There have been a few reviews of The End of Wisdom to date, and so I’m going to take this opportunity to make a few comments about them (to see some of them you can click on the book to the right to go to Eisenbraun’s page which includes some extacts). First, a couple of…
Author: martin
Husband, father, some time Old Testament lecturer, IT consultant, and other things as well...
wikipedia proves itself
Although I admit to having looked up articles on Wikipedia, I’d not appeal to it as an authority. Yet on Slashdot this morning I read an article which is noteworthy for a number of reasons, including just how insidious appeals to Wikipedia have become. In summary, someone altered an article in Wikipedia, adding false information….
a foreignising translation of genesis 1: part IV
Well, at last it is time to finish the remainder of Genesis 1. I’m sure there remains much room for improvement, so I’m still open to any and all suggestions. I’m also aware that there are parts of the text which remain susceptible to inappropriate domestication, so this is in no way intended to be…
leopardising mellel
OK, this is a little distraction from foreignising translations. If you have a Mac and write Hebrew (or any right-to-left language) you’ll quickly discover that most of the word-processing software (i.e. from Apple or Microsoft) is not up to the task. One of the best solutions to this problem is to use Mellel which not…
a foreignising translation of genesis 1, part III
It’s been too long since the last installment in this series, partly due to holidays, partly due to internet problems, and partly due to being too busy, but here come the next two days of Genesis 1 at last. Then God said, “Let the waters under the sky be collected to one place so that…
a foreignising translation of genesis 1, part II
For background information, read the previous post. This translation is by no means final—it is very much a first draft with notes highlighting areas which I consider remain inadequate. Consequently I’ll be very pleased to consider any suggestions for improvement which I will gladly incorporate! I begin with the first two days. Obviously there is…
a foreignising translation of genesis 1, part I
Debates over types of translation of the Bible are typically dominated by discussions of the relative merits of either “literal” (or formal equivalent) translation verses dynamic equivalent wherein the primary goal is the transfer of meaning from the source to the target. While there is a place for both types of translation, I personally think…
what’s wrong with the “plain meaning” of scripture
All too often people attempt to substantiate their interpretation of a passage of Scripture based on the idea that it is “the plain meaning” of the text. It is particularly popular in arguments over the meaning of Genesis 1–3 where it is used to substantiate the claim that God created the world in seven 24-hour…
the crimes of santa claus
In time for Christmas, I’m resurrecting something I wrote some years back… Santa Claus has long been held up as a jolly figure to be admired and respected, particularly by the kiddies. In reality he is a far darker and more sinister figure who promotes greed and self interest. Below is a list of the…
go west, young man!
I like precision. If my watch is more than 2 seconds off the real time, I feel the need to rectify it (if only Aus had an atomic radio signal like most of the civilised world). Not only do I like to know precisely what time it is, I like to know precisely where I…