IOSCS

The International Organization for
Septuagint and Cognate Studies




on this page:

IOSCS

The International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies (IOSCS) is a nonprofit, learned society formed to promote international research in and study of the Septuagint and related texts. By the term Septuagint is meant the ancient translations of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, including both the translation of the Pentateuch and that of the other books of the “Alexandrian Canon.” By the term cognate studies is meant the study of the ancient translations made from the Septuagint (“daughter versions”) and the so-called apocryphal and pseudepigraphical literature circulating around the turn of the era.

Membership

Individuals and institutions with an interest in the Septuagint and related materials are welcome as members in the IOSCS. For more information about membership, please follow this link.

IOSCS Links

IOSCS Executive Committee

Journal

The IOSCS publishes an annual journal. Through issue 43, this publication was known as the Bulletin of the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies (BIOSCS). With issue 44 (2011), the name became Journal of Septuagint and Cognate Studies (JSCS).

Articles submitted to the journal are double-blind peer-reviewed by multiple scholars. To safeguard the integrity of the peer-review process, the names of reviewers are not published or made known. The current Editor is Siegfried Kreuzer, Protestant University Wuppertal/Bethel, Wuppertal, Germany.

All current members and subscribers receive the Journal. Follow this link to become a subscriber or to renew your subscription.

The first 43 volumes of our Journal are available online in PDF form.

Septuagint and Cognate Studies (SCS) Monograph Series

Under the auspices of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), the IOSCS publishes a monograph series, refereed by its Editor (a member of the Executive Committee) in consultation with other scholars at the Editor's invitation. The current editor is Wolfgang Kraus, and the editorial board is composed of Karen Jobes, Rob Hiebert, Siegfried Kreuzer, Philippe Le Moigne, and Arie van der Kooij.

Critical Editions of Septuagint or Old Greek Texts

In response to questions about the best available critical editions of the Septuagint or Old Greek for use in scholarly discussion and development, including electronically based research, the Executive Committee of the IOSCS offers recommendations.

Septuagint Translations Available

Four new translations of the Septuagint into modern languages have become available in recent years.

Translation into English

A New English Translation of the Septuagint (edited by Albert Pietersma and Benjamin G. Wright) is available from Oxford University Press.

Translation into German

Septuaginta Deutsch: Das griechische Alte Testament in deutscher Übersetzung (edited by Wolfgang Kraus and Martin Karrer) is available from the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft.

Translation into Spanish

The four volumes of La Biblia griega — Septuaginta have been published by Ediciones Sígueme of Salamanca:
  I. Pentateuco (2008);
  II. Libros históricos (2011);
  III. Libros poéticos y sapienciales (2013);
  IV. Libros proféticos (2015).
Natalio Fernández Marcos and María Victoria Spottorno direct this project.

Translation into French

The nineteen volumes of La Bible d’Alexandrie (edited by Marguerite Harl, Gilles Dorival, Olivier Munnich and Cécile Dogniez) have been published by Les Editions du Cerf, Paris.

Also see the related website, Le Carnet de recherches La Bible d’Alexandrie: Version grecque des Septante.

Projects of the IOSCS

The following projects are conducted under the auspices of the IOSCS.

The John William Wevers Prize in Septuagint Studies

The International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies (IOSCS) offers an annual prize of $350 to be awarded to an outstanding paper in the field of Septuagint studies. The prize has been named in memory of John William Wevers to honor his many contributions to the field of Septuagint studies. More information is available. The deadline for submissions is August 15, 2016.

Dr. Nesina Grütter (Abteilung Altes Testament, Theologische Fakultät der Universität Basel) has been awarded the 2016 John William Wevers prize for her paper, "A Tale of One City (Nah 3:8–9): A Text-Critical Solution for an Often Discussed Problem Provided by a Reading Preserved in the Septuagint.” Dr. Grütter completed her doctoral degree in Sept 2015.

Useful Resources on the Internet

News and Announcements

Visit Us on Facebook

IOSCS has a Facebook Page.

Golden Anniversary

2017 is the fiftieth anniversary of IOSCS and its Journal.

Sympathy: Peter Flint

Our colleague, Peter Flint, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Sunday, 3 November 2016. Needless to say, this is sad news and a great shock to all who knew him as a friend and as a colleague.

