About
My name is John Meade and I’m married to the lovely Annie Meade and we have one daughter, Charis, and another child on the way. We are members of Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville, KY, and we moved here in 2003 so that I could pursue an M.Div. degree in biblical, theological, and pastoral studies. I’m currently a PhD student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, where I’m writing my dissertation, A Critical Edition of the Hexaplaric Fragments of Job 22-42, for the Hexapla Institute. I explain this project in my “prospectus”, which is listed under the Papers page.
I called this blog “Septuagint studies”, which is a bit of a misnomer, but it is pretty close to “biblical studies,” which was already taken 
. I will be devoting this blog to careful study of the Bible and its Ancient Versions (Septuagint and Hexapla, Peshitta, Vulgate, and Aramaic Targums). I’m very interested in the field of textual criticism but also in using the Versions as exegetical guides, which aid understanding of the original Hebrew Bible and Greek New Testament. I’m also interested in other areas of biblical studies including the Bible’s relationship to the literature of its neighbors and how the parts of the Bible relate to each other.
Once I finish my PhD, I hope to teach in the area of Biblical and Theological Studies and to continue research and writing in the area of Septuagint, text criticism, and other areas of exegesis and biblical theology. I also plan on continuing in local church ministry wherever the Lord places us. What a pleasure to be called to do these wonderful and weighty tasks.
Patrick Weed said
JD,
And especially can’t wait for our daughters to meet.
Thanks for stopping by patrickweed.com I’m glad you are enjoying the Ramadan Challenge. It’s been something that has even helped me to remember to just pray each day. Can’t wait to see you guys at Thanksgiving, pray we can find cheap tickets.
Love to you and your girls.
Patrick
Michael said
Hello! Lots on my plate, but I’ve occasionally stopped by & find your posts intriguing. Just thought I’d let you know that my blogging, such as it is, is now being done at petersoncello.wordpress.com rather than at The Euphemist, and I have a link to you there. Not sure that the new one qualifies as a biblioblog yet, though it will more after I get around to posting my Jewish Studies papers on it. Blessings!
John said
Michael –
Good to you on Worpress these days. I have updated my links to reflect your move. Let those Jewish Studies papers flow.
Joseph said
Great site I find the LXX to be fascinating.
Is there somewhere online I can view the text of Aquila and Symmachus?
John said
Joseph,
Not to my knowledge. The Hexapla Institute is working on an online database but for now that is closed to the general public. You can find Field’s edition of the Hexapla for free download here: http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=field%20hexapla
I hope this helps. Keep studying the LXX.
Joseph said
yes ty very much
Joseph said
I was just curious if anyone has ever done a list of LXX readings based on variant Hebrew readings of the Text. I am particularly interested in variances in regard to the reading of words based on differing nikkudot and not a difference in consonants. For instance when i look at Leviticus 18:21 it says not to give of your seed to molech which is based on the consonants M-L-KH. The hebrew reads it with the vowels o and e inserted hence MoLeKH, however when the septuagint translates it it sees M-el-e-KH and hence is translated archonti (those who rule) are there more examples of this?
John said
Joseph,
I’m not aware of one monograph that contains all these examples. The Goettingen LXX attempts to list the MT in the apparatus, when it supports a variant in the LXX tradition. Thus, you could try to find where the Gothic M is listed in the apparatus and see what the issues are.
I posted a short treatment of Eccl. 2:12 where I thought the LXX translator was using a different vocalization than the MT here: http://septuagintstudies.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/%D7%9E%D7%9C%D7%9A-or-%CE%B2%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%BB%CE%B7%CF%82-in-ecclesiastes-212-different-parent-texts/
Beyond this, I’m not an expert in this area. Does this help?
Ed Babinski said
John, I have read that Job 37:18 (about God spreading out the sky/clouds as hard as a bronze/molten mirror http://bible.cc/job/37-18.htm ) is translated differently in the Septuagint. In fact the word translated as “mirror” only appears once in the Hebrew Bible, so its meaning is uncertain even in the Hebrew. Could you please shed some light on the English translation of Job 37:18 in the Septuagint? I have discovered two different translations, one older, one relatively recent:
Wilt thou establish with him [foundations] for the ancient [heavens? they are] strong as a molten mirror. — THE BOOK OF JOB, from THE BRENTON TRANSLATION OF THE SEPTUAGINT, 1851
http://www.lxx-bible.org/brenton/septuagint-18-job.pdf
*solidifications are with him for things grown old, *strong like an appearance of outpouring* — THE NETS TRANSLATION, 2007 http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/28-iob-nets.pdf
I’d like to know what the verse means, or if anyone can say with any certainty what each part of the verse most probably means.
Any assistance would be appreciated. I noticed that you were mentioned in the latest Biblical Studies Carnival as a biblioblogging expert on the Septuagint, so I thought I’d send you this question.
Thanks for any and all possible assistance,
Ed
John Meade said
Ed,
Thanks for the question. I’m very busy right now with closing out a semester, but I have already begun to work up an answer to your very good question. Since the answer combines a couple of aspects (Brenton’s translation and Job), I think I will make it my next post, so stay tuned.
John
Ed Babinski said
John, I look forward to your response concerning the “molten mirror” question. I am an evolutionist but was reading a piece by an Old Earth Creationist who attempts to soften up the “firm” consequences of Job 37:18 by citing the Septuagint:
Scroll down to “The molten mirror”
http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/dome_of_heavens.html#puKlGxLSAbyO
Your reply will be much appreciated.
Thanks again, Ed Babinski
P.S. For your help I can send you a copy of my chapter on “The Cosmology of the Bible” if you’d like to read it. I also discuss Egyptian and Mesopotamian cosmic geography before discussing the Hebrew view. Many fascinating parallels. I cite Mark Smith’s and John Walton’s latest works on the subject. But I’ll need your address to send you a copy. Also, have you seen Thom Stark’s book, The Humans Faces of God? Quite good when critiquing the notion of biblical inerrancy.
John Meade said
Ed,
I’m intrigued. I read the other writer’s comments, and I think I have a little to contribute to the discussion
.
John
Ed Babinski said
Thanks very much John,
Daniel O. McClellan has also sent me his contribution to the discussion. I discovered both of you via the latest Biblical Studies Carnival, LXX section. *smile*
John Meade said
Ed,
Not sure if you know about my answer to your question or not here: http://septuagintstudies.wordpress.com/2010/12/04/the-translation-of-the-lxx-of-job-3718/.
Just thought you might want to know about it.
John
Ed Babinski said
John, I’d like to send you another scholar’s reply via email. Also, I’d like to send ou a copy of my piece on biblical cosmology, though I’m only sending the latter via regular mail not email since the book is newly published. Please contact me at leonardo3 [at] msn [dot] com
John Meade said
Ed,
You can email me at jmeade0807@gmail.com.
Rahel Halabe said
Shalom
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Todah Rabbah,
Rahel
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