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The other side of Mari
#1
Shlama all---

I have been meaning to write on this matter for a few weeks, and hope you all won't mind. Obviously I feel very gratified about discussing the translation portion of Mari and on occasion posting excerpts. This is the most important area of my work and the emphasis there is totally appropriate.

However, I did not want to neglect the OTHER SIDE of Mari, and by this I mean the supplemental materials that come before and after the "main show".

I want you all to know that I am very proud of this part of the volume as well, but so far all I have really said about it is that the more "controversial" parts of Nazarene belief are in this part of the text. That is true, but I am doing everyone who has or will buy a copy a huge disservice if I just hang a warning sign without also pointing out some features that I think most of us will enjoy.

There are more than 70 topics in the appendices, or as Baruch prefers "appendixes". Some of it is a re-statement of what I have written before but most of it is brand new, either because I wrote something that didn't "fit" anywhere and kept it alone on my hard drive, or because in the years of gestation that this project took I had to research something, answer a need, etc.

So I thought it might be a good idea to tell all of you about my favorite parts of the supplemental sections so that you can get the most pleasure possible over what is there. Here are my top 10:

10: "Almah": An exploration of Matthew's use of Isaiah 7:14, affirming a literal virgin birth but also giving a deeper view to Jewish and Christian controversies around the issue.

9: "18 NT Misconceptions": Updated from its original form that is on my website, the strength of this section was and is in showing the linkage between Hebrew terms in Tanakh carried over in many cases as the same words in the Aramaic NT.

8: "A Survey of Peshitta Primacist Scholarship": In my view, there is not enough paper in the world to do this one justice. My focus here is showing the main trends from the true masters of this topic who have gone before us, namely guys like William Norton, Asahel Grant, CC Torrey, and so on. I just let these men speak in their own words and add some topic headlines. As it turns out, that is the most effective thing I could have done.

7: "Basar Echad": You guys all know what that is about.

6: "David's Master": A really interesting study on Y'shua quoting Psalm 110 and what that really means.

5: "When Was the Crucifixion/Resurrection" (series): These articles are actually showing a difference of opinion between Baruch and myself on the timeline between crucifixion and resurrection. I think going outside of my beliefs a bit to incorporate Baruch's is healthy and creates for a great analysis overall.

4: "Divisions of the Day": Looks at how ancient Israel divided the day and night, watches and hours and many other issues along these lines. This essay was originally called "Are there not 12 hours of daylight" and was designed to refute a heresy that denied the day began at sunset.

3: "Josephus the Netzari": I started this essay with the intent of exploring if it was POSSIBLE that the historian Josephus was a Nazarene, but I had no intention of coming to a conclusion. However, when I delved into it I believe I found a firm answer. Not only that, I uncovered a midrashic code in Josephus that blew my mind and reconstructed with his own words a "Gospel" of sorts. The code I found I think will be interesting to all, whether they agree with me or not.

2: "Aramaic Primer": This section deals with how to read Aramaic and vowel system that I adopted to stabilize pronunciation.

AND THE NUMBER ONE FAVORITE ESSAY BY ME, BY FAR, NOT EVEN CLOSE IS...

1: WHEEL OF STARS, which is my masterpiece in terms of prophecy and calendar analysis. You guys know I seldom deal with prophecy and I get asked a lot, "Andrew do you have an idea when Y'shua might come back?' I have never, ever told anyone the full answer to this, but I do here. It is more than just a guess, let me assure you, and I take into account that "no man knows the hour" but I think the code is there to answer this question definitively. It is not just a look at symbolism in Daniel and Rev--it is a restoration of the Heavenly Calendar that has been hiding in plain sight in Scripture all along. And it is revealed through PSHAT process along with the only two priestly eyewitnesses that have come down to us.

So, when you get tired of my translation style, these things can maybe seem refreshing. Then again, I also recommend leaving the house every now and then...

Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth
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#2
Ooh looks like "Wheel of Stars" is gonna be my favourite too as I'm a major prophecy freak! <!-- s:biggrin: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/biggrin.gif" alt=":biggrin:" title="Big Grin" /><!-- s:biggrin: -->
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#3
Shlama Khati Christina,

And when Mari is out there, I will have no problems discussing some of those prophetic aspects here so long as it doesn't get too "theological". I don't really do this kind of thing often unless it is very special but it is also something I don't want to argue about too much either. People are of course free to agree or disagree with the evidence and my argumentation of it, but folks will find that I am not into the full court press on these matters.

For those of you who have been asking me privately though, I will not discuss Wheel of Stars in advance of Mari being in people's hands, but at least that wait is nearly over.

Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth
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#4
Cool can't wait for that discussion. <!-- s:biggrin: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/biggrin.gif" alt=":biggrin:" title="Big Grin" /><!-- s:biggrin: --> The most theologically sensitive prophecy topic (in my experience) is the "rapture", so that's the best one to avoid. For me my biggest interest in prophecy is identifying the nations who will play a role in the end times, eg: where is Meshech & Tubal. Assyrian records are often consulted for "prophetic geography" I would especially like to see how closely the Peshitta Tanakh matches with the ancient Assyrian records.

But yeah, I'm open to anything.
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#5
Shlama Khati Christina,

Well it kind of is a bit of a honeyed trap--that prophecy thang--so I try to really stick to basics. Just to tease the main detail of Wheel of Stars out which is a simple question requiring an immensely detailed answer is tough enough. Getting the details of who does what and when, well let's just say I find that even more difficult.

On the other hand, what I feel I can prove even by being "conservative" is pretty intense.

Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth
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#6
Leave the house? *shock* *begins to shake in terror* whatever for??????
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#7
Shlama Akhi Dawid,

Well, if you get a chance to read what I am talking about, you will be free to offer your own characterization. Everyone who has read it sees what I see, but you can feel free to be different.

All I am really saying is that I am anticipating folks asking me about this in Mari and that should they do so I will engage the matter in a limited manner. I get tons of requests by private email for people asking me about what Baruch wrote in the intro parts of the website or what the topics listed in the appendix mean, so I was just responding to those people in one shot here while also talking to Christina.

Once again I find myself asking that you read what I have written before passing a judgment.

Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth
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#8
I'm sorry, akhi. I just found your last comment really funny, which I think it was meant to be, and wanted to join in on it. I didn't mean to mock your post or anything. I was just trying to laugh along with what was apparently intended to be a joke.
I really am looking forward to a number of the features you've mentioned here. I know they will be very good. I'm personally disillusioned with eschatology in general, but I'm not afraid to have my mind changed on the issues.
I'm especially looking forward to "David's Master" because I was discussing this with a Reform friend the other day, he was contending that "L'dawid" in this case must be interpreted "for David." At the moment I don't see how it can be proven either way, so I'm excited to hear your perspective.
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