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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Bible Reader's Museum - Mobile Access

I have created a simplified version of the Bible Reader's Museum Website. It has most of the features of the main site, but is optimized for mobile devices. I am currently reading it on my Kindle but the web store doesn't work on it.

Mobile Access to this Blog

Blogger has implemented automatic mobile access to all blogs hosted here. Just add ?m=1 to the end of the URL. So for this blog the new URL is http://biblereadersmuseum.blogspot.com?m=1.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Majority Bible

The Majority Bible was created by combining 10 different translations to get a "majority" text.  It is produced by a group calling itself "The Common Bible, Inc."  Right now the Gospel and Epistles of John are ready to ship. From the website:

THE MAJORITY BIBLE, a unique modern English translation, merges or conflates the texts from 20 acclaimed English translations from the King James Version to the New International Version.  Incorporating the majority rendering in text, grammar, syntax, and paragraphing, THE MAJORITY BIBLE can be likened to a super-Bible.  Written in an easy-to-read modern formal style, it retains the character and familiarity of a traditional Bible.  Why be frustrated and confused about selecting a Bible when a majority text represents the most accepted expression in twenty versions?

The Prophete Ionas

I just found William Tyndale's translation of the Prophet Jonah on Project Gutenberg.  It is available in epub, mobi, text and html.  The transcriber has attempted to reproduce the text as accurately as possible.  Rather than substitutions, we get the ye, mÄ«ded, and other abbreviations as originally printed.  I got the mobi version for my Kindle.  It displays wonderfully - resizing the text works fine.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Instant Bible Collection

Short on time and long on money?  Then check out this E-bay auction for an entire Bible collection.  There are Bibles from the 16 through the 20th centuries.  It even includes a 1250 Latin Vulgate.  There are over 2,300 Bibles in this collection.  The price averages out at about $1,080 per Bible.  I'll let you view the auction to see what that lump sump is you'll need to "buy-it-now"!

Thanks to Bill Chamberlin for telling me about this one!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

The Most Amazing Song of All - The Passion Translation

This is a new translation of the Song of Songs, or Song of Solomon. It was translated by Dr. Brian Simmons. Dr. Simmons worked about eight years as a Bible translator in Panama. This translation is available at the 5 Fold Media Store. It is also available on Amazon.com. Amazon also has a version for the Kindle. The 5Fold Media store describes the Passion Translation this way:

In this new Passion TranslationTM, the translator uses the language of the heart based on a passion for love to translate the book from Hebrew to English. While many translations overlook the story line of how Jesus makes His bride beautiful and holy by casting out her fear with perfect love, this unparalleled translation focuses on the anointed words of adoration of our Bridegroom for His radiant bride. This heaven-sent revelation is waiting to be received with all its intensity and power to unlock the deepest places of your heart.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Common English Bible for the Kindle

A reader over at Catholic Bibles gave notice that the Kindle version of the Common English Bible is available now. You can get Bible with Apocrypha or without. The updated copy is supposed to have a linked table of contents. I haven't seen any reviews yet about the ease of use.

Remaining Scriptures need for my book

I finally go time last night and early this morning to write a program to scan my versions database for needed Scripture quotes. Out of 513 main versions I only have 31 without at least one Scripture verse sample. This is due in part to many years of collecting Bibles. It is also due to many of you who have sent the Bible verses I needed. I would like to have at least one verse for every version. However, some are going to be very difficult - a few will be impossible (such as Henry Jessey's lost version). If you have time, please check my updated list of Scripture Requests.

Again, thank you to all of you who are sending in information!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Anthony Purver's Bible - a Quaker Bible?

Were there any particular translations in Anthony Purver's New and Literal Translation of all the Books of the Old Testament and New Testament that show the influence of his Quaker beliefs? Or can you think of particular verses to check for such influences?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Word of YHVH

Previously, this version was known as "The Word of Yahavah - KJV3." It is now titled "The Word of YHVH" and is being published into e-book format. Visit the Word of YHVH Bible for links and information.

The Brick Bible

Brendan Smith is the creator of The Brick Testament (NOTE:  Some material on his site and in his books is offensive).  He is an atheist, but creates Bible stories illustrated with Legos.  He has already released The Brick Testament: Stories from the Book of Genesis, The Brick Testament: The Ten Commandments and The Brick Testament: The Story of Christmas.

In October of this year The Brick Bible: A New Spin on the Old Testament will be released. There isn't any indication what stories will be included, but it is only 240 pages.

The Voice New Testament: Revised and Updated

It appears that November will be a busy month for new releases of the Bible.  N. T. Wright's New Testament, the Expanded Bible and The Voice New Testament:  Revised and Updated will all be released this winter.

The Expanded Bible

Many of  you have already heard about the Expanded Bible:  New Testament.  It is available on Amazon in either hardback or in a very inexpensive paperback.

The full Bible is due to be released in November of this year.  It is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.  It will also be available in imitation and bonded leather formats.

The Arian Christian Bible

I am not sure yet what to think about the The Arian Christian Bible. You can preview it on Amazon or on Google Books. It is translated by the Institute for Metaphysical Studies. Charles D. Levy is listed as the director but there is no mention of who actually translated this version.

