A new monk arrives at the monastery. He is assigned to help the other monks in copying the old texts by hand. He notices, however, that they are copying copies, not the original books. The new monk goes to the head monk to ask him about this. He points out that if there were an error in the first copy, that error would be continued in all of the other copies. The head monk says, "We have been copying from the copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son." So, he goes down into the cellar with one of the copies to check it against the original. Hours later nobody has seen him. One of the monks goes downstairs to look for him. He hears a sobbing coming from the back of the cellar, and finds the old monk leaning over one of the original books crying. He asks what's wrong. "The word is celebrate," sobs the old monk.
------------------ Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA (714) 521-4810 ICQ # 330407 "SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"
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Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Not often do alter kokers like us hear a good joke anymore, so this is worth a celebration.
As letterheads, we ought to understand the hassles of copying entire books by hand, such as the Bible (which had to be done until the 1460s). Particularly when you're copying a foreign language you don't know. Sometimes when you try to fill a space with approximated brush strokes, you end up saying "God is great" in one language, and "Yo mamma..." in another. A famous example is the King James translation (from Greek)that John the Baptist subsisted on a diet of locusts and honey. Locusts, of course, are a swarm of grasshoppers, each longer than your pointing-finger. According to modern scholars, JTB could live on FIGS and honey, and the letterheads of 1000 years ago didn't recognize a foreign word and substituted one they did know. And "typos" like than can add up to institutional "faith" today.
Si's story reminds me of the power weilded by the Class of Scribes, or the 4th Estate. And that when given charge, we should choose the blessing over the curse.
Bruce Williams Lexington KY
------------------ Bruce Williams
Posts: 945 | From: Lexington, KY, USA | Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Good one Si, I can laugh at that one because I know that NOWHERE in the Bible is celibacy commanded by God or the Apostles. On a more serious note (Bruce)the Bible is a miracle Book insofar that the supposed errors or typos from the copying of copies really has not occurred except in a a few relatively insignificant places. Proof of this came through the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls. Among the scrolls was an almost complete book of Isaiah which pre-dated the manuscripts already in existence. The amazing thing is that the book matched the copies we have today except in a few minor details. Christians today can have confidence that the Bible we have today (esp. the King James which comes from the Received Text believed to be the most reliable)is as close to the original given by inspiration from God as we can get. It stands to reason that if the Bible is the manual of Life that it claims to be, then God would preserve it. Indeed, as one studies the history of how the Bible has been preserved it becomes clear that it is a miracle book. Folk have tried to burn, ban and banish the Bible for hundreds of years. More recently some have tried to discredit it, it remains the most read book in the world. A list of "typos" can be found at http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/kjverror.html
------------------ Gray M. Hodge Cam River Signs Somerset, Tasmania.
posted
I wasn't goin to do this. I'm trying to stay out of OT posts. But Gray, Your claim (opinion)can throw some people who truely want to see the most accurate translation into a tailspin. Albeit a small example. If some of you creators of art would like to recreate the "behemoth" described in Job. I doubt you would come up with a hippo as described in the King James version. And obviosly there were others who held the same thought pattern because they have the NIV, a(thought for thought) translation) and the NASB a (word for word) translation. And I don't give my opinion on the accuracy of either. I don't think this is what Si had in mind when he started this post but it is along the same lines. Just how accurate can a translation be when its gone from the original greek/hebrew to Latin to English. Hence we have the "New"King James now in (what?) the 11th version? Gary H.
------------------ Gary&Dawn Hoopes SignCountry Overland Park, Ks. 913 831-1152
Posts: 40 | From: Overland Park, Kansas USA | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
All Bible translations seem to have some problems here or there, the Authorized King James Version translated "commit no murder" into "thou shalt not kill", confusing millions right up to this day. Si's joke exemplifies this sort of thing pretty well.
FUNNY SIGNS
The Laundromat: AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT.
A London department store: BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS.
WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?
A health food shop: CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS.
English sign in a German cafe: MOTHERS, PLEASE WASH YOUR HANS BEFORE EATING.
OUT TO LUNCH: IF NOT BACK BY FIVE, OUT FOR DINNER ALSO.
A repair shop: WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR - THE BELL DOESN'T WORK).
ANYONE LEAVING THEIR GARMENTS HERE FOR MORE THAN 30 DAYS WILL BE DISPOSED OF.
PLEASE DO NOT SMOKE NEAR OUR PETROL PUMPS. YOUR LIFE MAY NOT BE WORTH MUCH BUT OUR PETROL IS.
At the office:
WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN.
AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD.
TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW.
Remember the Sabbath:
Notice sent to residents of a Wiltshire parish: DUE TO INCREASING PROBLEMS WITH LETTER LOUTS AND VANDALS WE MUST ASK ANYONE WITH RELATIVES BURIED IN THE GRAVEYARD TO DO THEIR BEST TO KEEP THEM IN ORDER.
On a church door: THIS IS THE GATE OF HEAVEN. ENTER YE ALL BY THIS DOOR. THIS DOOR IS KEPT LOCKED BECAUSE OF THE DRAUGHT. (PLEASE USE SIDE DOOR.)
Local bureaucrats:
A new town hall which was to be opened by the Prince of Wales: THE TOWN HALL IS CLOSED UNTIL OPENING. IT WILL REMAIN CLOSED AFTER BEING OPENED. OPEN TOMORROW.
Sign warning of quicksand: QUICKSAND. ANY PERSON PASSING THIS POINT WILL BE DROWNED. BY ORDER OF THE DISTRICT COUNCIL.
IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS.
Out and about:
A disco: SMARTS IS THE MOST EXCLUSIVE DISCO IN TOWN. EVERYONE WELCOME.
A safari park: ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR.
Seen during a conference: FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
Down on the farm:
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES.
BEWARE! I SHOOT EVERY TENTH TRESPASSER AND THE NINTH ONE HAS JUST LEFT
------------------ Artworks Olympia WA
Posts: 797 | From: Olympia, WA | Registered: Nov 1998
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