Beginning in the third century before Christ, the Hebrew scriptures were translated into Greek, collected, and edited. That era began with the early translation of the Torah into Greek under a third century Ptolemy, continued with the ensuing translation and composition of other biblical books into Greek, and the rise of new translations and redactions after the split between Christianity and Judaism. The resultant families of texts is known as the Septuagint.

When the Evangelists and Apostles quoted from the Old Testament in writing the New, they often quoted from a text tradition that differs from the modern Hebrew Scriptures. But where the Old Testament of the Apostles differs from the modern Hebrew, they usually follow the Septuagint. Here is a table of Septuagint quotations in the New Testament.

History of the Septuagint
Joel Kalvesmaki’s exhaustive Septuagint Online website. More…
And another from the lxx.org website. More…

All Scripture is Inspired by God: Thoughts on the Old Testament Canon
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“The Old Testament of the Early Church” Revisited
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Alexandria: Cultural and Historical Background of the Septuagint
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The Books of the Old Testament
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article on the Letter of Aristeas:
Josephus (Antiquities XII:ii passim) ascribes to a certain Aristeas a letter ascribing the Greek translation of the Jewish Law to seventy-two interpreters sent into Egypt from Jerusalem at the request of the librarian of Alexandria, resulting in the Septuagint translation. Over twenty manuscripts of this letter are preserved and it is often mentioned and quoted in other texts.

The work is an account relating how the king of Egypt is urged by his librarian Demetius of Phalarum to translate the law books of the Jews. The king responds favourably, including giving freedom to Jews who had been taken into captivity by his fathers and sending lavish gifts to the temple in Jerusalem along with his envoys. The high priest Eleazar chooses exactly six men from each tribe, giving 72 in all. The 72 translators then complete their task in exactly 72 days. The Jews of Alexandria, on hearing the Law read in Greek, request copies and lay a curse on anyone who would change the translation. The king then rewards the translators lavishly and they return home.

• This article by James Davila examines the importance of the Letter of Aristeas to early Church writers.
• The Jewish Encyclopedia features an article about the Letter.

A Bibliography of the Septuagint
An eclectic, extensive list of literature for further study of the Septuagint. More…