As the year winds down, many dedicated individuals are turning their thoughts towards their bible reading for the upcoming year, aiming to make it even more enriching than the last. With this in mind, it’s the perfect moment to introduce a uniquely designed reading plan: the Septuagint reading plan by William Ross.
This plan, much like several recent projects, is a direct result of the collaborative work between William Ross and Greg Lanier on Septuaginta: A Reader’s Edition (Hendrickson 2018). The Reader’s Edition has been met with enthusiastic praise, recognized for both its meticulous production and insightful content. It has garnered positive attention across various platforms, as seen in reviews and mentions from:
- Zwinglius Redivivus
- Abram K-J
- Exegetical Tools
- Evangelical Textual Criticism
- theLAB
- Books At a Glance
- Unboxing video
- Shorter unboxing video
Amidst the discussions and accolades, a recurring question has emerged: “Where should I begin with reading the Septuagint?”
Introducing the Septuagint Reading Plan by William Ross
To address this common question, William Ross has developed a comprehensive one-year reading plan designed to guide individuals through the Septuagint. This plan is structured to progress from the easier sections to the more challenging parts of this significant collection of texts. The detailed specifics are outlined in the reading plan itself, available for viewing and download.
In essence, the plan consists of two hundred and forty readings, organized into sets of five. This structure allows for daily reading (typically ten to twenty-five verses) throughout the year, with four weeks intentionally left open for flexibility. It’s important to note that this William Ross Reading plan is not intended for reading the entire Septuagint in a single year. Instead, it offers a “selective,” graded approach to ease you into the Septuagint.
Understanding that many who are drawn to such a plan are likely already engaged in daily reading of the Greek New Testament and potentially the Hebrew Bible, the readings are intentionally kept concise. This approach aims to minimize any perceived barriers to entry and encourage consistent engagement with this vital corpus of texts.
Feel free to share this valuable Septuagint reading plan widely!
Accompanying the plan, William Ross and his team are also providing the difficulty ranking index used in its creation.
Septuagint Difficulty Ranking Index: A visual guide indicating the relative difficulty of different sections within the Septuagint, aiding users in navigating the text based on complexity.
For a more granular view, particularly within the Twelve Prophets corpus, an index ranking each book individually is also provided.
Difficulty Ranking of the Twelve Prophets in the Septuagint
Difficulty Ranking of the Twelve Prophets in the Septuagint: An index detailing the difficulty level of each book within the Twelve Prophets, offering a focused perspective on textual complexity.
As mentioned in the reading plan’s introduction, this ranking index was compiled using extensive data gathered and extracted from the electronic version of the Rahlfs-Hanhart base text throughout the project. The intention is to continue refining this index in the future.
Delve Deeper: SBL Conference Audio
For those seeking a more in-depth exploration of the Septuagint, you can listen to the SBL paper co-presented by Greg Lanier and William Ross at the Society of Biblical Literature conference last month. The audio is available via this link, and further details can be found here.
This Septuagint reading plan by William Ross offers a structured and accessible pathway to engage with this important text. Whether you are a seasoned scholar or just beginning your journey with biblical Greek, this plan provides a valuable resource for enriching your understanding of the Septuagint.
