First ever translation of the ENTIRE Hebrew and Greek Bible into Sign Language released today!

[1MKnight]

Just announced at the Florida American Sign Language RTO dedication that tonight the brothers will release the final part of the Hebrew Scriptures in American Sign Language. This is the first time known in history that the entire Bible has been translated into a sign language. 

 

We were also informed that there are currently 6 sign languages with the entire Greek Scriptures translated, and some 17 sign languages that have whole books of the Bible translated. 

[Brother_Bliss]

{moved to the Interchange of Encouragement forum since the announcement is of value to even non-members - Bob}

 

You beat me to the punch! I just received this text message from a friend...

 

"As of today, February 15, 2020, Jehovah's Witnesses have translated the entire Bible into American Sign Language. It took 15 years starting with the book of Matthew in 2005 and ending with the book of Job in 2020. It is the first complete sign language translation of the Bible in history."

 

[Stormswift]

Awesome ... even though I do NZSL i know a lot of the American Signs. This is so wonderful for the deaf community all over the world

[Stormswift]

PS: My avatar is the symbol for the NZSL Deaf community. Butterflies are silent but strong.

[Good-O]

1 minute ago, Stormswift said:

PS: My avatar is the symbol for the NZSL Deaf community. Butterflies are silent but strong.

I wondered about that avatar and could not figure it out!  Thanks for info.  Love butterflies.  

[1MKnight]

54 minutes ago, Stormswift said:

Awesome ... even though I do NZSL i know a lot of the American Signs. This is so wonderful for the deaf community all over the world

Brother Nicholas Ahladis was interviewed, he brought out one blessing of this ASL Bible being released is that ASL is used as a template, or pattern, for how to translate into other sign languages. When a branch starts to translate another sign language, they not only give the translators the English to use, but also the ASL (along with all of the questions the ASL Bible Translation team asked the brothers in the translation department) to aid in the translation of sign language material. 

 

This is not just a win for the deaf who use ASL, but will aid in spreading the truth in other sign languages as well. 

[Dages]

Halleluyah!

It's wonderful

 

[BenJepthah]

This is the very first complete translation of the Bible to ever be released in any form of Sign Language . Making the Bible accessible for millions of deaf persons worldwide and directly benefiting some 27,000 of our deaf brothers and sisters . 

[BenJepthah]

20 hours ago, 1MKnight said:

Just announced at the Florida American Sign Language RTO dedication that tonight the brothers will release the final part of the Hebrew Scriptures in American Sign Language. This is the first time known in history that the entire Bible has been translated into a sign language. 

 

We were also informed that there are currently 6 sign languages with the entire Greek Scriptures translated, and some 17 sign languages that have whole books of the Bible translated. 

Looks like you beat me to it! Isn’t it wonderful!

20 hours ago, Stormswift said:

PS: My avatar is the symbol for the NZSL Deaf community. Butterflies are silent but strong.

Wow ! I love that! 

[Luigi62]

https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/LatestVideos/pub-jwb_202002_10_VIDEO

[Mykyl]

As a hearing person can someone explain to this numpty why its needed?

They need eyes to see sign language, the same eyes they can read the actual text from the bible... I dont get it. 

 

 

 

[Hope]

39 minutes ago, Mykyl said:

As a hearing person can someone explain to this numpty why its needed?

They need eyes to see sign language, the same eyes they can read the actual text from the bible... I dont get it. 

 

 

 

Someone else will explain it better, but basically it's because English and ASL are two different languages. 

[Thesauron]

As a hearing person can someone explain to this numpty why its needed?
They need eyes to see sign language, the same eyes they can read the actual text from the bible... I dont get it. 
 
 
 

Two different languages, different grammar, different ways of thinking. When you can’t hear a language, the written form becomes strange and sometimes hard to make sense of. And many of them are used to reading signs since childhood. That is the language of their heart. And we want to reach their hearts.

[Luigi62]

1 hour ago, Mykyl said:

As a hearing person can someone explain to this numpty why its needed?

They need eyes to see sign language, the same eyes they can read the actual text from the bible... I dont get it. 

 

 

 

It’s similar to a hearing person listening to the audio bible.  A deaf person can watch the bible. 

[1MKnight]

1 hour ago, Mykyl said:

As a hearing person can someone explain to this numpty why its needed?

They need eyes to see sign language, the same eyes they can read the actual text from the bible... I dont get it. 

 

 

 

Imagine being trapped inside a sound-proof, glass box. Everyone outside does not speak English, they speak ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐁᐧᐃᐧᐣ You could see people speaking, but not hear them. You may attempt to read their lips, but it would be futile. It's a language you don't know. They could write out sentences for you, but you don't even know how to sound out the characters - and you never will. 

 

Eventually, you may start to have some rudimentary understanding of what they are trying to tell you, but you will never fully understand. You will never be able to fully communicate. There will always be a language barrier between you. 

 

Growing up deaf is similar, I've been told. Sign language is how deaf people naturally communicate. All over the world, if there are deaf people, there is sign language. Likely thousands of sign languages have developed independently of others. Anytime you have a group of deaf people in an area, they start to develop their own sign language if none is made available to them. Why? They only have their eyes to communicate to. 

 

Written language is dependent on the spoken language. Your understanding the written language depends on your understanding of the spoken language. This is why linguists who study dead languages (such as ancient Hebrew and Greek) have such a hard time, there is no spoken version of it to learn. 

 

If you watch the video @Luigi62 posted above, you will see that many deaf have struggled understanding written English.  

[LoneWanderer]

31 minutes ago, 1MKnight said:

Imagine being trapped inside a sound-proof, glass box. Everyone outside does not speak English, they speak ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐁᐧᐃᐧᐣ You could see people speaking, but not hear them. You may attempt to read their lips, but it would be futile. It's a language you don't know. They could write out sentences for you, but you don't even know how to sound out the characters - and you never will. 

You got here first, brother. While trying to find an answer to @Mykyl's question, I found the Watchtower article which used this expression about a glass box: ‘Jehovah Has Made His Face Shine Toward Them’ in  w August 15, 2009 p. 24-27 https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2009605

 

My grandfather was deaf, but as a kid I could really never communicate with him. My trouble with hand/eye coordination made it difficult to do the different signs so it was largely lip reading. But as explained, that is not the ideal way. My dad and my dad's sister knew some rudimentary signing so they could communicate with their father, but my dad always claimed he wasn't fluent in signing either. When I was growing up, there were a few hearing-impaired/deaf brothers and sisters who the program was interpreted to in one corner of the Kingdom Hall. This was before there were all these sign language publications or even groups and congregations. But I do look forward to seeing my grandfather alive on new paradise Earth with the effects of Adamic sin removed from all of us.

[Thesauron]

Version 4 of the JW Library Sign Language app, released on February 15, 2020, introduces a landmark new feature. With a single click or tap, sign-language users can view reference material, which will make it much easier for them to prepare for congregation meetings and do Bible research.

Users of the JW Library app have long been able to do research by using links to Bible citations or additional publications in an article without losing their place. However, this has been much more difficult for sign-language users because there has been no way to navigate automatically between a video article and its references.

With the JW Library Sign Language app, Version 4, references are shown as links. With a single tap, users can access additional reference videos and then easily return to the original video.

https://www.jw.org/en/news/jw/region/global/New-Feature-in-JW-Library-Sign-Language-App/