An Aramaic Approach to the Gospels and Acts, 3rd Edition


Book Description

Since the second edition of this book appeared in 1954, two major discoveries in the field of Aramaic studies—the Qumran texts and the Neofiti Targum—have been made available to scholars. These, along with some important publications on the subject, have made this third edition necessary. The book has been completely revised and reset and the supplementary notes of the second edition incorporated in the text; a new chapter has been added to take account of the implications of the new discoveries for previous views about the language of Jesus. Those parts of the book dealing with Acts have been revised and supplemented in the light of Dr. Max Wilcox’s important book on the Semitisms of Acts; and an Appendix by Dr. Geza Vermes, Reader in Jewish Studies in Oxford, has been added containing fresh evidence for the use of the expression “son of man” in Palestinian Aramaic.




Old Testament Quotations in the New Testament


Book Description

"New Testament writers drew heavily from Old Testament Scriptures as the demonstrated the fulfillment of the plan and promises of God in Christ. The New Testament is filled with such quotations, but their use raises several problems. How do we account for the occasions when the New Testament writers seem to take liberties with the Hebrew text, or when the wording of other New Testament citations of the Old Testament is closer to the Greek Septuagint (LXX) than to the original Hebrew? [The authors] have undertaken a systematic study of the use of Old Testament quotations in the New Testament. In three parallel columns for ready reference and study they have affixed the Masoretic Hebrew, Septuagint, and Greek New Testament texts pertinent to each quotation. A fourth column-- the largest segment of the valulable language tool--provides a critical commentary of orthographic, linguistic, and textual notes on the 312 entries. In addition, the authors include the results of a statistical survey in which every quotation is assigned to one of six levels to determine its degree of difficulty regarding the faithfulness of the New Testament to the Old Testament quotation. Helpful introductory material, including complete cross-references to the tool in both Old and New Testament order, make the work invaluable to scholars and students alike" -- BOOK JACKET from Moody Press.




Aramaic Light on the Gospel of John


Book Description

Aramaic Light on the Gospel of John, like its predecessors Aramaic Light on the Gospel of Matthew and Aramaic Light on the Gospels of Mark and Luke, carries you back into the Near Eastern, Semitic times of Jesus of Nazareth. It is unique in that it provides insight into the Aramaic language and Semitic customs of almost two thousand years ago. If you instinctively shy away from "commentaries"-This one will surprise you. No dull theological seminary textbook, the approach is simple, informative, and scholarly, without using specialized theological terminology. This inimitable commentary acts a Near Eastern guide, revealing to the Western mind a more intimate picture of the socio-religious and psychological environment of the period. It offers an understanding of the character and behavior of Near Eastern Semites. This is the field of Dr. Errico's and Dr. Lamsa's research and expertise. They bring clarification to many misunderstood passages and sayings of Jesus. Learn the Semitic meanings behind such terms as "the Word," "Light," "Life," "Christ." Understand what Jesus meant when he said "No man comes to the Father except through me" and many other sayings that appear to be sectarian and exclusive. This volume is more than a revision of Dr. Lamsa's commentaries, Gospel Light, 1936, and More Light on the Gospel, 1968. Dr. Errico has edited, expanded and annotated these previous works in the new format that Dr. Lamsa desired. In addition, this book contains unpublished material that the two of them outlined just before Dr. Lamsa died in 1975. Dr. Errico completed these comments and has added information derived from his continual research in Near Eastern Semitic studies.




The Qur'an and the Aramaic Gospel Traditions


Book Description

This book is a study of related passages found in the Arabic Qur’ān and the Aramaic Gospels, i.e. the Gospels preserved in the Syriac and Christian Palestinian Aramaic dialects. It builds upon the work of traditional Muslim scholars, including al-Biqā‘ī (d. ca. 808/1460) and al-Suyūṭī (d. 911/1505), who wrote books examining connections between the Qur’ān on the one hand, and Biblical passages and Aramaic terminology on the other, as well as modern western scholars, including Sidney Griffith who argue that pre-Islamic Arabs accessed the Bible in Aramaic. The Qur’ān and the Aramaic Gospel Traditions examines the history of religious movements in the Middle East from 180-632 CE, explaining Islam as a response to the disunity of the Aramaic speaking churches. It then compares the Arabic text of the Qur’ān and the Aramaic text of the Gospels under four main themes: the prophets; the clergy; the divine; and the apocalypse. Among the findings of this book are that the articulator as well as audience of the Qur’ān were monotheistic in origin, probably bilingual, culturally sophisticated and accustomed to the theological debates that raged between the Aramaic speaking churches. Arguing that the Qur’ān’s teachings and ethics echo Jewish-Christian conservatism, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of Religion, History, and Literature.




