Chronological timeline of texts tagged with Pre-Christian Septuagint Usage
About This Tag
Several Hellenistic-Jewish texts demonstrate reliance on the Septuagint (LXX) rather than the Hebrew Bible, indicating its widespread use within these Jewish communities centuries before the Christian era. Writings such as the Book of Wisdom, the works of Philo of Alexandria, and certain Dead Sea Scrolls fragments reflect linguistic and theological influences from the Greek translation, suggesting it was a well-established and authoritative text in the Hellenistic world. These sources show that the Septuagint was not uniquely Christian but played a significant role in Jewish thought and textual traditions before the emergence of Christianity.
Note: Dates shown in this timeline are approximate and based on scholarly estimates.
Back to TagGenesis 32:28 / LXX Genesis 32:28 / Wisdom of Solomon 10:12
5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition)
Genesis 32:28
Hebrew Bible
26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” “I will not let you go,” Jacob replied, “unless you bless me.” 27 The man asked him, “What is your name?” He answered, “Jacob.” 28 “No longer will your name be Jacob,” the man told him, “but Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked, “Please tell me your name.” “Why do you ask my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.
3rd Century B.C.E.
LXX Genesis 32:28
Septuagint
26 And he said to him, “Send me away, for the dawn has come up.” But he said, “I will not send you away, unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Iakob.” 28 Then he said to him, “Your name shall no longer be called Iakob, but Israel shall be your name, because you have been strong with god, and with humans you are powerful.” 29 Then Iakob asked and said, “Tell me your name.” And he said, “Why do you ask this, my name?” And there he blessed him.
100-50 B.C.E.
Wisdom of Solomon 10:12
Deuterocanon
11 When his oppressors were covetous, she stood by him and made him rich. 12 She protected Jacob from his enemies, and kept him safe from those who lay in wait for him; in his arduous contest she gave him the victory, so that he might learn that godliness is more powerful than anything else. 13 When a righteous man was sold, wisdom did not desert him, but delivered him from sin. She descended with him into the dungeon,
3rd Century B.C.E.
LXX Genesis 2:7
Septuagint
6 yet a spring would rise from the earth and water the whole face of the earth. 7 And God formed man, dust from the earth, and breathed into his face a breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 And the Lord God planted an orchard in Edem toward the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.
100-50 B.C.E.
Wisdom of Solomon 7:1
Deuterocanon
1 I also am mortal, like everyone else, a descendant of the first-formed child of earth; and in the womb of a mother I was molded into flesh, 2 within the period of ten months, compacted with blood, from the seed of a man and the pleasure of marriage. 3 And when I was born, I began to breathe the common air, and fell upon the kindred earth; my first sound was a cry, as is true of all.
3rd Century B.C.E.
LXX Exodus 15:3
Septuagint
1 Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to God and they said, saying, “Let us sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously glorified; horse and rider he has cast into the sea.” 2 He has become a helper and protector to me for salvation; this is my God, and I will honor him, God of my father, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord who shatters wars, the Lord is his name 4 The chariots of Pharaoh and his forces he has cast into the sea. Select riders, officers standing on the chariots, were swallowed up in the Red Sea. 5 In the open sea he covered them; they sank into the deep like a stone.
150-100 B.C.E.
Judith 16:2
Deuterocanon
1 And Judith said, Begin a song to my God with tambourines, sing to my Lord with cymbals. Raise to him a new psalm; exalt him, and call upon his name. 2 For the Lord is a God who shatters wars; he sets up his camp among his people; he delivered me from the hands of my pursuers. 3 The Assyrian came down from the mountains of the north; he came with myriads of his warriors; their numbers blocked up the wadis, and their cavalry covered the hills. 4 He boasted that he would burn up my territory, and kill my young men with the sword, and dash my infants to the ground, and seize my children as booty, and take my virgins as spoil.
3rd Century B.C.E.
LXX Exodus 15:3
Septuagint
1 Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to God and they said, saying, “Let us sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously glorified; horse and rider he has cast into the sea.” 2 He has become a helper and protector to me for salvation; this is my God, and I will honor him, God of my father, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord who shatters wars, the Lord is his name 4 The chariots of Pharaoh and his forces he has cast into the sea. Select riders, officers standing on the chariots, were swallowed up in the Red Sea. 5 In the open sea he covered them; they sank into the deep like a stone.
150-100 B.C.E.
