Changes

He continued the generally tolerant policy toward the [[Judaism|Jews]] that Alexander had observed since the priests at [[Jerusalem]] had surrendered to him. His successor [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus]] (r. 285-246 BC) continued that policy. In his effort to make the Great Library the best center of learning in the known world, Ptolemy Philadelphus sought to translate the Old Testament from [[Hebrew]] into Greek.<ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0840412.html Ptolemy II] at Infoplease.com</ref> Sadly, his staff found Hebrew to be a difficult language to understand, and were not sure of the meanings of several turns of phrase found in the Hebrew text. So Ptolemy appointed a team of seventy scholars, each fluent in Hebrew and in Greek, and assigned to them the task of translating the Hebrew text.<ref>[[Will Durant|Durant, Will]], ''The Story of Civilization, Volume 2: The Life of Greece''. ISBN 1567310133</ref>

He continued the generally tolerant policy toward the [[Judaism|Jews]] that Alexander had observed since the priests at [[Jerusalem]] had surrendered to him. His successor [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus]] (r. 285-246 BC) continued that policy. In his effort to make the Great Library the best center of learning in the known world, Ptolemy Philadelphus sought to translate the Old Testament from [[Hebrew]] into Greek.<ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0840412.html Ptolemy II] at Infoplease.com</ref> Sadly, his staff found Hebrew to be a difficult language to understand, and were not sure of the meanings of several turns of phrase found in the Hebrew text. So Ptolemy appointed a team of seventy scholars, each fluent in Hebrew and in Greek, and assigned to them the task of translating the Hebrew text.<ref>[[Will Durant|Durant, Will]], ''The Story of Civilization, Volume 2: The Life of Greece''. ISBN 1567310133</ref>

The result is a work produced largely by scholarly consensus and was the primary translation in Palestine at the time of Jesus. The [[Gospels]], [[Paul]], [[James]], [[Peter]], [[Jude]], and the author of the [[Hebrews (book)|Epistle to the Hebrews]] quoted from the Septuagint often in their respective writings.

The result is a work produced largely by scholarly consensus and was the primary translation in Palestine at the time of Jesus. The [[Gospels]], [[Paul]], [[Epistle of James|James]], [[Peter]], [[Jude]], and the author of the [[Hebrews (book)|Epistle to the Hebrews]] quoted from the Septuagint often in their respective writings.

The Septuagint contains the thirty-nine [[Biblical canon|canonical]] books of the Old Testament, but also contains the books called the [[Apocrypha]], which are considered non-inspired, and hence non-canonical, by most [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denominations.  The Apocrypha are considered canonical by the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and the Orthodox communities, and are included in Catholic Bibles.

The Septuagint contains the thirty-nine [[Biblical canon|canonical]] books of the Old Testament, but also contains the books called the [[Apocrypha]], which are considered non-inspired, and hence non-canonical, by most [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denominations.  The Apocrypha are considered canonical by the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and the Orthodox communities, and are included in Catholic Bibles.