How many descendants did Jacob have?

[Paidion]

The Septuagint differs from our Old Testaments because it is based on a different Hebrew text type (in my opinion closer to the Hebrew that the authors used). Translation of the Hebrew of the manuscripts found in Cave 4 of the Qumran match the Septuagint translation and not the Masoretic Hebrew text from which our Old Testaments are translated.

Also, close to 100 NT quotes from the OT match the Septuagint, but not the Masoretic Hebrew text.

I am going to give one simple example:

According to Exodus 1:5, how many descendants of Jacob were there?

The Septuagint says "75". Thus the Orthodox Study Bible (whose Old Testament is based on the Septuagint) says "75".
The Dead Sea Scrolls text from Cave 4 says "75" (I have a copy of "The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible"),
The New Testament reference to this verse (Acts 7:14) says "75",

Now look in your own Old Testament (which is based on the Masoretic text). What does it say? "70!!!"

So which number do you think Moses originally wrote when he wrote the book of Exodus?

[steve]

You make a good case for 75. I think this may be the right number, not so much because of Stephen's testimony (whose information probably depended upon the Septuagint he read), but simply because the Septuagint was translated from more ancient Hebrew copies than those available to us today. If the LXX translators were competent, they probably rendered the number 75 from the older Hebrew originals from which they were translating. These may have been more accurate than our Hebrew texts.

[Paidion]

I think so too, Steve. I think Stephen's testimony is just one example of those approximately 100 New Testament quotes of the Old, which matches the Septuagint, and not the Masoretic Hebrew text from which most of our Old Testaments are translated. The only complete, modern Bible of which I am aware in which the Old Testament is translated from the Septuagint, is the Orthodox Study Bible. That Bible's New Testament is simply the New King James version. I find it a rather interesting phenomena for a non-Protestant Church to employ the NKJV, since the King James Version is associated with Protestantism.

[dwilkins]

I endorse the use of the Septuagint for Old Testament study. For a free computer copy of it you anyone can download Esword for free and then use the Brenton OT translation. I've found Isaiah 53 to be particularly interesting in the Septuagint.

Doug

[darinhouston]

Here's an alternative translation of the Septuagint. Not sure how it falls in the spectrum of translations.

http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/