Wednesday, April 18, 2012

What should Jews call the Christian Bible?

PHILOLOGOS: What Should We Call Christian Bible?
Should Jews shun the use of “New Testament” as they should that of “Old Testament”? Logically, the answer would appear to be yes. After all, if “Old Testament” implies the existence of a New Testament, “New Testament” implies the existence of an Old Testament. And yet as a Jew, my feelings don’t agree with my logic. “Old Testament” grates on me; “New Testament” doesn’t. Perhaps this is because the “Old Testament” (though it is also sacred to Christianity) is my book and I don’t want Christians telling me what to call it, whereas the New Testament (though there is much that is Jewish about it) is someone else’s and I’m quite willing to call it what they do. For that matter, I don’t much mind non-Jews saying “Old Testament,” either. It’s only from Jews — and especially those who love our Bible — that I would expect greater discrimination.
(HT Gerald Rosenberg.)