Jews in the Bible: A persistent anachronism

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to provide evidence for the claim that the Polish word ‘Żyd’ and its derivatives as used with reference to the “chosen people” taking part in the events described in the Bible is a linguistic anachronism. The word in its present graphic and phonetic shape had not come into existence before Middle Ages. As an anachronism it is inappropriate in the context of biblical events. Yet, it occurs not only in the language of contemporary Jewish people but also as an accepted term in biblical and Judaic studies. The article contains a number of examples of anachronistic Polish versions of the Bible. One can venture the claim that the anachronism in question significantly contributes to maintaining anti-Semitic attitudes, especially among certain groups of contemporary Christians.

Keywords

• jews
• translation
• the bible
• polish versions of the bible
• language anachronisms
• antisemitism