The Holy Scriptures — JPS 1917 (Old Translation)
Jewish Publication Society
First published 1917
The Holy Scriptures — JPS 1917 (Old Translation)
The 1917 Jewish Publication Society translation (JPS 1917) was the first standard Jewish English Bible, produced by a committee of Jewish scholars and rabbis. It represents the Jewish community's response to the American Standard Version (1901), providing a translation specifically for Jewish use while following a more literal, KJV-influenced style.
History & Background
Produced under the chairmanship of Max Margolis, the JPS 1917 was a committee translation drawing on the Masoretic Text and the best Jewish scholarship of the era. It served as the standard Jewish English Bible for half a century until replaced by the NJPS (1985). The 1917 translation is also called the 'Old JPS' to distinguish it from the NJPS. Still used and referenced in traditional Orthodox Jewish communities.
Canon Proximity Rating
39-book Hebrew Bible (Tanakh/Old Testament only). KJV-influenced style; historically important as the first standard Jewish English Bible.