KITTEL'S COOKIES
See preface to NKJV - Rudolf Kittel
Before we start munching on Kittel's cookies, we should learn a little about the chef who prepared them.
Have you ever heard of the Kittel Family—Rudolf and his son, Gerhard? Probably not, that is unless you have read and studied the preface to the New King James Bible, or the preface to the updated edition to the NASB. "In the present translation the latest edition of Rudolf Kittel's Bible Hebraica has been employed.”
Rudolf gave all the new translations his rendition of the Hebrew (Old Testament) Majority Text. His son, Gerhard gave us "the best New Greek Testament Theological Dictionary (10 volumes) ever produced–every serious student dreams of owning a set" (Christian Book Distributors, Peabody, Mass Jan-Feb 1991, pp 7-8, et al. Also see NIV–“The Making of a Contemporary Translation," pp. 110, 116, and "Selecting a Translation of the Bible," p 17).
These liberal German scholars, Rudolf and Gerhard, were called "higher critics" which of course is meant to intimidate us "peasants" from challenging whatever they present as the "gospel truth." This reminds me of the fairy tale about Pied Piper, who led the children away from their parents. Only this time, they are leading God's children away from their Heavenly Father.
In doing a little research on the Kittel family, I found a few skeletons, and I mean real skeletons, and not a few, hidden away in their German closets.
The Kittels played a leadership role in the "Forschung Sabeteicnng Jude Frage." This was a Nazi organization and publication; the purpose was to stir up hatred and persecution against the Jews.
“The political orientation of the Kittel family, father and son, represents a pattern that is probably quite typical–the elder Rudolf Kittel's feet were firmly planted in nineteenth century Liberal Academia–Rudolf Kittel's career possibly pregauged his son's later entanglement in the Jewish question [son Gerhard was tried and imprisoned for war crimes for acting as Hitler's propaganda high priest] –Rudolf Kittel also advised Jews that some elements in their Talmud were objectionable...He found it difficult to fully accept the autonomy and worth of Judaism" (Robert P. Ericksen, Theologians under Hitler, New Haven: Yale University Press 1985, pp. 45, 207, 86-88).
"Kittel and a group of twelve leading theologians and pastors issued a proclamation that Nazism is 'A call of God' and they thanked Adolf Hitler. Gerhard Kittel would deprive the Jews of their civil rights, debar them from professions, keep them from marrying Germans, prohibit them from teaching Germans, and impose on them other disadvantages and hardships, etc." (Ref. Holocaust, Part 5: The Protestant Reaction to the Nazi Holocaust by Michael Haskeem, Ph.D. More information can be found in the encyclopedia B and also by doing a search on the web.)
At the very end of Kittel's life, he confessed that the years of his editorship of the dictionary and his propaganda 'ministry' for Hitler - "was based upon the most bitter deception of my life" (Gerhard Kittel, Meine Verteidigung (Tubingen Library Archives, Nov.-Dec. 1946 and see New Age Versions, pp. 596-597).
"This example throws a shadow of doubt on all of Kittel's research. Kittel's factual base may not always have been strong enough to support the conclusions he drew" (Theologians Under Hitler, p. 62).
In other words, I would not want an adulterer teaching my children the value of Christian morals. But unfortunately this is the exact case with all of today's new translations. See also the Amplified Bible (published by the Lockerman Foundation). "It is based on American Standard Version of 1901, Rudolf Kittel's Biblia Hebraica, The Greek Text of Westcott and Hort, and the 23rd edition of the Nestle Greek New Testament as well as the best Hebrew and Greek Lexicons available at the time."
Rudolf and Gerhard Kittel are names to be remembered as their works have now been accepted and praised in most all new Bible translations. How could this happen? I am afraid our watchmen have been asleep.