The book of Matthew eliminates the genealogies in the beginning. The book of John is excluded completely. The preface states that the book of John is "a stone among diamonds."  The IMS website states:

The 'Arian Christian Bible' reflects the beliefs of Arian Christians, which should not be confused with 'Aryan' race based doctrines. Arian Christians believe that Jesus' highest teachings are reflected in his words, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke and the rejection of the politically imposed divinity of Jesus inspired by the Council of Nicaea which was convened by the Roman church and Emperor Constantine I, in 325 AD.

Please post comments if you get a chance to read through any of this version.

Two Free Portions of the Message Version

Christian Book Distributors have two parts of the Message Bible by Eugene Peterson free in e-book format. It is in epub format - readable on many devices and computer reading programs. I converted it to mobi format for my Kindle using Calibre. Christian Book Distributors also has a book reader built in. Go to "My Account" then to "eBooks." You will see the e-books you have purchased. Each one should have a "Download" link as well as a "Read eBook" link.

I found out about this offer from Books on the Knob, an excellent place to find out about free e-books. Please note that site will lists many different kinds of books (some of which are offensive).

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Pickering's New Testament Translation

Wilbur Pickering's New Testament Translation is now complete. It is available for download on his site. Also available are miscellaneous comments on the the text as well as his New Majority Greek Text based on his "Original Text Theory."

Monday, June 20, 2011

Quaker Bible

I have added the two volume "Quaker Bible" by Anthony Purver (1764) to the Bible Reader's Museum Store. The actual title of this Bible was "This is a facsimile reprint of Anthony Purver's "Quaker Bible" from 1764. The actual original title was "A NEW AND LITERAL TRANSLATION OF ALL THE BOOKS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT; WITH NOTES CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY." Original copy was Herbert's number 1154.

Bible Difficulties

Every student of the Bible knows (or should know) that some things in the Bible are hard to understand. One site that helps with this is the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry Bible Difficulties page.

The reason I mention the site here (other than being useful for Bible study) is for the purpose of finding changes in Bible versions. Some translators and revisers will change those difficult verses to help clarify the meaning. The list of "difficult" verse can help locate changes and sometimes identify translation biases.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

New Facsimiles

I've added some new facsimiles to the Bible Reader's Museum Store. New to the store are an Authorised NT (1611); George Joye's Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah and Jeremiah (1531-4); George Joye's Psalms (1530); George Joye's Daniel (1545); George Joye's NT (1534); Myles Coverdale's Goostly Psalmes (c1539) and Rychard Jugge's NT (1553). All are listed under Facsimile Bibles (actual copies of the originals).

Friday, June 17, 2011

International Society of Bible Collectors Annual Meeting

According to Bible Editions and Versions the Annual Meeting of the International Society of Bible Collectors will be held October 28-29, 2011. It will be at the Dunham Bible Museum at Houston Baptist University (7502 Fondren Road, Houston, TX). I have not heard anything about hotel/motel arrangements. The ISBC web site is not updated much at all (member sites are not added, the home button doesn't work, etc), so only last year's conference is listed. But when I get more information I will post it here.

I attended last year's conference and had a wonderful time. There were several good talks given, interesting tours and a lot of great fellowship. There are usually some neat Bibles, leaves and books for sale as well. I look forward to going again this year. I hope to meet some of you that I've corresponded with via e-mail!

If you haven't joined the ISBC yet, go ahead and join now! Membership is just $30 USD per year. This included subscription to the journal, Bible Editions and Versions. If you purchase a lifetime membership for $500 you will receive a lifetime BEV subscription and several books on CD (I believe this includes Chamberlin's Catalogue of English Bible Translations). For full details, contact Mr. Ohlhausen, the membership director. You can find his contact information on the ISBC Contact Page.

Special Sales

I have added several items to my Special Sales page. These are limited quantity items left from sales at church/Museum displays. All prices are below the normal cost via the museum store. I have added a copy of the Johannine Decapla, 2 copies of the Bible Version Encyclopedia, several copies of the Scripture Sample Book, 5 copies of God's Timeless Word, 5 copies of the Bible Lover's Puzzle Book, 10 display folders with King James Bible Leaves (1613-1650) and 3 leaf books with both a Geneva Bible Leaf and a King James Bible leaf. Visit the Special Sales page for details and ordering.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

New Matthew Bible Update

I just received an e-mail that 1 & 2 Thessalonians are now available at the New Matthew Bible Project. There is also a link to R. M. Davis' paper, "Tyndale’s Doctrine of Antichrist and His Translation of 2 Thessalonians 2."

Scripture Requests

Thank you to all of you that are sending in Scripture quotes for my book. I plan to have the new edition ready to self-publish this fall.

I have updated the Scripture requests page to be easier to use. There is a now a form that allows you to paste Scriptures and e-mail from there. I've also updated the list as several have already been sent! The Scriptures page can be found under RESEARCH, SCRIPTURES from the main page.

