When deciding to embark on such a massive project, the obvious choice was to embrace a rock solid translation that had already been completed by a large multi-denominational team of well educated scholars. There was only one clear choice as a base text to use for this project and the American Standard Version of 1901 was selected.
The American Standard Version (ASV) also known as the American Standard Bible (ASB) was first published in 1901. It has earned the reputation of being the Rock of Biblical Honesty. Although the English used in the original American Standard Version is somewhat archaic, it isn't nearly as hard to understand as the King James Version written three hundred years earlier. In other words, the base text of the American Standard Version of 1901 would be more accurate and easier to work with than the King James Version of 1611.
The American Standard Version New Testament was translated from the Textus Receptus (Received Text) series of the Greek texts. The Old Testament was translated from the Masoretic Hebrew text. The American Standard Version uses the Ben Hayyim edition of the Mikraot Gedolot published by Bomberg in 1524-25, which was used for the King James Version. Both the Old Testament text of the American Standard Version and that of the King James Version come from the ben Asher text which is commonly known as the Masoretic Text.
New discoveries of manuscripts of Old Testament books that date back earlier than those that were available and used at the time to translate the American Standard Version have been taken into consideration. Such text include the third edition of Rudolf Kittel's Biblia Hebraica, 1967/1977 Stuttgart edition of the Biblia Hebraica, as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Scripture can be corrected in instances where the older and more reliable text differ from younger less reliable text.
The Masoretic Text remain the source text used in the original American Standard Version which is the base text for the new translation. However, the Aramaic Peshitta Tanak, Aramaic Targums, Dead Sea Scroll Manuscripts, Greek Septuagint, and the Samaritan Pentateuch will be consulted. When there is evidence that suggest the Masoretic Text may be faulted in cases where several manuscripts originating from differing families of source text such as those mentioned above, all agree on a matter but differ from the Masoretic Text, the text can be corrected.
There is another example that provides the opportunity to correct what is not correct. There are 134 places in the Hebrew text where scribes had admitted in the Massorah (marginal notes to the Masoretic Text) to changing the name of the Almighty (Tetragrammaton) to the more common Adonai. In these instances the opportunity cries out to correct what was changed and to just leave the name of the Almighty in the original Hebrew Characters. A footnote will accompany every change.
The American Standard Version was compiled primarily from the Byzantine family of manuscripts frequently referred to as the Textus Receptus. But many of the newer translations have been produced using a composite of later discoveries of other manuscripts and fragments dating from an earlier period. Among such are The Alexandrian Family manuscripts which include the three oldest: The Codex Alexandrius, the Codex Vaticanus and the Codex Sinaiticus, all which were major contributors to most Bible versions after the King James version. Other important codices come from The Western Family, and the Caesarean Family of manuscripts.
What seems to be self-evident, is the older the Greek Manuscript you have, the closer you get to what the Aramaic and Hebrew manuscripts say. This is demonstrated in this example where the younger Greek Textus Receptus add everything in the brackets to 1st John 3:7-8 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, [the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth,] the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." Essentially the whole Christian trinity doctrine was added by way of Greek Source Text that had been corrupted over time.
There are many examples were Aramaic and Hebrew words get lost in translation from Aramaic and Hebrew to Greek. One clear example is the Aramaic and Hebrew word Mikvah. Every Israeli knows that Mikvah is an ancient Jewish custom which is when you immerse yourself three times forward in water every year during the Days of Awe. However, the Scripture lost all of it's meaning when it was translated into Greek and then into English as the word Baptize. Another example is the Aramaic and Hebrew word Mashiach which translated directly into English as Messiah but when translated through Greek it ends up as Christ which is a term reserved for the Greek Gods.
Rather than consult corrupted Greek source text that was first translated from Aramaic and Hebrew into Greek, then Greek into English, it is preferable to just go right to the source. The Scripture can easily be corrected in cases where the Aramaic and Hebrew source text differ from the Greek source text.
For all practical purposes, this is an Aramaic and Hebrew based New Testament. Rather than translate an entire New Testament and since we are already using an existing write, it is best to keep the language and writing style consistent between the Old Testament and New Testament so that is what was done. However, every single case where the Aramaic and Hebrew text is at odds with the Greek the Aramaic and Hebrew prevails.
The Aramaic text used is the most original autograph that modern scholars know of at time of publication, and most scholars agree that it is always best to translate from the oldest, most original text. When Greek New Testaments were going West, Aramaic texts were rapidly proliferating in the East; however, there is a marked contrast between the texts themselves. The Aramaic texts were maintained by scribes who had great reverence for each word, indeed each letter; but the same cannot be said of many Greek translations. No two Greek texts agree to the extent that over three-hundred and sixty Aramaic texts agree within the Peshitta family. Although the Khabouris Codex contains some minor differences within the Peshitta family, these differences are well footnoted and its accuracy is breath-taking. The base text is extremely trustworthy and has been reproduced with acute meticulousness for nearly two millennia.
The New Testament portion is titled as "Ketuvim Netzarim" (Writings of the Nazarenes) which is the original Hebraic name given to the New Testament. The New Testament books are also in the original manuscript order as such: The Gospels, Acts, James, 1st Peter, 2nd Peter, 1st John, 2nd John, 3rd John, Jude, then the Pauline Epistles, and finally Revelation. The titles of the books are in both their English and Hebraic names for ease of use. The books are also divided into two sections The B'sorah (Good News) and The Shlukhim (Apostles).
The original manuscript order had an important significance. It agreed with the precept that the message was to the Jews first and then to the Goyim (Gentiles). It also agrees with the concept that Peter, James, and John were apostles that come BEFORE Paul (Galatians 1:17) and with the concept that Peter, James, and John served as three pillars which lend authority upon which Paul's message was built (Galatians 2:9) and not vice-versa. The reader was intended to read the "Jewish" epistles FIRST and then to read the Pauline epistles already having understood the Jewish epistles.
The New Testament reader was intended to read the admonition of James concerning faith and works (John 2) as well as Peter's warnings about Paul being difficult to understand and often twisted (2nd Peter 3:15-16) before ever attempting to understand the writings of Paul.
Most notable will be the correction of all the names. It is improper to translate proper nouns, especially names, this is a fundamental rule of basic English grammer. An example of the many "blanket changes" or better said as "blanket correction" will be made on the overview page.
