xpd-torah
Welcome to this Expanded Torah website which has the English translations of the Masoretic Text, Septuagint, Targum, and Ethiopian Orthodox text of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, also known as the Torah.
This site is best to viewed on a laptop or desktop as it is designed for studying these passages in parallel. Every effort has been made to make it usable on a mobile, but the best experience will be on a larger device.
Masoretic Text
The authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the Jewish Bible, meticulously preserved by Jewish scholars (the Masoretes) between the 6th and 10th centuries CE. Its defining feature is a precise system of vowel points and marginal notes designed to lock in exact pronunciation and meaning. Today, it serves as the foundational source text for the modern Hebrew Bible and almost all Protestant Old Testament translations.
LXX (Septuagint)
The authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the Jewish Bible, meticulously preserved by Jewish scholars (the Masoretes) between the 6th and 10th centuries CE. Its defining feature is a precise system of vowel points and marginal notes designed to lock in exact pronunciation and meaning. Today, it serves as the foundational source text for the modern Hebrew Bible and almost all Protestant Old Testament translations.
EOTC
One of Christendom's oldest and most extensive scriptural traditions, translated into the ancient liturgical language of Ge'ez following the 4th-century conversion of King Ezana. It is celebrated for its unique, expanded biblical canon. Unlike Western traditions, it permanently preserves vital ancient texts like the Book of Enoch, offering a rare window into early Eastern Christianity.
Targum
Ancient, spoken Aramaic translations and expansions of the Hebrew Bible originating during the Second Temple period. Delivered orally in synagogues as Aramaic replaced Hebrew as the everyday language, the Targums are far more than literal translations—they blend biblical text with early rabbinic commentary, making them crucial for understanding ancient Jewish theology.
Jasher
The Book of Jasher (Sefer haYashar) An ancient Hebrew work mentioned repeatedly in the Old Testament, famously referencing Joshua’s sun standing still and David’s lament. While the original biblical book is entirely lost to history, several later medieval midrashic texts emerged claiming its title. Today, these surviving texts offer modern readers a fascinating collection of traditional Jewish beliefs, expanding on biblical narratives from creation through the conquest of Canaan.
Jubilees
TA prominent 2nd-century BCE Jewish text that reframes the history of the world from Creation to the Exodus through the lens of a 49-year solar calendar cycle (Jubilees). Written as a revelation given to Moses by an angel, it expands significantly on Genesis and Exodus. Though excluded from Western canons, it was highly valued by the Dead Sea Sect and remains a canonical scripture in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
1 Enoch
The Book of 1 Enoch An influential ancient Jewish text attributed to Noah's great-grandfather. It details the rebellion of fallen angels (the Watchers), heavenly journeys, and profound messianic visions. Though rejected by later rabbinic Judaism and Western churches, it heavily influenced New Testament theology and survives fully intact only in the Ethiopian Orthodox canon and was cited in the Epistle of Jude.