The History of Hebrew Translation

Hebrew is a member of the Semitic family of languages. It is hard to imagine a linguistic structure more different from the Latin language group. It’s written from right to left, spoken in a frenzy of throaty sounds we’d be hard-pressed to repeat, and its alphabet and grammar seem unfathomable to an English speaker. It may surprise many to learn that modern Hebrew is a product of centuries of European language influence on ancient Hebrew. Yet, even today, Hebrew is used as the language of religious rites, having retained the prestige of the ‘Holy Tongue’. Much like the use of the language itself, translation into Hebrew has been sporadic, marked by a series of revivals which coincided with Jewish migration to new territories.

Hebrew translation in ancient times

The most famous work supposedly originally written in Hebrew is the Bible. Yet, the Old Testament reveals a number of passages with clear traces of translation. Later on, in Israel and Egypt, where the Jews had settled, translation from Hebrew into Aramaic and Greek became popular, to make the Scriptures available to the less learned. Contemporary literature contains many observations on the nature of translation and its inferior status in the Jewish culture of the time.

Hebrew translation in the Middle Ages

Following Jewish migration to Christian territories in the twelfth century, translation into Hebrew resumed in medieval Europe. Interest in the achievements of Jewish scholarship resulted in numerous translations of Hebrew ‘works of wisdom’, or scientific texts. Jews were reluctant to practice ‘literary’ translation, considered inherently inferior. Medieval translators felt obliged to ask the reader's forgiveness for indulging in the act of translating Hebrew. The problematic image of translation in traditional Jewish culture stems from long-standing resistance to translating the Hebrew Scriptures.

The Evolution of Hebrew Translation during the Enlightenment

The Hebrew Enlightenment movement in the eighteenth century brought Jewish culture closer to the achievements of Central European cultures. It coincided with yet another territorial shift: the cultural center moved to Germany. There was virtually no chance of catching up with the civilized world without translating major scientific and literary work into Hebrew. Traditional apologetics were replaced by a conscious effort to highlight the power and versatility of the language. Yet, the language model available to translators was that of Old Testament. Given that Hebrew Enlightenment made its début in Germany, the local culture supplied texts and new models, especially since the Enlightenment also encouraged the mastery of German. The evolution of Hebrew translation during this time had an enormous impact on the development of modern Hebrew.

The Revival period of Hebrew translation

During the nineteenth century, the cultural center gradually moved out of Germany and into the Slavic region. In the 1800s, Russian culture had a strong effect on the ongoing evolution of Hebrew. It gradually replaced the German influences, and was to dominate the Hebrew culture for generations. This period, known as the Revival, had shaped Hebrew into the new Russified paradigm. Russian became the main source of texts translated into Hebrew. For the first time, a kind of simulated spoken Hebrew has emerged in prose fiction, to aid the translation of the new literature.

Modern trends of Hebrew translation in Israel

With the rise of Zionism and Jewish immigration to Palestine, the Hebrew cultural center began to shift back to the ancient homeland. Then, in the twentieth century, a similar group of immigrants from Eastern Europe established a new community in the United States. Many writers and translators fluent in English later moved to Palestine, where English was widely used as a legacy of the British mandate. English soon became the main source language in Hebrew translation. Yet, only recently the full gamut of existing linguistic options began to appear in Hebrew translations.

Today, Hebrew translators have risen to a new level of professionalism. Bar-Ilan University was the first to offer a specialized program in Hebrew translation. In 1973, Tel Aviv University established a Chair of Translation Theory where research and publications continue to evolve the art of Hebrew translation. Other institutions promote the translation of Hebrew literature into other languages. Various awards are offered to encourage translation into Hebrew. The new Israeli Translators Association, established in 1980, has been affiliated with FIT since 1987.

About the author: Helena Lofgren is a Web Content Specialist for Innuity, Inc. in Redmond, Washington. Need a professional translation service to relieve you of translating Hebrew, or any other language? Learn about The Big Word and its versatile advantages.