The Question of the Greek New Testament

[Randy Carson]

I'll just source a bit from the following website:

    Septuagint - What is It?

    Septuagint (sometimes abbreviated LXX) is the name given to the Greek translation of the Jewish Scriptures. The Septuagint has its origin in Alexandria, Egypt and was translated between 300-200 BC. Widely used among Hellenistic Jews, this Greek translation was produced because many Jews spread throughout the empire were beginning to lose their Hebrew language. The process of translating the Hebrew to Greek also gave many non-Jews a glimpse into Judaism. According to an ancient document called the Letter of Aristeas, it is believed that 70 to 72 Jewish scholars were commissioned during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus to carry out the task of translation. The term “Septuagint” means seventy in Latin, and the text is so named to the credit of these 70 scholars.

    http://www.septuagint.net/

The only way to indent further is using List.

And the fact that you've quoted a source citing the "Letter of Aristeas" proves you do not know the history nor the origins of the LXX. If it was in such widespread use as you claim then why were there all these new Greek translations of the OT in the second century AD? And you can't date the LXX to before the Hexapla. It's true that the textual linage for the Pentateuch dates to before the first century AD; however all available evidence shows that it was systematically altered - especially by Origen who made innumerable changes to the text that then appeared in the Fifth Column of the Hexapla. Seeing as the LXX is the fifth column of the Hexapla the only thing that could have existed at the time of Jesus was a proto-lxx. And there's not a shred of credible evidence that suggests that this proto-lxx contained all 66 books of the Old Testament.

First, there are 73 books in the entire Bible (66 if you're talking to a Protestant). 27 are NT books.

Second, would you say that Jesus (and the authors of the NT) did or did not quote from the Septuagint?

Third, since you sound like someone who's done a bit of research into this, did you read the articles that I referenced previously? They acknowledge that the Letter of Aristeas is not credible, but they go on to support the BC dating of the Septuagint.