About dialects of the Aramaic language

[Paul Younan]

Shlama Akhi Ivan,

Shlama,
When I was reading the Acts, I discovered that apostle Paul was traveling in gentile countries and first of all made contacts with Jews. It is possible that he wrote the Epistles to Jews. I do ask all who knows to amswer my questions (better if with facts and/or references).

1) The Jews in these gentile countries, what language and script did they communicate with Paul?

I think the "Maran Atha" preserved intact at the end of the Greek translation of 1 Corinthians pretty much sums it up, don't you think? <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->

2) In <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/images/aramaic1.jpg">http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/i ... amaic1.jpg</a><!-- m --> there is Lord's prayer in Hebrew letters. The first two words does not correspond to the words of the Lord's prayer of COE Peshitta text. Is it different dialect or is it a Syriac text translated from some Greek fragment?

It looks like someone's attempt to render the Lord's Prayer into some sort of Hebraic/Aramaic mixture like Qumran Aramaic. <!-- s:dontgetit: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/dontgetit.gif" alt=":dontgetit:" title="Dont Get It" /><!-- s:dontgetit: --> Of course, there is no witness to this dialect in Christian writing, and we have no proof that Meshikha spoke Qumran Aramaic. In fact, we have just the opposite. We have proof from the Greek manuscripts that his dialect is exactly like the Peshitta dialect. We know this because the Aramaic words the Greek did preserve intact are exactly the same dialect as the Peshitta.

3) It is much said about dialects of the Aramaic (I mean first century). What they are in? Is it just difference in pronunciations or some spellings are different or what?

Yes, a little bit of everything. Much like today, different villages sometimes only a few miles apart have different dialects of Aramaic and different spellings, pronunciations, accents, etc (like the many dialects of Spanish or Arabic today.) Remember that Shimon when he was in Jerusalem, was recognized as a Galilean because of his speech?

There have been hundreds upon hundreds of Aramaic dialects throughout the almost 3,000 years it has been spoken. Even today, I notice different dialects from different villages of Assyrians.

4) In <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.aramnaharaim.org/AramaicJesus.htm">http://www.aramnaharaim.org/AramaicJesus.htm</a><!-- m --> it says "At the beginning of the Christian era, Aramaic, in various dialects was the dominant spoken language of Syria and Mesopotamia. It developed a number of literary dialects, known as Palestinian Jewish Aramaic, Samaritan Aramaic, Syro-Palestinian Christian Aramaic, Syriac, Babylonian Talmudic Aramaic, and Mandaic Aramaic. In Galilee[14]and Samaria[15], Aramaic dialects became the day-to-day means of communication." Is there somewhere online explanations what the differences are?

There are the online texts themselves at the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon site. But I don't think anyone has ever attempted to document every little difference between every dialect of Aramaic that has ever existed. That would take a lifetime. <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->

Take care Akhi,
Paul