By Georges Michelson-Dupont, trustee, manager of translations, Urantia Foundation, Recloses, France
It is with great pleasure that the trustees of Urantia Foundation announce the launching of the Hebrew translation of The Urantia Book. The publishing of this translation is anticipated to take place in seven or eight years. To me, it is a moving undertaking bearing in mind that Jesus, the fourth epochal revelation, was born, lived, and died among the Jewish people, the most spiritually advanced civilization of that time.
The team of translators is composed of two individuals: Gabriel Rymberg is the chief translator and is being assisted by an experienced, long- time reader who lives in New York.
Gabriel, a 42-year-old native of Israel and father of two daughters, lives five miles from Nazareth. He spent several years travelling throughout the world. He speaks fluent Hebrew, English, and Spanish. Gabriel is a software professional with more than fifteen years of experience in this industry, four of which have been managerial positions in business development and project management. During the past two years, Gabriel has acquired extensive skills and expertise in the translation, publishing, and content-management areas of business.
Gabriel is also certified to teach yoga and meditation. He was introduced to The Urantia Book in Northern Canada by a friend who told him simply, “You should read this.” In his letter to Urantia Foundation he stated: “The revelation of truth in The Urantia Book, in its simplicity and clarity, resonates deeply within my being. So, I humbly ask your blessing and guidance in the challenging task of translating the book into the Hebrew tongue. Until we all speak one language, every human deserves to read these teachings in their native language.”
In addition to the Hebrew translation, seven other translations are in progress: Chinese, Czech, Farsi, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, and Urdu. Six other translations are being revised: French, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.