Jewish Orthodox Bible- thoughts?

[Qoeleth]

I came across this translation, which you can read at Google Books.
books.google.com.au/books?id=7Bg8CoRcI3AC&source=gbs_navlinks_s

It retains all the important Hebrew Words, and substitutes them into the English text. It is quite unusual. The Google Book reviews are quite scathing.

It actually includes the New Testament, with Hebrew bits. I can’t quite get this.

Any thoughts? Do you think it would be help to learn Hebrew?

 

[Kaninchen]

I came across this translation, which you can read at Google Books.
books.google.com.au/books?id=7Bg8CoRcI3AC&source=gbs_navlinks_s

It retains all the important Hebrew Words, and substitutes them into the English text. It is quite unusual. The Google Book reviews are quite scathing.

It actually includes the New Testament, with Hebrew bits. I can’t quite get this.

Any thoughts? Do you think it would be help to learn Hebrew?

It’s a Protestant Christian Bible pretending to be a Jewish Bible.

 

[7_Sorrows]

if you read the user reviews - one says that it is deceptive. why would an Orthodox Jewish Bible contain the New Testament? i own a Hebrew Bible that has both English and Hebrew with the Torah, the prophets and the historical books. there is no New Testament.

 

[7_Sorrows]

when i lived in a larger city, one of my favorite things to do was to go to the Jewish stores and browse around - especially their book sections. if you are wanting to learn Hebrew and have a store in your area that sells Jewish merchandise for the holidays, jewelry, bar and bat mitzvehs, menorahs, books, etc. you are sure to find some books there to help you.

 

[Crescentinus]

It’s a Protestant Christian Bible pretending to be a Jewish Bible.

Really?

 

[YKohen]

Really?

Really.

I came across it on the web site Bible Gateway after a poster here quoted from it.

I wrote to them to complain, and their response was that I should contact the guy behind it- someone named Phillip E. Goble. I did, but that doesn’t excuse them from responsibility. I responded to them:

*By virtue of the fact that you carry this Bible on your web site, I am addressing it to you specifically.

Not only is that version not an Orthodox version of the Bible, it isn’t even a Jewish version. It includes the New Testament, which is not part of the Jewish Bible- no matter what the translator calls the books.

There are Jewish versions available- real Jewish versions. If you are going to be honest about it- and certainly a group that is disseminating the Bible should be honest about it, you should carry a real, Jewish version; unless you don’t want a Jewish version at all; which is legitimate. But to carry the version that you do and call it an “Orthodox Jewish” version of the Bible is simply dishonest.*

Still waiting for them to get back to me, but I’m not optimistic. It’s plain and simple fraud.

 

[Crescentinus]

Really.

I came across it on the web site Bible Gateway after a poster here quoted from it.

I wrote to them to complain, and their response was that I should contact the guy behind it- someone named Phillip E. Goble. I did, but that doesn’t excuse them from responsibility. I responded to them:

*By virtue of the fact that you carry this Bible on your web site, I am addressing it to you specifically.

Not only is that version not an Orthodox version of the Bible, it isn’t even a Jewish version. It includes the New Testament, which is not part of the Jewish Bible- no matter what the translator calls the books.

There are Jewish versions available- real Jewish versions. If you are going to be honest about it- and certainly a group that is disseminating the Bible should be honest about it, you should carry a real, Jewish version; unless you don’t want a Jewish version at all; which is legitimate. But to carry the version that you do and call it an “Orthodox Jewish” version of the Bible is simply dishonest.*

Still waiting for them to get back to me, but I’m not optimistic. It’s plain and simple fraud.

Thanks for the info.

 

[mercytruth]

Really?

Yes, it was in my desire to understand the meaning of the Hebrew word, almah that I referred to this translation in a discussion with YKohen. He discovered the truth of the matter. (At the time, I did not think it included the NT.)

Now as far as the complaint to the site which carries this translation, it carries only translations of the Bible that include the NT. These translations are in many languages.