Annual Prize for Outstanding Paper

The IOSCS is pleased to announce that Dr. Nesina Grütter (Abteilung Altes Testament, Theologische Fakultät der Universität Basel) has been awarded the 2016 John William Wevers prize for her paper, "A Tale of One City (Nah 3:8–9): A Text-Critical Solution for an Often Discussed Problem Provided by a Reading Preserved in the Septuagint.” Dr. Grütter completed her doctoral degree in Sept 2015.

Subscriptions Available in Euros

For the convenience of European members, we have made arrangements to receive subscription dues in Euros.

Soisalon-Soininen Symposium on the Septuagint

The Soisalon-Soininen Symposium on the Septuagint will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Professor Ilmari Soisalon-Soininen. The Symposium will take place 1st-3rd June 2017 at the University of Helsinki. See the symposium website for further details.

Current Issue

Volume 49 (2016) of the Journal of Septuagint and Cognate Studies (JSCS) is available from Eisenbrauns. See the table of contents or download a PDF of table of contents and editorial.

More Digital Issues Available

We've recently added ten more issues of our Journal to those available online. Issues 1 through 43 (1968-2010) are available.

Fernández Marcos Elected to British Academy

Congratulations to Natalio Fernández Marcos, who was elected a "Corresponding Fellow" of the British Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences on 16 July 2015, in recognition of academic distinction in scholarly research and publication. The election noted:

"Natalio Fernández Marcos is one of the foremost Septuagint scholars in the international scene. While his work is primarily relevant to biblical studies, he has also written about such subjects as Hellenistic Judaism and the history of scholarship."

Professor Fernández Marcos is Profesor Vinculado ad Honorem at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Centro de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales, Madrid. He co-directs the Biblia griega project.

La Biblia griega, Spanish Translation

Ediciones Sígueme of Salamanca has published the final volume of their Spanish translation of the Septuagint: La Biblia griega. Septuaginta. IV. Libros proféticos (Salamanca: Sígueme 2015).

Göttingen Second Chronicles Published

The Göttingen edition of Second Chronicles (Paralipomenon II, Volume 7,2), edited by R. Hanhart, is now available. Ordering information is available for both the printed edition and the e-book.

Festschrift for Marc Vervenne

Hans Ausloos and Bénédicte Lemmelijn have edited a Festschrift for Marc Vervenne: A Pillar of Cloud to Guide: Text-critical, Redactional, and Linguistic Perspectives on the Old Testament in Honour of Marc Vervenne. It is available as volume 269 in the Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium series from Peeters.

Resources from the Göttingen Septuaginta-Unternehmen

The Göttingen Septuaginta-Unternehmen, home of the Göttingen editions of the Septuagint, has announced two initiatives of interest to those dealing with textual criticism of the Septuagint.

(1) One of the tasks of the Septuaginta-Unternehmen is to manage the Rahlfs-sigla that are used to refer to Septuagint manuscripts in our edition and in several other publications. Since new manuscript witnesses keep on being identified, the collection of Rahlfs-sigla constantly needs to be expanded. In December 2012, the institute posted a PDF file with the up-to-date list of Rahlfs-sigla on its website, freely available to the public domain.

(2) Several of the older volumes that have appeared in the series “Mitteilungen des Septuaginta-Unternehmens” are no longer available in print. To meet the wishes of the scholarly community to maintain access to these publications (among them, Rahlfs’ Verzeichnis), the Septuaginta-Unternehmen has published a free PDF scan of the first four volumes on its website.

These resources are available in the Septuaginta-Unternehmen's new website, which is available in both German and English.

User Manuals for Göttingen Editions

Christian Schäfer, a research fellow of the Septuaginta-Unternehmen in Göttingen, has written two manuals to allow both beginners and specialists to use the Göttingen editions of the Septuagint in an improved way. Above all, they explain in detail the structure and language of the apparatus of the editio critica maior. The first volume deals with the editions by J.W. Wevers. It is also available as an e-book. The second volume deals with U. Quast's editions.

Septuaginta Deutsch Commentary Published

The German Bible Society has published Septuaginta Deutsch’s commentary on the Septuagint:
Septuaginta Deutsch. Erläuterungen und Kommentare zum griechischen Alten Testament, vol. I and vol. II, ed. by Martin Karrer and Wolfgang Kraus (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2011).

More News and Announcements

For previous news and announcements, please consult our news archive.

IOSCS
Last modified: January 04, 2017
contacts, queries: Jay Treat