Sea

I highly recommend The Jewish Study Bible (or via: amazon.co.uk). Also from Oxford! It uses the well respected NJPS translation. Commentary in this study edition does not shy away from critical notes.

For Christian Bibles, I favor the NASB and NAB. The latter includes the "Catholic" Old Testament canon.

Google Books version of The Jewish Study Bible. (Much of it is available in the Preview.)
Bible Gateway includes the NASB translation.
New American Bible online.

avi

Yes, I too have failed to locate an online ability to search Vaticanus, and, therefore, yes, that is why I have singled out Sinaiticus.

It is my understanding, taken on faith, that Vaticanus also has no copy of John 8: 1-8, and also has no "mou" in John 14:28, nor in John 10:30. I understand that it also has the "original", i.e. short ending for Mark. I am only repeating gossip. I don't have any first hand experience studying anything but Sinaiticus.

oholycheerio

Thank you all for the responses! They are very helpful.

I do like the idea of a companion text that provides an in depth look at historical context and translation issues, such as the New Oxford Annotated has. I am leaning towards this version, but am open to further suggestions.

I wonder if there is a Quran that has a companion similar to the New Oxford Bible's... That would be very nice.

It's very convenient that the Quran Tammuz posted and the Sinaiticus avi recommended are online, but I would also like a quality hard copy text to keep for non-online study. My eyes dislike long periods of staring at the computer screen.

I have heard about the tendency toward gender neutrality in the NRSV... Do conservative Christians tend to dislike this simply because it is different from the translations they may be used to despite it being a more accurate translation, or is it really a political correctness issue within the translation? I would hope it is translated this way in order to be truer to the original text. :huh:

steve_bnk

The editors translators acknkowlege they intentionaly softened the patriarchal tone. Tne good hing is the comentary generaly desribes the appaorrach taken for a given translation and why, often with alternate possibibilties for translation and interpretation.

avi

If you seek "truer to the original text", then Sinaiticus is your only route. All of the English language bibles, all of them, include John 8:7, with the famous quote: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." None of the existing translations is as close to the ink drying on the original manuscript, as Sinaiticus.

So print out the English translation of Sinaiticus! There may be a printed version sold, perhaps through the British Museum? I don't look at it for more than ten minutes anyway, so eye fatigue is not my problem. My problem is brain fatigue, and dreary intellectual scope. Reading books is equally difficult for me, as reading text on a video monitor. Understanding that text is far more difficult, in my experience, than absorbing the material on first encounter, whether that initial exposure comes from ink on paper, or ascii characters on a video monitor.

One advantage of using the internet, is that search engines permit one to branch away from the main topic, on to another, closely related subject. This deviation from the prescription, permits juxtaposition of a relatively dull topic, with one of greater interest. In the case of pericope adulterae, for example, i.e. John 8:7, one may wish to inquire whether or not this beautiful story is also repeated by Tertullian? Tertullian's work is not in the Oxford Bible, or any other bible. It is accessible, however, from Roger's excellent web site. A couple of mouse clicks, and one has departed from the realm of biblical study, and entered the realm of "patristic" studies....hmm.