Subject: tc-list Semitic NT Project

From: James Trimm <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 03 Oct 1998 22:04:03 -0500

THE SEMITIC NEW TESTAMENT PROJECT 
----------------------------------------------------------

The Semitic New Testament project is an ongoing SANJ project to produce a
new and accurate translation of the New Testament taken primarily from old
Hebrew and Aramaic sources.  Unlike most translations this edition will not
be rooted in a Greek Hellenistic text.  This translation will seek to
understand the text of the New Testament from the languages in which it was
originally written.  This is important because there are some passages in
the NT which do not make sense at all in Greek, but only begin to make
sense when we look at them in Hebrew and Aramaic.  For example:

Acts 11:27-30

	And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch.  
	Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the 
	Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all 
	THE WORLD, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar.  
	Then the talmidim, each according to his ability, determined to send 
	relief to the brothers dwelling IN JUDEA.  This they also did, 
	and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Now this doesn't make sense at all, why would those in Antioch send relief
to those dwelling IN JUDEA if the famine was to strike all THE WORLD.  They
would be facing famine themselves.

The solution lies in the fact that the word for "WORLD" in the Aramaic
manuscripts is A'RA (Strong's #772) the Aramaic form of the Hebrew word
ERETZ (Strong's 776).  This word can mean "world" (as in Prov. 19:4)
"earth" (as in Dan. 2:35) or "land" (as in Dan. 9:15) and is often used as
a euphemism for "The Land of Israel" (as in Dan. 9:6).  Certainly the word
here is not meant to mean "world" but "land of Israel."

Mt. 26:9 = Mk. 14:3

	And when Y'shua was in Bethany at the house of
	Simon the leper,

As any Bible student knows, lepers were not permitted to live in the city
(see Lev. 13:46).  Since ancient Hebrew and Aramaic were written without
vowels, there was no distinction between the Aramaic words GAR'BA (leper)
and GARABA (jar maker or jar merchant).  Since in this story a woman pours
oil from a jar it is apparent that Simon was a jar merchant or jar maker
and not a leper.

Mt. 19:12 & Acts 8:26f

	....there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the 	
	Kingdom of Heaven's sake....
	--Mt. 19:12 NKJV
	
	So he [Phillip] arose and went.  And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a 	
	eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians,
	who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to
	worship.
	--Acts 8:27 NKJV

The man in Acts 8:27 appears to be a proselyte to Judaism since he seems to
be making the Torah-required pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Dt. 16:16).  The
Torah, however, forbids a eunuch both from becoming a proselyte Jew, and
from worshiping at the Temple (Dt. 23:1f).  This also raises the question
of why one would become a eunuch (be castrated) for the sake of the Kingdom
of Heaven.  After all eunuchs are excluded from the assembly of Israel.

The word for "eunuch" in the Aramaic manuscripts of both of theses passages
is M'HAIMNA which can mean "eunuch" but can also mean "believer" or
"faithful one" as it clearly means here.

Mt. 19:24 = Mk. 10:25 = Lk. 18:25

	...it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
	than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.

The word for "camel" in the Aramaic manuscripts is GAMLA which can mean
"camel" but can also refer to a "large rope," which is certainly the
meaning here.

Mt. 6:22-23 (&Mt. 20:15; Lk. 11:34)

	The lamp of the body is the eye, if therefore your eye is good, 
	your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your 
	whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is
	in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

In Greek and in English this passage is meaningless.  However, in Hebrew
and Aramaic, to have a "good eye" ("single eye" in the KJV) is an idiomatic
expression meaning to be generous.  Having a "bad eye" or "evil eye" is an
idiomatic expression meaning to be stingy.

Rev. 19:17

	Then I saw an angel standing IN THE SUN; and he cried with a loud
	voice, saying to all the birds that fly in heaven, "Come gather together
	for the supper of the great God...

Since ancient Hebrew and Aramaic are written without vowels, B'SHESHA (in
the sun) and B'SHAMESHA (in the service/ministry) are indistinguishable.
Clearly the text here should read "in the service/ministry."

	These are just a few examples of passages from the NT that don't make
sense in Greek and English but only begin to make sense when we look at
them in Hebrew and Aramaic.

Some of the features of the Semitic NT version will be:

	* Religiously neutral language ("immerse" not "baptize"; "assembly" not
"church" etc.)

	* Judaic terminology ("Messiah" not "Christ" etc.)

	* Hebraic renderings of proper nouns ("Yochanan" not "John" etc.)

	* YHWH in the correct places in the text based on manuscript evidence.

	* Very literal renderings.

	* Insights based on the Semitic cultural and linguistic origin of the text.

We plan to soon have some internet samples of this translation out on the net.

This project is supported by freewill offerings.  All contributions are tax
deductible.
Anyone who contributes $20.00 or more will receive a free copy of my book
THE SEMITIC ORIGIN OF THE NEW TESTAMENT as well as a sample of this
translation taken from Ephesians.  If you would like to support this
project just send check or money order made out to "Society for the
Advancement of Nazarene Judaism" with "S.N.T.P." written on the memo line to:

Society for the Advancement of Nazarene Judaism
PO Box 471
Hurst, TX 76053
USA

James Trimm
==============================================
He who seeks will not cease until he finds,
and having found he will be amazed,        
and having been amazed he will reign,      
and having reigned he will rest.           
 - The Goodnews according to the Hebrews   
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http://www.nazarene.net
A nonprofit organization supported by freewill offerings
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From: "Rev. Craig R. Harmon" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 23:26:30 -0400

At 02:11 PM 10/6/98 -0400, you wrote:
> 
> This is pure linguistics.  Greek BAPTIZO and Hebrew T'VILLA literally MEAN
> "immersion"  we will use the word "immersion" because it literally
> translates the text and does not have the theological baggage that
> "baptize" does. 

I may get back to you about the meaning of BAPTIZO and T'VILLA later. At the moment, I only wish to suggest that the word "immersion" carries it's own theological baggage and is nowhere near being theologically neutral.

Just my oppinion, of course.
Craig R. Harmon

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