Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 37, No. 112.
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        Date: 2023-06-17 07:46:46+00:00
        From: Ken Friedman <ken.friedman.sheji@icloud.com>
        Subject: Re: [Humanist] 37.110: that thesis: Knuth's book

Dear Manuela,

Those with a foundation on theology understand that the Bible is marked by
different editions, variant readings, multiple translation. There are even
different canons for Judaism — and for the several Christian traditions that
have their own versions of what belongs in the Old Testament or with it in the
Apocrypha. Then there are all the different Christian versions of the New
Testament — Lutheran, Catholic, the Eastern churches large and small.

So when you ask which 3:16 verses Knuth used, it’s a reasonable question, but
somewhat meaningless. If you read the book, you’ll see that he studied different
versions of the Bible to develop his own English translation of each verse. He
explains it in an afterword on pp. 246-251. Knuth himself points to it at the
start (p.9): “There’s an Afterword, following the section on Revelation 3:16,
that discusses my own conclusions about this experiment. But please, read the
main part of this book first.” Knuth is suggesting that we do what judicious
scholars always do: read the material before we raise our questions.

Knuth didn’t just grab a single Bible and go to work. His five-year journey from
conception to book took him through the resources of The Boston Public Library,
Harvard University Library, and Stanford University Library along with visits to
the Bodleian Library, and Yale University Divinity School Library, and the
libraries of Westminster Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary,
the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, and St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo
Park.

To my mind, this work warrants the status of scientific inquiry. You don’t have
to agree with me. Nevertheless, it seems prudent to read the book before
questioning its value.

Yours,

Ken Friedman


> Dear all,
>
> what an interesting book (Knuth’s one)! I didn't know of its existence.
> I'm sure it's a good way to feed my eyes and my spirit. However I'm not
> sure of its scientific aspect.
>
> 3:16… of what? Of a critical edition of the Tanakh? 3:16 of the
> Septuagint? Of the Vulgate?
>
> And what about the greek additions to the meghillat Ester (just to give
> an example): are they included in the verse count or not?
>
> And what about the book of psalms? It has a double numeration… Which is
> the chosen one and why? And what about the book of Isaiah? According to
> Qumran or not? This list could go on and on…
>
> The numbering of the chapters and verses of the Bible is merely
> conventional and also varies considerably from one edition to another;
> what's the point of extrapolating 3:16?
>
> Best regards,
>
> Manuela Ferroni

>>        From: Ken Friedman <ken.friedman.sheji@icloud.com>
>>        Subject: Re: [Humanist] 37.103: that thesis
>>

>> Knuth, Donald E. 1991. 3: 16 Bible Texts Illuminated. Middleton,
>> Wisconsin: A-R Editions, Inc.
>>
>> In this book, Knuth examined every “3:16” verse in the Bible. That is,
>> he studied and wrote about Genesis 3:16, Exodus 3:16, Leviticus 3:16 and
>> so on through the Old Testament. Then he went on through the New Testament
>> from Matthew 3:16 to Revelation 3:16.
>>
>> The publisher describes the book this way: “What happens when a
>> world-renowned computer scientist applies scientific methodology to studying
the
>> Bible, writes about his findings, and has some of the world's best
calligraphers
>> illustrate the work? The result is 3:16 Bible Texts Illuminated, a treasure
of
>> profound biblical insight and enchanting calligraphy that will enlighten your
>> mind, your eyes, and your spirit. Donald E. Knuth so loved the Bible that he
>> dedicated five years of his life to creating this masterpiece. With it, you
will learn
>> about each 3:16 verse of the Bible, how it came to be written, and how it
>> contributes to the wholeness of the Bible.”
>>
>> A fascinating work that bridges humanities with a scientific and
>> possibly computational approach.


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