Customer Reviews

The Jerusalem Bible

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Most people who would appreciate this Bible (Tanak) will already have others. This one has two features that are most commendable. First, it includes the Masoretic Text (that is, the standard Hebrew) on facing pages --every Bible should have in my opinion. It reminds us that the Bible is Hebrew (with a little Aramaic), after all. The second feature is that it uses a much more accurate treatment of Hebrew proper nouns reflecting the Hebrew itself. For example, we are given Yehoshua, Moshe, Eliyya instead of Joshua, Moses, and Elijah. Also the 'alef, `ayin are represented as I just have, with ' or ` respectively, and the xet (cheth)is represented by an underlined h. I personally prefer to see waw represented with a w, rather than the Ashkenazic v. In general, there is better transliteration.

There is improvement of typographical conventions in the Hebrew text, including treatment of leaving out the superfluous vowel-points in the tetragram so that there is no chance of someone mispronouncing the Name with those (purposely incorrect) vowels. The Ketiv/Qeri are treated similarly with the qeri appearing in the margin. "Paragraph" divisions reflect the setuma and petuxa of the Hebrew text. Also sedarim (weekly portions for reading through the year in unison), including aliyot and parashot hashshavua, are also given in the margins. (aliyot mark divisions within sedarim for changing the reader in the synagogue to read in turn.) English chapter divisions and numbering are retained in the outside margin, but reflect the Hebrew divisions where Christian convention is incorrect.

The English besides the transliteration mentioned above also is quite good and clearly and closely reflects the Hebrew in all ways. The translation draws mostly on Friedlander (1881), but also Lesser, and others, yet modernizes archaic words and constructions found in some English Bibles. This Bible does not cower to Christian translations. (A comparison list of typical proper nouns and versions used in included in the back---or is it the front? ;-) Actually, this Bible is oriented from right to left as Hebrew books do, and Hebrew text reads!

In my Bible, Koren is listed as the publisher (Jerusalem).

This is the Bible to have. Period. Christians should be aware that this is the Hebrew Bible (Tanak) and does not include their NT.

A few complaints: I would like to see the transliteration carried for the divine Name (preferably YHWH, or with the four Hebrew letters even within the English) and also 'El, 'Elohim, 'Elo'ah, etc. transliterated to reflect the variations found in the Hebrew. Also, I would like to see slightly better print quality. While the format is excellent, including typography, print should be cleaner, blacker, (little bit larger for "old" guys) on better paper for the print. I have founds misaligned page prints with text missing. I was heartbroken to see such a fine Bible marred by this.

This Bible is a must have if you desire The Hebrew Bible to be a *Hebrew* Bible.

First, the bad news: that is, I have to agree with the other two reviewers regarding print quality. Sometimes it's a little less than clear, and my edition has two sets of facing pages which were over-inked and the English side is overlaid with a shadow impression of Hebrew making the English difficult to read (of course, it's possible YHWH wants me only to read the Hebrew of these two pages!)

The good news falls into more categories. First, the price is very attractive, being less than half that of other bilingual Bibles I have seen. But the real selling point for me was the literal quality of the translation, including having proper names transliterated straight from the Hebrew without regard to conventional usage, and the fact that even the visual arrangement of the translation directly mirrors, most of the time, the exact arrangement of the Hebrew text. The translation is generally old fashioned, based in general on a 19th Century translation, but updated to reflect modern usage and recent linguistic research. The Hebrew text, according to the introduction, is definitive as of 1962, and free of previous errors. The order of the books, for Christians reading this, is Judaic: Tora, Prophets and Writings, rather than the Septuagint order used in churches, and this in itself provides additional food for thought.

In short, this Bible is a valuable and cost effective version for the serious student and curious reader who wonders "What does the Bible really say?"

Can I warn those reading the reviews below that numerous reviews and a customer image refer to another book of the same name. This Tanakh contains the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament to Gentiles) and NOT the 'New Testament' or Apocrypha.

This said, I find this one of the best Tanakhs available, and hope that Koren make it available again.

Apparently some of the other reviewers and whomever posted the illustration above have confused this book with the "New Jerusalem Bible". Please be advised that this is NOT the "New Jerusalem Bible", but a detailed Hebrew text with English translation of Tanakh, the complete Jewish Scripture. This Hebrew/English edition was revised and edited by Harold Fisch, and offered by Koren Publishers of Jerusalem. I found it to be a good frills-free text and translation, devoid of commentary and interpretation from outside sources.

There are three sections that make up this Tanakh: Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, & the 12 Minor Prophets), and Holy Writings (Psalms, proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles). Often these three sections have been published separately from one another, it is nice to have all three together in one volume for easy reference and reading.

Likewise, I found the English translation very readable and without pretense. I appreciate the fact that the title of each book is shown in Hebrew, English, and then the correct Hebrew pronounciation in English. The proper Hebrew pronounciations are used throughout the English translation: 'Moshe' for 'Moses', 'Yisroel' instead of 'Israel', 'Yehoshua' in the stead of 'Joshua', and so on. Having the Hebrew right there on the opposite page also makes it easy for me to compare and follow along in either language. I found this book to be a good tool in practicing my Hebrew reading as well as furthering my understanding of the language.

...This is an outstanding translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. It should be in every persons library, Jew or Christian. I give it 5 stars as it is the best Tanakh available content wise. The Artscroll and JPS versions are found lacking in comparison. The print quality and size are not the best, but this does not detract from the content. And after all, it is content that we study Scripture for. Buy it, read it and be blessed!

I bought this Bible because I wanted something that was a more literal translation of the Tanakh. Previously I had the newer JPS Tanakh which is very easy to read(nice font size) but I wasn't sure about the quality of the translation.

What I like about this Tanakh:
1. It has both Hebrew and English. Although it doesn't have verse-verse correspondence in English. For example, Deut. 26:16 is marked in the English translation(although all numbers are in the right column and not after each verse) but there are no numbers on the Hebrew side after each verse. It would have been nice if there were chapter/verse numbers in English on the Hebrew side. There are some Hebrew letters alpeh bet gimel, etc. to designate different verses on the Hebrew side but it is not as helpful as it could be.
2. Although this parallels the King James Version, it might be a better translation than JPS. People at Chabad do not like JPS but other people think it is a good translation.
3. Even though I do not speak Hebrew, i have already figured out several Hebrew words by looking at the Hebrew text after reading the English Translation.

Cons:
1. Very small type face that doesn't fill entire page.
2. Pages are very thin so I can see through to other pages.
3. Strains my eyes to read it and I can't read this for very long.

Overall, I am pleased to have 2 bibles to see the different translations and might get a third in the future to get another opinion on the translation.

If you're looking for a supplement to the Artscroll's brilliant "Stone Tanach" look no further than Koren's Jerusalem Bible. Wonderfully crafted English really makes the Hebrew come alive in the English. Most importantly, is the Masoretic Text, which Koren represents, often reflects one reading that deviates from other authorities - BH, BHS, Breur etc. It is therefore imperitave to get this volume as a good source. The nikkud are made slightly bolder than the Cantillation marks (trop), which makes reading slightly easier. The translation paralleled with the Artscroll makes a useful reference for contentious passages. Need I say more? The binding itself is wellmade but it is a bit thick, and the verse numbering is sometimes confusing. Otherwise its a great text to have on the shelf of every scholar of the Tanakh.