Paul

The term that is transliterated as “Paul” in English means “little.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In American Sign Language it is translated with a sign that signifies the many letters he wrote. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


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

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting putting away a sword, referring to his conversion from a persecutor of Christians to a Christian leader. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Paul (and Saul)” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign that is based on contemporary depictions and refers to the presumed baldness of the top of his head. The description originates from the 2nd-century apocryphal text titled Acts of Paul and Thecla , which represents the earliest and most detailed physical characterization of the apostle in Christian tradition (see also the icon below). (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)


“Paul” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Paul,” the second part refers to “apostle” (source )

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

Following is a Georgian Orthodox icon of Paul the Apostle from the 14th century (located in the Art Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi).

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 )

The following is a contemporary stained glass window from the Messiah Episcopal Church in St. Paul, Minnesota by Peter Dohmen. Individual glass pieces were made in Germany in accordance with Dohmen’s design, using a technique first developed by Irish monks in the 9th and 10th centuries.

Source for the image and description below: The Stained Glass Windows of Messiah Episcopal Church

“This window is dedicated to St. Paul, the great apostle and missionary, for whom our city is named. At the top of the window is a ship which symbolizes the many missionary journeys of Paul — the Church is our ship, which carries us over the way of life. In the lower section we see Paul on the road to Damascus when he saw a great light and heard our Lord’s voice, which called him to discipleship.”

Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Paul (source: Bible Lands 2012)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Paul .

Perga

The name that is transliterated as “Perga” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that combines “columns,” “street,” and “water” (the famous agora was surrounded by columns — see images in the link to Wikipedia below — and there were two aqueducts in the city). (Source: Missão Kophós )


“Perga” in Libras (source )

More information on Perga .

complete verse (Acts 13:13)

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

  • Uma: “From Pafos, Paulus and his companions boarded a ship going to the town of Perga in the land of Pamfilia. At that town, Yohanes Markus left them and returned going to Yerusalem.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then after Paul and company had preached there in Papos, they sailed for Perga, there in the country Pampiliya. When they arrived there, Yahiya Markus left them and he returned home to Awrusalam.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And as for Paul and his companions, they left there from the village of Paphos, and they got on a ship. And they went to the province of Pamphylia, there to the village of Perga. But as for John, on the other hand, he left them and he returned to Jerusalem.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When that was so, plural Pablo departed from Pafos, and they rode a ship that was going to Perga, a town in the province Pamfilia. When they arrived there, Juan Marcos left them and returned to Jerusalem,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “From Pafos, Pablo-and-companion sailed again. Where they next came ashore was Perga which was in the district of Panfilia. When they arrived there, Juan separated from them and went home to Jerusalem.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

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)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

Translation commentary on Acts 13:13

Perga was a city about eight miles inland from the coast; it is presumed that the missionaries landed at Attalia and made their way by land to Perga. However it is possible that they may have sailed up the Cestrus River for eight miles, disembarking at the river port of Perga about five miles from the city itself. Pamphylia was a very poor district lying between the Taurus mountains and the sea.

In a number of languages it is important to be quite specific about geographical relationships, and therefore in such languages one may be required to use a rather technical term for sailing from an island to the mainland, equivalent in some languages to “closed the straits.” If a term such as came would represent movement over land then it may be necessary to say “reached the coast and then went to Perga.”

Note also the problem of geographical viewpoint in words such as came and went. Most languages take the viewpoint of the individual who is traveling and therefore are more likely to say “went to Perga.” Similarly John Mark would “go back to Jerusalem,” or since he had been there before and this was his home it would be “returned to Jerusalem.”

No reason is given as to why John Mark left them there and went back to Jerusalem and speculations lead nowhere.

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 .