A history of Bible translation

By Philip A. Noss

Subjects: Bible, Translating, Versions, History

Description: "No other book has been translated over such a long period of time as the Bible, no other literary work has been rendered into so many languages, and no other document continues to be the object of such intense translation activity throughout the world. Although the practice of orally translating the Bible may date back to times before the first Hebrew Scriptures were committed to writing, the complex and engaging story of Bible translation began in earnest with the first major Bible translation, the Septuagint, the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek in the centuries just before the Common Era. In A History of Bible Translation, sixteen biblical scholars, linguists, theoreticians, and translation professionals have collaborated to present an overview of Bible translation from the time of Septuagint, the Targums, and the Latin Vulgate through the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, and into the present day where mother-tongue speakers have replaced the missionary translators of the colonial era. Included in this survey are summaries of important secondary versions (including Arabic, Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopic, Georgian, and Slavonic), often neglected in other Bible translation histories. This historical overview is deepened by chapters addressing historical epistemologies, evolving and competing theories of translation, and discussions of ancient and modern methadolodies. Recognizing that the history of Bible translation is an unfinished story, the volume concludes with reports from Africa and Latin America that reveal what is being learned today as Bible translation thrives anew in a post-missionary world. A History of Bible Translation is the inaugural volume in a series of monographs being prepared by the American Bible society and its partners that will provide historical perspectives and address important issues relating to the history and practice of Bible Translation. Through the insights and observations of their authors, these monographs will fill in their own small parts of the great story of Bible translation." -- Back cover.