The Centre for Septuagint and Textual Criticism

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The research of the Centre for Septuagint Studies and Textual Criticism focuses on the linguistic and text-critical study of the substantive/physical texts of the Old Testament. In this respect, special attention is paid to the study of the Hebrew (MT, SamP, Dead Sea Scrolls) and the Greek (LXX and its revisions) on the one hand and their mutual relation on the other.

The Centre for Septuagint Studies and Textual Criticism primarily aims at doing text-critical research (collation, description and evaluation of the textual variants) of the Hebrew and Greek textual evidence of the Old Testament.

Within the context of the above mentioned text-critical research, the Centre of Septuagint Studies and Textual Criticism equally concentrates on the study of the translation technique of the Septuagint as well as on the lexicographical and grammatical study of Greek in LXX and its revisions. As such, translating and commenting the LXX-text is part of the activities of the CSSTC.

Against this background, the Centre of Septuagint Studies and Textual Criticism enriches its core research of the LXX by broadening its horizon: on the basis of the study of its impact on the New Testament as well as via research into the context of the ancient textual witnesses in the period of Second Temple Judaism.

History

It was in 1988 that Prof. Dr. Johan LUST founded the Centre for Septuagint Studies and Textual Criticism at the Faculty of Theology. After his retirement in 2003, Prof. Lust has been succeeded by Prof. Dr. Hans AUSLOOS as the director of the Centre for Septuagint Studies and Textual Criticism.

The research of the Centre for Septuagint Studies and Textual Criticism initially focused on:

• Text-critical studies on the book of Ezekiel
• The development of the Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint and its revised edition
• Messianism and the messianic texts in the Tanach and the Septuagint

Against the background of this specific research interest, both the edition of the book of Ezekiel as part of the international project Biblia Hebraica Quinta and a translation with commentary for La bible d’Alexandrie are in preparation. In addition to this, the Centre for Septuagint Studies and Textual Criticism equally prepares the Ezekiel volume of the Hexapla project under the auspices of the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies (IOSCS).

Since directorship of the Centre for Septuagint Studies and Textual Criticism passed on to Prof. Dr. Hans AUSLOOS, succeeded by Prof. Dr. Bénédicte LEMMELIJN, the Centre has acquired a number of new research projects, in addition to the initial research interests, that focus on:

• the book of Canticles (textual criticism, study of translation technique, literary-poetical criticism)
• the book of Qohelet (Ecclesiastes)
• the development of so-called ‘content related criteria’ in the characterisation of the translation technique of the different books of the Septuagint, among which
  • the Greek rendering of Hebrew Hapax Legomena
  • the Greek rendering of Hebrew Wordplay
  • the Greek rendering of Hebrew jargon defined vocabulary
• the book of Judith

Also with respect to the books of Canticles and Judith, research fellows of the Centre of Septuagint Studies and Textual Criticism are involved as editors, respectively to the Hexapla Project, under the auspices of the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies (IOSCS) and to the international project of La bible d’Alexandrie.

For a full account of the realised projects and events of the Centre for Septuagint Studies and Textual Criticism, please click here.

Contact

Prof. Dr. Bénédicte LEMMELIJN
Centre for Septuagint Studies and Textual Criticism
Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies
Sint-Michielsstraat 4 box 3101
BE-3000 Leuven
Belgium
tel: +32 016 32 38 10
e-mail: benedicte.lemmelijn@theo.kuleuven.be