On April 19, 2018, Israel will celebrate its 70th independence, established in 1948.
In honor of this occasion, Israel365, an organisation that promotes the Biblical significance and physical beauty of the Land of Israel, has partnered with Menorah Books, a division of Koren Publishers in Jerusalem, to publish the first hard-copy edition of ‘The Israel Bible’.
This new Bible, set to release to the public in June, is the world’s first Bible (Tanakh) centered around the God, the People and the Land of Israel.
“Israel is the most central aspect of the Bible yet it has been overlooked as a theme for biblical commentary until now,” the publishers say. “To understand the world’s obsession with Israel and our role in fulfilling God’s word, we must delve deeper into Israel’s ancient history, spiritual roots and connection to the Land.”
International Christian Embassy Jerusalem Vice President David Parsons told local media that many different versions of the Bible have led to the assumption that Christianity is built upon the premise that God rejected the Jewish people and made a covenant with a new nation. But he says, the tide is beginning to turn.
This Bible has already been compiled, edited and printed by a local print shop as a set of 20 softcover volumes, Israel365 reported, and Jerusalem’s leading book publishers have offered to publish more copies once believers demonstrate enough demand.
The Bible offers a unique commentary that seeks to explain God’s focus on the land of Israel alongside the original Hebrew text and includes transliteration of select Hebrew verses. It also helps readers learn Hebrew while reading the Bible.
The Israel Bible is designed for both Jewish and non-Jewish readers.
Features of this new edition:
- Full text of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) in English and Hebrew. The English translation is based on the 1917 JPS edition, preferred by Jews and used in synagogues for nearly one hundred years. The Israel Bible follows the traditional Jewish ordering of the books and the customary Hebrew division of chapters.
- Unique commentary written by Bible scholars living in Israel, on at least one verse in every chapter of Tanakh. The comments focus on the Land of Israel, the People of Israel and the Hebrew language.
- Transliteration of select Hebrew verses, most of which focus on the Land of Israel, so that they can be read by everyone in the original Hebrew, divine language.
- Proper Hebrew pronunciation of key biblical names and places in order to stay as authentic as possible to the Biblical Hebrew text.
By Staff Writer.
