Mr. Benner shares his over 20 years of research and studies of the Torah. This work explains the linguistic and cultural background of many verses, topics, names and words in the Torah. When the Torah is understood from the perspective of an Ancient Hebrew, rather from a Modern Westerner, the text comes to life and new revelations are discovered throughout the text.
The first five books of the Hebrew Bible, called the Torah, are the foundation to the rest of the Bible. With this edition, the Torah can be read and studied through the original pictographic script from the time of Abraham and Moses. Each letter in this ancient script is a picture, where each picture represents a concrete idea.
When we read an English translation of the Bible we define the words within it according to our modern vocabulary allowing our culture and language to influence how we read and interpret the Bible. The Bible was written by ancient Hebrews whose culture and language was very different from our own and must be read and interpreted through their eyes. When we define the names of God using our culture and language we lose the Hebraic meanings behind the original Hebrew names of God. Consequently the true nature and character of God is hidden behind the veil of time and culture. By understanding the various names of God through the vocabulary and language of the ancient Hebrews, the nature and character of God is revealed to us in a new light. The prophet Zechariah described the character of God with the words "sh'mo ehhad" translated as His Name is One (Zechariah 14:9). This phrase beautifully describes the character of God from a Hebraic perspective that is lost to us through translation and unfamiliarity with ancient Hebrew culture.
The mechanical method of translating the Bible is a new and unique style of translating that translates each Hebrew word, prefix and suffix exactly the same way every time it occurs and in the same order as they appear in the Hebrew text. This translation will allow a reader, who has no background in Hebrew, to see the text from a Hebraic perspective, without the interjection of a translator's theological opinions and bias. As this style of translation also identifies the morphology of each Hebrew word using the English language, it is a useful tool for those who are learning to read Biblical Hebrew.
All previous Biblical Hebrew lexicons have provided a modern western definition and perspective to Hebrew roots and words. This prevents the reader of the Bible from seeing the ancient authors' original intent of the passages. This is the first Biblical Hebrew lexicon that defines each Hebrew word within its original Ancient Hebrew cultural meaning. One of the major differences between the Modern Western mind and the Ancient Hebrew's is that their mind related all words and their meanings to a concrete concept. For instance, the Hebrew word "chai" is normally translated as "life", a western abstract meaning, but the original Hebrew concrete meaning of this word is the "stomach". In the Ancient Hebrew mind, a full stomach is a sign of a full "life". The Hebrew language is a root system oriented language and the lexicon is divided into sections reflecting this root system. Each word of the Hebrew Bible is grouped within its roots and is defined according to its original ancient cultural meaning. Also included in each word entry are its alternative spellings, King James translations of the word and Strong's number. Indexes are included to assist with finding a word within the lexicon according to its spelling, definition, King James translation or Strong's number.
Since ancient times man has sought to understand the origins of the universe around him, and his place within it. Such speculations were once the sole purview of religion, but since the Enlightenment, science and rationality have also attempted to explain these mysteries, but from an opposing perspective. Conflict resulted and both sides dug in, clinging to dogmas that precluded any consideration of the other side. "Genesis, Zen and Quantum Physics" enters the fray with a very unique approach. Believing that harmony, rather than conflict, defines the relationship between the Genesis account and modern science; the authors have retranslated the creation story according to the ancient Hebrew pictographic language and in the context of the nomadic culture from which the language and narratives arose. The resulting translation and its accompanying commentary challenge the common understanding of God, science, and the very reason for man's existence. By harmonizing an accurate biblical account with cutting edge scientific understanding, the authors present a mature religious ideal and an appreciation for the understanding of the ancients for modern scientific concepts. This is a book that will redefine your understanding of God, the world around you and your role within it.
Anyone interested in learning to read the Hebrew Bible in its original language will find within the pages of this book all the resources needed to begin this wonderful journey. The book is laid out in four parts. The first part teaches the Hebrew alphabet through a series of lessons. The second part teaches word and sentence structure of the Hebrew language by breaking down each Hebrew word in Genesis chapter one, verses one through five. The Hebrew text of Genesis chapter one is provided for reading and comprehension practices in part three. The fourth part of the book contains charts and dictionaries of prefixes, suffixes, words and roots of the Hebrew language to assist the reader with vocabulary definitions and comprehension. Within a short amount of time the Hebrew student will soon be reading the Bible through the eyes of the author rather than the opinions of a translator.
The Hebrew Bible, called the "Tenach" by Jews and "Old Testament" by Christians, was originally written in the Hebrew language using an ancient pictographic, or paleo-Hebrew, script. Through the study of this ancient language and script the words of the Bible will come alive to the reader in a way never seen before. This book will examine the origins and history of the ancient Hebrew language and script and their close relationship to the culture of the ancient Hebrews. Included are detailed charts of the evolution of the ancient Hebrew script as well as many other related Semitic and non-Semitic scripts. Also included are the details of the root system of the Hebrew language, and a lexicon of ancient Hebrew roots to assist the reader of the Bible with finding the original cultural context for many Hebrew words.
Recent archeological and linguistic evidence reveals that the Jews of the New Testament era spoke Hebrew, not Greek as has been taught for so many years. With this revelation, we can conclude that the teachings of the New Testament were first conveyed, either in spoken or written form, in Hebrew, which means that the New Testament must be understood from a Hebraic perspective and not a Greek one. The first step in this process is to translate the Greek words of the New Testament into Hebrew. While translating the Greek words into Hebrew, may sound overwhelming for many, it is in fact, a very simple process that anyone can perform, even without any prior studies in Greek or Hebrew. All that is required is a Strong's Concordance and this book. This book lists the five hundred most frequent Greek words of the New Testament and provides their Hebrew translations and Hebraic definitions, with all Greek and Hebrew words cross-referenced with Strong's numbers.
