Christians, why do you settle for an inaccurately translated version of the Tanakh?

I agree that there is everything to gain by comparing translations. I am already aware of these websites because of very nice Jewish people who have directed me to these earlier. I do compare them often. I am just starting to get into the comparison of prophetic scriptures. Thank you. Your point is a good one.:)

You're on a roll - yet another great post :)

I just must quickly correct a few other answers offered here:

The Torah has NEVER changed. We are forbidden from changing it by adding or removing even a single LETTER. And in fact, anyone who knows about the Dead Sea Scrolls will be aware that among the materials found, were a few that PROVED that the Torah has never changed, because included in the parchments were Jewish scriptures that have been used for comparison.

To the person who suddenly went leaping off at a tangent and banging on about 'hebrew is not better' - nobody SAID IT WAS!

But it's sheer logic to state that as the Tanakh was written in HEBREW, by Jews, for Jews, then obviously a Jewish translation of that original Hebrew is going to be the most accurate!!!!!!!!!!!

It is common knowledge that the OT most Christians study has some ATROCIOUS mistranslations.

One example:

Christians claim there is a prediction about a 'virgin' giving birth.

But the HEBREW word used in the scripture is ALMAH. This means 'young woman'. It has always meant 'young woman'.

The HEBREW word for 'virgin' is 'betulah'. An entirely different word!

I have to agree with you. The Hebrew bible has helped me understand who G-d really is and has brought me to understand even more. I am still learning more of the Hebrew myself. You are right, some Christian bibles are not accurate in some words, but when you go to the Hebrew translations, you find out the true meaning of what is being said. Another wards, to understand, go first to the Hebrew. I do value the truth about the G-d of Israel.

I want to restate The Torah has NEVER changed. The soferim who copy it are bound to change not a single letter, space, or any part of it. That has been true for three thousand years, and the appearance of the Dead Sea Scrolls as Paperback Writer noted, proves the veracity of such a truth. If it hasn't changed in two thousand years, and we can prove that, and it has been said that it is never changed, then it stands to reason that the book you look at today is EXACTLY, word for word, letter for letter, space for space, what Moses got straight from Gd.

As for the statment made by Max Marie, SFO, that the mark on the forehead should be a tau, an Aramaic - excuse me, but the alphabet is HEBREW - letter that "looks like a small t or a cross", this is a tau: ת. Now someone needs to tell ME how that resembles a cross!!!

It's pretty clear that the Irish monks who preserved the Bible in the Dark Ages Added "contributions" - some very famous ones like the "throw the first stone" piece. The Catholic Church (several councils - Holy Roman Empire - etc. picked and chose till they settled on the Table of Contents of the NT.

Ancient Greek (the language of most of the NT) didn't use lower case, spaces of punctuation. what does ISAYTOYOUTHISDAYYOUSHALLBEWITHMEINTHEKINGDOMOFHEAVEN mean - I say to you, this day, you shall be with be in the Kingdom of Heaven OR I say to you, this day you shall be with me in the Kingdom of Heaven? One comma - two meanings.

Frankly, I appreciate the Jewish tradition of Biblical scholarship because they DO look at the original language and are fully willing to test and question. Does it say "Thou Shalt Not Kill" or "Thou Shalt Not Murder"? Jewish scholarship is willing to debate this - and the "nuance" is pretty big.

Fundamentalists Christians (not all) tend to have a more dogmatic approach and the Catholic Church prefers if their congregations don't read the Bible at all preferring that they accept the Church's interpretation.

Taking God on faith is one thing. Taking an interpretation of a highly sophisticated spiritual text in an ancient language on faith is, for me, beyond belief.

i wonnder if every single word in the Tanakh remains the same as the original version Moses had. It is no longer on the scroll i guess and it wasn't printed as well. This wouldn't make it original and 100% accurate if you can grasp what i mean.

They all are not 100% accurate although some can be more acuurate as compared to others. I believe if God wants to let us know about Him , He will do it one way or the other. He is God!

Moreover, it is not about studying the Bible that makes a person closer to God. It is much more than that. This should explain why not all Isrealites communicated with God as did Moses.

i am sure you know it is the "God of Isreal". That's my God ( or our God for those who believe in Him).

I just read the Bereshit-Genesis 1 and it say the same thing that my Bible says. I am very grateful to you for sharing these links and will include them in my study of God's Word.

Thank you and God bless you!

Thanks for the links, but it doesn't stop us from knowing The Savior and Creator of the world personally (that's the Messiah in-case you don't know) the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob...

We can learn from each other if the heart is humble and hungry for more of Almighty God.

blessings to you

I expect to be reported for this answer as usual - but it's ok, i still love you guys : )

Great links, thank you! I happen to appreciate Reb Nachman of Breslov so I chose that link to follow. Wonderful man with wonderful quotes. I recommend reading his stories / parables.

You should not assume such things.

I have a lovely version of the Tanakh. And FYI sweetie, it HAS changed. Just as the Christians have councils so do the Hebrews. Translations have changed with the various councils. Including the Council of Jamnia in 90AD where they pulled scriptures that supported Christianity in an attempt to squash the budding new faith.

So too, why does your average Tanakh differ from the Study Tanakh? The Study Tanakh as a notation in Ezekiel referencing the "mark" put on the forheads of believers. The "original scripture" specifically mentions the Tau. "Put the TAU on the forheads..." - but in the text has been changed to say simply "mark." Put a MARK on the forheads...

What is the Tau? It is the last letter of the ancient aramaic alphabet and resembles a small T - which is what? The cross.

You will find the tau referenced in TWO bibles. Douay Rheims and Jerusalem. Not the US version called New Jeruslam which stretched "inclusiveness" so far that it became an abomination.

So while I have a nice copy and when studying the bible I do compare translations - it is also wise to remember What It Is.