It is disengenuous for the publisher to call their Bible Orthodox Jewish. English/Hebrew Christian, would be more accurate.

 

[Don_Jackson]

when i lived in a larger city, one of my favorite things to do was to go to the Jewish stores and browse around - especially their book sections. if you are wanting to learn Hebrew and have a store in your area that sells Jewish merchandise for the holidays, jewelry, bar and bat mitzvehs, menorahs, books, etc. you are sure to find some books there to help you.

I purchased an authentic translation of Jewish scripture used by Jews who do not know enough Hebrew to read the Torah with complete confidence and understanding (just like many Christians who don’t have the bandwidth to read Greek) at Amazon for my kindle. It comes in handy as a study resource.

 

[Anna_Scott]

I came across this translation, which you can read at Google Books.
books.google.com.au/books?id=7Bg8CoRcI3AC&source=gbs_navlinks_s

It retains all the important Hebrew Words, and substitutes them into the English text. It is quite unusual. The Google Book reviews are quite scathing.

It actually includes the New Testament, with Hebrew bits. I can’t quite get this.

Any thoughts? Do you think it would be help to learn Hebrew?

I would say the title does seem to be very misleading.

As others have said, a Jewish Bible does not contain the New Testament.

I have the TORAH and TANAKH, both published by the Jewish Publication Society.

 

[meltzerboy]

There are a couple of Jewish annotated versions of the New Testament, the best one edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler. However, this is not advertised as an Orthodox Jewish Bible.

 

[Anna_Scott]

There are a couple of Jewish annotated versions of the New Testament, the best one edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler. However, this is not advertised as an Orthodox Jewish Bible.

meltzerboy,

I read Amy-Jill Levine’s book, The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus. I was surprised to find a Jewish New Testament scholar. Her book was very interesting. I’m sure a New Testament edited by Amy-Jill Levine would also be interesting.

 

[Candescent]

Any thoughts? Do you think it would be help to learn Hebrew?

If you’ve got the time, do it! If you have any Jewish community around you at all, there will be Hebrew classs.

 

[Dave_Noonan]

Any thoughts? Do you think it would be help to learn Hebrew?

As for this Bible, yes it’s a bit bizarre and seems to be published by a man and group steeped in a particular mix of fundamentalism, Messianic Judaism and Zionism.

But yes, I think every Christian should learn Hebrew. I don’t know why people are so resistant to the idea.

 

[FrRob]

I came across this translation, which you can read at Google Books.
books.google.com.au/books?id=7Bg8CoRcI3AC&source=gbs_navlinks_s

It retains all the important Hebrew Words, and substitutes them into the English text. It is quite unusual. The Google Book reviews are quite scathing.

It actually includes the New Testament, with Hebrew bits. I can’t quite get this.

Any thoughts? Do you think it would be help to learn Hebrew?

If some anti-Catholic group were to publish a Bible with the words “The Modern Bible, for Today’s Catholic,” and it was missing the Deuterocanon, I would be . . . dismayed at the deception. If I looked inside, and read that those books had “been removed, as most scholars question their authenticity as scripture,” I would be downright scathing in expressing my opinion.

Any such would be an outright attempt to fool Catholics into accepting a Protestant position.

As such, I have no trouble believing that the Bible you link to is a bit of a con-job, aimed at Jews who may be non-observant, or perhaps an attempt to stop anyone who might want to look at the heritage of Christianity (rooted in Judaism) from getting accurate info about that heritage.

I think the title really IS shamefully deceptive. If you want to get an idea of the Jewish approach to scripture, phone or email the local temple or synagogue, and ask the rabbi if you could stop by, BRIEFLY, for a few recommendations as to where to start.

Perhaps this sounds odd, coming from a priest. But I always tell my people that if someone has a question about the Catholic faith, they should ask a Catholic, or even better, a priest.

Common courtesy would demand tha we do our elder brothers and sisters in faith in the One True God the same respect. Ask a Jew, or even better, ask a rabbi.

