Bible translations into Greek
Encyclopedia
Bible translations into Greek begin with the Septuagint (LXX), the ancient translation of the Hebrew Bible
into Koine Greek
(3rd–1st centuries BC), was the very first Bible translation in any language. It was widely disseminated among ancient Hellenistic Jews, and later became the received text of the Old Testament
in the church and the basis of its canon
.
of Constantinople, Maximos of Gallipoli
(or Callipolites, died 1633) translated a vernacular New Testament from 1629 which was printed at Geneva in 1638.
An edition of the New Testament
into Modern Greek
translated by Seraphim of Mytilene
was edited in London in 1703 by the English Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The translation was formally condemned in 1704 by the reigning Patriarch Gabriel III of Constantinople
.
In 1901, Alexandros Pallis
translated the Gospel
s in Modern Greek
. The publishing of the translation in a newspaper caused riots in Athens
, known as Evangelika (Ευαγγελικά). Today the most common translation in Greek is the Neophytus Vamvas
Translation (known also as Modern Greek
). A revised NVT is the New Vamvas Translation of Spyros Filos. The New Bible Version is recognized by the Orthodox Church
.
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
into Koine Greek
Koine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
(3rd–1st centuries BC), was the very first Bible translation in any language. It was widely disseminated among ancient Hellenistic Jews, and later became the received text of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
in the church and the basis of its canon
Biblical canon
A biblical canon, or canon of scripture, is a list of books considered to be authoritative as scripture by a particular religious community. The term itself was first coined by Christians, but the idea is found in Jewish sources. The internal wording of the text can also be specified, for example...
.
Modern Greek
At the initiative of the pro-Reformed Patriarch Cyril LucarisCyril Lucaris
Cyril Lucaris born Constantine Lukaris or Loucaris was a Greek prelate and theologian, and a native of Candia, Crete . He later became the Greek Patriarch of Alexandria as Cyril III and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople as Cyril I...
of Constantinople, Maximos of Gallipoli
Maximos of Gallipoli
Maximos of Gallipoli, was a hieromonk who made the first translation of the New Testament into modern Greek after 1629. This was at the initiative of the reforming Patriarch Cyril Lucaris of Constantinople, who was later strangled...
(or Callipolites, died 1633) translated a vernacular New Testament from 1629 which was printed at Geneva in 1638.
An edition of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
into Modern Greek
Modern Greek
Modern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
translated by Seraphim of Mytilene
Mytilene
Mytilene is a town and a former municipality on the island of Lesbos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lesbos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is the capital of the island of Lesbos. Mytilene, whose name is pre-Greek, is built on the...
was edited in London in 1703 by the English Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The translation was formally condemned in 1704 by the reigning Patriarch Gabriel III of Constantinople
Patriarch Gabriel III of Constantinople
-Life:Gabriel was born in the town of Smyrna to parents coming from the island of Andros and in 1688 he became Metropolitan of Chalcedon. He was elected Patriarch of Constantinople on 29 August 1702 and reigned till his death...
.
In 1901, Alexandros Pallis
Alexandros Pallis
Alexandros Pallis was a Greek educational and language reformer who translated the New Testament into Modern Greek. The publication, in the Acropolis newspaper, caused riots in Athens in 1901 in which 8 people died...
translated the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
s in Modern Greek
Modern Greek
Modern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
. The publishing of the translation in a newspaper caused riots in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, known as Evangelika (Ευαγγελικά). Today the most common translation in Greek is the Neophytus Vamvas
Neophytus Vamvas
Neophytus Vamvas was a Greek cleric and educator of the 19th century.Vamvas was born on the island of Chios in 1770. His secular name was Nikolaos...
Translation (known also as Modern Greek
Modern Greek
Modern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
). A revised NVT is the New Vamvas Translation of Spyros Filos. The New Bible Version is recognized by the Orthodox Church
Orthodoxy
The word orthodox, from Greek orthos + doxa , is generally used to mean the adherence to accepted norms, more specifically to creeds, especially in religion...
.