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Part of
A World Atlas of Translation
Edited by Yves Gambier and Ubaldo Stecconi
[Benjamins Translation Library 145] 2019
► pp. 193–214

Chapter 9
Traditions of translation in Hebrew culture

Throughout most of the history of Jewish communities worldwide, diglossia has been the rule rather than the exception. The history of Hebrew translation is hereby told from this special angle of Hebrew’s diglossic existence, encompassing both ‘classical’, genetically related diglossia (Hebrew/Aramaic, Hebrew/Arabic) and ‘extended’, non-genetically related diglossia (Hebrew/Greek, Hebrew/non-semitic Jewish Languages). Accordingly, the following overview is divided into two unequal parts: the first presents traditions of translation into Hebrew in its long-held diglossic state since biblical times to the end of Haskala, and the second, traditions originating and carried out in its ongoing non-diglossic state begun with the return to Eretz Israel in the late 19th century. It is within this context that the attitude towards translation as well as the significance of translation for Hebrew culture will be viewed.

Keywords: Hebrew, diglossia, ancient times, revival, independence
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Translation born of diglossia
    • 2.1The biblical period
    • 2.2The mishnaic and talmudic periods: Enter the translator
    • 2.3The Middle Ages
    • 2.4The haskala : Jewish Enlightenment
    • 2.5The center shifts to Eastern Europe
  • 3.The non-diglossic era
    • 3.1Back to Eretz Israel
    • 3.2The State years: Normalization and institutionalization
    • 3.3Translated literature: Norms and repertoire
    • 3.4The rise of translation studies
  • 4.Epilogue
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 5 February 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.145.09ben
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