Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
If you've listened to this show for any amount of time, you know what the Septuagint is (if you haven't, don't worry- it's just the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible). But do you know where that name came from? Or the legend of its creation?
This episode, we're diving deep into the lore of this very important document, and yes- there is LORE! The most important of which is a very long letter from a man calling himself Aristeas, which tells a fascinating (and spurious) tale of the Septuagint's origin. What do we know about this letter? And how much credence should we give it?
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For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at:
patreon.com/DataOverDogma
Follow us on the various social media places:
facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod
twitter.com/data_over_dogma
Have you ordered Dan McClellan's New York Times bestselling book The Bible Says So yet???
Buy at this link: static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466
_____________________________________________
Chapters:
00:00 Intro & Banter
00:41 The Letter of Aristeas
01:16 What Is the Septuagint?
02:20 Why 70 (or 72) Translators?
03:22 The Origin Story Explained
05:34 The Library of Alexandria
07:36 The Mission to Jerusalem
08:21 The 7-Day Banquet & Debates
10:15 What’s in the Letter?
11:58 The Translation “Miracle”
12:48 Divine Approval & Public Reading
14:00 Why This Story Matters
16:17 Later Influence (Philo & Josephus)
17:31 Why Was It Written?
19:14 Historical Context: Hellenism
21:04 Myth vs. History
22:02 How the Septuagint Really Developed
24:44 Influence on Later Bible Translations
27:38 Dead Sea Scrolls & Textual Evidence
29:27 Why It Still Matters
30:13 Outro
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#podcast #oldtestament #bible #biblestudy #biblestories #biblereading #bibleteaching #religion #Jesus #jesuschrist #god #adonai #athiest #athiesm #faith #faithjourney #podcasting #podcastclips #podcastlife #podcasters #podcastshow #skeptic #skepticism #judaism #hebrew #hebrewbible #christianbible #christianity #newtestament #christian #christianity #christianityexplained #holybible #doubt #believe #believer #belief #utah #saltlakecity #lds #mormon #scholar #middleeast #israel #religious #church
If you've listened to this show for any amount of time, you know what the Septuagint is (if you haven't, don't worry- it's just the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible). But do you know where that name came from? Or the legend of its creation?
This episode, we're diving deep into the lore of this very important document, and yes- there is LORE! The most important of which is a very long letter from a man calling himself Aristeas, which tells a fascinating (and spurious) tale of the Septuagint's origin. What do we know about this letter? And how much credence should we give it?
----
For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at:
patreon.com/DataOverDogma
Follow us on the various social media places:
facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod
twitter.com/data_over_dogma
Have you ordered Dan McClellan's New York Times bestselling book The Bible Says So yet???
Buy at this link: static.macmillan.com/static/smp/bible-says-so-9781250347466
_____________________________________________
Chapters:
00:00 Intro & Banter
00:41 The Letter of Aristeas
01:16 What Is the Septuagint?
02:20 Why 70 (or 72) Translators?
03:22 The Origin Story Explained
05:34 The Library of Alexandria
07:36 The Mission to Jerusalem
08:21 The 7-Day Banquet & Debates
10:15 What’s in the Letter?
11:58 The Translation “Miracle”
12:48 Divine Approval & Public Reading
14:00 Why This Story Matters
16:17 Later Influence (Philo & Josephus)
17:31 Why Was It Written?
19:14 Historical Context: Hellenism
21:04 Myth vs. History
22:02 How the Septuagint Really Developed
24:44 Influence on Later Bible Translations
27:38 Dead Sea Scrolls & Textual Evidence
29:27 Why It Still Matters
30:13 Outro
____________________________________________
#podcast #oldtestament #bible #biblestudy #biblestories #biblereading #bibleteaching #religion #Jesus #jesuschrist #god #adonai #athiest #athiesm #faith #faithjourney #podcasting #podcastclips #podcastlife #podcasters #podcastshow #skeptic #skepticism #judaism #hebrew #hebrewbible #christianbible #christianity #newtestament #christian #christianity #christianityexplained #holybible #doubt #believe #believer #belief #utah #saltlakecity #lds #mormon #scholar #middleeast #israel #religious #church
