Yes, I was that obnoxious kid who had an answer for just about everything. In the 1950s and 1960s that meant that I read a lot; there were encyclopedias and dictionaries. There was an amazing amount of information and knowledge contained therein. Also, given the expense of printing large books and multi-volume series of just about anything, publishers had to have a reputation for accuracy when it came to being able to sell those expensive sets to libraries as well as individuals. We didn’t have a copy of the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) but did have an Encyclopedia. In fact, many households had one. There were door to door sales persons. 

But I digress, except to remind everyone that information used to be only printed and, as such, a certain amount of accuracy was required. Obviously not so today. Yes, Encyclopedia Britannica is still in existence. But I am not suer why I would pay for a subscription. There is Wikipedia with much better, more current information.   I have an ongoing contribution to them.  

Why am I nattering about all of this? It is another rock and roll day at sea. Several planned activities have been cancelled, making a few of the self appointed high-brows even more upset. IMHO – if you think Viking is that much better, stay with that line, don’t whine here.  But this also leads me to “the Bible Dude” from our Star Breeze Pacific cruise.

And before anyone starts thinking spiky and evil thoughts towards me, wait for the explanation (note, my app offered me “explosion” partway through typing “ explanation ”  YMMV. Anyway, I have a number of friends for whom belief is a deep, personal, and integral part of their lives. It guides their behavior, how they treat others, and how they live their lives. Not one of them, even those belonging to otherwise proselytizing religions go around annoying total strangers. 

So far on this trip I have met several passengers from last year’s Star Breeze Cruise. There is Laura who is traveling solo, there are two other couples  both of which I have conversed with briefly. Then yesterday, the older dude whom I started thinking of as Bible guy boarded the ship along with his wife. He is the one who last Nov who took offense when, sitting down at a table with me in the Yacht Club and starting to read his bible out (yes, you heard that correctly) I started asking him questions. Ones like – what are you reading? Which version? Have you read it in a more authentic language? Till he went away. 

Now obviously, I don’t think that the King James Version of the New Testament is the be all and end all. And the original documents from which it was derived were certainly not English. So….any translation is reflective of the time, place, morals, politics, social structures, purpose,  and belief systems of those doing the translating. I decided to go down this particular rabbit hole further than I did last year. 

The King James Version was commissioned by the Church of Engliand and completed in 1611. That is right – 1611 by King James (VI of Scotland who then became James I of England if my memory serves me) from whence comes the name.  Go read the Wiki article– it is fascinating and clearly discusses the thought, politics and word choice behind the new translation. 

And, while most of the discussion there relates to the new books – if you follow the link you will see that there were differences in the original Hebrew txts as well that were used as a base text. 

No surprise really.

Now, back to my offended dude with his red braces (suspenders for the American crowd). I don’t mind at all that I offended him by questioning his sources, I don’t believe it will make any difference in his world view (queue the US Texas  politician who, when asked about bilingual educations stated with obvious sincerity “If English was good enough for Jesus….

We just have to remember that everything that is in our written and oral traditions came from somewhere, often through generations of both oral and written tradition. Each individual in that chain had thought, purpose, and a world view. Nothing survives hundreds, much less thousands of years without change. And to truly believe that a translation created for a specific purpose back in the 1600s is the one true and accurate word in a language different that the source documents- hello? 

Back to stitching sheep. It is easier on the brain