A pioneer of applying modern translation techniques to ancient
languages, Dr. Joel M. Hoffman brings the unappreciated wisdom of
ancient texts to modern audiences.
video
Who knew the invention of writing could be
so funny?
A fascinating ancient allegory
Dr. Hoffman's TEDx presentation on interpreting language
speaking
Sought after for his depth of thought and
engaging style, Dr. Hoffman has been
invited to all six inhabitable continents to present his work in a
wide variety of settings.His most popular topics include:
- Living in Unprecedented Times: Ancient advice for navigating modern surprises
- Ancient Answers to Good and Evil: Why is my life like this and what should I do about it?
- The Mystery and Majesty of the Dead Sea Scrolls: A story of archeology and intrigue that's almost too unbelievable to be true
- The History of Hebrew: How a 3,000-year-old innovation is still making daily life easier
- more...
writing
Dr. Hoffman's first book, the
critically-acclaimed In the Beginning: A Short History of the
Hebrew Language (NYU Press) continues to sell (in paperback) 18
years after its publication. His three books for Thomas
Dunne/St. Martin's Press — variously about translation, ancient
texts, and the Bible — apply his expertise in translating
ancient languages to the world's best-selling ancient literature: the
Bible and related texts. He is also the chief translator for the
ten-volume series My People's Prayer Book (winner of the
National Jewish Book Award), the two-volume My People's Passover
Haggadah, and the seven-volume Prayers of Awe series, all
from Jewish Lights Publishing. His essays appear in over 20 printed
volumes.