The LXX: Implications for Translation and Theology I: Preface

Among the blogs I read on a regular basis is the former Etic of Lingamish (a rather entertaining reference to the Old Babylonian poem, The Epic of Gilgamesh), which has now become simply Lingamish. Lingamish, as his blog-name implies, is a linguist; he is currently helping to translate the Bible in the Nyungwe language, a member of the Bantu family of languages. For those of you who know Stan Granberg, the language of the Meru people, with whom Stan and Gena worked, is also a Bantu language.

On his blog, Lingamish talks about all kinds of things, but often returns to the topic of translation. Recently, he expressed a desire to hear a little more about the implications of the use of the Septuagint by the authors of the New Testament, especially in the context of prophesy fulfillment, for Translation. Over the next few days, I intend to post on this topic, and to go a step or two farther and sketch some of the possible implications of basic developments in Septuagint (and perhaps cognate studies) for theology.

If this sounds like fun to you, we need to hang out and nerd it up; if this sounds like gibberish or like a lot of work, hang out on my other blog, and I'll try to pull my attention from the situation in Lebanon for a few lighter posts . . . starting Wednesday . . . if all is well.