1602 Bishops' Bible with King James Bible Translators' Notes Digitized

Screen capture of digitized 1602 Bishops' Bible

The single remaining copy of the 1602 Bishops' Bible with notes from the King James Bible translators has been digitized. THIS ARTICLE at Text & Canon Institute provides background and gives some interesting examples of the kinds of notes that were made. It shows a good awareness of differences in the available textual witnesses. HERE is the link directly to the digitized version at the Bodleian Library. It is worth checking out some of the prefatory material which includes a lectionary, genealogy charts, and more.

HT: Christianity Today

Using AI to Translate the Bible into Rare Languages

Image created by DALL-E 3

Interesting article from Religion News Service on using AI to translate the Bible into rare languages, a process that usually is very time-consuming or otherwise totally neglected.

Out of the 7,100 languages that exist, the Bible has been translated into more than 700, making it the most-translated book in the world. Yet, those remaining languages — many of them extremely rare — have vexed Bible translators for decades. Two scientists are looking to new advancements in artificial intelligence to help close the gap.

They recently launched the "Greek Room."

The Greek Room includes three main tools: spell-checking, world alignment that ensures consistency in translation, and Wildebeest, used to detect improper characters in a script. 

Their work is supported by Wycliffe, part of the Every Tribe, Every Nation project.

Mark 1.1-8 RCL Advent 1B Translation, Commentary, Performance

I've been working on a new translation and commentary on Mark which is 'tuned' to the performing (biblical storytelling) of the text. Attached here is the Mark 1.1-8 text for this Sunday, Advent 1B of the RCL. It includes my introduction to the text which does not tell what the text is about. Rather, it puts it into context and prepares the hearers to understand it better. There are also some suggestions for the performance of the text. Let me know if / how this is helpful. 

• Mark 1.1-8 LtHU 

Now is a good time to sign up for BiblePlaces newsletter!

Todd Bolen's BiblePlaces website has so many great resources. Due to a list manager change, subscribers need to re-enroll for the monthly newsletter. It is worth getting! And anyone who (re-)enrolls now, they will also get two free PowerPoints of Herodium and of Philippi. These are great resources that will give you a good idea of the kind of benefits you can get from the Photo Companions (PowerPoints organized and labelled by book, chapter, and verse) and Pictorial Libraries (organized by sites and topics). You will see that there are thousands of quality photos, maps, and illustrations. Everything is well-labeled with explanations and pointers to biblical passages. You can get further insight into the quality of the work by checking out the resources shared under Chapters (i.e., chapters of the Bible) and Sites. 

Definitely a site worth checking out and bookmarking! Register for the newsletter and get the free PowerPoints HERE.

BibleMate and ChatGPT Update

In May 2023, I did a comparison of BibleMate and ChatGPT (now ChatGPT 3.5) in terms of how they responded to a couple of Bible related questions. (HERE is original post.) Since AI is by nature an evolving technology that keeps learning, I decided to revisit them with the same questions now (11/23/2023) as I posed six months ago.

I am getting rather different answers. (Of course one can get different answers simply by refreshing the request in ChatGPT. BibleMate does not offer that option, and it appears that its answers have become somewhat fixed.) 

As to the question: Was Jonah swallowed by a whale?
BibleMate in May answered:

Yes, according to the Bible, Jonah was swallowed by a great fish, not specifically identified as a whale, in the book of Jonah. The book of Jonah is a narrative about a prophet named Jonah who was called by God to go to the city of Nineveh to preach repentance to its people. However, Jonah disobeyed God and tried to flee by boarding a ship going in the opposite direction.

As a result, God sent a great storm that threatened to sink the ship. The sailors on the ship realized that Jonah was the cause of the storm and threw him overboard. It was then that Jonah was swallowed by the great fish. After three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, Jonah repented and prayed to God, and the fish vomited him onto dry land.

While some people may view this story as a metaphor or allegory, others believe it to be a literal historical event. Regardless of one's interpretation, the story of Jonah teaches important lessons about obedience to God and the power of repentance and forgiveness."

BibleMate now answers:

Yes, according to the biblical account in the book of Jonah, Jonah was swallowed by a great fish, commonly referred to as a whale. In Jonah 1:17, it says, "Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." This miraculous event serves as a sign of God's power and mercy, as Jonah was eventually vomited out by the fish and given a second chance to fulfill his mission. The story of Jonah is often interpreted as a lesson about obedience and repentance.

