2025/10/01 by Jean Maurais · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Biblical Studies and Interpretation #Botanical Research and Chemistry #Historical and Linguistic Studies
paper · doi:10.1177/1476993x251363598
openalex publication_date 2025/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Significant developments have taken place in the study of Septuagint origins since Dorival’s 2010 survey on the topic. This essay first outlines Dorival’s findings before reviewing subsequent research across five key areas: (1) developments in the work of scholars surveyed by Dorival, (2) potential insights from the Herakleopolis politeuma archive regarding Septuagint origins, (3) major contributions from studies on the social and scribal contexts of Jews in Ptolemaic Egypt, (4) the contribution of sociolinguistic research, and (5) other related developments. The survey highlights two key trends: first, Septuagint data are increasingly interpreted within the broader Egyptian cultural and literary context, beyond Alexandria; second, the long-standing assumption that Alexandria was the point of origin for Septuagint translations is being questioned. The conclusion outlines potential directions for future research.