Why Some Books of the Septuagint Were Not Included in the Jewish Canon

Introduction to the Septuagint

The Septuagint, or LXX, is a collection of religious texts translated from Hebrew into Greek. While originally intended for Jews in Greek-speaking communities like Alexandria, it also became the basis for early Christian scriptures. Around AD 90 at the Council of Jamnia, Jewish leaders voted to exclude certain books from the Jewish canon.

The Composition and Translation of the Septuagint

The Septuagint started as a translation of the Torah, or the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, from Hebrew into Greek. According to legend, 72 translators separately worked on this translation, without consulting each other, and ended up with identical results—this was attributed to divine inspiration. Over time, other works were added to this collection, leading to the Septuagint as we know it today.

The earliest translation, the Torah, was done around 250 BCE, but the process of adding other texts, such as the Apocrypha, was more haphazard and over several centuries. No concrete dating exists for most of these texts, and they were translated and edited by a mix of Jews and Greeks.

Compatibility with the Torah and Language Considerations

Jewish communities in Alexandria regarded the Torah as the most authoritative text, with its translation deemed absolutely accurate. This stood apart from the rest of the collection, which could be added at will. Meanwhile, Jewish communities in Jerusalem treated the Torah similarly, but with less emphasis on its miraculous translation.

The criteria for inclusion in the Jewish canon were stringent. First, there was the matter of language. The Alexandrians were more flexible and accepted texts originally in Greek, such as the Maccabees. However, the Jerusalem Jews, who valued the Hebrew original of the Torah, did not accept texts originally composed in Greek.

Secondly, there was the matter of chronology. Texts written after the end of the fifth century BCE were often rejected, as the era of inspiration was deemed to have ended around that time. Some exceptions, such as Daniel, Trito-Isaiah, and selected passages from Ezra, were admitted due to being convincingly attributed to earlier figures.

Key Texts Left Out of the Jewish Canon

The following texts from the Septuagint were not included in the final Jewish canon:

III Ezra Judith Tobit Baruch Sirach I-IV Maccabees Wisdom of Solomon Some additions to Esther Susanna Song of the Three Youths Bel and the Dragon Prayer of Manasseh One extra Psalm

Most of these works were written after 400 BCE and were clearly late. In contrast, texts like Isaiah and Daniel were admitted due to convincing attributions to earlier figures.

The Final Jewish Canon

The final Jewish canon, developed in Jerusalem, ensured that every text had the warrant of authority. As Christianity adopted the Septuagint, Jews increasingly avoided using it, leading to its Christianization despite its origins as a Jewish text.