Saadia Gaon's Arabic Tafsir Tanakh

[Christina]

From Wikipedia, Bible Translations (Arabic):

In the 10th century AD Saadia Gaon wrote a Tafsir, an Arabic translation of the Tanakh with a lengthy commentary. These were written in Hebrew characters (Judeo-Arabic). Much of the commentary is lost, but the translation has survived intact, and even served as part of the liturgy of Yemenite Jews, who read the Torah in the synagogue with each Hebrew verse translated twice: First to the Aramaic targum, and second to Saadia's Tafsir.[1]

1. ^ Text and audio rendition of a Yemenite Hebrew-Aramaic-Arabic Torah reading may be found at Nosach Teiman; reading by Mari Saalam Kohen.

Also see: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.tem.txt.co.il/">http://www.tem.txt.co.il/</a><!-- m -->

[Paul Younan]

1. ^ Text and audio rendition of a Yemenite Hebrew-Aramaic-Arabic Torah reading may be found at Nosach Teiman; reading by Mari Saalam Kohen.

Wonderful link! The Hebrew is in the middle, the Aramaic is on the right column (Targum Onkelos) and the Arabic (Saadia's translation) on the left column. All written in the Ashuri script, amazing.

Notice in the very first verse how in the Hebrew the original YHWH is preserved. In the Aramaic of Onkelos, the Name is written as YY, and in the Arabic of Saadia it's the Arabic word "Allah."

Again, this is to answer those people who keep asking "Why doesn't the name YHWH appear in the Peshitta OT or NT" - the reason is it's NEVER written in Aramaic or Arabic, only in Hebrew.

Very interesting.



+Shamasha

[Andrew Gabriel Roth]

WOW! Christina that is one incredible link. And check out the chanting!!!!

Akhi Paul, I think you might want to adding this as a links section and I may do the same.

Like the Peshitta Tanakh, on the Jewish side I have often felt that the Yemenite traditions are very neglected area of study. And yet the growth of that ewish community in a Muslim country emerges with a liturgy and Masorah that is utterly unique and for myself, I have only read the slightest bit on them and been blown away. I find their Midrash beyond beautiful, and looking at a book in English about that consitutes the bulk of my study on them.

I guess I never run out of things in this area to be fascinated about and that's a good thing.

Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth

[Christina]

Shlama both of you,

I think this is an absolute gem, I love it because it brings the 3 Semitic languages together, though I'll confess that I can't read anything on that site, hahaha.

Hey akhi Paul I have an idea for a new forum section, if it doesn't sound like overkill. How about a Semitic Cognate study section, where we compare words in Hebrew, Aramaic & Arabic, and bring in readings from this Tafsir Tanakh, Mosul Arabic Peshitta, Targums, Masoretic & Peshitta. Now that would be very interesting, whaddaya say?

BTW I do you have any idea where I can get the Arabic translation of the Peshitta (Mosul Bible)? All I know is that the translation was completed by the church (Chaldean?) in Iraq in 2001, but the page from UBS website is no longer there! I have an Iraqi friend in Athens whom I'll be visiting over Christmas and this will make a great gift (he's an apostate, former Shia Muslim, now a believer in Mesheikha).

[Amatsyah]

Shlama Christina,

Hey akhi Paul I have an idea for a new forum section, if it doesn't sound like overkill. How about a Semitic Cognate study section, where we compare words in Hebrew, Aramaic & Arabic, and bring in readings from this Tafsir Tanakh, Mosul Arabic Peshitta, Targums, Masoretic & Peshitta. Now that would be very interesting, whaddaya say?

Maybe this could be a starting place?:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/query.cgi?flags=eygtnnl&basename=%5Cdata%5Csemham%5Csemet">http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/query. ... am%5Csemet</a><!-- m -->

Also, you folks ever heard of the United Bible Society???s SDBH?:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.sdbh.org/vocabula/index.html">http://www.sdbh.org/vocabula/index.html</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://sdbh.org/home-en.html">http://sdbh.org/home-en.html</a><!-- m -->

BTW I do you have any idea where I can get the Arabic translation of the Peshitta (Mosul Bible)? All I know is that the translation was completed by the church (Chaldean?) in Iraq in 2001, but the page from UBS website is no longer there!