Several of my questions have been answered as well, so I also updated the Questions Page.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Clear Word Bible

In 1990, Jack Blanco created the The New Testament: A Devotional Paraphrase to Stimulate Faith and Growth. This was updated in 1994 and published as The Clear Word Bible. I cannot find a copy of that earlier NT. If anyone has this, I would welcome any Scriptures that show changes made between the 1990 and 1994 editions.

Also, I just had word from a friend (Thanks, WP) that this was again updated in 2000. This edition is available on Amazon. In 2005 the Clear Word for Kids was published. Both the 2000 and the "for kids" editions have many changes.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Lexham English Bible - Second Edition

After downloading the Lexham English Bible I realized that it is now the second edition. There are many small changes from the first edition to this one. For instance, in the first edition Matthew 5:39 ended with "but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also" while the second ends with "but whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also."

Reverse Interlinear New Testament

The SBL Greek New Testament has been available for some time now. But some of you may not have noticed that at the bottom of that page are downloads for the Lexham English Bible English–Greek Reverse Interlinear New Testament. And if you want just the Lexham English Bible you can download that here. It is available in several formats, including epub. I converted the epub to .mobi for my Kindle using the Calibre program. It has a table of contents and footnotes that work. Pretty nice for a free New Testament!

Common English Bible

The whole Common English Bible can be read online at their website now. The paperback will be available on Amazon in August.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

NIV 2011 Anglicised

The Anglicised edition of the NIV 2011 has been published (thanks to the blog, Gentle Wisdom, for this information). This is a version of the NIV (2011) that uses British spelling, grammar and punctuation.

It might be a bit tricky to find in the U.S. right now. However, Amazon.com has a few listed (many of which will ship from the U. K.). I found a red hardback, blue hardback, orange paperback, gray hardback with cross-references (you can sign up for notification when this one is available), black leather with cross-references (you can sign up for notification when this one is available) and the Green Schools Bible (you can sign up for notification when this one is available).

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Help with Research?

I am finishing up a new edition of my book, The Encyclopedia of English Bible Versions (EEBV). In it, I include Scripture samples for as many versions as possible. For the Old Testament I include Genesis 2:7, Psalms 12:6 and Isaiah 53:5. For the New Testament I include John 14:6 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17. If you have any of the Bibles listed below would you be so kind as to send me the Scripture quotes I need? Thank you for your help in making the EEBV as complete as possible! Bibles are sorted by the year published. You can view my list of needed Scriptures at my website under RESEARCH, SCRIPTURES.

I also have some questions about various versions. You can view my questions at my website under RESEARCH, QUESTIONS.

Thank you for your time - I appreciate any help you can offer!

Bible for Children

This site is dedicated to "to make Jesus Christ known to children through distributing illustrated Bible stories and related material in different forms and media, including the World Wide Web, Cell Phone/PDA's, printed color tracts and coloring books, in every language a child may speak."

They have downloads of 60 different Bible stories. These are in PDF format - either in color or blank ones for children to color themselves. Visit the download page or let children read them online.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Bible In Worldwide English

I was pleasantly surprised to receive an e-mail this morning about the Bible in Worldwide English / Good News for the World. This is the version translated by Annie Cressman. It was first published as "Good News for the World." It was updated in 1996 and published as "The Bible in Worldwide English." The new edition is available online at Soon Publications. It is had to find in print, though there is a copy or two at Amazon.com - Jesus Book: Bible in Worldwide English - New Testament. I haven't been able to get a copy of the original publication for comparison. The e-mail I received gives some differences between the two editions:

-------------------------------
The only info I can find on the internet is it states: "Where a change to
more modern words has been made, this has been kept in line with the the
Authorised Version."
http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/Worldwide-English-New-Testament-WE/

Although it is based on Cressman there were a certian number of revisions of
the original text that could allow this to be catalogued as a completely new
translation which definitely shows some "biases" as to the revisionists
beliefs (IMHO):

1 Corinthians 13:1
(BWE)
If I talk with the tongues of men and even of angels, but if I do not love
people, then I am only like the sound of a big horn or a loud bell.

(Cressman)
If I talk in tongues of men and of angels, but if I do not love people, then
I am only like the sound of a big horn or a loud bell.

1 Corinthians 13:8
(BWE)
Love never ends. The gift of speaking words from God will end. The gift of
speaking in different tongues or languages will stop. The gift of knowing
many things will end.

(Cressman)
Love never ends. The gift of speaking words from God will end. The gift of
knowing many things will end.
-------------------------------

Thanks, Kevin!

Transetto Bible

This entry is about a new way of printing the Bible. I first read about it over at Bible Design Blog. These Bibles are printed in Dwarsligger format. The text is printed in portrait format across two pages. This means you turn the book 90 degrees from the way you normally hold it. Thus it effectively has a page size twice the size of the actual book dimensions.



The KJV Bible is available for pre-order on Amazon.com in two colors: KJV Transetto Text Blue Paperback and KJV Transetto Text Green Paperback.

The Elastic Bible

Well, this isn't a real Bible. It is a satire of sorts. An eye opening bit of humor with a bit of truth! Read the blog entry at Syrophenician Woman.