There’s a new perk up at the OMGWTFBIBLE Indiegogo! Now, if you donate $250 or more, you can be the official sponsor for an entire Exodus episode! That means you get a mug, a T-shirt, and you get an episode dedicated to you. Your name will be plastered all over it, you’ll get to chat with me for 30 minutes over Skype (or phone) beforehand, and you’ll get the official script used on stage. But hurry! There are only 11 of this perk available!
It looks like I’m going to have to start all over again. A group of scholars is working on something called “The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition,” aiming to finally redact all the wacky versions of the Hebrew Bible that have been floating around into one single, corrected text.
If this sounds confusing, it’s because it is. According to JTA News:
The text of the Hebrew Bible now being used descends from what is called the Masoretic text, which was assembled between the sixth and 10th centuries by Jewish scribes and scholars in present-day Israel and Iraq. But even among the various versions of the Masoretic text there are subtle differences.
Many of today’s printings of the Hebrew Bible come from the Second Rabbinic Bible, a text assembled in 16th-century Venice. The Jewish Publication Society uses the Leningrad Codex, which at approximately 1,000 years old is the oldest complete surviving text. Still others use the 10th-century Aleppo Codex, which the Torah scholar Maimonides praised for its accuracy but has been missing much of the Torah since a 1947 fire.
Contemporary scholars seeking to understand the history of the Hebrew Bible’s text utilize a range of other sources, including ancient Greek and Syriac translations, quotations from rabbinic manuscripts, the Samaritan Pentateuch and others. Many of these are older than the Masoretic text and often contradict it, in ways small and large.
You’ve probably heard me refer to these various texts and the differences between them on the show. It’ll be cool to have all the variations in one place. No word yet on whether the Orthodox communities are flipping out.
Have you heard of the Skeptic’s Annotated Bible? You really should check it out. It’s an incredible, mind-blowing project by Steven Wells where he went through the entire Bible (both Testaments), the Book of Mormon, and the Koran, and elucidated every single contradiction, inconsistency, bizarre passage, and inhuman verse he could find. Whether you’re a believer or not, it’s an incredible read and a very thorough reference. It was the basis for that beautiful map of the Bible’s contradictions I posted in August. And if you’re not an Internet person, there’s a beautifully-bound print version available for purchase.
Oh and Steve Wells tweeted about OMGWTFBIBLE, which is super-flattering!
Did you find out about OMGWTFBIBLE somewhere around episode 10 and listening to the whole thing seems a bit daunting? Wish you could catch up without listening to all 12 episodes? Now you can!
Introducing: Just the Bible Bits!
These king-sized episodes feature just the Bible readings from the first year of the show. Just the Bible Bits Part 1 is now available here and in the iTunes store. The first section contains chapter 1-6 and is just over 90 minutes. Part 2 will probably be around that long too.
Also, if you’ve been listening from the start and haven’t been able to cajole your friends/Rabbis/great-grandparents into giving this thing a shot, Just the Bible Bits is the perfect way for them to start. It’s chock-full of Bible goodness and total insanity!
Chapter 6 with special guest Steve DeSiena is out now! Get it in iTunes or with the direct download link below!
OMGWTFBIBLE 