02-28-2013, 04:10 AM
Hi Memradya, welcome!
I have problems with the phrase 'peshitta primacy'. Because, it would mean that the NT was penned directly in Syriac dialect (being the Peshitta), which I doubt and which I also did not see as a strong statement here in this forum but the year A.D. 78 is an important year. In that year, at least the gospels would already exist in Syriac language.
e.g. see <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.peshitta.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2069&start=0">viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2069&start=0</a><!-- l -->
However, some do have the opinion that Syriac was a kind of 'koine Aramaic' in the Middle-East. That might be very true but it would not explain that this was the preferred written language among the Jewish apostles, as I also doubt that e.g. Flavius Josephus would have used Syriac for his Original historical (lost) works (however there are Syriac copies of his work I remember).
Both Peshitta and Greek have an jewish Aramaic ancestor (and a few might agree). They are translated from it. Peshitta, though and it sounds logically, has a lot more preserved wordplays than any other ancient witness of NT scripture.
So, Steve and memradya, I've seen a few wordplays which work only with Hebrew dialect and the 'stones' and 'children' version in Hebrew Aramaic dialect is a well known one <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->
Regards
I have problems with the phrase 'peshitta primacy'. Because, it would mean that the NT was penned directly in Syriac dialect (being the Peshitta), which I doubt and which I also did not see as a strong statement here in this forum but the year A.D. 78 is an important year. In that year, at least the gospels would already exist in Syriac language.
e.g. see <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.peshitta.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2069&start=0">viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2069&start=0</a><!-- l -->
However, some do have the opinion that Syriac was a kind of 'koine Aramaic' in the Middle-East. That might be very true but it would not explain that this was the preferred written language among the Jewish apostles, as I also doubt that e.g. Flavius Josephus would have used Syriac for his Original historical (lost) works (however there are Syriac copies of his work I remember).
Both Peshitta and Greek have an jewish Aramaic ancestor (and a few might agree). They are translated from it. Peshitta, though and it sounds logically, has a lot more preserved wordplays than any other ancient witness of NT scripture.
So, Steve and memradya, I've seen a few wordplays which work only with Hebrew dialect and the 'stones' and 'children' version in Hebrew Aramaic dialect is a well known one <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->
Regards