This week we are continuing our discussion of Hector Avalos’, The End of Biblical Studies. We will examine his chapters on Translation and Textual Criticism. Speaking of biblical translation, Prof. Avalos says that “the Bible is best maintained by using translation to hide and distort the original meaning of the text, in order to provide the illusion that the information and values conveyed by the biblical authors are compatible with those of the modern world.†(p.37). As for textual criticism, “there is no longer any strong rationaleâ€, according to Avalos, “for why textual criticism, as a discipline, should matter to those outside communities of faith, or even to communities of faith themselves [...]