Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Luke 17:20-21 in Aramaic

I have just finished reading a fascinating book by Neil Douglas-Klotz, "The Hidden Gospel" in which he translates parts of the New Testament from the Peshitta, which dates to the fourth century CE and is written in Aramaic, the spoken language of Jesus. "Looking at Jesus' words in Aramaic reveals the spirituality of his teachings in light of the Middle Eastern tradition as a whole." The "flavor" and multiple possible meanings of the Aramaic words as translated lends further credibility to the teachings as revealed in Thomas and other writings discovered at Nag Hammadi. For example, Luke 17: 20-21 which is presented in the King James version as:

"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the Kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo Here! or, lo there! for, behold the kingdom of God is within you."

translates from the Aramaic (according to Douglas-Klotz) as:

"The reign of empowerment you look for
does not come from watching outside,
from waiting for it to happen,
from guarding property, status, or wealth.
It will not come by pointing to something
or someone outside yourself.
The "I Can" of Oneness that will free you
come from inside out,
from an agreement deep in the belly.
Then your inner community
expresses itself as the face of
powerful and overwhelming unity."

Other mysterious or non-sensible sayings of Jesus as translated in English versions of the Bible make sense with the Aramaic translations and point to Jesus as being first and foremost a teacher of the mystical wisdom tradition.

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