An Aramaic Approach to the Gospels and Acts, 3rd Edition

An Aramaic Approach to the Gospels and Acts, 3rd Edition
Author: Matthew Black
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 371
Release: 2020-07-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1725272024

Since the second edition of this book appeared in 1954, two major discoveries in the field of Aramaic studies—the Qumran texts and the Neofiti Targum—have been made available to scholars. These, along with some important publications on the subject, have made this third edition necessary. The book has been completely revised and reset and the supplementary notes of the second edition incorporated in the text; a new chapter has been added to take account of the implications of the new discoveries for previous views about the language of Jesus. Those parts of the book dealing with Acts have been revised and supplemented in the light of Dr. Max Wilcox’s important book on the Semitisms of Acts; and an Appendix by Dr. Geza Vermes, Reader in Jewish Studies in Oxford, has been added containing fresh evidence for the use of the expression “son of man” in Palestinian Aramaic.

Book Review

Book Review
Author: Joseph A. Fitzmyer
Publisher:
Total Pages: 11
Release: 1968
Genre: Aramaic literature
ISBN:

An Aramaic Approach to Q

An Aramaic Approach to Q
Author: Maurice Casey
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 222
Release: 2002-09-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 113943828X

This is the first book to examine the Aramaic dimension of Q since the Aramaic Dead Sea scrolls made such work more feasible. Maurice Casey gives a detailed examination of key passages in Matthew and Luke's gospels, demonstrating that they used two different Greek translations of an Aramaic source, which can be reconstructed. He overturns the conventional model of Q as a single Greek document, and shows that Jesus said everything in the original Aramaic source. Further analysis of other gospel passages shows the evangelists editing a Greek translation of an Aramaic source. On one, it can be shown that Mark utilises a different Aramaic source. A complex model of Q is thus proposed. Casey argues that Aramaic sources behind part of Q are of extremely early date, and should contribute significantly to the quest for the historical Jesus.