The San Francisco call., 1896-03-31
1t Is to Be Undertaken by the
Rabbis of England and
America.
DIR. vOoRsANGER A TRANSLATOR
The Work Specially Designed fer
Jews-Expected to Be Completed
by 1898.

iarly those OF this country and Of Great
Britain, are soon to have a Bible. or at
least the Old Testament, which alone is
acknowledged TO be an inspired work by
the descendants OF Abraham and Jacob,
translated from the original Hebrew by
the most prominent rabbis of the two
countries named into English.
There has only been one previous at
tempt to translate Holy Writ directly into
English for the benefit OF those of the
Jewish race who are unable to read it in
the original Hebrew, and there are to-day
multitudes of them in both the Old and
the New World all of whom, when desir-
Gus of becoming familiar with the word of
God as most recently Interpreted, must
resort to the GENTLE version.
1t is to supply this lack of a modern
translation from a Jewish standpoint that
the work of preparing new translation
has been undertaken by the Jewish Pub
lication Society OF America, Philadelphia,
Pa. Rev. DR.. NJ. Jastrow OF Germantown,
Philadelphia, Pa, has been honored with
the editorial supervision OF the great work,
while on the revision committee are such
noted names as Rev. DR.. X. kohler and
Rev. Dr. F. de Sola Mendes, both of New
York, and Rev. DR.. Herman Adler of
Wise of Cincinnati, Ohio. will be CORE
spending mem bers of. the revision COM
mittee.
Among those VINO are to contribute to
the work is Rev. DR.. Voorsanger, the pop
ular rabbi OF the Congregation Emanuel
OF this City. The actual labor of transla-
ton has been apportioned as follows:
Genesis, Rev DR.. Max Landsberg, Rochester,
n y; Exodus, Rev. Morris Joseph, London,
England; Leviticus, Lewis N Dembitz, Louis
vile, KY; Mum bers. Rev. Dr. David Philipson,
Cincinnati, o.; Deuteronomy and Joshua, Rev.
Rev. Stephen s. Wise, New York City; l Sam
uel, Rev. DR.. Max Heller, New Orleans, La; II
samuel, Rev. DR.. Bernard Drachman, New
York City; | Kings, Joseph Jacobs, London,
England; II Kings, Israel Abrahems, London,
England Isaiah, Rev. DR.. Emil G. Hirsch,
Chicago, III; jeremiah, Rev. Or. sabato
Friedlander, London, England; Hosea, Rev. DR..
S Sale St. Louis, Mo, JOEL Rev. DR.. Louis Gross
des Kew York City; obadiah and Jonah, Rev DR..
Jacob Voorsanger, San Francisco, Cal. Micah.
Rev. DR.. Maurice H. Harris, New York City;
Nahum, Rev. DR.. L. Mayer, Pittsbnrg,. Pa;
phia Pa; Zephaniah, Rev. DR.. NJ. Schlesinger,
Albany, y. T.; Haggai, Rev. DR.. S: Mendel-
Singer, London, England; Malachi, Rev Dr. D.
Davidson, New York City; Psalms, Rev. DR.. K.
Kohler, New York City; Proverbs, Joseph ia
eobs, London; England Job, Rey. Dr.; B. sz9ld,
trow IT., Philadelphia, Pa; Ruth, Rev. DR.. Jo-
seph Krauskopf, Philadelphia, Pa. Lamenta-
tlons, DR.. Morris Jastrow Jr., Philadelphia,
Pa; Ecclesiastics. Rev. DR.. Gustsv Gottheil,
New York City; Esther, Rev. DR.. Henry Berko-
WITT, Philadelphia, Pa; Daniel, Ezra and
Nehemiah, Dr.. Richard Gottheil, New York
City; Chronicles, Rev. DR.. NJ. Mielziner Gin
cinnati, Ohio; II Chronicles, Rev. DR.. B. Eel
senthal, Chicago, III.
There being no truer and purer democ-
racy than the Jewish church there can be
no so-called authorized version of the
translated Bible for the Jew, for there is
neither King James TO attest It's correct
ness nor an iniallible Pope TO give it his
approval. Each Jewish synagogue is a
law unto itself, and there is consequently
no one who can claim to act or speak for
all the Jews, but this translation will
nevertheless have all the force of an
authorized version.
According to the instructions to the
translators, ''the new translation of the
Bible has been undertaken with the object
of obtaining a version OF the Holy Scrip
lures which, while taking full account of
the results OF modern research, shall be
characterized by the simplicity of book
to be used in the home and at public wor-
ship"
The suggestion is then made that "as
the Jew considers the original text alone
invested with authority it should be our
aim to approach it as nearly as possible,
and for that reason we should avail our
selves OF the extensive fund of traditional
and pathological interpretations in our
possession"
These instructions further read: "Inas-
much as some basis must be adopted to
secure uniformity of style, and as the only !
com plete English translation prepared for
Jews and embodying Jewish traditions and
conceptions is that known as the Lesser
Bible. this version has been chosen to serve
as foundation for the proposed work
At the same time the transIators are ex-
pected 10 consult the authorized version
and the revised version, the former as
the undsputed guide for diction and the |
rhythmic flow of language. the latter be-
cause of its correction of many erroneous
renderings in the older versions in accord |
ance with the advance of scholarship since
the days of King James"
All contributors are expected to hand IN |
their work not later than. August 1, 1897 |
1t Will then have to undergo the scrutiny |
OF the revision committee and the editor |
so that it is not likely that the edition will |
be out much before The year 1888.
Rabbi Voorsanger has not yet begun the |
task assigned him, but expects to shortly.