Learning another language is nearly always enriching. Even if you do not learn tremendous amounts of scriptural Hebrew, you can learn new words or phrases that will be gems you will always carry with you.

Two of my favorites:

In Spanish, rainbow is “arcoiris,” or “the arch of the eye.” (More or less), I can’t decide which is like better, rainbow, or arch-of-the-eye, as they both have a poetic character.

That thing we use on New Year’s Eve, or at kids’ birthday parties, where you blow on it, and it unrolls and makes a rude blaring noise? We just call it a “noisemaker,” which is what it it . . . but the Mexicans call it “espantasuegra,” which translates literally as “mother-in-law-startler.”

Hands down, that has to be one of my favorite descriptive terms EVER. When I found that one (just happened on it, really), I felt such joy that I have never again for a moment questioned whether learning another language was worth the time. It was like finding a golden nugget.

Fr. Rob

 

[chosen_people]

I came across this translation, which you can read at Google Books.
books.google.com.au/books?id=7Bg8CoRcI3AC&source=gbs_navlinks_s

It retains all the important Hebrew Words, and substitutes them into the English text. It is quite unusual. The Google Book reviews are quite scathing.

It actually includes the New Testament, with Hebrew bits. I can’t quite get this.

Any thoughts? Do you think it would be help to learn Hebrew?

It’s obvious from his other works that this from someone who is a Christian or at least believes in the Christian view of their leader. If you are looking for an Jewish Orthodox English translation -(for Hebrew text see Jerusalem Koren Tanach) - then the Stone edition of the Tanach (with commentary) is probably your best bet.

 

[Anna_Scott]

It’s obvious from his other works that this from someone who is a Christian or at least believes in the Christian view of their leader. If you are looking for an Jewish Orthodox English translation -(for Hebrew text see Jerusalem Koren Tanach) - then the Stone edition of the Tanach (with commentary) is probably your best bet.

chosen people,

Thanks for the suggestions.

Anna

 

[agnes_therese]

I purchased an authentic translation of Jewish scripture used by Jews who do not know enough Hebrew to read the Torah with complete confidence and understanding (just like many Christians who don’t have the bandwidth to read Greek) at Amazon for my kindle. It comes in handy as a study resource.

Would you mind posting the title, or a link? I’d like to take a look.

 

[IbnFiktur]

why would an Orthodox Jewish Bible contain the New Testament?

While I see where you’re coming from, don’t be so quick to assume that Jews have no interest in Christian scriptures (though of course they wouldn’t call it authentic scripture); remember, early Christians were essentially Jewish theological dissidents. Check out this book review (from a Catholic magazine) about the Jewish Annotated New Testament.

americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=13535

I apologize if you can’t read the whole thing, you might need a subscription. If that is the case, here’s the NYT review: nytimes.com/2011/11/26/us/a-jewish-edition-of-the-new-testament-beliefs.html?_r=0

Also note that the JANT is published by Oxford University Press; it is scholarly work by Jewish editors.

The book in question in this thread may be a farce, but it shouldn’t be assumed that Jews would never edit an NT translation.

 

[7_Sorrows]

While I see where you’re coming from, don’t be so quick to assume that Jews have no interest in Christian scriptures; remember, early Christians were essentially Jewish theological dissidents. Check out this book review (from a Catholic magazine) about the Jewish Annotated New Testament.

americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=13535

I apologize if you can’t read the whole thing, you might need a subscription. If that is the case, here’s the NYT review: nytimes.com/2011/11/26/us/a-jewish-edition-of-the-new-testament-beliefs.html?_r=0

Also note that the JANT is published by Oxford University Press; it is scholarly work by Jewish editors.

The book in question in this thread may be a farce, but it shouldn’t be assumed that Jews would never edit an NT translation.

i know that there are probably some Jews that have been curious and might have read about the New Testament, but what i am saying is that many of them would not want to own a Tanakh with a New Testament included. does that make sense? i think i did hear of the work that you mentioned and in would love to read it.