses: 4221 BC Follows Book of Jubilees

30 AD: Philo of Alexandria: c. 5500 BC Uses Hebrew text

60 AD: Pseudo-Philo 5886 BC

70 AD: Josephus 5467 BC

90 AD: 2 Esdras 14 5464 BC

100 BC: Testament of Levi and the Twelve Patriarchs

150 AD: Justin Martyr Jews corrupt their own Greek Synagogue Tanakh

160 AD: Seder Olam Rabbah: 3761 BC

221 AD: Julius Africanus Sextus: 5500 BC

384 AD: Vulgate by Jerome: 4114 AD Latin translation of Hebrew

400 AD: Augustine: believed both 5554 BC and 4114 BC were inspired

5.       Test case for accuracy of LXX vs. Masoretic: Shem as Melchizedek

a.       Jews today believe that Shem is Melchizedek because the Masoretic chronology has Shem living down past the birth of Jacob. It is impossible for Shem to be Melchizedek using the Septuagint chronology because Shem dies 600 years before Abraham is born.

b.      If we can find a single ancient literary source that shows that the Jews believed Shem was Melchizedek, this would falsify the theory that the Jews corrupted the Hebrew chronologies of Genesis 5, 11 at Zippori in 160 AD.

c.       In fact, just like the literary sources above all validate the longer LXX chronology, so too do all the literary sources refute the MT chronology because none of them equate Shem with Melchizedek.

d.      100 BC: The earliest Jewish literary sources make no connection of Shem was Melchizedek as witnessed in the Dead Sea Scrolls: 1QGenesis Apocryphon.

e.      At the time of Christ, Jewish messianic expectation was of the arrival of Melchizedek as a “heavenly being” not Shem as witnessed in the Dead Sea Scrolls: 11QMelchizedek.

f.        160 AD: The earliest literary source that equates Melchizedek with Shem is Seder Olam Rabbah in 160 AD

g.       The Seder Olam again, is the first reference in history and was the basis for corrupting the pre-Masoretic text in the chronologies of Gen 5 and 11.

 

 

 

 Primeval Chronology of Genesis 5

 

Greek Septuagint (LXX)

(Correct original)

Hebrew Masoretic (MT)

(Corrupted in 150 AD)

Samaritan Pentateuch (SP)

(corrupted)

Man

Age at Son's Birth

Remaining Years

Life

Age at Son's Birth

Remaining Years

Life

Age at Son's Birth

Remaining Years

Life

Adam

230

700

930

130

800

930

130

800

930

Seth

205

707

912

105

807

912

105

807

912

Enosh

190

715

905

90

815

905

90

815

905

Cainan

170

740

910

70

840

910

70

840

910

Mahalalel

165

730

895

65

830

895

65

830

895

Jared

162

800

962

162

800

962

62

785

847

Enoch

165

200

365

65

300

365

65

300

365

Methuselah

187

782

969

187

782

969

67

653

720

Lamech

1821

565

753

182

595

777

53

600

653

Noah

5022

450

950

5022

4503

950

5022

450

950

Total years4

2158 years

1558 years

1209 years

Flood5

 3298 BC

2518 BC6

3108 BC

Steve Rudd 2017 AD

1.      Lamech’s begetting age for Noah in the LXX reads 188 but this is a scribal error and the correct age Lamech’s son Noah was born is in his 182th year in the MT which is the autograph reading.

2.      Japheth was firstborn when Noah was 500, Shem second-born when Noah was 502 and Ham the youngest. We know for certain that Shem was not firstborn as per Gen 11:10 and that Ham was the youngest as per Gen 9:24 which obviously makes Japheth the oldest. In Gen 10:21 English translators are split on which of Shem and Japheth were the oldest. The Hebrew in the MT and SP could mean either that Japheth or Shem were the older brother. The Greek LXX calls Japheth “the great” which may mean he is older than Shem or that he was older and/or more famous than Shem.

3.      Gen 9:28-29 says Noah lived 350 years after the flood but for a total life of 950 years. Genesis 7:6 says the flood occurred when Noah was 600 years old.

4.      Creation to birth of Shem in Noah’s 502nd year as per Gen 11:10.

5.      Flood occurred in the 600th year of Noah or 98 years after Shem was begotten when Noah was 502 years old.

6.      Because Jews have wrongly believed from 300 BC to the present that Terah was 70 years old when Abraham was born instead of the correct begetting age of 130 you must add 60 years to the MT flood date of 2558 BC to arrive at the actual MT flood date of 2618 BC.

 

Primeval Chronology of Genesis 11

 

Septuagint (LXX)

(Correct original)

Masoretic (MT)

(Corrupted in 150 AD)

Samaritan (SP)

(Corrupted)

Man

Year at Birth

Rem./Life9

Year at Birth

Rem./Life9

Year at Birth

Rem. Years

Life9

Shem1

100

500/600

100

500/600

100

500

600

Arphaxad

135

430/565

35

403/438

135

303

438

Cainan

130

330/460

Skipped

-

skipped

-

-

Shelah

130

330/460

30

403/433

130

303

433

Eber

134

370/504

34

430/464

134

270

404

Peleg

130

209/339

30

209/239

130

109

239

Reu

132

207/339

32

207/239

132

107

239

Serug

130

200/330

30

200/230

130

100

230

Nahor

79

129/208

29

119/148

79

69

149

Terah2

130

75/205

130

75/205

708 (130)

75 (158)

145

Gen 11 Yrs3

1230 years

450 years

1100 years

Gen 5 Yrs

2158 years

1558 years

1209 years

Abram born

2166 BC

2166 BC

2166 BC

Creation4

5554 BC

4174 BC5

4475 BC

Flood6

3298 BC

2518 BC7

3168 BC

Steve Rudd 2017 AD

1.      Shem begat Arphaxad at age 100 which was two years after the flood.

2.      Christians know from Acts 7:4 that Abraham was born when Terah was 130 years old not 70. This is an interpretive variance, not a textual one in spite of the fact that Jews from 300 BC to the present wrongly maintain that Terah was 70 when Abraham was born.

