Versions, Ancient

The ancient versions of Scripture are early translations of the Hebrew OT and Greek NT into other languages, produced to serve communities whose native language differed from the original. They are critical resources for textual criticism, since they sometimes preserve readings earlier than the oldest surviving Hebrew or Greek manuscripts. The principal ancient versions include:

The Septuagint (LXX) — Greek translation of the OT, begun in Alexandria c. 250 B.C., used extensively by the NT writers and early church. The Targums — Aramaic paraphrases of the OT. The Syriac Peshitta — the OT and NT in Syriac, the primary Bible of eastern Christianity. The Latin Vulgate — Jerome's translation (c. A.D. 382–405), which became the standard Bible of the western church for over a millennium. The Ethiopic, Coptic, Armenian, and Gothic versions served the churches of their respective regions. Each version reflects the textual tradition available to its translators and the interpretive choices of its era, making them collectively invaluable for reconstructing the history of the biblical text.