THE ORIGINAL BIBLE PROJECT

This new and growing site chronicles the efforts of a group of scholars (led by editor and chief translator Dr. James W. Tabor, Chair of the Religion Department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte) who are undertaking "a decades-long effort to produce an entirely new and independent English translation of both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament known as the Transparent English Bible (TEB)." Early on, Dr. Tabor provided four reasons as to how this translation will be different and important:

1. "This will be the first Bible ever produced which will put all the books of both the Old Testament and the New Testament in their proper, original, manuscript order. Although the number and content of the books remains the same, their grouping and order will be significantly different. This order, once restored, will immediately reveal an amazing pattern and form to the entire collection of scriptures that has been completely lost in all modern versions."
2. "The English translation will be impeccably accurate. To whatever degree is possible this translation will avoid interpretation, while still reflecting the best standards of modern Biblical scholarship."
3. "This version will be refreshingly non-ecclesiastical. By adhering to an absolutely literal translation method (for example, the word 'atonement' simply means 'covering,' while the word 'angel' literally means 'messenger'), the theological baggage of centuries of church-dominated translations will be thrown off."
4. "This Bible will be filled with extensive textual, and linguistic notes. These notes will be unlike any found in the typical 'Study Bible' on the market. They will not be theologically or doctrinally oriented, nor will they attempt to interpret the meaning of a given text. They will provide the reader with background on matters of vocabulary, grammar, and textual readings."