Why is this Necessary?

I teach Jewish History and other subjects at my synagogue.

I began this project after deciding to distribute the audio of some of my classes on Jewish History in the Biblical Period.  Usually, I have used the JPS 1985 translation of the text as a basis for discussion in my classes.  I read a good portion of the text aloud in the class, which is a fair use of the work, but distributing the audio would have entered into a grey area where I may have been in violation of the JPS copyright on their translation.


Basically, if you want to teach, audio record your courses, or publish a commentary, you either need to create your own translation or get permission of the copyright holder.


So, I began to search for public domain bible translations, which could be read aloud in class - and still distribute the audio.  There are a few available, but there is nothing from a Jewish source, except the 1917 JPS edition, which is in public domain.  The problem with the 1917 JPS is that for various historical reasons, its translation style is based on the King James version of the Bible.  I just don't think the archaic language works in the context of modern adult Jewish education.

So, for the purpose of a class on Bereshit I am teaching in the fall, I decided to modernize the language of the 1917 JPS, spot checking the original Hebrew to make certain my edits don't go too far afield from the original.

I am sharing my work with a Creative Commons Attribution license, which means that you can use this work for any purpose, commercial or non-commerical, you can modify it and even copyright your derivative work.  The only real restriction on its use is that you must properly attribute the work when you use it.

I am launching this site with the first 24 chapters of Genesis complete and hope to have the whole book finished by the end of August.  I am enjoying the work and if there is significant interest I plan to continue to modernize other books - at least through the Genesis - Kings narrative.

Thanks