Bible Mapper is pleased to release a clickable, searchable Hebrew calendar that includes festivals and seasonal activities. Click the snapshot below to go to the live calendar.
Thanks to Barrett for sharing this!
I just came across this MARBLE site, but it appears to be the successor of SemanticDictionary.org, a project by the United Bible Societies headed by Reinier DeBlois. When I first reported on this back in 2008 (!), it was a new resource for Old Testament study linked to the Semantic Dictionary of the Hebrew Bible. It has now been greatly enhanced and has New Testament Greek resources as well. From the website:
MARBLE stands for Modular Aggregation of Resources on the Bible
This website, published by the United Bible Societies (UBS), gives free access to a number of important Bible background resources, including:
- The Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS)
- The UBS Greek New Testament (5th edition, UBSGNT5)
- The Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (SDBH, edited by Reinier de Blois)
- The Semantic Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (SDGNT, based on Louw and Nida's lexicon)
- Thousands of Bible images and video clips linked to Bible passages
Along with the Hebrew and Greek texts, it is cross-linked and has cross-highlighting with the 1952 RSV. (I.e., when working with a biblical text, clicking on either the Hebrew/Greek or English word, it will bring up the original language dictionary entry.)
The inclusion of images and videos (which can be accessed either through an image / video search or when working on the Bible text and clicking on a link bringing up images / videos associated with that chapter of the Bible.
Probably the most helpful aspects of this site that integrates information that takes a bit more work to access even in Accordance or Logos are the Semantic Dictionaries. I'm guessing that its initial roots in the Hebrew, there is more information provided for Hebrew lexemes, but for both Hebrew and Greek, not only is lexical meaning provided, but there is also information on the lexical domain. (For the Hebrew, there is also information on Contextual Domain and Collocations.) If you have used Louw-Nida, you will be familiar with what is being done here, but the MARBLE site makes it very easy to use, see lexical relationships, and navigate around.
E.g., here is just a portion of the kind of information provided for a word like אב.
(HT: I learned about MARBLE through a DataDrivenBiblicalStudies video on YouTube. I think it's by Dirk Roorda, and he also uses a Text-Fabric web app that is quite impressive.)
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. 
Screen capture of digitized 1602 Bishops' Bible
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.
Image created by DALL-E 3
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.
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| The Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives |
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:
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.
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| Good Shepherd; Corinth, 4th CE; Christian Byzantine Museum (Athens) mgvh |
The Revised Common Lectionary gospel text for Lectionary 24 (on 11 September 2022) is Luke 15.1-10. These are the first two parables that really set the stage for the parable of the lost son/s in 15. It's important to keep in mind that the reason for these parables is that the Pharisees and Law experts were grumbling about Jesus welcoming and eating with tax collectors. Even without the final parable in the series, these two provide a challenge to the religious authorities both asking them to identify with low status characters like a shepherd and a poor woman while also appealing to their awareness of God's role in seeking to reclaim all people. In the end, the issue is less about sinners repenting and more about the 'righteous' rejoicing that sinners are restored to God's family.
A collection of translations and my notes and translation:
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| Bethany (late 19th century; used w/ permission LifeintheHolyLand.com) |
John 12.1-8 is the designate RCL Year C text for the Fifth Sunday in Lent. It's the familiar story of the anointing of Jesus at Bethany by Mary. The familiarity is due to the presence of an anointing story in all four gospels, but the problem is how they have been conflated over the centuries. Most notably, Pope Gregory the Great in 591 was the earliest to equate Mary of Bethany (John 12) with the 'sinful' woman of Luke 7 with Mary Magdalene. How the events relate is unclear, but it is best to treat John independently. For comparison:
The John story is explicit in identifying Judas as the one who questions Mary actions but notes that it's only because he is a thief. In matters of translation, John 12.7 is obscure. See my notes and my suggested translation. The other challenge in this passage is verse 8. I understand more as a statement of reality than as as a resignation to poverty that allows Christians to ignore.
A collection of translations and my notes and translation:
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| View from Sea of Galilee with Tabgha in foreground and traditional Mount of Beatitudes up the hill. |
Luke 6.17-26 is the designated Revised Common Lectionary Text for the 6th Sunday after Epiphany in Year C which occurs on February 13, 2022. It is the well-known Sermon on the Plain with Jesus' blessings and woes. It is parallel to Matthew's Sermon on the Mount. The similarities and differences between them are striking and worth comparing.
There are many decisions that need to be made in translating the text, beginning even with how one translates makarios = blessed, happy, fortunate, honored, blissful... There is a mix of present rewards (the dominion of God) and future ones. It's unclear who exactly the audience is (just disciples? everyone?) and the text switches between who "you" and "they" are.
My notes and translation comparisons and my own translation may help you sort things out.
