Theology as Performance

Philip E. Stolzfus isAssistant Professor of Religion, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota.

Contents; Preface; Resources; Abbreviations; 1.What is 'the Septuagint'?; Terminology; Scope of the Term in Antiquity; Scope of the Term in Contemporary Usage. Primary Sources: Manuscripts and Editions; The Earliest Jewish Manuscripts; The Earliest Christian Manuscripts; Printed Editions; Secondary Sources: the Christian Versions; The Old Latin; The Coptic; The Content of the Septuagint; Differences between Hebrew and Greek Order; The Individual Books of the Septuagint; The Pentateuch; The Histories; The Poetical Books; The Prophets; Summary; Further Reading; 2. Origins: Facts and Fictions; Introduction; The Letter of Aristeas; Outline of Content; Relevance to the Septuagint; Aristobulus; Sources; Aristobulus on the Septuagint; Earlier Versions of the Septuagint?; Relationship between Aristobulus and The Letter of Aristeas; Aristobulus in Context; Further Reading; 3. Origins: Questions and Issues; Dating, Location and Purpose:; The Translation of the Pentateuch; The Translation of the Prophets and the Writings; The Septuagint as a Whole: Theories and Questions:; The 'Texts for Worship' Hypothesis; The 'Texts for Study' Hypothesis; The Question of the Septuagint; Further Reading; 4. The Status of the Septuagint: from Philo to Jerome; Introduction; Philo of Alexandria (c.20 BCE-c.50 CE); Philo on the Making of the Septuagint; Special Features in Philo's Account; Philo on the 'Inspiration' of the Septuagint; A Defence of the Septuagint?; Josephus (37-c.100 CE); Continuation of the Septuagint Legends in Judaism; Rabbinic Sources and the Septuagint; Continuation of the Septuagint Legends in Christianity; The Defence of the Septuagint; The Septuagint and Jewish Alternatives; Augustine and Jerome; Further Reading; 5. Textual Developments to the Fifth Century CE; The Jewish Versions; The kaige Revision; 'Theodotion'; Aquila; Symmachus; Other Jewish Versions; Christian Use of the Versions; The Christian Recensions. The 'Hesychian Recension'; The Hexaplaric Recension; The Lucianic (Antiochian) Recension; Further Reading; 6. Language and Style; Introduction; The Septuagint and Koine Greek; The Septuagint's First Readers; Summary; Translation Technique; 'Literal' and 'Free' Translations; Conclusion; Further Reading; 7.The Use of the Septuagint: from the Beginnings to the Present Day; The LXX and the MT: Interpreting the Differences; Identifying Distinctive Theological Elements; Jewish and Christian Reception History:; Early Jewish Interpretation; Hellenistic Jewish Authors; Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha; Philo and Josephus; Early Christian Interpretation; Influence of the Septuagint on New Testament Interpretation; Patristic Use of the Septuagint; The Influence of the Septuagint on Biblical Interpretation; Issues in the Patristic Use of the Septuagint; Modern Interest in the Septuagint; The Septuagint and Textual Criticism; Modern Translations; The Septuagint as Christian Scripture; The Septuagint as Jewish Scripture; The Septuagint and Hellenistic Culture; Further Reading; Bibliography; Index of References; Index of Authors.