Biblical Hebrew Forum

[fred burlingame <tensorpath AT gmail.com>]

Hello Ted:

I am hebrew language expert .... not.

I think however, if you conferred with any torah scholar, they would swiftly
confirm to you that:

a. the ancient hebrew language expressed in torah, comprises a wide, broad
and deep cultural heritage, over and beyond any theological considerations;
and

b. such cultural fabric woven into, and expressed by, hebrew torah, cannot,
and does not, survive migration into another language, via translation.

Regards,

fred burlingame

On Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 3:50 PM, <TedBro AT aol.com> wrote:

>  *Wikipedia definition of "hellenization" (below), for what it's worth....
> *
>
> *"Hellenization* (or *Hellenisation*) is a term used to describe the
> spread of ancient Greek culture, and, to a lesser extent, language. It is
> mainly used to describe the spread of Hellenistic 
> civilization<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_civilization>during 
> the Hellenistic
> period <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_period> following the
> campaigns of Alexander the 
> Great<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great>of
> Macedon <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedon>. The result of
> Hellenization was that elements of Greek origin combined in various forms
> and degrees with local elements, which is known as 
> Hellenism<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenism>.
> Persian culture <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_culture> had a
> decisive impact upon the emergence of Hellenism. In modern times
> hellenization has been associated with adoption of modern Greek culture and
> the ethnic and cultural homogenization of Greece."
>
> The terms does not rightly apply to the loss of nuances of the Hebrew
> language by translation into other tongues (as has been suggested on this
> list). However the case has been made that the Gospel of John hellenizes
> Jesus, through loss of the eschatology of the prophets, and introduction of
> the deified Christ. (Ideas about gods taking flesh and interacting with
> human is common in Greek mythology, but absent from Hebrew tradition.) I
> find the later use of the term more insightful. (Sorry!)
>
> -Ted Brownstein
>
>
>  In a message dated 10/17/2010 3:27:08 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> tensorpath AT gmail.com writes:
>
> George:
>
> Please permit me to address your last comment concerning the title of this
> thread.
>
> i believe the title of the thread ("the hellenization of isaiah")
> appropriate.
>
> The hebrew language represents perhaps the highest cultural expression of
> the hebrew people. Hebrew puns (for example, but without limitation)
> punctuate and flourish across the pages of hebrew text. Translation of the
> hebrew into greek (or english or chinese) necessarily involves the loss of
> these puns and the corresponding rich cultural fabric of the hebrews; and
> the incorporation of the culture of the translated language.
>
> Hence, the septuagint achieves "the hellenization of isaiah."
>
> regards,
>
> fred burlingame
>
>