Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Bearpecs AT aol.com]

In a message dated 8/17/2005 12:34:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time,  
peterkirk AT qaya.org writes:

I doubt  if there is any evidence old enough to tell us 
whether the LXX names were  inventions of its translators, or of later 
Greek commentators, or were  based on an alternative Hebrew naming tradition.


Two sets of names for the books of the Torah were used in ancient  times.  
The current practice is to use the names which refer to the first  
distinctive 
word in the book: Bereishit, Shemot, Wayyiqra, Bamidbar,  Debarim.  
 
There was, however, a second set of names which referred to the contents of  
the book:  Ma`asei Bereishit [acts of at-the-beginning], Yetsi'at Mitsrayim  
[going-out from Egypt], Torat Kohanim [code of priests], Pequdim [censuses],  
Mishne Tora [repitition of tora].  
 
I suspect we may never know whether the Greek names were meant to  translate 
this second set of Hebrew names, or if they named the books  logically and 
those names were the same as the Hebrew names.  
 
 
Hayyim Obadyah
, MPA
New York, New  York 10027