There is a “new” old book displayed on top of the bookshelves in Sulanke Commons. It is The Concordant Version of the Sacred Scriptures (Revised, 1930). This book contains the original Greek version of the New Testament with the direct English translations of the Greek words and phrases shown under the Greek text. The author also provides an English prose version of the text organized into the chapters and verses we are used to seeing, along with extensive notes about the scripture.
Clearly, this book was intended as an aid to serious Bible study. According to inscriptions on the inside cover, it was acquired in 1938 by Dr. Daugherty, who gave it to Rev. Sulanke in 1956. It was passed to Pastor Sharon Lang in 1995. She gave it to her nephew, Brandon Bruning, a Bible scholar, who has now brought it back to Hazelwood.
Historical notes: The Old Testament was originally written primarily in Hebrew, with a couple of the books written in Aramaic. Aramaic was the main language spoken by Jesus and his Jewish contemporaries. The New Testament was originally written in Greek, which had been the main spoken and written language used throughout the Middle East since the conquests of Alexander the Great. At this time, most Jews lived outside of what had been Israel. The Romans had destroyed the Temple and much of Jerusalem, during the First Jewish-Roman War (66-70 AD) and forbidden Jews from living in Jerusalem following the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132-136 AD).
