Debunking another Trimmism

[Paul Younan]

Shlama Akhi Yuri,

Besides, Rabbula only became bishop in 411. The date of SyS is mid- to late 4th c.

According to comparison of handwriting style, only, which is very subjective. It's not an exact science. The actual manuscript has never been dated scientifically (using carbon dating.)

Besides, bishops are selected when they become elderly. Rabbula could have easily been working on this translation of his in the 370-380s while still a deacon or priest or monk. It is very well within the timeframe - exactly, actually.

You also fail to mention that the Old Scratch is the only version which has Rabbula's term "Evangelion de Mepharreshe" on the heading of EVERY page and at the beginning of the actual text of Matthai and end of the actual text of Yukhanan.

Unless you can point to the term being used before Rabbula - I will stand by my thesis that Rabbula created them. (which would also explain why the CoE never adopted his version.)

And as to the mainstream biblical scholars, I would like to see some constructive dialogue between the Aramaic prioritists and the Greek mainstreamers. There must be a way... Just saying that they are all deluded isn't going to be helpful.

Last I checked - that is exactly what we are doing here. Have you not read about all the evidences we have found in the different categories on this forum? What are YOU doing to further the Aramaic primacist cause?

Saying, for example, that all palimpsests are worthless will only get a laugh from them, but will not score us any points. Such a strategy will be counterproductive.

A "palimpset" that has the Holy Gospels sitting on top of previously scratched-off writing is respectable. A "palimpset" where the Holy Gospels IS the scratched-off text is JUNK. There's a huge difference.

You say you don't care why somebody scratched it off. I do. In my part of the world, no one scratches off sacred writing to write recipes or a love letter over it. It may be how things are done in your part of the world - but not in mine.

The Biography of Rabbula says that he translated something from the Greek.

Rabbula uses the expression "Evangelion de Mepharreshe".

SyS also uses the expression "Evangelion de Mepharreshe".

Sorry, but I cannot conclude from the above that Rabbula was the author of SyS. Rabbula might have translated something, but there's no sufficient evidence that this was SyS. (Perhaps he might have created some intermediate version between the Peshitta and SyS, that is now lost?)

Again, you've grossly oversimplified the argument. Your second point "Rabbula uses the expression" is false. He doesn't "use" the expression - HE COMMANDS all the churches to use "Evangelion de Mepharreshe" - and I would suspect that it was his own version that he would try and force down people's throats. He was that type of maniac. Remember - he did supress the Diatesseron......right? We are not talking about a nice guy here.

Akhi - you are in your own fantasy world if you think that Old Scratch is your buddy when fighting the Greeks. They will use it against you more efficiently than I ever could - because it is so easy to attack it and to prove it's a translation from the Greek.

I can't make you understand how bad the grammar of Old Scratch is because you don't speak the language. If you can, then please answer this post:

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...and tell me what's wrong with the grammar? I count no less than 6 grammatical errors in this one verse alone. Can you point out 1 or 2?