Zealot

The Greek that is typically translated as “Zealot” in English is translated in Noongar as Mammarap Karni Judea-kang or “True Man of Judea.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)

In British Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines the signs for “stubborn” and “passionate.” (Source: Anna Smith)


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

See also Cananaean.

Thomas

The name that is transliterated as “Thomas” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the sign signifying “doubt” (referring to John 20:25). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Thomas” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

In German Sign Language it is a sign that points fingers to the side of the body, referring to John 20:27.


“Thomas” in German Sign Language (source: Taub und katholisch )

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also The Confession of Thomas (icon) and Thomas with the risen Christ (image).

Matthew

The term that is transliterated as “Matthew” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that combines the sign “M” with the sign for tax, referring to Matthew 9:9. This sign was adopted from Kenyan Sign Language. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Matthew” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

See also tax collector.

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: The Apostle Matthew .

Peter

Following is a Armenian Orthodox icon of Peter (found in the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shusha, Azerbaijan).

Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

Following is a hand colored stencil print on momigami of Peter by Sadao Watanabe (1970):

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe. For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “key” (referring to Matthew 16:19). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Peter” or “Cephas” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “rock,” referring to the meaning of the Greek word for “Peter.”


“Peter” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Peter – rock.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Peter .

John (the disciple)

The term that is transliterated as “John (the disciple)” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign for the letter J and the sign signifying “beloved,” referring to John 13:23 et al. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“John” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with a sign that depicts John’s head resting on Jesus’ chest, referring to John 13:23.


“John” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with with the sign for “young.” This refers to the traditional belief that he was the youngest of the apostles and the fact that he was younger than his brother James (see relative age of James and John. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“John” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also John the Evangelist (icon).

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: The Apostle John .

Judas (the disciple)

The term that is transliterated as “Judas” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign for the letter J and the sign signifying holding a bag of money, referring to John 12:6. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Judas” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with with the sign for “kiss,” referring to Matthew 26:49 et al. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Judas” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Painting by Nalini Jayasuriya (1927 – 2014). “Jayasuriya grew up in Sri Lanka and later studied art in England. She experimented with many forms of art hut is best known for her acrylic and pastel paintings on Biblical themes. She has written extensively on art subjects and held many exhibitions. In her painting of Judas the tortured face of the disciple reflects some of the complexities of the man who betrayed Jesus.” (Source for this and the image: The Bible Through Asian Eyes by Masao Takenaka and Ron O’Grady 1991)

See more images of Nalini Jayasuriya.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Judas .

complete verse (Acts 1:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 1:13:

  • Uma: “Upon arriving at the town, they went straight to their dwelling house, ascended going to the room on top / above. The names of those apostles of the Lord Yesus [were]: Petrus, Yohanes, Yakobus and Andreas, Filipus and Tomas, Bartolomeus and Matius, Yakobus child of Alfeus, Simon the Zelot person, and Yudas child of Yakobus.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When they arrived at Awrusalam, they proceeded and went up to the room where they were staying. They were Petros, Yahiya, Yakub, Andariyas, Pilip, Tomas, Bartolome, Mateo, Yakub the son of Alpa, Simon called the Challenger, and Judas also the son of Yakub (another Yakub).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when they arrived in Jerusalem, they returned to the room up above in the house of two stories, and there they stayed. These were Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, Simon Silotes, and Judas the child of James.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When they arrived in Jerusalem, they went to the house where-they -were-staying-temporarily, and they entered the room above. They were Pedro, Juan, Santiago, Andrew, Felipe, Tomas, Bartolome, Mateo, James the child of Alfeus, Simon who was called Patriota because he showed-concern-for (lit. hurt-for) his country, and Judas the child of James.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “On their arriving at the city, they went straight to the house where they were lodging and went up to a room upstairs where they were staying. They were Pedro, Juan, Santiago and Andres, Felipe and Tomas, Bartolome and Mateo, Santiago who was the son of Alfeo, Simeon the Cananeo, and Judas who was the son of Santiago.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 1:13

In some languages it is difficult to say entered Jerusalem, since one only enters an enclosure, such as a house or temple, and cities are not in this same class of enclosed objects. Under such circumstances one can “go to,” “arrive at,” or even “walk past the borders of.”

The room is literally “the room upstairs,” and this word is used elsewhere in the New Testament only in Acts 9.37, 39 and 20.8. The type of room referred to is a tower-like construction built on the flat roof of an oriental house and reached by a stairway from the outside. Nothing further is known regarding the identity of this particular room.

Staying translates a word that is often used in the papyri to refer to a temporary residence as opposed to a place of permanent residence. One may need to translate as “where they were remaining temporarily” or even “where they were living for a short time.”

The problems of transliteration of proper names are entirely too complex to be treated in this passage, and by the time one has come to Acts basic decisions on transliteration must have already been worked out.

As can be seen clearly from the Greek text, the names in this list are grouped in a rather unusual way. The first four names form a unit, while the next four names are paired off, and the following three are listed in a series with special identification. The Good News Translation has attempted to reproduce something of this structure, but in a form much more natural than the literal rendering employed in the Revised Standard Version.

The Patriot identifies Simon as a member of the Zealot party, a group of Jewish nationals who advocated the violent overthrow of Roman rule. Judas is the son of James and not the brother of James, as some translations have it. There is nothing in the New Testament which permits one to identify this Judas with Judas the brother of James in Mark 6.3 or Jude 1.

For many languages there is a ready equivalent of “patriot,” but in certain instances a descriptive phrase must be employed, for example, “one who wanted independence for his country” or “one who opposed the foreign rulers of his country.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .