https://theoscholar.blogspot.com/2013/12/aramaic-new-testament.html :
critique by Dylan Downs @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S90VUomo2tM
"Victor Alexander is a native Aramaic speaker who has mastered the more ancient form of the Syriac Aramaic dialect. His translation is fitly named, as unlike most translations, it is not translated from Greek but Aramaic: the language of Jesus (or as Alexander transliterates: Eashoa). His translation is unique among the other translations of the Aramaic Peshitta, as it is not a literal translation, but a more dynamic one. Alexander transliterates the Syriac name for Jesus (Yod-Sheen-Waw-Ayin) as "Eashoa" (which is the pronunciation modern Aramaic speakers use). He translates the Aramaic "Meshikha" as "Messiah" (closer to the original Aramaic title than the Greek "Christ")
Alexander's translation is very easy to read, and the footnotes show Aramaic idioms in their more literal form at the end of each chapter, and frequently explain his translation choices."
My reply to Dylan Downs:
"Studying Victor Alexander's website at http://www.v-a.com (presently down),
for a while,and communicating with him via email,asking many questions of him,and also giving him links to other Aramaic scripture based videos and claims,I can verify he did translate the entire Old Testament,and completed it using the Syriac,but was later asked why,when informed by an Aramaic priest (?) when it was originally in Assyrian-Aramaic!
So he stated he'd have to start all over again,and being about 60ish and not so well,he'd probably never complete it,but is confident that someone else would probably pick up from where he'd left off,and complete it.I found him to be a very nice mannered man in his email replies,even though I personally can ask too many questions,or present him with many strange things Aramaic-based,I have found online.I have also read,but never purchased Gabriel Roth's AENT online, and it appears he also got hold of the same ancient manuscripts from the ancient church of the East,but in Syriac.Yes sometimes V Alexander uses tri-une,then the word trinity,and I have found some spelling mistakes. He as stated he doesn't care what others say about his and translating of the Aramaic,as he's a native born Mesopotamian speaker/translator and he's about translating the texts in English as best as he can,without bias,or adding his own spin on it. Dylan Downs on You tube has made the same comments,and through his own admission,he doesn't speak (fluent) Aramaic.Yet it sounds like he knows the language better than Victor.I like Victor's translation,as well as Roth's".
So he at first translated the Old Testament using the Syriac,then realizing it was originally in Ashurit or Assyrian-Aramaic,he translated all using the Assyrian-Aramaic,or Aramaic,or a Northern Iranian dialect of Aramaic.Therefore I disagree with Dylan's statement.
I discovered Victor's website http://www.v-a.com online quite by accident,and his Pre-Adamic Neanderthal man theory. I read it and laughed.I somehow stumbled across his website many months later,emailed him,and stated I' d come across a funny theory. Then it dawned on me, I was laughing at him.
I then read that he stated when he first translated the Book of Genesis (Beresh't) he was shocked to find that the ancient texts spoke of a Pre-Adamic man,or Neanderthal man. So it agreed with the scientific discoveries.Unlike Evolution,that isn't consistent,and changes several times.
Genesis 1:1 KJV: "In the beginning.. God created the heaven and the earth..." to me,didn't match with John 1:1-2."n the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
As I had the belief that Jesus never said or claimed to be God.But some time later I realized that this verse in the Aramaic,is stating he is indeed God.And confronted Victor with this and he verified Jesus is God,and that I had a very funny way of looking at Jesus.Well, I thought,okay,but if you translate something of Eastern origins into English,...having a Western mindset,I'm going to see it in English,use that mindset to interpret its meaning,and come to the conclusion...or illusion that I understand it because of that.
I have learned over time to adopt an eastern mindset,to understand the text better,and also the idioms used. One Professor has stated,if you don't know the ancient languages and the idioms used,you don't know the Bible as well as you claim you do! By trying to interpret an eastern text written by people with an Eastern mindset,using a Western mindset,is as Oil and water - it just doesn't doesn't gel.
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