The Contribution of the Septuagint to the Masoretic Reading of צלמות

Abstract Interpretations of the Hebrew lexeme צלמות often revolve around the question whether it denotes an abstract noun (»darkness«) or a compound (»shadow of death«). We propose that the Septuagint played a key role in the development of the Masoretic reading of צלמות as צַלְמָוֶת . The frequent use of compounds in ancient Greek and the centrality of compounds in Greek etymology likely influenced the Septuagint’s reading of צלמות as a compound. This etymological interpretation became embedded in Greek-Jewish discourse and contributed to the development of the Masoretic interpretation צַלְמָוֶת .