Throughout history, certain translation errors have persisted for centuries and even shaped the way entire societies understand key ideas. One of the most famous examples is the case of Moses’ horns.
During the late Gothic and Renaissance periods, Christian artists frequently depicted Moses with horns on his head. This striking misunderstanding traces back to St. Jerome—patron saint of translators—who, in his Latin translation of the Bible, misinterpreted the Hebrew expression “keren or”, meaning “radiant” or “shining”. Jerome rendered it as “horned”, giving rise to a distorted image that endured for generations. The image of Moses with horns may seem absurd today, but at the time, no one dared to question a sacred text.
This is just one example. Do you know of any other famous mistakes in the world of translation?
