About biblical authenticity- Greek & Latin?

[Cassius Tullius]

In the past and over the Easter Holiday I've encountered people who claim that their particular interpretation of Holy Writ was derived from the Greek. This is stated to give more authority to their position on whatever religious point they are trying to get across. I understand that the New Testament was put into Greek before being disseminated in Latin.
Is there a specific text or is there a specific collection of texts, in Greek, that give special authenticity to latter translations?

[Jona Lendering]

The Greek text of the Bible, both OT and NT, was the Hexapla by Origen, one of the greatest scholarly projects from Antiquity. He put together several editions, proofread and corrected them, and made sure that his Greek version of the OT (based on the older Septuaginta) was the best there was. This edition, again, was reconstructed in the eighth century by Theodulph of Orleans, a friend of Charlemagne. Most medieval manuscripts are based on this version; where comparison with the earlier Hexapla and Septuaginta are possible, one gets the impression that editions were very, very careful.

Note: Hexapla means "sixfold", but for parts of the OT, eight versions were used, and the NT is actually a different project - of course minus Hebrew texts.

[M. Demetrius]

I don't know about the "special authenticity" argument, one way or the other, but one of the old Greek translations is called the Septuagint. If that's helpful, good.

Those who have studied the Greek, Aramaic, Latin, German, and Hebrew portions in the original languages often report that the large points come through in the modern language translations, but the subtleties of the original languages are frequently lost, literally, in the translation. It is not necessary to understand Koinonia Greek to be able to interpret the primary messages of the New Testament, for example. But more studious people may want to find out original meanings and word use via lexicons, concordances, and other reference works. Sometimes it changes interpretation, to be sure.

[Cassius Tullius]

Since there were Jewish congregations throughout the Roman Empire; It would make sense that, before the advent of Christ and the evangelization that followed, that these congregations would have commissioned their own translation of the Torah texts. Such translations would have been bebeficial to converts and potential converts to Judaism. Does anyone kow when the earliest translations can be dated to? Also in what languages?

[hoplite14gr]

The first translation of the Jewish holy books was comsioned to 70 of their sheers by Ptolemy of Egypt and its known until today as:
METAFRASI TON EVDOMIKONTA - "translation of the seventy"
The task was to translate from Hebrew to Greek.
Kind regards

[Jona Lendering]

Since there were Jewish congregations throughout the Roman Empire; It would make sense that, before the advent of Christ and the evangelization that followed, that these congregations would have commissioned their own translation of the Torah texts. Such translations would have been bebeficial to converts and potential converts to Judaism. Does anyone kow when the earliest translations can be dated to? Also in what languages?

Septuaginta again (Stefanos' Metafrasi ton Eudomokonta) for Greeks; and there were half a dozen "targums" for Aramaic speaking people.

[Timotheus]

Question for anyone who has studied any of the older texts in Greek. Do you find that the text is more specific and allows for less personal interpretation than the modern translation does?

Or is it written in the same vague sense that allows one to find their own meaning in it?

[Jona Lendering]

Question for anyone who has studied any of the older texts in Greek. Do you find that the text is more specific and allows for less personal interpretation than the modern translation does?

Or is it written in the same vague sense that allows one to find their own meaning in it?

That depends on the language. The Septuaginta (Greek) is pretty accurate; the Aramaic Targums are highly interpretative.

[hoplite14gr]

In some case the text is very accurate. But philosophical texts some times can be ambivalent.

Some missionaries in Africa -where people might have never seen snow translate "white as mikl" instead of "white as snow". Its a up to any persons opinion who much this might affect the meaning of the text or ita context.

There is a a phrase "PISTEVE KE MI EREVNA". in some texts there is a comma after "PISTEVE". If you ommit the comma it translates "believe and do not investigate". If you have the the comma it translates "believing or not believing investigate". The first forbids and the second encourages.

Kind regards

[M. Demetrius]

Were there commas in the original, or were those added later?

[Jona Lendering]

Were there commas in the original, or were those added later?

They are a medieval invention. In ancient Greek, small words like "gar", "de" and "me" give structure to sentences and sections, and make sure that you can not be mistaken about the context. The significance of these words was gradually forgotten (and is now the subject of much linguistic research - yes, progress; imagine a 1000-page book with the title Autour de 'te' épique. études sur la syntaxe grècque). In the Middle Ages, commas were added to restore clarity. I do not know if they were invented in the Greek east or Latin west; the Byzantines were the better scholars, but the question may originate with people who have to learn Greek from the very beginning.

An example of a change in meaning, resulting from the commas, is the anathema formula against the Jews, adopted at the Third or Fourth Lateran Council. The original

"Cursed are the Jews who have crucified Christ"

became

"Cursed are the Jews, who have crucified Christ"

- in the original, only Caiaphas and Annas are cursed, because they were believed to be responsible (this is not the point to digress on the trial of Jesus); in the new version, an entire nation is cursed.

Another example, from the late Middle Ages, is Jesus' word

“I promise that today you will be with me in paradiseâ€