User:Mattp1260/sandbox/Real Bible Translation

Real Bible Translation is a syntactical-literal and etymological-literal translation of the Hebrew Bible. It is the first translation project in history to use a reverse-translation methodology and capitalizes on unbiased computational linguistics and algorithmic power. While translation and interpretation itself is a culmination of long scholarly traditions and textual criticism trends, the RBT circumnavigates all these traditions to explore the embedded patterns in word-tokens, etymological root trees, syntactical behaviors, statistical analysis, literary device, frequency, structure, and more.

The RBT stands in the middle between two vast fields of traditional biblical research. On the one hand is the ancient Hebrew language as a dead and extinct language that can never be fully understood as the minds of its authors are forever lost to time, and on the other is the Hebrew language as a "living book" which requires divine powers to comprehend. Today, computational linguistics can be used to unveil its own "interpretations" and reveal things that have never been seen or understood.

Computational Linguistics is a very new field of research in the world of language. Modern computer power, data analytics, machine learning, and powerful programming environments have opened the door allowing us to research and understand ancient texts and dead languages in ways never thought possible. One example is a machine-learning project at MIT’s CSAIL to help decipher lost languages.

Live Translation
As a fully digitized "translation" no single word, phrasal construct, or definition is fixed as is the case with a published Bible. All possibilities of sentence, phrase, and word-token definition remain open and instantly editable. Attributes and features such as word categories, classes, and type-token differences can be instantly added to the translation as research analysis progresses, and versions, updates, and corrections are tracked much like a software program.

Goal and Methodology
The goal of the RBT project is not to publish another Bible translation but to develop an online reader and editing platform to allow for instant versioning and updating of the text. The translation methodology of the RBT is essentially in reverse of normal translation practice such that the ancient Hebrew is not interpreted into English word-tokens, but rather English word-tokens are interpreted into the ancient Hebrew. This means every Hebrew word-token is assigned only one English equivalent translation rather than translated into dozens of different, subjective ways. As word analysis progresses and new patterns emerge or discoveries are made, a word can updated instantly with the best-fitting, most accurate English word-token that we have to create a truly immerse the reader into the thought patterns and minds of its writers thousands of years ago.

One example is the waw-conjunctive which is normally translated as "and" but sometimes might be translated as "or", or "but" so that the modern mind can make sense of what they are reading. However, this is forcing ancient thought patterns into modern thought patterns. With reverse-translation methodology, the RBT forces modern thought patterns into ancient ones. Hence, every waw-conjunctive is translated the same, "and".

Technologies
The RealBible Project is an ongoing research and translation project of the Hebrew text utilizing computer technologies such as Python and the Text-Fabric Python module, Panda data manipulation, matplotlib, natural language processing tools, and the BHSA datagraph built by the Eep Talstra Centre for Bible and Computer based in Amsterdam. The RealBible Project is not affiliated with any religious sect, denomination, or confession.