A Major Translation Problem: Failure to Distinguish between the Jerusalem Temple and the Temple Compound.

The western tradition of Bible translation has failed, in the New Testament, to distinguish between the temple and the temple complex, and it often fails, in the Old Testament, to distinguish between the temple complex and the Holy Place within the temple. Furthermore, its temple terminology is inconsistent between the two testaments. Some modern translations have sought to rectify this, but not consistently, and their disambiguation of some passages hinders readers from realizing that other passages are still mistranslated. Unfortunately, most Bible translations into the languages of the world have relied on these faulty western translations. Reliable translations of these terms are available in the New Jewish Publication Society’s English translation of the Old Testament and in the Hebrew translations of the NT, but these are little used by translators. It falls to the translation consultants to ensure the translation of temple terms are clear and accurate with regard to their referential meaning. Clarity can be enhanced by providing readers with accurate images of the tabernacle and the temple (in its four stages).