The (New) Jerusalem Bible was recommended to me by a Latin & Greek scholar, as being the best-available scholastic translation of the actual texts - without being strongarmed by precedent or doctrinal issues.  Would you say that's correct,  or was I misled?  For example, I believe it avoids C19th Bowdlerisms like "she knew not a man", and translates what's in the original instead.

No modern version says that.  NRSV says "he (Joseph) had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son."  JB has "though he had not had intercourse with her, she gave birth to a son."  NIV has "But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son"

No modern translations would have "knew not a man."  The interesting thing is that JB, being catholic, can be interpreted as consistent with the perpetual virginity of Mary. whereas NRSV and NIV imply the possibility that Joseph and Mary did have sex eventually.

I rather like the term "to know" for the most initmate possible of human relations.  It's not a C19 Bowdlerism.  Its Tudor prose from a time when people were more forthcoming about life.  It is the only term I know for sexual relations which is not either violent or clinical, although the NIV's union has a lot going for it.

Hi, IRF, how's life up on the Northumbrian coast, where the Lindisfarne Gospels where written, come to think of it?

Pondering over it, as you are interested in the Bible as literature and cultural artifact, you might as well stick to the Authorised Version, at least for the purple passages.  The trouble is, you need to know the purple passages first.

There are two sorts of books in the Bible, those that are narrative and those that are not, ie legislation, prophets and Wisdom in the OT and letters in the NT.  The narratives are OK, but the others are off putting without some way in.  Isaiah can look daunting (the longest book in the Bible, IIRC) but has wonderful bits.  Some would say  you need to know the political and historical situation of the prophecies, and that does give a handle.  However I am coming to think we don't know for sure what those circumstances are in most cases, so we can appreciate them for themselves.

The psalms are wonderful.

Let us know how you get on.

Blake certainly illustrated Job.  Full of AV purple passages  (the final chapters in particular), but I need a modern version to get hold of the debate.

The opening chapters of Proverbs are wonderful.  The final chapter describing the Good Wife I thought was irredeemably sexist (A good wife, who can find? She is more precious than rubies.  Her husband will call her blessed) but does celebrate a tough resilience in everyday circumstances. 

The chapters in between are trite: the good are very good and the wicked are very wicked, seems to sum up the message.

The opening chapter or two or Ezekiel have a surreal power. 

I'd have thought you'd particularly like Ruth, anty.

The first three gospels are the centre of it although the beginning and end of John are essential.

Well, as somebody pointed out some years ago, it is the book that defines all the sins!

And don't forget the Wicked Bible
"Thou shalt commit adultery"!

Thank you all for the varied opinions.

Don Basilo you are right that I am interested in the Bible for its literary and historical/cultural content, not because I am planning to convert to Christianity. I was raised Christian, and read the Bible (not sure which version) cover-to-cover when I was younger but as a teenager I didn't have the appreciation of literature I do today and I certainly wouldn't have read something in the style of the AV for pleasure.

I'm getting the impression that it might be worth having two versions -- the AV to read as a work of literature and harmonyharmony's Oxford edition as a reference.


Blake... I have The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (illuminated). I've also seen his engravings from Job, though I don't recall where... in the British Library, I think. But I don't think I have ever come across engravings from the New Testament at all.

And I saw the Lindisfarne Gospels a few years ago when they were on loan to the region (grr... it should be the other way round!). Quite stunning work, really.

Don't apologise, now I've seen the site I can browse it at my leisure. Thanks