12-15-2007, 11:41 PM
Janet Magiera's 'Peshitta New Testament':
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="ttp://www.amazon.com/Aramaic-Peshitta-New-Testament-Translation/dp/0967961351/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197762032&sr=8-1">ttp://www.amazon.com/Aramaic-Peshitta-N ... 032&sr=8-1</a><!-- m -->
Here's a review that I wrote for Barnes and Noble:
Janet Magiera's 'Peshitta' Translation
Albion Guppy, a Peshitta New Testament enthusiast, 06/29/2007
I've been reading Janet Magiera's Peshitta translation. I'm in Yohannon's (John's) Gospel right now. If the truth be told, I think that Ms. Magiera translated from the Peshitto, and NOT the Peshitta though. But I think that it's better than Murdock's Peshitto translation. Magiera did NOT use Aramaic (Syriac) names for Yeshua, or His disciples, or anyone else in the N.T. I personally found that to be a bummer. There are a few sentences that are redundant in her N.T. (which she calls 'The Peshitta'). I would have personally removed those, but since I don't speak Syriac, there MIGHT have been a logical reason to retain them in this translation. Magiera did a pretty good job of translating, and considering her tight connection to George Lamsa, her translation is remarkably free of 'Lamaism's'. That surprises me. Her N.T. is also bound well, and it's easy to read, overall. Sometimes I find myself reading a passage twice, or three times, and then checking it against another translation of the P'shitta. Usually that's Pashka's Peshitta N.T., which I don't like near as much as Magiera's translation. The best of all (in my opinion) is Paul Younan's Peshitta translation, but it's only the four Gospels. I wish that Janet Magiera's Peshitta/Peshitto translation had also been published in a leather edition, but alas, it's only published in hard back. I personally think that when Andrew Gabriel Roth publishes his Mari/P.E.A.C.E. Peshitta translation, that there will probably be no longer a reason to study from Magiera's translation, but I guess that we'll find that out in due time. I would probably give this 'Peshitta' translation 4 out five stars. It's quite readable, but I think that Janet Magiera flaked out, by not using Aramaic (or Syriac) names for N.T. character's.
P.S. I took out ONE SENTENCE from the original review, that I now feel is unmerited.
ALSO Joseph Pashka's translation has GREEK insertations in places.
I now avoid it TOO.
Let the buyer beware!
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="ttp://www.amazon.com/Aramaic-Peshitta-New-Testament-Translation/dp/0967961351/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197762032&sr=8-1">ttp://www.amazon.com/Aramaic-Peshitta-N ... 032&sr=8-1</a><!-- m -->
Here's a review that I wrote for Barnes and Noble:
Janet Magiera's 'Peshitta' Translation
Albion Guppy, a Peshitta New Testament enthusiast, 06/29/2007
I've been reading Janet Magiera's Peshitta translation. I'm in Yohannon's (John's) Gospel right now. If the truth be told, I think that Ms. Magiera translated from the Peshitto, and NOT the Peshitta though. But I think that it's better than Murdock's Peshitto translation. Magiera did NOT use Aramaic (Syriac) names for Yeshua, or His disciples, or anyone else in the N.T. I personally found that to be a bummer. There are a few sentences that are redundant in her N.T. (which she calls 'The Peshitta'). I would have personally removed those, but since I don't speak Syriac, there MIGHT have been a logical reason to retain them in this translation. Magiera did a pretty good job of translating, and considering her tight connection to George Lamsa, her translation is remarkably free of 'Lamaism's'. That surprises me. Her N.T. is also bound well, and it's easy to read, overall. Sometimes I find myself reading a passage twice, or three times, and then checking it against another translation of the P'shitta. Usually that's Pashka's Peshitta N.T., which I don't like near as much as Magiera's translation. The best of all (in my opinion) is Paul Younan's Peshitta translation, but it's only the four Gospels. I wish that Janet Magiera's Peshitta/Peshitto translation had also been published in a leather edition, but alas, it's only published in hard back. I personally think that when Andrew Gabriel Roth publishes his Mari/P.E.A.C.E. Peshitta translation, that there will probably be no longer a reason to study from Magiera's translation, but I guess that we'll find that out in due time. I would probably give this 'Peshitta' translation 4 out five stars. It's quite readable, but I think that Janet Magiera flaked out, by not using Aramaic (or Syriac) names for N.T. character's.
P.S. I took out ONE SENTENCE from the original review, that I now feel is unmerited.
ALSO Joseph Pashka's translation has GREEK insertations in places.
I now avoid it TOO.
Let the buyer beware!