New Testament: Greek vs. Aramaic
In Aramaic, Peshitta, means ‘simple’ and in Syriac it means ‘Straight.’ The earliest Syriac writings are Tatians’ Diatessaron that dates to the earliest of guess, 165 CE. It was a compilation of the 4 gospels into a single narrative.
The Peshitta is based off the Old Syriac gospels (Syra Sinaiticus and Syra Curetonianus) that were actually based off the Greek ones, with minor scribal alterations in the transliteration. Textual Criticism shows that the Peshitta borrowed heavily from the Greek Septuagint as well as some Targums. The Peshitta is a valuable resource, in trying to understand early “Easter Christians“, it’s quite the stretch to say it’s the “Most Accurate“.
Citation: Kiraz, George Anton (1996). Comparative Edition of the Syriac Gospels: Aligning the Old Syriac Sinaiticus, Curetonianus, Peshitta and Harklean Versions. Brill: Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2002 [2nd ed.], 2004 [3rd ed.].
Filed by Frank at September 4th, 2008 under Religion