Lamsa Bible
Encyclopedia
Formally titled The Holy Bible from Ancient Eastern Manuscripts, the Lamsa Bible (which it is commonly called, after its editor, George M. Lamsa) first appeared in 1933. It was derived, both Old
and New Testament
s, from the Syriac
Peshitta
, the Bible
used by the Assyrian Church of the East
and other Syriac Christian
traditions.
Lamsa claimed Aramaic primacy
, against the academic mainstream opinion of the original New Testament
texts, and thus claimed his translation was superior to texts based on later Greek manuscripts.
The Peshitta, unlike other English Bibles, was translated from earlier Aramaic
manuscripts instead of later Greek
and Hebrew
texts. The New Testament translators of the King James Version, for example, used an edition of Erasmus' Greek Textus Receptus
. The Aramaic primacy
of the New Testament text is considered in modern times to be more accurate than the KJV of the Holy Bible, for this is an older language and the language that Jesus and his apostles spoke.
The History of the Alphabet
is important when considering a Biblical translation.
.
is rendered in the KJV:
In contrast, is rendered in the Lamsa Bible:
The text of this verse in the Peshitta in Syriac reads:
This verse in Greek manuscripts state that from the Cross, Jesus (quoting Psalm 22:1) cried out, 'My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?' (See Matthew 27:46) proponents of Aramaic primacy such as the Nestorian Church claim this verse is a mistranslation into Greek.
Proponents of Aramaic primacy also claim that in Matthew 19:24 as the Aramaic word for 'camel' is written identically to the word for 'rope.' an error occurred due to the translator's limitations when the original scrolls were being transferred into Greek.
This would mean Matthew 19:24 commonly translated as, 'It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.' Would insteed read 'rope' instead of 'camel'. To support this they claim that rope, is much more in keeping with the imagery of a needle, and that it is probably what Jesus said, and what was originally recorded.
However, Saint Cyril in his commentary on the Holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 18:25) says that camel is the term used by those versed in navigation for a thick rope, thereby both stating that the term camel is the right one, but that it meaning is that of a rope and not the animal.
The views of Aramaic primacy go against Orthodox Christianity, Catholic Christianity, most branches within Protestant Christianity, as well as most modern biblical scholars, who hold to that although the Gospel of Matthew (and not anything else) may have been translated into Greek the translation is accurate and maybe even by Saint Matthew himself.
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
and New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
s, from the Syriac
Syriac language
Syriac is a dialect of Middle Aramaic that was once spoken across much of the Fertile Crescent. Having first appeared as a script in the 1st century AD after being spoken as an unwritten language for five centuries, Classical Syriac became a major literary language throughout the Middle East from...
Peshitta
Peshitta
The Peshitta is the standard version of the Bible for churches in the Syriac tradition.The Old Testament of the Peshitta was translated into Syriac from the Hebrew, probably in the 2nd century AD...
, the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
used by the Assyrian Church of the East
Assyrian Church of the East
The Assyrian Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East ʻIttā Qaddishtā w-Shlikhāitā Qattoliqi d-Madnĕkhā d-Āturāyē), is a Syriac Church historically centered in Mesopotamia. It is one of the churches that claim continuity with the historical...
and other Syriac Christian
Syriac Christianity
Syriac or Syrian Christianity , the Syriac-speaking Christians of Mesopotamia, comprises multiple Christian traditions of Eastern Christianity. With a history going back to the 1st Century AD, in modern times it is represented by denominations primarily in the Middle East and in Kerala, India....
traditions.
Lamsa claimed Aramaic primacy
Aramaic primacy
The hypothesis of Aramaic primacy holds that the original text of the New Testament was not written in Greek, as held by the majority of scholars, but in the Aramaic language, which was the primary language of Jesus and his Twelve Apostles....
, against the academic mainstream opinion of the original New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
texts, and thus claimed his translation was superior to texts based on later Greek manuscripts.
The Peshitta, unlike other English Bibles, was translated from earlier Aramaic
Aramaic language
Aramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
manuscripts instead of later Greek
Koine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
and Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
texts. The New Testament translators of the King James Version, for example, used an edition of Erasmus' Greek Textus Receptus
Textus Receptus
Textus Receptus is the name subsequently given to the succession of printed Greek texts of the New Testament which constituted the translation base for the original German Luther Bible, the translation of the New Testament into English by William Tyndale, the King James Version, and for most other...
. The Aramaic primacy
Aramaic primacy
The hypothesis of Aramaic primacy holds that the original text of the New Testament was not written in Greek, as held by the majority of scholars, but in the Aramaic language, which was the primary language of Jesus and his Twelve Apostles....
of the New Testament text is considered in modern times to be more accurate than the KJV of the Holy Bible, for this is an older language and the language that Jesus and his apostles spoke.
The History of the Alphabet
History of the alphabet
The origins of the alphabet are unknown, but there are several theories as to how it developed. One popular proposal — the Proto-Sinaitic theory — is that the history of the alphabet began in Ancient Egypt, more than a millennium into the history of writing...
is important when considering a Biblical translation.
Discrepancies
Some places in the Lamsa Bible differ greatly from other English-language Bibles. The most controversial of the Bible's rendering is in MatthewGospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
.
is rendered in the KJV:
And about the ninth hour
JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
cried with a loud voice, saying,
Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?
that is to say,
My GodGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
In contrast, is rendered in the Lamsa Bible:
And about the ninth hour,
Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said,
Eli, Eli lemana shabakthan!
My God, my God, for this I was spared!
The text of this verse in the Peshitta in Syriac reads:
This verse in Greek manuscripts state that from the Cross, Jesus (quoting Psalm 22:1) cried out, 'My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?' (See Matthew 27:46) proponents of Aramaic primacy such as the Nestorian Church claim this verse is a mistranslation into Greek.
Proponents of Aramaic primacy also claim that in Matthew 19:24 as the Aramaic word for 'camel' is written identically to the word for 'rope.' an error occurred due to the translator's limitations when the original scrolls were being transferred into Greek.
This would mean Matthew 19:24 commonly translated as, 'It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.' Would insteed read 'rope' instead of 'camel'. To support this they claim that rope, is much more in keeping with the imagery of a needle, and that it is probably what Jesus said, and what was originally recorded.
However, Saint Cyril in his commentary on the Holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 18:25) says that camel is the term used by those versed in navigation for a thick rope, thereby both stating that the term camel is the right one, but that it meaning is that of a rope and not the animal.
The views of Aramaic primacy go against Orthodox Christianity, Catholic Christianity, most branches within Protestant Christianity, as well as most modern biblical scholars, who hold to that although the Gospel of Matthew (and not anything else) may have been translated into Greek the translation is accurate and maybe even by Saint Matthew himself.