Newsweek reports on Dr. Dale Martin‘s claim that Jesus was killed because his followers were armed. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all agree that crowds supporting Jesus carried weapons of some sort, usually translated “swords.” (Curiously, the Newsweek article omits Matthew.) But Dr. Paula Fredriksen is quoted in the article as arguing that “the Greek…
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Translators and poets, get ready! Now that I’ve submitted my second book manuscript to St. Martin’s Press, I’m looking forward to spending more time here. As part of my return, in the next little while I’m going to announce a project to translate Isaiah 54 collectively. Some of the most moving words ever penned, in…
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Do you have a blog or other media outlet? Do you post book reviews? If so, my publisher has offered to send you an advance copy of my newest book, The Bible’s Cutting Room Floor: The Holy Scriptures Missing From Your Bible. It’s available as a NetGalley (here) or an ARC. Be in touch with…
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Was Haman hanged or impaled in the Book of Esther? And was the instrument of his death a gallows or a stake?
I’m excited and a little nervous to announce that I’m appearing in two episodes of the History Channel’s upcoming Bible Secrets Revealed, which starts airing nationwide this Wednesday, November 13, at 10:00pm EST. Read the whole story — including air times, links to more information, and video trailers from the series — in my latest…
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Is the virgin birth a mistranslation, as a promo for the History Channel’s “Bible Secrets Revealed” suggests? Yes and no…
In light of my last post, I thought it might be helpful to move beyond theory to actual translation. How would you translate the Hebrew ish and the Greek anthropos in the following passages? Genesis 2:24 [Hebrew]: “Therefore an ish leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife.” Genesis 2;24 [LXX]: “Therefore…
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What do we learn about men, women, and Jesus in the Bible from the Greek word anthropos?
What do the Hebrew words for “male” and “female” in the Bible really teach us about gender roles?
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