2 © 2009 • <strong>Hebrew</strong>sToday.com
Word from the Editors Changing the Way People View the Sacred Scriptures To most people when they hear or read the punitive and retaliatory acts that are attributed to the prophet Moses for consequences <strong>of</strong> an accident that are written in the modern versions <strong>of</strong> the Bible, they cringe reading the revengeful teachings <strong>of</strong> “life for a life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound and stripe for stripe.” 1 Like a gossip line, the story got twisted and is NOT what the original intent <strong>of</strong> the message conveyed to the reader <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hebrew</strong>. Scholars have allowed for multiple centuries a very critical <strong>Hebrew</strong> word to remain untranslated within the text, purposefully skipping a word that if they had paid attention to it, that understanding would solve the correct understanding <strong>of</strong> this matter. The <strong>Hebrew</strong> word תחת tcht according to scholars means a ‘Levite, a station in the wilderness.” 2 The scholars connect this word in use to the ceremonies <strong>of</strong> healing gate 3 . The ancient Levite priesthood was an order <strong>of</strong> physicians with specialty departments just as today. The proper translation should be what it means instead <strong>of</strong> a direct translation for example <strong>of</strong> ‘tooth Levite.’ The new understanding reads: “…Breathing, a Pulmonary specialist, tooth injury, a Dentist, eye injury, an Ophthalmologist, hand injury a 1 Exodus / Shemot 21:23-25 2 BDBG p. 1066 תחת 3 Ibid. תחתים חרשי hand specialist, leg injury, an orthopedist, burning, a burn specialist, Internal matters for a Internist…” 4 The same related root word is תחיה tchih deals with revival and resurrection from death. 5 The context <strong>of</strong> the preceding verses <strong>of</strong> this segment <strong>of</strong> Sacred Scriptures for example, is discussing the damages from an assault, battery or manslaughter. 6 Today many individuals especially from an accident would view their physicians as ‘saving them from death.’ How many have ‘died on the table’ and were revived, having been rescued from death? We have these expressions today. The Sacred Scriptures in the original does not have the main tenor <strong>of</strong> theme that the current modern translations convey to the modern readers worldwide. Today the modern reader wrongly views the ancient Levites as barbeque experts when they were skilled physicians <strong>of</strong> specialty training. It is time for a change, a healthy change, a time to read and understand the original intent as a medical treatise. Instead <strong>of</strong> a revengeful and retaliatory act <strong>of</strong> dysfunctional people, this research has identified a coherent series <strong>of</strong> instructions for healing and remaining healthy. 4 Exodus 21: 23-25 translation 5 M. Jastrow Sefer Molim Dictionary, p. 1661. 6 Exodus / Shemot 21:22 © 2009 • <strong>Hebrew</strong>s Today.com • 3