3.      Total years from birth of Arphaxad to birth of Abraham in 2166 BC.

4.      Creation date is derived by adding the begetting columns in both charts to the date Abraham was born in 2166 BC.

5.      The Jews from 300 BC down to the present day wrongly set the age of Terah at the birth of Abraham at 70 which calculates an age of the earth at 4114 BC. The truth is that Terah was 130 years old, which calculates age of the earth according to the MT at 4114 BC + 60 = 4174 BC.

6.      Flood date is calculated by subtracting [total Gen 5 years] from [creation date] and adding [98 years] because Shem was born in Noah’s 502nd year and the flood occurred when Noah was 600 years old.

7.      Because Jews have wrongly believed from 150 BC to the present that Terah was 70 years old when Abraham was born instead of the correct begetting age of 130 you must add 60 years to the MT flood date of 2458 BC to arrive at the actual MT flood date of 2518 BC.

8.      While the numbers in the MT show that Terah was 130 when Abraham was born and that Abraham left Haran at age 75 after Terah died at age 205, the Jews incorrectly interpreted the birth of Abraham when Terah was 70. What this meant in their interpretation, was that Tarah continued to live in Haran for another 60 years after Abraham left for Canaan. This was always problematic until the Christian Bible explicitly stated that Abraham did not leave Haran until after the death of Terah at age 205 (see Acts 7:4). The Samaritans fudged the numbers for the life span of Terah from 205 down to 145 in order to have Terah die before Abraham left Haran. So in the Samaritan corrupted chronology they incorrectly have Abraham born when Terah was 70 and Terah dying at age 145 when Abraham leaves for Canaan at age 75. But today we are certain that Terah was 130 years old when Abraham was born which creates a huge problem for the Samaritan Pentateuch because this means Terah dies when Abraham is only 15 years old and now Abraham continues to live in Haran for another 60 years after Terah dies before he leaves for Canaan. This is clear proof of a corrupt and fabricated Samaritan chronology because the prevailing FALSE view of Jews as far back as 150 BC to the present, is that Terah was 70 when Abraham was begotten. Had the Samaritans just left the text alone, they never would have been caught red handed with irrefutable proof (Abraham was not 15 years old when Terah died), that they deliberately corrupted the Samaritan Pentateuch chronology in Gen 5,11.

9.      Life numbers (total years lived) are not in the text of either the LXX or MT. However they are added in the SP. For example, in Gen 11:11 the Samaritan Pentateuch adds the words: “All the days of Shehm [Shem] were 600 years and he died”. The SP adds the total life years lived for each person in the Gen 11 chronology. This is a corruption of the original text.  

 

Septuagint (LXX) Chronology

 

Life

Birth

Death

Son

Adam

930

5554 BC

4624 BC

230

Seth

912

5324 BC

4412 BC

205

Enosh

905

5119 BC

4214 BC

190

Cainan

910

4929 BC

4019 BC

170

Mahalalel

895

4759 BC

3864 BC

165

Jered

962

4594 BC

3632 BC

162

Enoch

365

4432 BC

4067 BC

165

Methuselah

969

4267 BC

3298 BC

187

Lamech

777

4080 BC

3303 BC

182

Noah

950

3898 BC

2948 BC

502

Flood

3298 BC

 

 

 

Shem

600

3396 BC

2796 BC

100

Arpachshad

565

3296 BC

2731 BC

135

Kainan

460

3161 BC

2701 BC

130

Shelah

533

3031 BC

2498 BC

130

Eber

504

2901 BC

2397 BC

134

Peleg

339

2767 BC

2428 BC

130

Reu

339

2637 BC

2298 BC

132

Serug

330

2505 BC

2175 BC

130

Nahor

208

2375 BC

2167 BC

79

Terah

205

2296 BC

2091 BC

130

Abraham

175

2166 BC

1991 BC

100

Isaac

180

2066 BC

1886 BC

60

Jacob

147

2006 BC

1859 BC

90

All dates are in BC.

To convert to After Creation, subtract from 5554

 

The Septuagint LXX

“Scripture Cannot Be Broken”

Start Here: Master Introduction and Index

Six Bible Manuscripts

1446 BC

Sinai Text (ST)

1050 BC

Samuel’s Text (SNT)

623 BC

Samaritan (SP)

458 BC

Ezra’s Text (XIV)

282 BC

Septuagint (LXX)

160 AD

Masoretic (MT)

Research Tools

OT Textual Variants

Messianic expectation

300 OT quotes in NT

Canon of the Bible

Chronology Charts

Seder Olam Rabbah

Steve Rudd, November 2017 AD: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections

 

By Steve Rudd: November 2017: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections.

 

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