I’m still waiting for the time and focus needed to finish up the last couple posts on ὅτι clauses. In the meantime, I thought I would share this resource for Septuagint reading I put together: a list of chapters in the LXX.
A reading list
The idea is really simple: I just wanted a list of all the chapters in the Septuagint in order to track reading through the entire thing over a long time period. I looked high and low online, but didn’t find a list of the chapters in the LXX anywhere, so I made one. While I doubt there are many people in the world looking for such a list, perhaps this can save someone some time. Here it is.
There are 1,135 chapters in the Rahlfs-Hahnhart LXX (assuming I didn’t make any mistakes). NB, I did not count the double text traditions in books like Joshua and Judges—only one set of chapters for each of those instances. So, if you intend to read all the double traditions, double the chapter number for the relevant books.
The only odd part of my list is that the “First” and “Second” books all have this format: 2 Macc 4. This means the second chapter of 4 Maccabees. A minor inconvenience which, in my estimation, is easier to deal with than to make the list behave the way I wanted it to in the program I used to generate it.
Multi-year reading plan
In compiling this list, I had a good opportunity to assess how much of the LXX I have read, and how much is largely untouched territory. At this stage, I estimate I have read a solid 2/3 of the total LXX. The portions remaining are all in the poetry and prophetic sections—generally more difficult to read—and then 3-4 Maccabees. Within the prophets, I have spot read here and there, or read through various of the smaller books, but lots of territory still to cover there.
Over the next several years, I aim to read through the entire LXX: again in the old sections and for the first time in the new sections. This list will help me keep track as I go.
Useful resources
I’ve got the Septuaginta: A Reader’s Edition, which is a huge help in saving time tracking down thousands of different vocabulary items. I’d rather read a paper book, but tagged LXX texts are available for Bible software, online, and via Diogenes.
Sometimes the LXX Greek is just plain weird and it is nice to see how someone else has puzzled it out. The New English Translation of the Septuagint is a big help for reference in those times where you get stuck. The files are available here as pdfs, or it can be purchased in different electronic or paper formats. There is also a recent German translation of the LXX, but the price tag has so far put it out of my reach, and a French and Spanish one (but my poor French and Spanish reading abilities make those impractical for me). William Ross has a nice set of posts discussing the different approaches taken in these translations, as well as links to the resources. Brenton’s older English translation can be accessed online here, as well as many other places.
Happy reading.
NT Greek et al. 