What does "Timshel" mean?
"...thou mayest..."
In East of Eden by John Steinbeck, the character Lee, a wise and inquisitive
Chinese scholar, spends years studying various translations of the Bible verses
in which God speaks to Cain about conquering sin.
As he learns, God’s words are translated by some as a
promise that “thou shalt” conquer sin, and interpret this as
predestination: Nothing they may do can interfere with what will be.
In other translations it is “Thou Must”—which some take as
the order “Do Thou”, and thus throw their weight into obedience.
But Lee’s study of the Hebrew text reveals that timshel,
the original word of the original writer, is best translated as
"thou mayest", a word that gives mankind
the choice to conquer sin,
to choose his course and take control of his destiny.
Our Mission
Timshel Theatre is a place where we recognize and celebrate
the freedom to choose our own course, to do the art we love and
believe in: important, thought-provoking theatre in an intimate setting,
with which we can touch and move one another, learn from
one another’s humanness, make a difference by opening minds and hearts.
"...thou mayest..."
In East of Eden by John Steinbeck, the character Lee, a wise and inquisitive
Chinese scholar, spends years studying various translations of the Bible verses
in which God speaks to Cain about conquering sin.
As he learns, God’s words are translated by some as a
promise that “thou shalt” conquer sin, and interpret this as
predestination: Nothing they may do can interfere with what will be.
In other translations it is “Thou Must”—which some take as
the order “Do Thou”, and thus throw their weight into obedience.
But Lee’s study of the Hebrew text reveals that timshel,
the original word of the original writer, is best translated as
"thou mayest", a word that gives mankind
the choice to conquer sin,
to choose his course and take control of his destiny.
Our Mission
Timshel Theatre is a place where we recognize and celebrate
the freedom to choose our own course, to do the art we love and
believe in: important, thought-provoking theatre in an intimate setting,
with which we can touch and move one another, learn from
one another’s humanness, make a difference by opening minds and hearts.