 ChatGPT in May answered:

The story of Jonah being swallowed by a whale or a great fish is found in the biblical Book of Jonah. According to the account, Jonah was a prophet who was commanded by God to go to the city of Nineveh and deliver a message of repentance. Instead of obeying, Jonah attempted to flee from God's command by boarding a ship bound for Tarshish.

During the journey, a great storm arose, and the sailors realized that Jonah was the cause of their misfortune. Jonah instructed them to throw him overboard, believing that this would calm the storm. As he was cast into the sea, the text says that "the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights" (Jonah 1:17).

The Book of Jonah does not specify the exact creature that swallowed Jonah, using the Hebrew word "dag gadol," which generally refers to a large sea creature. The term "whale" is commonly used in translations, but the text itself does not provide specific details.

The story of Jonah being swallowed by a great fish is often interpreted symbolically or as a miraculous event. It emphasizes the themes of obedience, repentance, and God's mercy. Some consider it to be a parable or an allegorical tale rather than a historical account, while others view it as a literal event.

As with many biblical narratives, the interpretation of Jonah's story varies among different individuals and religious traditions. Ultimately, whether one believes the account to be a historical event or a symbolic story is a matter of personal faith and interpretation.

ChaptGPT 3.5 now answers:

The story of Jonah being swallowed by a whale is a biblical narrative found in the Book of Jonah in the Old Testament. According to the account, Jonah was a prophet who tried to escape God's command to go to the city of Nineveh and deliver a message of repentance. As he tried to flee by sea, a great storm arose, and the sailors on the ship eventually cast lots to determine that Jonah was the cause of the storm. Jonah instructed them to throw him into the sea, and a great fish, traditionally described as a "whale," swallowed him.

The relevant biblical passage is found in the Book of Jonah, specifically Jonah 1:17 (New International Version):

"Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."

The story goes on to describe how Jonah prayed to God from the belly of the fish, and after three days and nights, the fish vomited him onto dry land. Jonah then went to Nineveh and delivered the message as God had commanded.

Whether the events in the story are to be understood as literal historical events or as a symbolic or allegorical tale is a matter of interpretation. Some people interpret the story as a miraculous event that actually happened, while others see it as a literary device with a moral or theological message. It is important to note that interpretations of biblical stories can vary among different religious traditions and denominations.

As you can see, BibleMate has shortened the answer and removed the possibility of an allegorical or metaphorical reading. ChatGPT's response again provides more context, but it has simplified the response somewhat. 

Regarding the question of "What does the Gospel of John say about the 'Jews'?", I got new answers from both, but I would say they are similar to the May responses and a bit better. Interestingly, BibleMate concluded with this statement:

If you have any specific passages or questions in mind regarding the references to "the Jews" in the Gospel of John, feel free to mention them, and I'll be glad to provide more insight and biblical citations.

SUMMARY

As is the nature of AI, things are evolving. I'm wondering if there were 'conservative' responses to BibleMate's earlier answer about Jonah and the whale that have caused it to become more 'conservative.' The comparison also shows how good AI can be AND how you still need to confirm whether AI responses are any good at all. We still need to wonder about how AI is scouring the web to come up with its answers and how that all infringes on copyright matters. The evolving nature also shows how easy it can be to plagiarize from these AI engines without getting caught.

Beroea to Pydna Paths where Paul walked

Road between Aigai and Neokastro along route from Beroea to Pydna

According to Acts 17.10.15, Paul had to make a hasty exit from Thessalonica and went to Beroea (modern Veria). After some success there, he again was forced to move on. Acts 17.14-15 says that Paul was conducted "to the coast," and from there he continued on to Athens.The most likely spot on the coast would have been Pydna. 

I did a good deal of hiking and driving in the area in June 2023 imagining where Paul might have walked to make the journey from Beroea to Pydna. If you are interested in the background for establishing Paul's routes, suggestions on where to drive and / or walk with Google Map links, and some guidance on things to see along the way, download the attached travel summary.