Someone please help this woman! Unless I???ve missed some obscure corner of the internet, all of my searches have turned up dry ??? and I know most of the places to look. That included the UBS Scholarly Resources Catalog 2008, the Bible Society of South Africa, hyperlinked bibliographies, every in-print, out-of-print, and in-between-print, cheap & expensive, reprint and online print resource I know of! Pick something that ain???t so hard to find, girl ??? lol!

In return, I have an idea for you. Popped in my head while wading knee-deep through Arabic-Peshitta-less online stores. How about a nice new section that you could create as a pdf doc.???s / useful links DEPOT? A simple title for each, or even a gung-ho short annotated chart/compendium/table/index of articles, excerpts, topics, midrashes, etc. etc. etc.??? They could be organized any number of ways (alphabetical, topical, etc.).

A few examples (mostly pdf???s) of what I???m talking about which might be useful if found themselves attached to this forum in a nice little home just for them:

(all have some relation to Peshitta studies in one way or another)

An Introduction to Syriac Studies ??? by Sebastian Brock
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.aramaic-dem.org/English/History/Brock_Introduction.pdf">http://www.aramaic-dem.org/English/Hist ... uction.pdf</a><!-- m -->

The Arabic Bible ??? A Select Annotated Bibliography
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.hurqalya.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/BIBLIOGRAPHY-HYP/BIBLES-MISC-OCC/ARABIC%20BIBLES%20-%20DARLOW%20AND%20MOULE.htm">http://www.hurqalya.pwp.blueyonder.co.u ... 0MOULE.htm</a><!-- m -->

Syriac Symposium Abstracts
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://syrcom.cua.edu/Hugoye/Vol10No2/HV10No2VthSyriacSymposiumAbstracts.pdf">http://syrcom.cua.edu/Hugoye/Vol10No2/H ... tracts.pdf</a><!-- m -->

The Diatessaron of Tatian
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://members.aol.com/GospelOfTatian/RD2.pdf">http://members.aol.com/GospelOfTatian/RD2.pdf</a><!-- m -->

How Did ???Rust??? Get Into Matt 6:19???20 and ???Purses??? Get Into Luke 12:33?
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://tmcdaniel.palmerseminary.edu/Matt6&Luke12.pdf">http://tmcdaniel.palmerseminary.edu/Matt6&Luke12.pdf</a><!-- m -->


Or perhaps even some line-crossers such as this one (pasted here especially with you in mind):

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.stfrancismagazine.info/ja/Gospel%20in%20the%20Air%20chapter3.pdf">http://www.stfrancismagazine.info/ja/Go ... apter3.pdf</a><!-- m -->

Now there???s something for ya to think about! It???d be like our own virtual library of sorts. Everyone could contribute. Just a thought.

-Ryan

[Christina]

Fantastic suggestions akhi Ryan <!-- s:biggrin: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/biggrin.gif" alt=":biggrin:" title="Big Grin" /><!-- s:biggrin: --> And akhan Phil has also offered to contribute some Aramaic texts. This is our goal - to build an Aramaic/Peshitta archive which will serve as reference material for Bible students & translators. Keep those ideas coming!

[dowidh]

....
BTW I do you have any idea where I can get the Arabic translation of the Peshitta (Mosul Bible)? All I know is that the translation was completed by the church (Chaldean?) in Iraq in 2001, but the page from UBS website is no longer there! I have an Iraqi friend in Athens whom I'll be visiting over Christmas and this will make a great gift (he's an apostate, former Shia Muslim, now a believer in Mesheikha)...

Shlama Christina,

I've actually bought that ages ago and gave it to a muslim friend. I was told the translation is beautiful.
The Bible Society in Lebanon has the Mosul Arabic Bible for USD 24 and with mailing charges of USD 30 to the USA.

You can contact them here:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.biblesociety.org.lb/info/contact.html">http://www.biblesociety.org.lb/info/contact.html</a><!-- m -->

David R.

[Christina]

Shlama David,

Toddah rabba for the link, I'll check it out.

[dowidh]

Shlama David,

Toddah rabba for the link, I'll check it out.

Anytime. <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->