Theos-Talk Archives (April 1998 Message tt00045)

Jeffrey Michael Hoover <Jeffrey.Hoover@InternetMCI.com> writes
>Joleen & Group,
>
>Additionally, here is my own measuring stick:
>
>Any comments?

Yeah, verily! See below.
>
>Jeffrey
>
> ***********************************
> In traditional Judaism, the Shema affirms the oneness of God and the
>monotheism of Judaism. The first and second sections of the shema are taken
>from Moses' final advice to the Israelites on the eve of their entrance into
>the land of Canaan. The Statement "the Lord is One" is intended to remind the
>Israelites not to worship other gods and idols because their God is the one,
>true God who is above all other gods.

The Shema, in the original Hebrew, does not say "the lord is One".
Sorry. It says, literally, YHWH ACHAD, which as near as can
*accurately* be translated, comes out as "That Which Is is Unity."

This has great affinity with theosophical and/or Buddhist teachings.

Your references appear to come from the King James version of the
Protestant Bible, which all scholars now admit is not a good rendering
of the texts it uses [there are other versions, such as the Greek
Septuagint [LXX] and various Aramaic texts.

The most acceptable version of the "Common Bible" - accepted by
Protestants and Catholics - alike is, SFAIK, the New Revised
Standard Version.
--
A.M.Bain, D.D.