When God Spoke Greek: The Septuagint and the Making of Western Civilization

The story of the Septuagint and its role in shaping the New Testament and Christianity, now made available to a wider audience.

The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures between the third century BC and the second century AD, played a central role in the Bible's history. It was used by New Testament writers and the early church in the formation of the early theology of Christianity.

However, at the end of the fourth century, the focus shifted. The Masoretic Text, the Hebrew Bible most know today, became the favored Hebrew scripture and the Septuagint was relegated to second place. In When God Spoke Greek, Timothy Michael Law discusses the history of the Septuagint and argues for its renewed place in the study of both the history of the Bible and the Bible itself. The Septuagint bears witness to an alternative and sometimes older form of the Hebrew Bible. The study of the Septuagint contributes to a greater understanding of the New Testament, early Christianity, and even Christianity as we know it today.