by Phil 6 Replies latest watchtower bible
I am researching the Christian Bible and all the versions that exist today. I have heard that the JW Bible was printed in the 1950s.
Does anyjone know who were the persons in the JW organization(s) were responsible for the changes made.
I have heard of the existance of the Theocratic "WAR" doctrine? Is there a printing of this document and where could I get a copy? I am particularly interested in any internal publication that the rank and file member does not have access to?
Hi Phil,
: I have heard that the JW Bible was printed in the 1950s.
That's right. It was released in six installments from 1950 through 1960. A complete, large print version was also released in 1960, and a complete small print version in 1961.
: Does anyjone know who were the persons in the JW organization(s) were responsible for the changes made.
The only actual translator was Frederick Franz, Vice President of the Watchtower Society at the time, and President from about 1977 through 1992. I posted the following information to another group a couple of years ago:
Frederick W. Franz: Main translator. Took liberal arts sequence at University of Cincinnati; 21 semester hours of classical Greek, some Latin. Partially completed a two-hour survey course in Biblical Greek in junior year; course titled "The New Testament--A course in grammar and translation." Left in spring of 1914 before completing junior year. Self-taught in Spanish, biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. Entered Brooklyn headquarters facility of Watchtower Society in 1920. Probable ghost writer for J. F. Rutherford (2nd president of WTS) from late 1920s through 1942. Vice president of WTS from 1942 to 1977, president from 1977 until death in 1992 at age 99.
Franz writes in his autobiography: "What a blessing it was to study Bible Greek under Professor Arthur Kensella! Under Dr. Joseph Harry, an author of some Greek works, I also studied the classical Greek. I knew that if I wanted to become a Presbyterian clergyman, I had to have a command of Bible Greek. So I furiously applied myself and got passing grades" (_The Watchtower_, May 1, 1987, p. 24). Franz gives the impression that the bulk of his Greek studies were "Bible Greek" under "Professor Kensella" and that classical Greek was secondary under "Dr. Joseph Harry." The opposite is true. As mentioned above, Franz only took one 2-hour credit class of "Bible Greek" but 21 hours of classical Greek. According to the course catalog of 1911, Arthur Kensella was not a professor of Greek, as Franz wrote, but an "instructor in Greek." Kensella did not have a Ph.D. and he therefore taught entry-level courses.
Nathan H. Knorr: No training in biblical languages. Entered Brooklyn headquarters in 1923; 3rd president of WTS from 1942 to 1977. Died 1977 at age 72.
Milton G. Henschel: No training in biblical languages. Private secretary and traveling companion to N. H. Knorr from late 1940s until early 1970s. 4th president of WTS from 1992 to 2000. Still living, age mid-80s.
Albert D. Schroeder: No training in biblical languages. Took 3 years of mechanical engineering, unspecified language courses in college, dropped out in 1932 and soon entered Brooklyn headquarters. Registrar of "Gilead School" from 1942 to 1959. Still living, age 90.
Karl Klein: No training in biblical languages. Entered Brooklyn headquarters in 1925; member of Writing Dept. since 1950. Died 2001 at age 96.
George D. Gangas: No training in biblical languages. Greek-speaking Turkish national, entered Brooklyn headquarters in 1928 as a Greek translator from English to modern Greek publications. Died 1994 at age 98.
Franz was the only man capable of doing translation work. Gangas was a native Greek speaker, knew little of Koine Greek, and apparently helped out with a variety of non-translation tasks including reviewing the English grammar for continuity of expression. From all information published about him personally, one readily concludes that Knorr was the business administrator for the Translation Committee. Henschel might have been on it to take care of legal/secretarial matters. Schroeder and Klein did the copious footnotes (which included textual sources) and cross references and marginal notes, which in the original six volumes of the NWT were more extensive than in the 1984 edition.
The NWT Committee has always been extremely secretive, and so information about who was on it has only trickled out of the Brooklyn headquarters as various staff members have left and revealed what they knew. Scant information has been published, other information has leaked by word of mouth.
Frederick Franz has been criticized for supposedly not being proficient in Biblical Hebrew. This is patently false, since *someone* had to be competent enough to produce a workable translation, and it certainly was not the other men on the NWT Committee. Franz's nephew, Raymond Franz, who resigned from the Jehovah's Witnesses Governing Body in 1980 and was excommunicated in 1981, listed some of the members of the NWT Committee in his 1983 book "Crisis of Conscience". He has told me and others that he once observed his uncle silently reading an ancient Hebrew manuscript in a museum display case, which the elder Franz is not likely to have done in private unless he was actually able to make sense of it. But because the elder Franz has internally been termed "the oracle of the [JW] organization" and was clearly its "head theologian" from 1942 until his gradual retirement in the 1980s, he certainly inserted his religious biases into his translation work.
: I have heard of the existance of the Theocratic "WAR" doctrine? Is there a printing of this document and where could I get a copy? I am particularly interested in any internal publication that the rank and file member does not have access to?
Such a doctrine certainly exists. An interesting but long essay on this topic, with references, exists at this link: http://www.freeminds.org . Look under "Hot Topics this Week" and see the link "Lying in Court: Theocratic War Strategy".
AlanF
Alan,
Could you divulge what you know about Samuel Herd's liguistic abilities?
Knowing how to say "Yes, Massa" does not count, either.
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I don't know anything about Herd's abilities, except to surmise that he's a world class ass-kisser to get where he's at. Just like most of the rest of the GB.
Why do you ask?
AlanF
Just wondering how he climbed over the rest of the lemmings to become one of the FDS.
We all know his life story of being a Witless, but it isn't much different from any other lifers I have known.
What's his story?
Lisa
http://quotes.jehovahswitnesses.com/lie.htm
Go here for quotes on theocratic wafare and lying --
Alan F. said quite bit re- the NWT-- i will email you the report I have here on it inaccuracy and blatent uncholarship.
<><Angie
What a response. Bravo!!
How on earth do you go about getting such detailed information. I was also interested in obtaining all I can get on Russell but I don't know how. Can you give me an idea?
