Judah, Judea

The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)


“Judah” and “Judea” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

See also Judah.

Jerusalem

The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Translation commentary on 2 Maccabees 1:1

The Jewish brethren in Jerusalem and those in the land of Judea, To their Jewish brethren in Egypt: The word brethren (brothers) is used in the wider sense of people (not merely men) bound together by a common faith and history. Good News Bible, which says simply “From the Jews of Jerusalem and Judea to those in Egypt,” misses this important element. The point does not need to be made twice, but we may say “The Jews of Jerusalem and the land of Judea write this letter to their fellow-Jews [or, their brothers and sisters] of the land of Egypt.” A general term such as “relatives” or “kinfolk” is possible if it does not suggest a close blood relationship. The problem can be eased somewhat by using first and second person references rather than the third person (see the model below). Revised Standard Version follows the Greek by saying the land of Judea. Ordinarily Good News Bible inserts such identifications (for example, “the land of” and “the city of”) where the Greek does not have it. We suggest translators follow Revised Standard Version here, and also identify “the land of Egypt,” especially since this is the first verse of the book.

Greeting, and good peace: The words for Greeting and peace are expected at the opening of a Greek letter, but good peace is unusual. It may reflect the hard times the Egyptian Jewish community was undergoing (see verses 5-6). New Jerusalem Bible says “untroubled peace” and New American Bible “true peace,” which are appropriate renderings. An alternative model for this whole greeting is “We greet you and wish you true peace.”

From verse 2 onward, the letter in Greek uses the first person plural to refer to the writers and speaks to the recipients in the second person plural. A possible model that does this for verse 1 is:

• We, the Jews of Jerusalem and the land of Judea send greetings to our brothers and sisters in the Jewish community in the land of Egypt. We wish you real peace.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.