Replies

Whose version are you reading?

"Usually the Jewish Publican Society revised (1955?) translation. Sometimes the 1917 translation. Sometimes the more recent Kaplan translation, when I'm looking at the Torah."

Are we talking about translations like the King James, or are we talking about something totally different.

Reason I ask is that Christians who follow the King James have been given the idea that Jews only follow the Old Testament from the King James. If the translation you use is not from the King James then are we even on the same subject material?

So you are one of those snip and clippers?

"I am a Jew. Mind you, the Orthodox might consider me a snip & clipper. But even if were Orthodox, I'd still be a Jew who didn't believe Jesus was the Messiah. If that makes all Jews snip & clippers in your book, then so be it."

No one can ever force you to believe Christ. Belief comes from the individual and since Christ could read ones thoughts so can our Heavenly Father and no one can or will con Him.

"One thing to note -- and maybe I could have made it clearer in the essay -- is that I'm not considering the question of who killed Jesus at the time it happened. I'm pointing out how the assumption that if Jews killed Jesus than all Jews are guilty of it goes against the concept of individuals being responsible for their actions.

It's more of a secular observation about a religious question."

Is not secular a religion? What ever or whom ever one looks to, puts their faith in is their "god". In the secular world that religion comes from the beginning of learning knowledge of good and evil which makes one a "god".

So what you seem to be talking about are two separate religions from two separate books.

Are we talking about translations like the King James, or are we talking about something totally different.

Reason I ask is that Christians who follow the King James have been given the idea that Jews only follow the Old Testament from the King James

The JPS is the standard English translation for Jews and, from what I've read, it was strongly influenced by the King James Version, but it's not the same translation. I don't really know much about Rabbi Aryeh Kapan, but his translation is fairly recent (he died at age 48 in 1983) and already quite respected.

Thing is, most religious Jews don't follow any translation of the Bible. They read it in the original Hebrew. Frankly, I don't think anyone can really say they know the Bible (OT), unless they are fluent in Hebrew. Since I don't know Hebrew, I include myself among those who don't know the Bible.