• Beroea (Veria) to Pydna Paths
   

John 8.31-36 Translations and notes (Reformation Sunday)

The Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives

John 8.31-36 is the text designated for Reformation Sunday. The incident takes place while Jesus is in Jerusalem and teaching on the Temple Mount.

The passage actually starts at 8.12 when Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” But this causes controversy with the Pharisees whether he is testifying about himself and whether it’s true. This leads into a discussion about who Jesus’ father is, and then Jesus says “I am going away, and you will look for me but will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.” The Jewish authorities speculate that this means he plans to commit suicide. Jesus says that they are clueless. That’s why they will die in their sins, unless they believe, Jesus says, that “I am.” They now ask Jesus who he is, and Jesus says, “When you lift up the Son of Humanity, then you will know that I am.” It’s reported that this exchange caused many people to believe in him. 

Things only get worse following the exchange in 8.31-36 and ends in 8.59 with people picking up stones to stone Jesus.

It's helpful to keep in mind that John is a 2-level story:

• The story of what happened in Jesus' life
• The story of what has been happening in the Johannine community whose experiences parallel Jesus’ experiences

I.e., the Gospel of John is a meditation on the life of Jesus that reflects the experiences of the Johannine community. It is a community that understands themselves in faithful continuity with Jesus. 

Here are a collection of translations, including my own, and my notes on translating this passage. At the end of the document is my translation along with an introduction to the text.

• John 8.31-36 translations and notes PDF

Corinth to Lechaion Walking Paths

Lechaion and Corinth Roads

This summer I had the pleasure of working a couple weeks on an archaeological dig at the Lechaion Harbor Project directed by Paul Scotton and the Corinthian Ephorate. I took the opportunity to do a lot of hiking in the area. I previously reported on the routes Paul might have taken between Corinth and Cenchreae, the Corinthian harbor on the Saronic Gulf to the east. I also am persuaded that Paul probably had occasion to go through Corinth's Lechaion harbor to the north on the Gulf of Corinth. (I provide rationale for this claim in the document I've linked below.)

The document link below is a summary of the routes I investigated. There has been uncertainty about the routes between Corinth and Lechaion. The so-called Lechaion Street that visitors can walk in the Roman forum of Corinth does have evidence of a road that extends straight north toward the harbor. (Green line on graphic above) It ends up somewhat west of the harbor, however, so some have suggested another route further to the east that goes directly there. (Navy blue line on graphic) Because of swampy conditions, a route further to the west (purple) is also possible.

Realizing how much has likely changed over 2000 years, I can only make reasoned guesses, but here is what I think is most probable.

• There were probably multiple routes between the two sites.
• There are really only two 'indentations' or cuts in the ridge to get up to Corinth, so it is more likely that roads pass through them.
• It makes good sense to me that the Lechaion Street route and its extension to the harbor was likely a prominent route. It runs straight on a north-south axis (which Romans liked) and goes through one of the cuts in the ridge passing by the Asklepion and the Waters / Baths of Aphrodite. (Romans would have enjoyed a water feature upon entering a city.)
  

If anyone is interested in walking any of the routes, I provide background to the area, suggestions for walking, and links to further information. The document is 18 pages long, but you may enjoy simply checking out my pictures at the end!

•  Corinth to Lechaion Routes and Walking Paths
• Google Maps link to walking paths

Vocabulary Range of the Greek of the New Testament Books

As a way of determining the vocabulary range of the Greek of the New Testament books, I ran searches on each book calculating the total number of words in the book and the number of unique roots. It is an easy task using Accordance (as I am for this exercise) or Logos Bible software. I typed the results into Excel and could then calculate a percentage of unique word roots per total words in each book.

The results can only be approximate, of course, because they are highly dependent on the number of words in the selection. For example, a 5-word sentence is likely to have 5 unique words and thus be a 100% ratio. I.e., the longer the document, the lower the ratio one should expect since commonly used words (articles, conjunctions, names, etc.) are going to be used more frequently and thus dilute the uniqueness of words overall. E.g., in the whole NT of Nestle Aland 28, there are 138069 words with 5432 unique roots and a uniqueness ratio of 3.93%. For 3 John, the shortest document, there are 221 words with 112 unique roots and a uniqueness ratio of 50.68%. The table confirms this expected result. Still, despite the length factor, there are some clear and interesting results which are both predictable and surprising.

