Language, Translation, and Textual Transmission — Study Notes

🗓 Power of a Calendar

Context: Early Christians shifted Sabbath from Jewish Shabbat (Saturday) to the Lord’s Day (Sunday).
Consequence: Created a distinct Christian sense of time and space; reinforced separation from Judaism; supported social boundaries (discouraged mixed marriages, etc.).
Takeaway: Calendars aren’t just schedules — they’re tools of identity formation and community boundaries.

📝 Power of Words: Language, Translation & Textual Transmission

Why Translation Matters

  • Christianity inherited the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and added the New Testament.

  • Raises key questions: Why follow a text rooted in another religion? How do translation and canon decisions shape meaning?

Original Languages

  • Tanakh: Hebrew (some Aramaic sections).

  • Early Jewish translations: Aramaic (targums) for diaspora Jews.

  • Hellenistic translation: Greek Septuagint (LXX) for Greek-speaking Jews and early Christians.

  • Latin era: Vulgate (St. Jerome) for the Roman Empire’s lingua franca.

Translation vs. Interpretation

  • Translation: aims for closest wording possible.

  • Interpretation: conveys nuance, culture, and sometimes theology.

  • Translators inevitably interpret because exact equivalents don’t exist.

🔑 Key Translations

Language

Text/Name

Purpose/Notes

Aramaic

Targum Onkelos (Torah), Targum Yonatan (Prophets)

Accessible to Aramaic-speaking Jews; fidelity to meaning.

Greek

Septuagint (LXX)

Greek translation of Hebrew Bible; includes some books not in Hebrew canon; widely used by early Christians.

Latin

Vulgate (Jerome)

Direct from Hebrew/Aramaic; “Vulgate” = “common” language; shaped Western Christianity.

📚 Case Study: Isaiah 7:14 (Alma → Parthenos → Virgo)

Language

Term

Meaning

Theological Effect

Hebrew

Alma

Young woman of marriageable age (not explicitly virgin).

Neutral.

Greek (LXX)

Parthenos

Virgin.

Supports virgin-birth theology.

Latin (Vulgate)

Virgo

Virgin.

Reinforces Christian doctrine.

Takeaway: Translators’ theological commitments can alter meaning and influence doctrine.

🎨 Visual & Cultural Example: Michelangelo’s “Moses” with Horns

  • Based on a Latin translation that confused “radiated” with “horned.”

  • Created a long-lasting stereotype linking Jews with horns.

  • Shows how mistranslation can shape art and prejudice.

🧠 Big Themes

  • Language shapes belief.

  • Translation decisions can create or reinforce community boundaries.

  • Calendars & liturgy also function as identity markers.

🗂 Quick Chronology Snapshot

  • Hebrew Bible → Aramaic targums → Greek Septuagint → Latin Vulgate.

  • Christian canon decisions build on earlier Jewish texts.

  • Jerome’s Vulgate (late 4th c. CE) anchors Christian scripture in Latin.

💡 Study Prompts

  • Compare Alma, Parthenos, and Virgo: how do they change theology?

  • Explain how Jerome’s translation choices show theological influence.

  • Describe how translation + calendar practices reinforce religious boundaries.

  • Analyze Michelangelo’s “Moses”: what linguistic factors led to horns?

🎯 Takeaway

  • Calendars + translations = tools of power, identity, and boundary-making.

  • No translation is neutral. Understanding original languages and context lets you separate authorial intent from later doctrine.