Bart Ehrman

So you do that so that the people in that language can read it. In the ancient world, after – After Alexander the Great, so after the fourth century, Jews are spread throughout what was then – at one point it was kind of a Greek empire, but then became the empires around the Mediterranean. The educated people read Greek. They didn't read Hebrew.

They would read Hebrew in Israel, but not in other places. So in different places, the Bible is being translated into Greek. Mm-hmm. Eventually, there was one form of that Greek that came together, and that is what they're calling the Septuagint. But it's a mistake to think it was a one-time event. Oh, interesting.

They would read Hebrew in Israel, but not in other places. So in different places, the Bible is being translated into Greek. Mm-hmm. Eventually, there was one form of that Greek that came together, and that is what they're calling the Septuagint. But it's a mistake to think it was a one-time event. Oh, interesting.

They would read Hebrew in Israel, but not in other places. So in different places, the Bible is being translated into Greek. Mm-hmm. Eventually, there was one form of that Greek that came together, and that is what they're calling the Septuagint. But it's a mistake to think it was a one-time event. Oh, interesting.

And people say that because there's a letter called the Letter of Aristias, which is a Jewish writing that's trying to explain how it happened. And the way it explains it can't possibly be right. I mean, it describes it to this miracle. It says you had these 70 Jewish scholars who were brought together. They were all put in separate rooms. They were all given the assignment to translate it.

And people say that because there's a letter called the Letter of Aristias, which is a Jewish writing that's trying to explain how it happened. And the way it explains it can't possibly be right. I mean, it describes it to this miracle. It says you had these 70 Jewish scholars who were brought together. They were all put in separate rooms. They were all given the assignment to translate it.

And people say that because there's a letter called the Letter of Aristias, which is a Jewish writing that's trying to explain how it happened. And the way it explains it can't possibly be right. I mean, it describes it to this miracle. It says you had these 70 Jewish scholars who were brought together. They were all put in separate rooms. They were all given the assignment to translate it.

They all translated it literally word for word the same. Which is like, of course, that's crazy. But it does show that they were aware of the fact that it came out of the Hebrew into the Greek. And again, this is not... I know you don't like people saying there's not a disputed topic, but there's a reason this is not a disputed topic.

They all translated it literally word for word the same. Which is like, of course, that's crazy. But it does show that they were aware of the fact that it came out of the Hebrew into the Greek. And again, this is not... I know you don't like people saying there's not a disputed topic, but there's a reason this is not a disputed topic.

They all translated it literally word for word the same. Which is like, of course, that's crazy. But it does show that they were aware of the fact that it came out of the Hebrew into the Greek. And again, this is not... I know you don't like people saying there's not a disputed topic, but there's a reason this is not a disputed topic.

I mean, because for one thing, I'll give you one piece of evidence. I mean, a linguist would just tear that apart, that whole idea apart. One reason it would be torn apart – I mean, like a serious linguist who knows both the Semitic languages and the Indo-European languages would tear it apart. And one of the reasons is because there are many instances where the Greek –

I mean, because for one thing, I'll give you one piece of evidence. I mean, a linguist would just tear that apart, that whole idea apart. One reason it would be torn apart – I mean, like a serious linguist who knows both the Semitic languages and the Indo-European languages would tear it apart. And one of the reasons is because there are many instances where the Greek –

I mean, because for one thing, I'll give you one piece of evidence. I mean, a linguist would just tear that apart, that whole idea apart. One reason it would be torn apart – I mean, like a serious linguist who knows both the Semitic languages and the Indo-European languages would tear it apart. And one of the reasons is because there are many instances where the Greek –

embodies what are called Semiticisms. The Greek of the Septuagint. And the Greek of the New Testament. A Semiticism is when you're taking a grammatical construction that doesn't work in the language that you're translating it into.

embodies what are called Semiticisms. The Greek of the Septuagint. And the Greek of the New Testament. A Semiticism is when you're taking a grammatical construction that doesn't work in the language that you're translating it into.

embodies what are called Semiticisms. The Greek of the Septuagint. And the Greek of the New Testament. A Semiticism is when you're taking a grammatical construction that doesn't work in the language that you're translating it into.

or is not normally used in the language you're translating it into, but you keep the grammatical construction of the original language for the sake of authenticity or because you don't know quite how to. And so, just as an example, in Hebrew, if you want to say the Holy Spirit, there's no way to say Holy Spirit in Hebrew. The phrase in Hebrew is the Spirit of Holiness, right?

or is not normally used in the language you're translating it into, but you keep the grammatical construction of the original language for the sake of authenticity or because you don't know quite how to. And so, just as an example, in Hebrew, if you want to say the Holy Spirit, there's no way to say Holy Spirit in Hebrew. The phrase in Hebrew is the Spirit of Holiness, right?

or is not normally used in the language you're translating it into, but you keep the grammatical construction of the original language for the sake of authenticity or because you don't know quite how to. And so, just as an example, in Hebrew, if you want to say the Holy Spirit, there's no way to say Holy Spirit in Hebrew. The phrase in Hebrew is the Spirit of Holiness, right?

The way you make an adjectival attribution in Hebrew is not by using an adjective, but by putting together two nouns and saying of. So the spirit of holiness means the Holy Spirit, or the way of righteousness means the right way. Okay? So Greek speakers don't do that. They use adjectives. Okay. But when you get in biblical Greek, Septuagint and the New Testament, you have these Semiticisms.