Two hilarious (and tragic) translation mistakes in Bible and Qu'ran

[Tankbuster]

In the Bible:
While there are various translation mistakes in the Bible (such as the mistranslation of the word naggar as worker, instead of salesman). Probably the most tragic mistake is translating almah, which means "young woman" to the Greek parthenon (virgin!). This is a mistake that's easy to make in a lot of languages (Think of the English words "maid" and "maiden").
This has lead to the stupid legend that the mother of Jezus (young woman Mary ==> virgin Mary!!) would have been a virgin! The entire cultus around Mary is based on a stupid translation mistake.

In the Qu'ran:
This is probably the worst translation mistake in history. It's also about virgins...
When translating the Qu'ran, there was a tragic mistake when translators got to the verses about what was promised to muslim martyrs or muslims who died for their faith. They were promised 72... WHITE GRAPES WHO GIVE LIGHT. This was translated as... 72 virgins

I couldn't believe it when I read this. The influence these two mistakes has had on history is enormous!

[Ummon]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blessed_Virgin_Mary

Controversy
Some Biblical scholars, as well as some Jewish[18] and even Christian commentators, claim that the tradition that the Messiah would be born of a virgin arose from a mistranslation of a prophetic text in Isaiah 7:14. The original Hebrew stated that an almah ("young girl" or "virgin") would give birth to a figure called Emmanuel (whom Christians traditionally identify with Jesus), but the Septuagint translated almah into Greek as parthenos ("virgin"). The Peshitta text (Aramaic)of Isaiah also states a "virgin."[19] Catholics and Orthodox, on the other hand, accept that the translation of the Septuagint is inspired, and refer to its citation in the Gospel of Matthew as proof.

The tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church is thus: one of the translators of the Septuagint hesitated over the translation of Isaiah 7:14 "Behold a virgin (almah) shall conceive", doubting the possibility of a virginal conception. Instead of translating 'almah' with 'parthenos' (virgin), he translated it with 'gyne' (young woman) - also admissible from the Hebrew . According to this same tradition, an angel appeared to him and advised him that 'virgin' was the correct translation, and that he would not die until he had seen the Christ born of a virgin. Thus the scholar-translator remained in the Temple of Jerusalem for over three hundred years, awaiting the sign. This was the Simeon the Righteous, the "just and devout" man of Jerusalem who, according to Luke 2:25-35, met the Virgin Mary and Jesus as they entered the Temple to fulfill the requirements of the Law of Moses on the fortieth day from Jesus' birth. On taking Jesus into his arms he uttered the prayer Nunc dimittis, about having finally seen the promised salvation.

[jankren]

In the Qu'ran:
This is probably the worst translation mistake in history. It's also about virgins...
When translating the Qu'ran, there was a tragic mistake when translators got to the verses about what was promised to muslim martyrs or muslims who died for their faith. They were promised 72... WHITE GRAPES WHO GIVE LIGHT. This was translated as... 72 virgins

Mmm ... but the 72 virgins garbage are not even mentioned in Al Quran. You are probably talking about hadith I suppose.

[Tankbuster]

Mmm ... but the 72 virgins garbage are not even mentioned in Al Quran. You are probably talking about hadith I suppose.

Hmm, the magazine I've got here says that Ibn Warraq found a translation mistake in the Qu'ran...
Could be the Hadith though

[basics]

While I don't want to distract you from your little jokes does it not seem likely as in this case what the term meant by the statement accorded to Mary herself was when she replied to the angel that she had never known a man.

I think it is possible to take from that the true meaning of the words contested and not perhaps what you'ld all like them to be. Need I say that for the perverse God happens to be a Spirit so it is very unlikely that He would consumate the union with human sperm.

But a union was made, not by sperm, but an already pre-existent Son to her egg so that He could come into this world as a human albeit still retaining His divinity. And that is the point of the whole of the Bible story from beginning to end. It was a supernatural act in which all the personalities of the Godhead each played a part.

The Father by His overseing eye, the Holy Ghost by His overshadowing every aspect of the union and carrying, and of course the Son who would fulfill all the prophecies by His coming at all. But then if you cannot see this then one assumes you cannot see anything for believing it happens to be a gift of God. And as all men are blinded by sin then the posts made against are made by blind men.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

Ummon, I sincerely hope you are not arguing a story of angels, a 300 year old man and a lesson learned?

[Ummon]

Actually, the interesting part for a materialist was that about the original term being ambiguous.

[Dayman]

But a union was made, not by sperm, but an already pre-existent Son to her egg so that He could come into this world as a human albeit still retaining His divinity. And that is the point of the whole of the Bible story from beginning to end. It was a supernatural act in which all the personalities of the Godhead each played a part.

Wow, it's amazing that you know that without any evidence or reasoning or anything at all.

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

Wow, it's amazing that you know that without any evidence or reasoning or anything at all.

It's how they accept it. A bit of magic, divine fire, and "unexplainable things", and here you go. Religion creates far more mistery than it does solve.

[Ummon]

A bit of magic, unexplainable things, natural fire. That is science.

Really. :wink:

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

A bit of magic, unexplainable things, natural fire. That is science.

Really. :wink:

Oh yeah, Science is "magic"? Then you tell you love science more than me? You see, Ummon, you should lock yourself in a scholastic monastery, and spend the rest of your life reading Geocentric Aristotelian doctrines.

Explain why Science is magic.

[Ummon]

Science today is a lot like magic, infact.

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

Science today is a lot like magic, infact.

Ummon cleverly speaks something out of thin air, like most religious dudes do.

[Ummon]

Or does Voltaire?

One should always know what he speaks about. I do.

[Dunecat]

The virgin birth is essential to the story of redemption and of the message of Christ, which is why it is a dogma in the RC church. As for the entire reasoning behind it, I would not be able to adequately explain as well as a priest could.

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

Or does Voltaire?

One should always know what he speaks about. I do.

Hah, no, Mr. Mythic, unbacked claims have no credibility.

[Gary88]

microwave ovens are pretty magic i suppose.


and ****.


wow science is like religion

[Ummon]

Exactly. That is why they bring threads into the realm of rhetorics.

Like here:

Ummon cleverly speaks something out of thin air, like most religious dudes do.

microwave ovens are pretty magic i suppose.


and ****.


wow science is like religion

Actually, microwaves aren't, but Bioinformatics touches elements which are common to many magical schools, for example. :wink:

So does quantum theory, string theory, group theory, etc.

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

Exactly. That is why they bring threads into the realm of rhetorics.

Like here:

I was being ironic, of course. Trying to accuse me is not a way of avoiding to prove your own claims, Mr Mythic.

[Ummon]

Of course.