SORTED BY BOOK LENGTH
	Total Words	Unique Roots	Unique Roots / Total Words
LUKE	19483	2043	10.49%
ACTS	18451	2028	10.99%
MAT	18348	1681	9.16%
JOHN	15633	1016	6.50%
MAR	11305	1340	11.85%
REV	9853	912	9.26%
ROM	7113	1058	14.87%
1COR	6832	958	14.02%
HEB	4955	1029	20.77%
2COR	4480	785	17.52%
EPH	2424	529	21.82%
GAL	2232	521	23.34%
1JOH	2143	236	11.01%
JMS	1747	555	31.77%
1PET	1682	546	32.46%
PHIL	1631	441	27.04%
1TIM	1594	537	33.69%
COL	1583	433	27.35%
1THES	1484	364	24.53%
2TIM	1241	454	36.58%
2PET	1102	396	35.93%
2THES	826	250	30.27%
TIT	661	298	45.08%
JUDE	460	228	49.57%
PHLM	337	140	41.54%
2JOH	248	98	39.52%
3JOH	221	112	50.68%

 EXPECTED RESULTS

• As one might guess, the Johannine literature with it spirals of dialogues and community-shaped language has the lowest ratio of unique roots. The Gospel of John is particularly striking in relation to the other three gospels for having such a lower percentage. Unsurprisingly, 1 John has an extremely low ratio compared to its peers in size like Ephesians and Galatians.
• It is also perhaps expected that Revelation is a bit lower than expected.
• As one might also expect, Luke has the highest ratio among the gospels.

SOMEWHAT UNEXPECTED RESULTS

• What may come as a surprise, however, is the somewhat higher than expected ratio of unique words in Mark
• More striking, though, at least to me, is the lower than expected ratio in Matthew. It may be, however, that Matthew’s ratio is average in relation to its number of words, and in that case, it makes Luke’s ratio all the more remarkable for being so high.
• Given the wider range of topics and incidents, I was expecting the ratio for Acts to be higher than Luke, but that they are so similar might be taken as confirmation that the same author wrote both.

How else might this data be used?

THE ENDING OF MARK

There have been many arguments regarding the ending of the gospel of Mark.

		Total Words	Unique Roots	Unique Roots / Total Words
1	Mark1.1-16.20	11305	1340	11.85%
2	Mark1.1-16.8	11132	1323	11.88%
3	Mark16.9-20	171	99	57.89%
4	Mark3.9-20	167	81	48.50%

What do these results show?

• Comparing Mark 1.1.1-16.20 (row 1) and omitting 16.9-20 (row 2) does show that the ratio goes up a bit even though the number of words has increased. This only confirms which many others have already noted that the vocabulary of 16.9-20 is not fully consistent with the rest of the gospel.
• Just looking at Mark 16.9-20 (row 3) on its own, the ratio is only slightly higher than what might be expected for a selection of that length. I did look at a random range elsewhere in Mark of similar length (Mark 3.9-20, row 4), and the difference is significant.
• I.e., though certainly not proof, these results suggest different authorship of 16.9-20 from the rest of the gospel.

PAULINE AND DEUTERO-PAULINE LETTERS

There have been many arguments regarding which letters are authentically Paul’s and which are disputed (highlighted in blue in the table).

	Total Words	Unique Roots	Unique Roots / Total Words
ROM	7113	1058	14.87%
1COR	6832	958	14.02%
2COR	4480	785	17.52%
EPH	2424	529	21.82%
GAL	2232	521	23.34%
PHIL	1631	441	27.04%
1TIM	1594	537	33.69%
COL	1583	433	27.35%
1THES	1484	364	24.53%
2TIM	1241	454	36.58%
2THES	826	250	30.27%
TITUS	661	298	45.08%
PHLM	337	140	41.54%

What do these results show? 

• If the disputed letters are removed from the table, the ratios are expected and consistent in relation to the total number of words.
• The main outliers are 1 and 2 Timothy which have a significantly higher ratio than expected. I.e., though certainly not proof, these results suggest different authorship of 1 and 2 Timothy from the genuine Pauline letters.
• Ephesians, Colossians, and 2 Thessalonians are in the expected range of unique roots, so that cannot be used as an argument against their authentic Pauline  

Anyone else see anything in these results?