Ancient Versions?

Dr Cassidy,

Some people have stated that the Peshitta is an "original" NT text. I do not believe this to be true, and believe that it is a copy of the Byzantine Greek. What is your opinion?

 

I know that some of these are available for download in various places.

It would certainly be nice if someone could index these various documents and provide links for download, purchase or actual paper-books that can be purchased.

If there are free downloads, provide them first.

If any of you could help us with locations to as many copies as possible it would certainly be nice.

I will volunteer to help index individual posts of locations for download and/or purchase.

If they are not available this way, but are included in a reference book, then list it.

Any help would GREATLY be appreciated for us non-scholars like me trying to feel like we are doing something.

 

Here's some good sources for the Hebrew text.

http://rosetta.reltech.org/TC/vol08/Tov2003.html

I'll have to check my computer at home for a New Testament equivelent.

Rob

 

I'm not Dr. Cassidy, but I'll pop in here. This claim is made by George M. Lamsa, in the introduction to his own translation from the Peshitta (not from the Greek). I owned a copy of Lamsa's translation a few years ago and read his introductory comments, using his translation on rare occasions.

I don't think that Lamsa's position is defensible, especially in light of the fact that we have papyrus fragments such as p52 which is dated at about A.D. 125, far older than the texts which Lamsa relied on. What's equally significant is that the early church fathers such as Irenaeus, Papias, Eusebius and Jerome assert that Matthew was originally written in the language of the Jews (presumably Hebrew) and the other NT books were originally written in Greek.

It is remotely possible that the language of the Jews might be taken to be Aramaic instead of Hebrew, but if so, then the assertion of Mr. Lamsa would apply only to the book of Matthew, not to all four gospels or the whole of the New Testament. But personally, I think this possiblity is too "remote" for my own confidence, and I'm not persuded by Mr. Lamsa's arguments.

 

Lamsa was a new age heretic (strong language..eh?)

http://www.believersweb.org/view.cfm?ID=609

[ December 15, 2005, 01:56 PM: Message edited by: Boanerges ]

 

I agree. The only evidence for Matthew not being originally in Greek comes from an ambiguous statement made by Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History where he states, "Matthew wrote the words in the Hebrew dialect, and each one interpreted as he could." It is generally understood that by "Hebrew dialect" he was referring to Aramaic. However, our Greek manuscripts of Matthew do not bear the marks of translation and the absence of any Aramaic or Hebrew original casts serious doubts on that interpretation of Eusebius's statement. [/QUOTE]

Agreed. If you review the origins of many of the NT words, you will find Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, and even persian. It was written in Greek by people who spoke multiple languages. Some people have theorized that Paul may have spoken as many as seven languages.

 

If I remember correctly, Eusebius also promoted the epistle of Barnabbas. Obviously, it didn't make the "cut".

 

Thank you for the link, Deacon. Wow, just visted it looks like it is quite complete. Lot's of resources.

 

THE TEXTS OF THE EARLIEST NEW TESTAMENT GREEK MANUSCRIPTS
The complete text of the earliest New Testament manuscripts
compiled by Philip Comfort & D. P. Barrett
on CD ROM through Libronix
(mostly Greek texts dated before 300AD)

Note: Personally I wouldn't advise purchasing the volume unless you already have the Libronix system.
Rob

[ December 15, 2005, 06:40 PM: Message edited by: Deacon ]

 

BIBLICAL LANGUAGE SUPPLEMENT

</font>

• Analytical Greek New Testament [based on UBS 4th Ed.] (Friberg, Barbara and Timothy)</font>

</font>

• Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume 1-3 (Lichtheim, Miriam)</font>

</font>

• Old Syrian Gospels : Codex Curetonianus (Kiraz, G. A.)</font>

</font>

• Old Syrian Gospels : Codex Sinaiticus (Kiraz, G. A.)</font>

</font>

• The Peshitta [Syriac] (Kiraz, G. A.)</font>

</font>

• Scrivener's Textus Receptus (1894) with Morphology (Robinson, Maurice A. ed.)</font>

</font>

• Tischendorf’s Greek NT </font>

</font>

• Stephen's Textus Receptus (1550) with Morphology (Robinson, Maurice A. ed.)</font>

</font>

• Byzantine Text Form, 2000 Revision with Morphology (Robinson, Maurice A.; Pierpont, William G.)</font>

</font>

• Westcott and Hort Greek NT (1881) with Morphology (Robinson, Maurice A. ed.)</font>

</font>

• Elzevir Textus Receptus (1624) with Morphology (Robinson, Maurice A. ed.)</font>

This supplement is included in the Libronix Scholars library which is pricey at ~$600 now.

Since the LIBRONIX system is getting even more expensive, the recently added feature of a payment plan was certainly a good idea.

I got mine system on E-bay a few years back and have been slowly upgrading it as able, {wife willing }

Rob

 

I stumbled across an outstanding NT site by Wieland Willker.

http://www-user.uni-bremen.de/~wie/bibel.html

Rob