note to the reader, I am moving over some of my older articles from X. So the formatting is slightly different
The claim that the Greek Septuagint (LXX) is older than the Hebrew manuscripts and that Hebrew was not traditionally a written language is a misrepresentation of historical and textual evidence. Both the internal consistency of the biblical tradition and archaeological discoveries overwhelmingly confirm the primacy and antiquity of Hebrew as a written language.
To fully understand this issue, we must consider the history of the Hebrew Scriptures, the context of the Septuagint, and the archaeological data. The Historical Context of the Septuagint The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, commissioned primarily for Jews living in the Hellenistic world.
Tradition, reflected in the Letter of Aristeas, attributes its creation to 72 scholars working in Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 B.C.). While the historical accuracy of this account is debated, scholars generally date the translation of the Torah (the first five books) to the 3rd century B.C., with the rest of the Old Testament books following over the next century or so.
As respected scholar Karen Jobes explains: “The Septuagint provides invaluable insight into the state of the Hebrew Scriptures in the Second Temple period. However, as a translation, it inherently relies on Hebrew texts that preceded it by centuries.” Invitation to the Septuagint, Jobes & Silva, p. 29 In other words, the Septuagint could not exist without the prior existence of written Hebrew manuscripts. The Greek translation was a means of accessibility, not the origin of the Scriptures themselves.
The Primacy of the Hebrew Texts The Hebrew Scriptures were originally composed in Hebrew, with portions in Aramaic (e.g., parts of Ezra and Daniel). The Hebrew language is deeply tied to the cultural and religious identity of Israel, making it the natural medium for preserving God’s revelation. Scholars agree that the Hebrew texts we now possess, such as the Masoretic Text, were carefully transmitted from far older originals. Dr. Emanuel Tov, a leading scholar in textual criticism, writes: “The Septuagint translation, as early as it is, rests on Hebrew texts that were in circulation during the Second Temple period. These texts were themselves part of an unbroken chain of transmission that goes back to the origins of the Hebrew Bible.” Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, p. 115 The Hebrew Bible’s history is one of meticulous preservation. The work of the Masoretes (Jewish scribes active between the 7th and 10th centuries A.D.) produced the Masoretic Text, which became the standard for Jewish and Christian communities. While the earliest complete Masoretic manuscripts ( the Leningrad Codex) date to around A.D. 1008, these were not newly written texts but carefully preserved copies of far older manuscripts.
The Dead Sea Scrolls: Proof of Early Hebrew Writing Critics once argued that Hebrew texts were late or unreliable because no early manuscripts survived. This skepticism was overturned by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls between 1947 and 1956 in the Qumran caves near the Dead Sea. The scrolls date from 300 B.C. to A.D. 100 and include over 200 fragments of the Hebrew Bible, covering almost every book of the Old Testament. The most famous of these manuscripts, the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa), is a nearly complete Hebrew copy of the Book of Isaiah, dated to 125 B.C. Its remarkable similarity to the later Masoretic Text demonstrates the reliability of the Hebrew transmission process. Dr. Peter Flint, a Dead Sea Scrolls expert, highlights this significance: “The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm that the Hebrew Bible was not only written but meticulously copied and transmitted well before the Septuagint. These ancient texts demonstrate the fidelity of the Hebrew tradition over a span of more than a thousand years.” The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible, p. 12 This discovery silenced claims that Hebrew lacked a written tradition or that the Hebrew Bible was a late invention. The scrolls are concrete evidence of Hebrew’s prominence as a written language during the Second Temple period and earlier. Hebrew Writing Before the Dead Sea Scrolls Even prior to the Dead Sea Scrolls, archaeological discoveries had proven that Hebrew was written centuries before the Septuagint.
Two significant examples include: • The Gezer Calendar (10th century B.C.) Discovered in 1908, the Gezer Calendar is a small limestone tablet that outlines the agricultural seasons in Hebrew. It is one of the earliest known examples of Hebrew writing and demonstrates the practical use of Hebrew script during the time of Israel’s monarchy. The Siloam Inscription (8th century B.C.) Found in Jerusalem, this inscription commemorates the construction of Hezekiah’s Tunnel, a significant engineering achievement from the reign of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:20). Written in Paleo-Hebrew, it confirms Hebrew as a written language used for public records and monumental purposes. Dr. Lawrence Stager, a leading archaeologist, states: “The Gezer Calendar and the Siloam Inscription provide irrefutable evidence that Hebrew was written and widely used centuries before the Septuagint. These inscriptions confirm the vitality of Hebrew as both a spoken and literary language during Israel’s formative period.” Biblical Archaeology Review, Vol. 25 These findings show that Hebrew writing existed as far back as the 10th century B.C., predating the Septuagint by several centuries. Conclusion: A Translation Assumes an Original To summarize, the claim that the Greek Septuagint is older than the Hebrew manuscripts misrepresents the historical evidence. While the LXX is the earliest Greek translation of the Old Testament, it relies on older Hebrew texts that were already in circulation. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls provides clear proof that Hebrew manuscripts were written, preserved, and revered long before the Septuagint was produced.
Further, archaeological evidence such as the Gezer Calendar and the Siloam Inscription demonstrates that Hebrew writing was well established centuries before the Hellenistic period. The Septuagint, valuable though it is, exists only because of the foundational Hebrew Scriptures. In the words of Dr. Tov:
“The Hebrew Bible stands as the primary text, with the Septuagint serving as a witness to the Hebrew Scriptures, not a replacement or predecessor.”
For further reading: The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible by Martin Abegg, Peter Flint, and Eugene Ulrich Invitation to the Septuagint by Karen H. Jobes and Moisés Silva Articles from the Biblical Archaeology Society on Hebrew inscriptions and the Qumran texts.
The evidence overwhelmingly affirms that Hebrew was both a spoken and written language long before the Greek Septuagint was produced.
Claims to the contrary are not supported by either textual or archaeological data.
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