GREEK VERSIONS, OLD TESTAMENT. The trans lation of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint tailed in course of time to satisfy the leaders of Jewish thought. It was considered too free, and wanting in dignity and precision. In consequence of this feeling new translations came into existence during the second century or at the beginning of the third century A.D. The chief of these were associated with the names of Aquila, Theodotion, and Symmachus. (1) The Version of Aquila seems to have been the earliest of the three. " It also represents most fully the reaction of Jewish sentiment against the freedom with which the Seventy bad treated the Hebrew text " (A. S. Geden). The name of the author is in Greek 'AKviag. It seems to be identical with Onkelos, the traditional name of the author of a Targum on the Pentateuch (see TARGUM).
Epiphanius says that Aquila's translation was produced in the twelfth year (A.D. 128-29) of the reign of the Emperor Hadrian (A.D. 117-38). Jewish tradition states that be was a disciple (e. A.D. 100) of Rabbi Akiba. The fragments of the translation which have been pre served show that it was slavishly literal and full of Hebraisms. The version " seems to have been welcomed by the Jews, who found in it what they required, a Greek Bible free from Christian associations, and con formed to the Hebrew Canon and style; and it has been supposed to have been more or less formally authorised in Palestine, and to have remained in use there by Greek-speaking Jews until the time of the Muhammadan Conquest in the seventh century " (A. S. Geden). (2) The version of TheodotiOn was not much. if at all, later
than that of Aquila. Theodotion is said by Epiphanius to have been a native of Pontus and an adherent of Marcion (flourished about A.D. 150), and is mentioned by Justin Martyr (c. A.D. 160). His translation was clearly not based upon the Hebrew text, but upon the accepted Greek text, of which it was evidently intended to be a revision. " His Hebrew scholarship appears to have been hardly equal to that of Aquila, for he some times transliterates Hebrew words where the latter translates, apparently for no other reason than that he was in doubt or ignorance as to the meaning " (A. S. Geden). Theodotion's translation of Daniel entirely supplanted that of the Septuagint.. Only fragments of the rest of his version have survived. (3) Symmachus seems to have been the latest of the three translators. Irenaeus does not. mention him. This may be regarded as an indication of his date. Moreover, as H. B. Swete says, " so far as we can judge from the fragments of his version which survive in Hexaplaric MSS, he wrote with Aquila's version before him, and in his efforts to recast it made free use of both the LXX and Theodot ion." Epiphanius speaks of him as a Samaritan, and says that he lived under Severus (A.D. 193-211). It has been thought that Severus here is a mistake for " Verus," that is to say Lucius Verus (A.D. 161-180). Cp. further HEXAPLA. See F. Buhl, Canon; H. B. Swete, Intr, to the O. T. in Greek, 1900; A. S. Geden, Intr. to the Hebrew Bible, 1909.