The Jerusalem Bible
Darton, Longman & Todd / Doubleday
First published 1966
The Jerusalem Bible
The Jerusalem Bible (JB), published in 1966, is a landmark Catholic scholarly translation derived from the French La Bible de Jérusalem of the Dominican Biblical School in Jerusalem. Translated from original Hebrew and Greek texts (not from the French), it is famous for using 'Yahweh' in the Old Testament where most Bibles write 'LORD,' and for the notable contribution of J.R.R. Tolkien, who translated the book of Jonah.
History & Background
The Jerusalem Bible was derived from the French La Bible de Jérusalem (Ecole Biblique, 1956, revised 1961). Alexander Jones served as general editor of the English edition. J.R.R. Tolkien contributed the translation of Jonah. The JB was widely praised for its literary quality and scholarly footnotes. It was replaced for most Catholic use by the New Jerusalem Bible (NJB, 1985), and then the Revised New Jerusalem Bible (RNJB, 2019 — already in the database).
Canon Proximity Rating
Full Catholic canon (73 books) including deuterocanonicals. Approved for Catholic liturgical use. Notable for use of 'Yahweh' for the divine name.