The Christian Palestinian Aramaic New Testament version from the early period


Book Description

All surviving fragments of the Christian Palestinian Aramaic version of the early period (5th-8th centuries AD) and the middle period (9th-10th centuries AD) are collated, and the individual biblical books are arranged according to their original manuscript. The text is accompanied by a philological commentary and a glossary. --from publisher description.




Aramaic Sources of Mark's Gospel


Book Description

This 1999 book was the first to use all the Aramaic Dead Sea Scrolls to reconstruct original Aramaic sources from parts of Mark's Gospel. The scrolls enabled the author to revolutionize the methodology of such work, and to reconstruct whole passages which he interpreted in their original cultural context. The passages from which sources are reconstructed are Mark 9.11-13; 2.23-3.6; 10.35-45; and 14.12-26. A detailed discussion of each passage is offered, demonstrating that these sources are completely accurate accounts from the ministry of Jesus, from early sabbath disputes to his final Passover. An account of the translation process is given, showing how problems in Mark's text arose from the difficulty of translating some Aramaic expressions into Greek, including the notoriously difficult 'son of man'. A very early date for these sources is proposed, implying a date of c. 40 CE for Mark's Gospel.







The Sufi Book of Life


Book Description

Part meditation book, part oracle, and part collection of Sufi lore, poetry, and stories, The Sufi Book of Life offers a fresh interpretation of the fundamental spiritual practice found in all ancient and modern Sufi schools—the meditations on the 99 Qualities of Unity. Unlike most books on Sufism, which are primarily collections of translated Sufi texts, this accessible guide is a handbook that explains how to apply Sufi principles to modern life. With inspirational commentary that connects each quality with contemporary concerns such as love, work, and success, as well as timeless wisdom from Sufi masters, both ancient and modern, such as Rumi, Hafiz, Shabistari, Rabia, Inayat Khan, Indries Shah, Irina Tweedie, Bawa Muhaiyadden, and more, The Sufi Book of Life is a dervish guide to life and love for the twenty-first century. On the web: http://sufibookoflife.com




Aramaic Light on the Gospel of Matthew


Book Description

A Near Eastern guide into the heart of the gospel, illuminating difficult and puzzling passages and offering unparalleled insight into the character and behavior of Near Eastern Semites.




A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature


Book Description

Described as an "invaluable reference work" (Classical Philology) and "a tool indispensable for the study of early Christian literature" (Religious Studies Review) in its previous edition, this new updated American edition of Walter Bauer's Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments builds on its predecessor's staggering deposit of extraordinary erudition relating to Greek literature from all periods. Including entries for many more words, the new edition also lists more than 25,000 additional references to classical, intertestamental, Early Christian, and modern literature. In this edition, Frederick W. Danker's broad knowledge of Greco-Roman literature, as well as papyri and epigraphs, provides a more panoramic view of the world of Jesus and the New Testament. Danker has also introduced a more consistent mode of reference citation, and has provided a composite list of abbreviations to facilitate easy access to this wealth of information. Perhaps the single most important lexical innovation of Danker's edition is its inclusion of extended definitions for Greek terms. For instance, a key meaning of "episkopos" was defined in the second American edition as overseer; Danker defines it as "one who has the responsibility of safeguarding or seeing to it that something is done in the correct way, guardian." Such extended definitions give a fuller sense of the word in question, which will help avoid both anachronisms and confusion among users of the lexicon who may not be native speakers of English. Danker's edition of Bauer's Wörterbuch will be an indispensable guide for Biblical and classical scholars, ministers, seminarians, and translators.