By sheer coincidence I recently returned to an article I wrote some 4 years titled ‘The Torah Dressed Itself in Flesh’. I then went to find the reference by Dr Jacobus (Coos) Schoneveld that I had based much of this article on.

In his article, produced as part of a 1990 journal to celebrate the 70^th birthday of the great scholar Prof. David Flusser,  the late Dr Schoneveld gives his own re-translation of Yochanan (John) 1 based on his understanding of the Torah-centric nature of the text.  I had not read his version for some time. But now it really jumped out at me as to how similar it was to the very recent re-translation from Papryrus 66 produced by Uriel Ben Mordechai.

My article ‘The Torah Dressed Itself In Flesh’ is available at this link: https://goo.gl/3D2L98

Dr Schoneveld’s article here –  http://www.etrfi.info/immanuel/24/Immanuel_24_077.pdf   and some of my previous explanatory commentary on Uriel’s re-translation here –  https://globaltruthinternational.com/2018/02/03/the-yochanan-narrative-series/

I have provided a line by line comparison of the first 12 verses on the next page. Apart from the newer version of Uriel’s translation of Yochanan 1:1 which he provided some years ago in his outstanding book  ‘If: The End of a Messianic Lie’, (see older version after the comparison verses) there is an amazing similarity.

Close inspection will also reveal some very significant differences with most modern versions based on Greek  translations and Hellenistic-centric understandings.

First the verse by Dr Jacobus (Coos) Schoneveld & then the version by Uriel Ben Mordechai

(1)    In the beginning was the Torah, and the Torah was toward God, and Godlike was the Torah.

1)      Essential for creation was the Torah, and the Torah was in the presence of G-d, and a godly object was the Torah”

(2)    It was this which was in the beginning toward God.

2)      This object stood with high honor, in harmony with G-d.”

(3)    All things emerged through it, and apart from it not one thing emerged.

3)      All things came into existence because of IT, and outside of IT, not a single notion came into being that was fashioned.

(4)    What has emerged in [or: through] it, was life, and the life was the light of the human beings.

4)      IT was for life and this life was for the illumination of mortals.

(5)    And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not take it away.

5)      And this illumination was made to radiate in the face of the blackness. And that gloominess will never defeat IT!

(6)    There emerged a human being sent forth from God, his name was John.

6)      A man came out, sent by G-d — his name: Yochanan.

(7)    It was he who came to witness, in order that he witnessed about the light, in order that through him all would be faithful.

7)      This man ended up becoming positioned as an eyewitness, for the purpose of giving testimony with reference to the illumination, so that all might come to trust, owing to IT

(8)    Not he was the light, but [he was there] in order that he witnessed about the light.

8)      In that place, the illumination wasn’t there. All the more reason for giving testimony concerning that illumination!

(9)    [The Torah] was the true light that enlightens each human being coming into the world.

9)      IT has been the genuine illumination, which enlightens all humanity entering into the world.

(10) In the world it was, and the world emerged through it, and the world did not recognize it.

10)   IT was present within the world, and even the world came into existence by virtue of IT, even though the world did not acknowledge IT

(11) To that which was its own, it came, and those who were its own, did not take it up.

11)   In the midst of this one special people, IT ended up being deposited, especially to this one chosen people; the same which they embraced.

(12)But whoever took it, to those it gave power to emerge as children of God, to those who were being faithful to His Name:

12)   As many as did take hold of IT, IT gave them prerogative to emerge as children of G-d; to those who are trusting in His Name, …

 

Uriel Ben Mordechai’s earlier version of verse 1 is also a closer match to Schoneveld’s version: “In the beginning was the Torah, and (the) Torah was for the sake of (the) G-d, And godly was (the) Torah.” [from the book ‘If: The End of a Messianic Lie’]

What really strikes me is how very similar these two versions are and what I think is the significance of this. As far as I am aware, Schoneveld did not base his translation on the earliest extant Greek manuscript, nor did he have access to the Hebrew version now available in the Vatican’s online library. Neither did Ben Mordechai  use Schoneveld’s version.

That these two versions have such a consistency of understanding of the references to Torah seems to offer a strong sense of fidelity in the early transmission of the text, along with supporting this Torah centric understanding.

And finally, in support of my article’s title and inference Schoneveld translated verse 14 as: (14) And the Torah emerged as flesh and tabernacled among us — and we beheld the glory of it, glory as of an only one from Father — [it — the Torah — was] full of grace-and-truth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)    (13) not from blood, nor from the desire of flesh, nor from the desire of man, but from God they have been caused to emerge. (14) And the Torah emerged as flesh and tabernacled among us — and we beheld the glory of it, glory as of an only one from Father — [it — the Torah — was] full of grace-and-truth. (15) John witnesses about it and has shouted saying: it was this of which I said: “The one who is coming after me has emerged before me, because my principal he was,” (16) because out of its fullness we all took even grace upon grace, (17) because the Law was given through Moses. The-grace-and-the-truth emerged through Jesus Christ. (18) God — nobody has ever seen Him. As an only son,11 ever at the Father’s bosom, it was he who showed the way.