Judith 9:7
Deuterocanon
5 "For you have done these things and those that went before and those that followed. You have designed the things that are now, and those that are to come. What you had in mind has happened; 6 the things you decided on presented themselves and said, "Here we are!' For all your ways are prepared in advance, and your judgment is with foreknowledge. 7 "Here now are the Assyrians, a greatly increased force, priding themselves in their horses and riders, boasting in the strength of their foot soldiers, and trusting in shield and spear, in bow and sling. They do not know that you are the Lord who shatters wars; the Lord is your name. 8 Break their strength by your might, and bring down their power in your anger; for they intend to defile your sanctuary, and to pollute the tabernacle where your glorious name resides, and to break off the horns of your altar with the sword. 9 Look at their pride, and send your wrath upon their heads. Give to me, a widow, the strong hand to do what I plan.
3rd Century B.C.E.
LXX Numbers 11:7
Septuagint
5 We remember the fish that we used to eat in Egypt without cost and the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic. 6 But now our soul is parched; our eyes are nothing but into the manna.” 7 Now the manna is like coriander seed, and its appearance is the appearance of hoarfrost. 8 And the people would go through and gather it and would grind it between the millstones and crush it in the mortar and would boil it in the earthen pot and form it into loafs, and the taste of it was like the taste of a wafer with olive oil. 9 And whenever the dew descended on the encampment during the night, the manna would come down on it.
100-50 B.C.E.
Wisdom of Solomon 16:22
Deuterocanon
20 Instead of these things you gave your people food of angels, and without their toil you supplied them from heaven with bread ready to eat, providing every pleasure and suited to every taste. 21 For your sustenance manifested your sweetness toward your children; and the bread, ministering to the desire of the one who took it, was changed to suit everyone's liking. 22 Snow and ice withstood fire without melting, so that they might know that the crops of their enemies were being destroyed by the fire that blazed in the hail and flashed in the showers of rain; 23 whereas the fire, in order that the righteous might be fed, even forgot its native power. 24 For creation, serving you who made it, exerts itself to punish the unrighteous, and in kindness relaxes on behalf of those who trust in you.
3rd Century B.C.E.
LXX Deuteronomy 33:4
Septuagint
2 And he said: “The Lord came from Sinai and displayed himself to us from Seir and made haste from Mount Paran together with myriads from Kadesh; from his right, angels were with him. 3 And he spared his people, and all those who have been sanctified beneath your hands, even these who are beneath you, and it received of his words 4 a law, which Moses commanded you, an inheritance of the congregations of Jacob. 5 And he shall be a ruler with the beloved one; rulers of people have been gathered with the tribes of Israel. 6 Let Reuben live and not die; he also shall be many in number.”
195-175 B.C.E.
Sirach 24:23
Deuterocanon
22 Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame, and those who work with me will not sin." 23 All this is the book of the covenant of the Most High God, the law that Moses commanded us as an inheritance for the congregations of Jacob. 25 It overflows, like the Pishon, with wisdom, and like the Tigris at the time of the first fruits. 26 It runs over, like the Euphrates, with understanding, and like the Jordan at harvest time. 27 It pours forth instruction like the Nile, like the Gihon at the time of vintage.
1st Century B.C.E.
LXX Psalm 77:25
Septuagint
23 And he commanded the clouds from above, and he opened the doors of the heavens. 24 And he rained for them manna to eat, and he gave bread of the heavens for them. 25 A person ate bread of angels. He sent provision for them in excess. 26 And he lifted up the south wind from the heavens, and he brought the southwest wind in his power. 27 And he rained meat upon them as the dust and winged birds as sand of the seas.
100-50 B.C.E.
Wisdom of Solomon 16:20
Deuterocanon
18 At one time the flame was restrained, so that it might not consume the creatures sent against the ungodly, but that seeing this they might know that they were being pursued by the judgment of God; 19 and at another time even in the midst of water it burned more intensely than fire, to destroy the crops of the unrighteous land. 20 Instead of these things you gave your people food of angels, and without their toil you supplied them from heaven with bread ready to eat, providing every pleasure and suited to every taste. 21 For your sustenance manifested your sweetness toward your children; and the bread, ministering to the desire of the one who took it, was changed to suit everyone's liking. 22 Snow and ice withstood fire without melting, so that they might know that the crops of their enemies were being destroyed by the fire that blazed in the hail and flashed in the showers of rain;
1st Century B.C.E.
