Hexapla by Origen Adamantius of Alexandria

The Hexapla is a complex work that has far-reaching implications for biblical studies and theology. Let’s take a closer look at each aspect of this monumental undertaking:

Creation and Objectives

Origen, who was active in Alexandria in the 3rd century, compiled the Hexapla at a time when Christianity was still a relatively young religion and the canonical texts themselves were still in a phase of consolidation. The intention behind this colossal work was to create a reliable tool for the textual criticism of the Old Testament. By comparing different versions, the aim was to refine the understanding of the significance and interpretation of the text. In a world without computers, the creation of the Hexapla was a tremendous intellectual achievement that likely required the involvement of a large number of scribes and resources.

Structural Arrangement

The Hexapla was designed to consist of six parallel columns. Each column served a specific purpose:

Hebrew text in Hebrew characters: This served as a reference point and corresponded to the Masoretic text, which was considered canonical in Jewish circles.
Hebrew text in Greek transliteration: This facilitated access to the text for those who were not proficient in Hebrew but understood Greek.
Aquila of Sinope: A highly literal Greek translation of the Hebrew text, created by a proselyte Jew named Aquila.
Symmachus: Another Greek translation that aimed for comprehensibility rather than literal accuracy.
Septuagint (LXX): The oldest and most widely circulated Greek translation of the Old Testament up to that point.
Origen’s revised Septuagint: Here, Origen made corrections to the Septuagint to bring it closer to the Hebrew text.

Significance and Legacy

The Hexapla had far-reaching implications for biblical studies. Although the original work is lost, later scholars gained access to textual variants that would have otherwise been lost through the Hexapla. Origen’s work is a key piece for understanding the textual history of the Old Testament and influenced subsequent translation projects, including Jerome’s Latin Vulgate.

Status of Preservation

The original work is no longer completely extant, but its existence is attested to by numerous quotations in other works. In some cases, fragments of the Hexapla have been preserved in later manuscripts or as marginal notes in other texts.

This deeper exploration highlights how monumental the Hexapla was, both in terms of the intellectual effort invested in its creation and its ongoing influence on the textual criticism and translation of the Old Testament.

The Hexapla, a work by the Christian scholar Origen, served the purpose of textual criticism and translation of the Old Testament. Unfortunately, the original work is no longer extant, but fragments and quotations in other texts testify to its existence and influence.

Where are the remnants found?
The preserved fragments are scattered in various libraries and collections worldwide:

Syriac Hexapla: Various libraries in Europe and the Middle East
Codex Marchalianus: Vatican Library
Cairo Geniza fragments: Including at the University of Cambridge
Quotations from Church Fathers: In their own works, found in numerous libraries and collections

Details about the fragments
– Syriac Hexapla

• Details: A Syriac translation of the Septuagint, which in the 6th to 7th century was created
• Location: Various libraries, including the British Library

– Codex Marchalianus

• Details: A Greek manuscript of the prophetic books from the 6th century, with annotations that could indicate the Hexapla
• Location: Vatican Library

– Cairo Geniza Fragments

• Details: Hebrew fragments from a collection of Jewish texts
• Location: Various collections, including the University of Cambridge

Origen Adamantius, also known as Origen, born around 185 in Alexandria, was an influential Christian scholar, theologian, and ascetic of the early 3rd century. He mainly worked in Alexandria, where he embarked on a comprehensive theological career. His literary oeuvre comprises an estimated 2,000 treatises covering areas such as textual criticism, exegesis, hermeneutics, homiletics, and spirituality.

He established himself as one of the most influential figures in early Christian theology and was active in church teaching as well as in apologetics. At the age of 18, he became a catechist at the renowned Catechetical School of Alexandria. His ascetic life and rigorous teaching activities brought him into conflict with Demetrius, the Bishop of Alexandria, who considered him disobedient. Origen founded his own Christian school in Caesarea and was highly respected in theological circles.

Among the numerous works he authored, the Hexapla is one of the most outstanding achievements. This six-column comparative study of the Old Testament included the Hebrew text, its Greek transliteration, the Septuagint, as well as the translations of Theodotion, Aquila, and Symmachus. This work became the foundation of the library of Caesarea and served as a model for Eusebius in the production of 50 copies of the Bible commissioned by Emperor Constantine. Despite the loss of the original Hexapla, fragments have survived that are of immense importance to biblical scholars and theologians to this day.

Origen was also known for his extensive biblical commentaries. His commentaries on Exodus, Leviticus, Isaiah, the Psalms, and the Gospel of John are particularly significant. Furthermore, his work included a plethora of sermons in which he interpreted nearly the entire Bible.

His influence on the textual criticism and exegesis of the Old Testament has significantly impacted Biblical studies. His methodical approaches to the study of the Holy Scriptures laid the foundation for later theological research.

Despite his extensive contributions, Origen became embroiled in theological controversies that culminated in the First Origenist Crisis of the late 4th century. In 543, he was condemned as a heretic by Emperor Justinian I, and his writings were to be burned. The Second Council of Constantinople in 553 may have condemned his teachings, particularly on the pre-existence of souls.

Origen’s life’s work has significantly influenced the course of Christian theology and remains an important reference point for theological studies to this day.