''Greetings & Regards to all the Dear fathers and brothers,
I am an Egyptian seeking an academic study of THE ARAMAIC LANGUAGE OF THE ARAMAIC PESHITTA, as I believe that the Holy Peshitta is the Original Text or the Primary Source of the New Testament, not the Greek as it widely believed and unfortunately promoted mostly in Egypt and almost everywhere in the world.
Also of course learning Aramaic Language would be very much easier than Greek because of its very close resemblance with Arabic -as you know we speak Arabic as first language in Egypt and the Ancient Coptic has become rudimentary for some liturgical use within the Coptic Orthodox Church only after the "Arabic invasion and occupation"- and of course I can also use English proficiently.
So to choose between the 2 main Ancient languages presented as to be the original Text of the New Testament; i.e. Aramaic and Greek, after a lot of extensive reading and Biblical studies for more than 20 years now, I decided to choose Aramaic as it obviously is more convincing and acceptable to me now that the Aramaic Peshitta is the true Primary Source Text of the New Testament. Also for sure studying Aramaic Language would be as almost learning Hebrew too as they are very close too, which would also be very helpful in studying the 2 Testaments from their real original Texts without any impurity, defect, wrinkle, blot or blotch of the translations that would -ignorantly or intentionally- veil, cover and mask the Spirit of the Original Inspired Text WHICH INDEED WE CAN FIND ONLY IN THE PESHITTA NOW.
In case if your help in this regards is not available within Egypt, then what are they other alternative maneuvers and what would you advise to start and succeed in this blessed initiative, Please? Provided that I am available to relocate to where I may receive this full-time Academic studies of Aramaic.
With all my deep gratitude to The Aramaic websites which helped and guided me a lot to take this final decision of seeking an academic study of the Aramaic Peshitta with its Assyrian Culture and Assyriological Contexts.
Thanks in advance for your appreciated helps in this concern.
Yours Sincerely,
Marc Elmisri, Egypt.
سلام و نعمة،
بعد التحية والإجلال للآباء والاخوة بالكنائس والمجتمعات السريانية، الاشورية والكلدانية،
اود السؤال اولا عما إذا كان لدينا بمصر امتداد رسمي سواء علماني او كنسي او اديرة تابعة للكنائس الاشورية او الكلدانية او غيرها ممن لازالت تتعامل باللغة الارامية، اين وكيف يمكنني التواصل مع ممثلي الاصول الارامية بمصر لكوني اسعى حاليا لدراسة منظمة للغة البشيتطة الارامية لاعتقادي الشديد بانها الاقرب جدا لان تكون النسخة الاصلية او النص الاصلي للعهد الجديد وليست اليونانية كما هو المعتقد السائد، كما وان الارامية لابد وان تكون اسهل في دراستها بالنسبة لي عن اليونانية لقربها الشديد من العربية ويمكنني ايضا استخدام مصادر انجليزية -اذا لزمت الدراسة- كما وانه بلا شك دراسة ارامية البشيتطة ستكون بمثابة دراسة العبرية لقربهما الشديد جدا مما يفيد جدا في دراسة العهدين من الاصول وبلا اي شوائب من الترجمات التي قد تحجب روح النص الاصلي سواء عن جهل او عن عمد. في حال ما اذا كانت مساعدتكم في هذا الاطار غير متوفرة في مصر، فما هي البدائل المطروحة وبم تنصحون للبدء والنجاح في هذا المسعى المبارك؟ مع الشكر الجزيل للمواقع الارامية التي ساعدتني في اتخاذ قرار السعي من اجل دراسة اكاديمية لارامية البشيطة وثقافتها السريانية او مضمونها الاشوري.
أخوكم المحب: مرقس المصري''
Answer
Syriac Aramaic studies are offered in a number of Western Universities.Usually Syriac studies are part of a broader field of Studies such as Eastern Christianity at the
School of Oriental and African Studies, London, Aramaic studies at the
University of Oxford and
University of Leiden, Eastern Christianity at
Duke University, or Semitic Studies at the
Freie Universitaet Berlin. Most students learn the
Syriac language within a biblical studies program.Conferences for Syriac studies include the Symposium Syriacum, the Section "Bible and Syriac Studies in Context" at the International Meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature, and the Section "Syriac Literature and Interpretations of Sacred Texts" at the Annual Meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature. Syriac journals include the annual Oriens Christianus (Wiesbaden) and Syriac Studies Today.
On the opinion that the Peshitta is the original source for the New Testament.
Today the most widely accepted scholarly opinion is that Greek was the original language for the NT.Greek at the time was the common language of the Middle East since Alexander the Great conquered the area.Some Church Fathers maintain that the original language of the Gospel of Matthew was Aramaic or Hebrew.But the evidence on this ,is circumstantial and it just indicates that the author spoke Hebrew as well.
Of course everyone is entitled to his own opinion.
