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The history of the Septuagint involves not only its initial translation but also successive layers of revision, refinement, and standardization. Among these revisions, one of the most significant is associated with Lucian of Antioch, the presbyter, theologian, and later martyr who died in 312 C.E. His revision, commonly known as the Lucianic recension (GLuc), represents the most influential textual reworking of the Greek Old Testament after Origen’s monumental Hexapla. The Lucianic revision not only reflects theological and stylistic concerns of its time but also provides critical insight into the development of the Septuagint and its use within the Church.
The Context of Lucian’s Revision
Lucian of Antioch lived during a period when the Septuagint had already been through several phases of textual development. From the third to the early fourth century C.E., different Greek textual traditions of the Old Testament were circulating. Some were more literal renderings of the Hebrew Scriptures, while others had been revised to align more closely with evolving Greek stylistic norms or to harmonize with the Hebrew text that was becoming more stabilized in the proto-Masoretic tradition.
Lucian was educated in Antioch, a major intellectual and ecclesiastical center in Syria. The Antiochene school of theology was known for its commitment to the historical-grammatical method of interpretation, preferring literal readings of Scripture over allegorical ones. This intellectual environment undoubtedly shaped Lucian’s approach to Scripture and his revision of the Greek text. His work reflects an effort to refine and improve the readability of the Septuagint, without abandoning fidelity to the Hebrew Vorlage.
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The Lucianic Revision in Relation to the Hexapla
Origen’s Hexapla, produced in the early third century C.E., was a massive comparative edition of the Hebrew Scriptures and their Greek translations. In it, Origen presented the Hebrew text, a transliteration into Greek letters, and four Greek versions (Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, and the Septuagint). He also provided his own corrections to the Septuagint, marking them with critical symbols.
Lucian’s work must be understood as following this tradition of revision but with a distinct focus. Whereas Origen’s edition was essentially a scholarly tool designed to present textual variants in a comparative framework, Lucian’s revision aimed to produce a usable, ecclesiastical text. It was not merely an academic exercise but a liturgical and theological resource.
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Proto-Lucian and the Roots of the Revision
One of the most intriguing features of the Lucianic recension is that many of its distinctive readings can be traced back to a pre-existing Greek text, often called “proto-Lucian.” This demonstrates that Lucian did not create his recension ex nihilo but rather worked within an already established textual tradition. Proto-Lucian texts reveal that certain readings commonly associated with Lucian’s revision were already circulating at least a century before his time.
This means that Lucian’s contribution was not primarily inventing new readings but refining, systematizing, and standardizing an existing text. His recension is characterized by filling in omissions when compared with the Hebrew Masoretic Text, resolving grammatical difficulties, and smoothing stylistic elements to make the text more fluid and idiomatic in Greek.
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Characteristics of the Lucianic Text
The Lucianic recension is marked by several distinctive traits that separate it from other Greek Old Testament traditions. It tends to expand where earlier Greek versions were abbreviated, aligning more closely with the fuller Hebrew Masoretic Text. It also adds clarifying words and phrases to avoid ambiguity, making the text more accessible to readers unfamiliar with Hebrew idioms. Additionally, Lucian’s revision corrects grammatical irregularities, producing a smoother and more literary Greek style than earlier, more literalistic versions.
Importantly, Lucian’s text remains faithful to the sense of the Hebrew Scriptures, even as it seeks to improve readability. This balance between accuracy and clarity was a hallmark of his revision and made it particularly valuable for church use.
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The Five Stages in the Development of the Septuagint
The Lucianic recension represents the culmination of a long process in the history of the Septuagint, which can be outlined in five major stages.
First, the initial translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek occurred in stages, beginning with the Pentateuch in the third century B.C.E. and continuing with the rest of the Old Testament books over the following centuries.
Second, early revisions arose, including proto-Lucian and the kaige-Theodotion revisions, which sought to bring the Old Greek text into closer conformity with the Hebrew.
Third, in the late second century C.E., the translations of Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion were completed. Each of these represented a different approach to translation, from hyper-literal (Aquila) to smoother, more idiomatic Greek (Symmachus).
Fourth, Origen produced the Hexapla in the early third century C.E., an unparalleled scholarly resource that compared the Hebrew and its Greek versions side by side.
Finally, in the early fourth century, Lucian produced his revision, which brought together elements of previous textual traditions and shaped a Greek text that would have lasting influence in the Eastern Church.
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The Legacy of the Lucianic Recension
The Lucianic recension became particularly influential in the Greek-speaking churches of Antioch, Asia Minor, and later Constantinople. It formed the basis of the Old Greek text used in the Byzantine tradition and contributed significantly to the shape of the Septuagint manuscripts that circulated in the Middle Ages.
Although Lucian’s recension was a stylistic and theological update, it preserved a text that, in many respects, reflects ancient traditions of the Hebrew Bible. Its readings, when compared with the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Masoretic Text, and other ancient versions, provide valuable evidence for the textual history of the Old Testament.
Thus, the Lucianic recension is more than just a revision. It is a witness to the ongoing life of the Septuagint in the Christian Church and a reminder that the transmission of the biblical text was not static but involved continuous engagement, refinement, and preservation.
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Origen’s Hexapla: Its Nature, Purpose, and Significance in Old Testament Textual History
Theodotion (θ): His Role in Old Testament Textual Transmission
Symmachus (σ): His Role in Old Testament Textual Transmission and Translation
The Kaige Revision and Its Role in Old Testament Textual History
Aquila (Siglum α): The Literalist Greek Translator of the Old Testament
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