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| Shoreline of Lake of Gennesaret = Sea of Galilee at Capernaum looking SW to the Arbel |
I have a compilation of translations of Luke 5.1-11 including my own. Though Luke is usually precise with his grammar, this story evidences a strong oral character. There are incomplete sentences, brief exclamations, explanatory asides... Again, most English translations smooth it all so that it reads well, but I encourage you to look at my translation which I think 'sounds' in English much more like the Greek actually 'sounds.' Let me know what you think!
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| Fresco in St. John The Baptist Roman Church at Bethany Beyond the Jordan |
A few things worth noting from a close reading of the text:
Here are my collection of translations and my notes on translating.
John 1.10-18 is the appointed text for the Third Sunday of Advent in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary, but it doesn't make full sense without verses 1-9 preceding it. This is such a rich text, and there is so much going on with decisions needing to be made about text variants (v18), punctuation (vv3-4), and many translation options.
It is also so typically Johannine with ambiguity and confusion for anyone who does not understand the coded language of the text. For example, I suspect most Christians perceive from verse 1 that the "Word" is a reference to Jesus, but in the Greek, it is not clear that a person is even in mind until verse 10. And it's not until verse 17 that the person is actually identified as Jesus! The passage spirals around with repetition, but it clearly moves forward with greater detail and clarity as it describes Jesus nature and identity.
This passage is definitely worth working through the Greek or at least comparing the translations. I also encourage people to consult the helpful NET Bible notes. I offer my own translation, but my notes will explain what's going on in the Greek.
Luke 3.7-18 is the appointed text for the Third Sunday of Advent in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary. It continues the reading from the previous Sunday.
St. John The Baptist Roman Church, Jordan River Baptismal Site, Jordan
αὐτὸς δὲ ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ
What is it about John’s preaching that is so powerful that it causes not just the Jewish people but even tax collectors and soldiers to seek his advice? The question posed by all of them is, “What then are we supposed to do?” That question still lingers. Where is the "good news" in all of John's "exhortations"?
A collection of translations, including my own, and notes:
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| Jordan River valley wilderness looking east from Jordan to the river and the traditional baptism site of Jesus. |
A collection of translations, including my own, and notes:
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| "Look at the fig tree..." (Luke 21.29) - Sycamore fig tree on the Arbel looking west |
Luke 21.25-36 is the appointed text for the First Sunday of Advent in Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary. It's a bit odd to have a text that is focused on Jesus's second coming in the season when we are looking ahead to his first coming. It does raise a good question, though: How is thinking about Jesus' second coming helpful in preparing for his first coming?
The file here provides a collection of translations and my notes on translating along with my own suggested translation. There are always nuances in the text worth considering, and attending to the small details often helps us see the big picture.
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| This shows the western wall of Jerusalem and is a probable spot of Gabbatha (John 19.13) where Pilate brought Jesus out to be condemned. |
As depicted by the narrator, Jesus' trial before Pilate is a total travesty of justice. The Jewish authorities are hostile to but have no legitimate charge against Jesus. They are more concerned about their own survival and purity than they are for the truth. Pilate is depicted as a bored bureaucrat who does not really comprehend and who would have preferred not to have been bothered by this Jewish disturbance. Jesus is the only one who speaks the truth.
Mark 13.1-8 is the RCL designated text for the 25th Sunday after Pentecost Year B which occurs on 14 November 2021. The following Sunday is Christ the King Sunday that concludes the lectionary year, so Mark 13 is the eschatological chapter that leads up to that commemoration. 
Jerusalem Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives where Mark 13 discourse is set.
Verses 1-8 of the chapter, however, are limited in their scope, focusing primarily on what would prove to be the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple by the Romans in 70CE. Still, there is the warning about those who would deceive people in the face of "wars and rumors of wars," nations rising up against each other, earthquakes, and famines. If all these are but the "beginning of the birthing pains," Christians still need to watch out!
Here are a collection of translations, including my own, and my notes on translating this passage.
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| The Lazarus story of John 11 takes place in Bethany. There is a "Tomb of Lazarus" there today commemorating the event. |
The text is also notable for including the third shortest verse in the NT, 11.35: "Jesus wept." (KJV) Yes, it's the shortest verse in English in the KJV, but the shortest verse in the NT in the Greek is actually Luke 2.30!
Careful translation does not solve some of the puzzling aspects in the story. In particular, Jesus' emotions of anger, agitation, and distress in verses 33 and 38 are the subject of considerable speculation in the commentaries.
Here are a collection of translations, including my own, and my notes on translating this passage.
Verse:
John 3:16; Jn 3:16; John 3
Keyword:
Salvation, Jesus, Gospel
With Operators:
AND, OR, NOT, “ ”
