SWTC Update: Hebrew on Vader's Chestplate...

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-01-27 09:43pm

Dr. Saxton updated the SWTC on the 25th, adding a page concerning interpretations on the Hebrew lettering on Vader's chestplate:

http://www.theforce.net/swtc/chestplate.html

Quite interesting.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-01-27 09:46pm

Yes, I noticed that today. Very interesting.

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2004-01-27 10:36pm

Well, I have family that speaks fluent Hebrew, and I can read it as well, so if anyone could get a pic up, it would really help, thanks!

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-01-27 10:40pm

There's a picture on the God damn page, you dink...

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2004-01-27 10:44pm

There's a picture on the God damn page, you dink...

Buried away in a web of links that is hardly obvious. Evidentally we don't all possess your super-special powers of observation, you obnoxious prick.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-01-27 10:46pm

Isaac Rehberg

Isaac Rehberg contributed the following observations on 7 January 2004.

Looking at the jpeg of Vader's chestplate on your site, it appears that it very well could be Hebrew.

Link to image is in bold, one the very first "page" of the article.

Excuse me for flying off the handle then (for which I apologise), but I find it irritating when people appear not to even bother checking a link to see if what they ask is there.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2004-01-28 01:05am

HemlockGrey wrote:
There's a picture on the God damn page, you dink...
Buried away in a web of links that is hardly obvious. Evidentally we don't all possess your super-special powers of observation, you obnoxious prick.

Oh for fucks sake, for once Spanky wasn't even exaggerating, the link opens to three pics of Vader's breast plate, all of them are highlighted indicating that they are thumbnails!

(by the way, the third and second pic's are the best, the first one is horrid)

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2004-01-28 01:12am

The third pic is clearly the best for showing the lettering. It's a nice close-up.

That was really interesting about the final translation Dr. Saxton presented. I hope that that guy's interpretation is corroborated by later readers, since it would make a great deal of sense in the context, and frankly it just sounds really cool.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-01-28 01:16am

Anyone else think that the Hebrew might be another case of autotranslation, like how spoken English fills in for Basic?

It's possible that Hebrew, an old religious language from Earth, could be filling in for an old Jedi or Sith language.

I have to agree that "His deeds will not be forgiven, until he merits" does sound cool.

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2004-01-28 01:30am

I'll send this on to my cousin's boyfriend; he reads Hebrew.

And yeah, that is a cool phrase. I like to think that it's some kind of Jedi or Sith saying/prophecy, like Spanky said.
If that is what it says, then it's an interesting look into the way Vader views his actions...is it that he feels serving the Emperor will lead him to merit, and thus forgive some past deed (SPOILER killing Padme, maybe?), or is it that he feels, deep down, that serving the Emperor must be forgiven at some point in the future...

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-01-28 01:48am

Damn, that is cool. I didn't even know Vader's chestplate had writing. Amazing what some people notice. I now want to know the origin of Vader's costume, more than ever. At first, it was just the coolness factor. Now there appears to be an added reason for Vader ending up the way he is. Either way, can't wait for ep3.

nightmare · Post by **nightmare** » 2004-01-28 09:11am

I used to think it was aurabesh letters on the chestplate. 'course, I never had that close a look.

It's well known that they borrow from real languages (though fairly obscure, like sanskrit). Who's to say that aurabesh isn't something converted from ancient hebrew. It would indeed be cool if the writing had that meaning. They paid so much attention to making the OT that it's amazing. I wonder for how many years we will continue to spot things in the NT, as comparison.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-01-28 09:26am

Hebrew would be younger than Basic and Aurebesh, I believe.

nightmare · Post by **nightmare** » 2004-01-28 11:31am

Well, I meant movie production wise.

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-01-29 01:15am

Makes you wonder if it was a ILM joke or if Lucas had planned it from the start...

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-01-29 01:16am

it seems to elaborate and well planned out to be a joke. And if not Lucas, it would be at least the costume designer that was responcible.

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-01-29 01:31am

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:it seems to elaborate and well planned out to be a joke. And if not Lucas, it would be at least the costume designer that was responcible.

If the latter is true, then John Mollo is our culprit:

http://imdb.com/name/nm0597087/

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-01-29 02:17am

That is very interesting. I never knew Darth Vaders chestplate had writting on it.

Dooey Jo · Post by **Dooey Jo** » 2004-01-29 12:46pm

I'm sceptical. Especially about the second line. The translating guy said it was written upside down, misspelled and the letters were "cut". That would mean that basically anything could be written there. And AFAIK Lucas has never mentioned anything about this, so it's likely it's just random symbols, looking like Hebrew. That's what I think.

Post by **Gandalf** » 2004-01-29 08:36pm

That's pretty cool. I would have though someone would have picked this earlier though. Maybe the costume guy might have mouthed off or something.