Peshitta Translation of the Scriptures

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Phillip_Rolfes

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Can anyone provide me with any information regarding the use of the Peshitta translation of the Scriptures in the Syriac-speaking Churches?
 
I can speak from experience that in the mid-20th century the Maronite Church abandoned the Peshitto. The last promulgated document I can cite that uses the Peshitto is our 1932 Offices.
 
Phillip_Rolfes said:
Can anyone provide me with any information regarding the use of the Peshitta translation of the Scriptures in the Syriac-speaking Churches?
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The Peshitto is the standard for the Syro-Malankara Catholics, Malankara Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Chaldean Catholics, Syro-Malabar Catholics, Assyrian Church of the East, Malabar Independent Syrian Church of India and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church (Anglican).
 
MorEphrem said:
I can speak from experience that in the mid-20th century the Maronite Church abandoned the Peshitto. The last promulgated document I can cite that uses the Peshitto is our 1932 Offices.
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Well, yes and no. The Pshitta remains the “official” text in Syriac. In practice, however, the only time the Pshitta is still used is in the incredibly rare cases where anything is actually done in Syriac. What’s NOT used these days is a translation of the Pshitta into any other language, and that actually goes back to the 19th Century.

In Arabic, the “official” version was the so-called “Jesuit Bible” (1888) but, prior to its publication, an Arabic translation of the Pshitta was used. However, since the release of the “new lectionary” some years back, even the “Jesuit bible” was dumped and what is now used is one or another (I don’t remember which one it is and I really don’t care) of the awful modern Arabic translations.

I suppose I should add that the “Jesuit Bible” was only ever used in Arabic. It was never used as a “source” for translation into any other language. In languages other than Arabic, it has ever been the case that an approved version of Scripture in that particular tongue has been used. In the past, the English-language version used was mainly the Douay–Rheims, but nowadays (at least in the US) the current custom is to follow the USCCB and use whichever version is currently in vogue. :mad:
 
As a follow-up question, does anyone know of a good translation of Peshitta in English and any good works (again in English) that describe the peculiar nuances of the Peshitta text? I’m familiar with the works of George Lamsa, but am trying to dig a little deeper.

Also, what books are contained in the original Aramaic of the Peshitta? And, would it be accurate to say that the Peshitta is to the Syriac-speaking Churches what the Vulgate and the Septuagint are to the Latin and Greek speaking Churches?
 
Phillip_Rolfes said:
As a follow-up question, does anyone know of a good translation of Peshitta in English and any good works (again in English) that describe the peculiar nuances of the Peshitta text? I’m familiar with the works of George Lamsa, but am trying to dig a little deeper.

Also, what books are contained in the original Aramaic of the Peshitta? And, would it be accurate to say that the Peshitta is to the Syriac-speaking Churches what the Vulgate and the Septuagint are to the Latin and Greek speaking Churches?
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Gorgias Press just came out with a very detailed and precise translation with tons of footnotes (Lamsa is pretty bad). I got the chance to go through the volumes but the sad part is it costs $75 a pop if you’re subscribed (and there’s about 30 volumes).

The Syriac Bible includes the Targums (i.e. the OT, which I think is essentially an Aramaic version of the Septuagint) and the Peshitto NT (according to random sources that I’ve always taken with a grain of salt) apparently excluded 2 Peter, 2 John, 3 John, Jude and Revelation.
 
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