What do we mean by ‘the Bible’?

A rabbi, a priest, and a minister are sitting by the water’s edge fishing, each with his own fishing rod. At one point, the rabbi notices he has a bite. He secures his fishing rod, walks across the water, removes the fish from the hook, and sits back down.
A little later, the priest also gets a bite. He, too, stands up, walks across the water, releases the fish, and sits back down.
The pastor has been watching all this with great amazement. He breaks out in a sweat at the thought of what to do if he himself catches a fish. And just then, it happens—his bobber goes under too. He doesn’t want to show his fear. So he, too, steps out onto the water and immediately starts flailing about.
The rabbi says to the priest, “He has faith, but he can’t find the stepping stones.”

It’s quite possible that you’ll feel a bit like that pastor when you hear and see what we want to share with you on this site. Our interpretation of the Bible may differ from what you’re traditionally accustomed to. Don’t let that make you break out in a sweat just yet; we’ll show you the stepping stones we’re walking on. And if you dare to walk along with us, set your own pace. If necessary, feel free to pause for a moment to reflect before moving on to the next stepping stone.

To start with the basics: What do we mean by “the Bible” on this site? And why is this site called Biblical Nations?

Step 1

By “the Bible,” we mean the book that is structured like a library containing 66 different books. At least, that is how it is in the Protestant circles in which we move; the Roman Catholic Bible includes seven more books. The dates of these 66 books sometimes differ by many centuries. So far, nothing new.
But here’s a starting point for you: we also note that all these books are part of the cultural heritage of the people of Israel. Let’s pause for a moment to reflect on that.

All the books of the Bible contain aspects of the ever-unfolding history of the people of Israel. They deal with their identity, their faith, and their traditions; they deal with their past, their present, and their hopes for the future. To this day, discussions about the meaning of biblical texts continue in Jewish study centers. For them, the oral tradition dating back to Moses and Aaron—often recorded in written texts as well—is just as important. On this site, we will therefore pay close attention to the interpretations of biblical texts as they have been presented in Jewish circles throughout the centuries.

Perhaps it’s a bit like a biography. It’s never possible to write down everything that happened in a person’s life—or everything that’s important for a proper understanding—in a biography. However, the moment you meet the subject of the biography—the living voice—you hear so much more and understand even better the context in which the written words must be understood.
Now, the entire Bible was written by Jews—more on that in a moment—and so it is important to know what biblical words and concepts mean within the context of Jewish traditions.

Step 2

What stands out in Jewish study groups is the realization that no one can ever claim to have a monopoly on the truth. Consequently, there is always discussion among them, and opinions sometimes diverge widely.
It is a typically Jewish approach to illuminate various aspects of a particular topic through narrative examples. This narrative style is also what makes the Bible such a fascinating book to read. We just need to remember that these stories are all intended to illustrate certain aspects. And everyone is familiar with Bible stories that appear two or even three times in the Bible; it is precisely the differences between them that deserve special attention—think, for example, of the different accounts in the Gospels.

What the lively and sometimes heated discussions in Jewish circles have in common is that every speaker and storyteller is existentially connected to Jewish traditions. Each speaks from his or her own relationship with God—or, in other words, tries to convey something of the Voice of God that seeks people’s hearts through words.

Probably the biggest point of disagreement within Jewish circles is reflected in the organization of the Bible.
The 66 books are divided into two groups: 39 books belong to the so-called “Old Testament,” and 27 books are included in the so-called “New Testament.” But let’s not be mistaken: the “New Testament,” too, was written entirely by Jews and based on Jewish tradition!
It is important to realize that the authors of what is now called the “New Testament” never actually knew of a “New Testament” themselves. They all lived by the only “Testament” that existed and still exists—the “Testament” that also shaped the life of Jesus: the 39 books of the “Tanakh”; that is what these books are called in Jewish circles. Only the “Tanakh”—or “Moses and the Prophets”—contains the words of which, according to Jesus, not one iota or tittle will ever pass away.
The division into “Old” and “New” when referring to the word “Testament” is therefore open to revision.

Step 3

The word “Testament” doesn’t really help much in terms of understanding either. For centuries, Latin was the language spoken in the church. And who even knows that “Testamentum” is the Latin translation of the Hebrew word“Berith”?
That is what all 66 books of the Bible are about: the Berith, that is, the “Covenant.” And by that is meant the covenant that God once made with Abraham, which He has repeatedly reaffirmed and renewed, and which He has called eternal. The entire Bible revolves around this covenant between God and the people of Israel, as well as the significance of this covenant for all the nations of the earth.
For that is what makes this covenant—and the entire Bible—so special: although it is entirely part of Israel’s cultural heritage, its words are intended for all nations.

And that last point explains the title we have chosen for this site. Israel and all the nations can be called “biblical nations.” We mean this in the sense that God has all the nations in mind in the Bible. Whether the peoples of the earth see themselves as such and feel addressed as such is highly questionable. But in principle, the nations cannot avoid defining their relationship to Israel, including the “biblical body of thought” that was put into writing within the circles of this people.

Step 4

Finally, one more point that should also be counted among the “stepping stones”: the way we read—and therefore quote—the Bible! Apart from the Jews themselves, virtually everyone reads the Bible in their own language. That is the work of translators. But translation is extremely complicated. You always lose something of the original language, and a translated word sometimes takes on additional meanings that the original language did not intend. Moreover, translators are influenced by their own culture and tradition; they may think they have understood the text from their own perspective, but is it also the Jewish perspective and tradition? What, for example, are we to make of the fact that rabbis say there is not a single European language that correctly renders the Hebrew word *korban* ? In virtually all Bible translations, that word is rendered as “sacrifice,” but that is not what it is—certainly not in its pagan sense.
No one can escape their own interpretation, not even us on this site. But when it comes to the Tanakh, we want to stay as close as possible to the meaning of the Hebrew words—and to their Jewish interpretation.

It is high time now to delve into the story the Bible tells—the story that the people of Israel “gave” to the nations of the world for a good reason, even long before the “New Testament” existed.