LXX Proverbs 3:15
Septuagint
13 Happy is the person who finds wisdom, and the mortal who sees insight, 14 for it is better to trade for it than for treasures of gold and silver. 15 She is more precious also than costly stones; nothing evil shall resist her. She is well known to all who approach her, and all that is precious is not worth as much as she. 16 For length of life and years of life are in her right hand, and wealth and glory are in her left hand; 16 a from her mouth proceeds righteousness, and she carries law and mercy on her tongue.
100-50 B.C.E.
Wisdom of Solomon 6:12
Deuterocanon
10 For they will be made holy who observe holy things in holiness, and those who have been taught them will find a defense. 11 Therefore set your desire on my words; long for them, and you will be instructed. 12 Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her. 13 She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her. 14 One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty, for she will be found sitting at the gate.
1st Century B.C.E.
LXX Ecclesiastes 8:15
Septuagint
13 And there is nothing good for the ungodly, and he will not prolong his days in shadow who is not fearful before God’s face. 14 There is a futility that has been done on the earth, that there are righteous people that it happens upon them as the action of the wicked; and there are the ungodly that it happens to them as the action of the righteous. I said that even also this is futility. 15 And I praised, together, merriment, as there is nothing good for humanity under the sun except to eat and drink and make merry; and it shall be there with him in his labor of the days of his life, for as many as God gave him under the sun. The One Fate of the Righteous and the Wicked 16 Among which things I gave my heart to know wisdom and to see the distraction that has been done on the earth, for also in the day and the night there is no one who sees sleep for his eyes;
225-175 B.C.E.
Tobit 7:10
Deuterocanon
8 His wife Edna also wept for him, and their daughter Sarah likewise wept. 9 Then Raguel slaughtered a ram from the flock and received them very warmly. When they had bathed and washed themselves and had reclined to dine, Tobias said to Raphael, "Brother Azariah, ask Raguel to give me my kinswoman Sarah." 10 But Raguel overheard it and said to the lad, "Eat and drink, and be merry tonight. For no one except you, brother, has the right to marry my daughter Sarah. Likewise I am not at liberty to give her to any other man than yourself, because you are my nearest relative. But let me explain to you the true situation more fully, my child.
1st Century B.C.E.
LXX Isaiah 3:10
Septuagint
8 because Ierousalem has been abandoned and Judea has fallen and their tongues are joined with lawlessness, being disobedient toward the things of the Lord; now therefore their glory has been brought low. 9 And the shame of their face has risen up against them; they have proclaimed their sin like that of Sodoma, and they have made it plain. Woe to their soul! Because they have given evil counsel against themselves, 10 saying, “Let us bind the just, for he is a nuisance to us.” Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their works. 11 Woe to the lawless one! Evil things will happen to him according to the works of his hands. 12 O my people, your exactors strip you clean, and your creditors lord it over you. O my people, those who congratulate you mislead you and confuse the path of your feet.
100-50 B.C.E.
Wisdom of Solomon 2:12
Deuterocanon
10 Let us oppress the righteous poor man; let us not spare the widow or regard the gray hairs of the aged. 11 But let our might be our law of right, for what is weak proves itself to be useless. 12 "Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training. 13 He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord. 14 He became to us a reproof of our thoughts;
1st Century B.C.E.
LXX Isaiah 28:16
Septuagint
14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you afflicted men and rulers of this people that is in Ierousalem. 15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with Hades and agreements with death, if a rushing storm passes through, it will not come to us; we have made falsehood our hope, and in falsehood we will be sheltered”; 16 therefore thus says the Lord, See, I will lay for the foundations of Sion a precious, choice stone, a highly valued cornerstone for its foundations, and the one who believes in him will not be put to shame. 17 And I will turn judgment into hope, and my mercy will become weight balances, and as for you who trust vainly in falsehood, I tell you that the tempest will not pass you by, 18 lest it also take away your covenant of death. And your hope regarding Hades will not remain; if a rushing storm comes, you will be trampled down by it.
195-175 B.C.E.
Sirach 24:22
Deuterocanon
21 Those who eat of me will hunger for more, and those who drink of me will thirst for more. 22 Whoever obeys me will not be put to shame, and those who work with me will not sin." 23 All this is the book of the covenant of the Most High God, the law that Moses commanded us as an inheritance for the congregations of Jacob. 25 It overflows, like the Pishon, with wisdom, and like the Tigris at the time of the first fruits. 26 It runs over, like the Euphrates, with understanding, and like the Jordan at harvest time.