Language and Display Standards¶
This document specifies conventions for displaying biblical language text (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek) and for selecting source texts and translations.
Contents¶
- No Transliterations
- Table Format
- RTL Text and Bidi Rendering
- NT Text Tradition
- BBH Consonant Names
- BBH Vowel Names
No Transliterations¶
Never include transliteration columns or inline transliterations for Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek in any report, table, lesson, chart, flashcard deck, or PDF. Show the native script only.
This applies to all output surfaces: Markdown files, HTML exercises, PDFs, Matplotlib chart labels, and Anki decks.
Exception — pronunciation aids: when a lesson is specifically teaching a pronunciation concept (e.g. explaining a diphthong or vowel sound), a brief illustrative English sound-alike is fine — e.g. "the AY diphthong sounds like the oy in boy." This is a pronunciation aid tied to one specific teaching point, not a systematic transliteration column/row applied to every word in a table.
Table Format¶
Always render data tables as GitHub-Flavored Markdown tables. Never use ASCII art (+---+---+) or Python print() output formatted for a terminal.
| Word | Count | Books |
|---|---|---|
| צוּם | 58 | Psalms, Isaiah … |
RTL Text and Bidi Rendering¶
In HTML¶
Apply direction:rtl; unicode-bidi:embed to any element containing Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek text displayed right-to-left.
Never put a verse range and Hebrew/Aramaic text on the same line. RTL reordering will reverse the display order. Put the verse reference in its own <td> or on a separate line:
<!-- Wrong: -->
<td>Gen 1:1 בְּרֵאשִׁית</td>
<!-- Right: -->
<td>Gen 1:1</td><td dir="rtl">בְּרֵאשִׁית</td>
In Matplotlib¶
Pass the entire mixed-direction string to get_display() from python-bidi. Never split out the Hebrew fragment, apply get_display() to it alone, and concatenate:
# Wrong:
title = "Distribution of " + get_display("צוּם") + " by Book"
# Right:
title = get_display("Distribution of צוּם by Book")
Always start Matplotlib title strings with LTR text so bidi base direction is LTR.
NT Text Tradition¶
| Default | Label required for deviations | |
|---|---|---|
| Greek text | Byzantine / Textus Receptus (STEPBible TAGNT) | Yes — label inline at point of citation |
| English translation | KJV | Yes — label inline (e.g. "ESV:") |
Examples of labeled deviations:
- (NA28) Ἰησοῦς Χριστός — when citing the critical text
- ESV: "in Christ Jesus" — when quoting a non-KJV translation
BBH Consonant Names¶
Always use the exact Pratico & Van Pelt (BBH) spellings in all exercises, lessons, flashcard decks, and PDFs. Never use variant spellings.
| Letter | BBH Name | Letter | BBH Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| א | Alef | נ | Nun |
| ב | Bet | ס | Samek |
| ג | Gimel | ע | Ayin |
| ד | Dalet | פ | Pe |
| ה | He | צ | Tsade |
| ו | Waw | ק | Qof |
| ז | Zayin | ר | Resh |
| ח | Ḥet | שׁ | Shin |
| ט | Tet | שׂ | Sin |
| י | Yod | ת | Taw |
| כ | Kaf | ||
| ל | Lamed | ||
| מ | Mem |
Key spelling changes from common alternatives:
| Common | BBH (required) |
|---|---|
| Aleph | Alef |
| Beth | Bet |
| Chet / Het | Ḥet |
| Teth | Tet |
| Kaph | Kaf |
| Samekh | Samek |
| Qoph | Qof |
| Tav | Taw |
BBH Vowel Names¶
| Symbol | BBH Name | Symbol | BBH Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| בָּ | Qamets | בַּ | Pathach |
| בֵּ | Tsere | בֶּ | Seghol |
| בֹּ | Holem | בִּ | Hireq |
| בָּ (closed, unaccented) | Qamets Hatuf | ||
| בֻּ | Qibbuts | ||
| בּוּ | Shureq | ||
| בּוֹ | Holem Waw | ||
| בֵּי | Tsere Yod | ||
| בִּי | Hireq Yod | ||
| בָּה | Qamets He | בֹּה | Holem He |
| בֵּה | Tsere He | בֶּה | Seghol He |
| מְ | Shewa | ||
| מֲ | Hateph Pathach | מֱ | Hateph Seghol |
| מֳ | Hateph Qamets |
Key spelling changes from common alternatives:
| Common | BBH (required) |
|---|---|
| Patah | Pathach |
| Hatef (prefix) | Hateph |
| Holem Vav | Holem Waw |
| Sheva | Shewa |