Which translation of the Peshitta is best?

[jfranklin]

I'm looking to purchase a copy of the Peshitta and was wondering which is the best translation?Are there any modern translations that are in book form.Reading too much on the internet hurts my eyes...lol... <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->

Thanks for any help.

[Andrew Gabriel Roth]

I'm looking to purchase a copy of the Peshitta and was wondering which is the best translation?Are there any modern translations that are in book form.Reading too much on the internet hurts my eyes...lol... <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->

Thanks for any help.

Shlama (peace) to you Franklin,
I know exactly how you feel! I believe the best that can be done for right now is a divided recommendation:

1) For the Gospels, get our brother Paul's interlinear spirally bound version. Much easier to read than the online version, and a great way to get familar with the Aramaic language without feeling overwhelmed.

2) For the rest of the NT, buy the combined OT/NT done by George Lamsa. Advantage is that it is widely available, in any commercial bookstore, and for $35 you get the Peshitta Tanakh translated as well--and I think Lamsa did overall a great job there. Disadvantadge is that Lamsa took certain liberties that he should not have, and allowed some very liberal theological tendencies to infect his prose. But the good news (again) is that the biggest problems seem confined to the Gospels in my view, and you have that covered by getting #1.

Sorry for this somewhat expensive solution. Aramaic Peshitta scholarship is getting greater interest all the time, but it is still a very small field, and therefore, small choices at present. Those choices though are still very good, in my opinion.

Hope this helps!

[jfranklin]

Thanks brother Andrew for all your help.I'll try to get the books you suggested...I think you have a book out now dont you...I'll pick that one up as well...lol... <!-- s:biggrin: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/biggrin.gif" alt=":biggrin:" title="Big Grin" /><!-- s:biggrin: -->

Your words made me feel a little bit better about the Lamsa translation.I had heard that there might be a few problems with his work.

Thanks again for all your help.You set me on the right path...God bless you.

[peshitta_enthusiast]

There is actually cheaper option for an online versions. Here you can buy online version:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.aramaicpeshitta.com/AramaicNTtools/dr_george_lamsa_bible.htm">http://www.aramaicpeshitta.com/AramaicN ... _bible.htm</a><!-- m -->

But it has no footnotes (I have this version). But there aren't that many anyway in Lamsa's Peshitta NT and I maybe should type them out and publish on my site coz that is far less than 10% of that book anyway... Hmmm...

And I am trying to get free online version of the Lamsa, it'll be interesting to see how it pans out.

Regards,

Chris