Towards A Judaic Milton: Translating Samson Agonistes Into Hebrew

摘要

Joseph Massel's 1890 translation of Samson Agonistes into biblical Hebrew represents a problematic amalgam of Christian poetics and Judaic scripture. Published as a means of promoting Hebrew language renewal, Massel's rendition succeeds in transforming not only the linguistic constitution of the Miltonic drama, but also its religious and cultural meaning. The following essay examines the implications of translating Samson Agonistes into the language of the Tanakh, proposing that this Hebrew rendition functions to amend the historical, theological and political significance of its English source.