The Old Testament
1. The Old
Testament quotes from about 30 books and/or genealogical lists called Toldeths.
For instance, The OT quotes from the Book of Jashar (see Joshua 10:13). More
than likely, the other 30 books that the OT quotes from were not written in
Hebrew and therefore the quotes in the OT are translations. Also the prophecies
of Balaam, (see Numbers), were probably not originally in Hebrew. Both the
Bible and the Stella of Balaam (a real archaeological object) indicate that
Balaam was not an Israelite. Some of the proverbs may have been written in
another language – Proverbs chapters 30 and 31 were written by authors
otherwise unknown in history who may not have been Israelites. The book of Job
is an account of a non-Israelite and may have been originally written in a Semitic
language other than Hebrew.
2. The Old
Testament exists in several languages including Hebrew (Masoretic), Greek
(Septuagint), Syriac (Aramaic). Hebrew is considered to be the original
language of the OT. The Septuagint Greek text was created circa the late 2nd
century BC. The Septuagint was purportedly translated into Greek by 70 Hebrew
scholars in Egypt. The OT also exists in Aramaic Targums which are versions of
the OT that in addition to the Hebrew OT have extra-biblical information. For
example the names of the two Egyptian magicians, Jannes and Jambres, that
opposed Moses appear in the Aramaic Targum of Jonathan and also in the New
Testament Book of Timothy but those names do not appear in the Hebrew or Greek
texts of the OT. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain the name Jannes in two places.
Portions of the OT also appear in the Dead Sea Scrolls in Hebrew and Syriac.
There is also a Hebrew Text that contains the first five books of the OT referred
to as the Samaritan Pentateuch that differs from the Masoretic Hebrew text.
3. Portions of the
OT Book of Daniel are Chaldean.
The New Testament
1. The majority of
the New Testament was originally written in Greek.
2. Jesus spoke
Hebrew and/or Syriac (Aramaic). Thus, the words of Jesus in the New Testament
are either Greek translations or transliterations from the original spoken
Hebrew and/or Syriac (Aramaic). The words of Jesus as depicted in the Gospel of
Matthew utilize Hebrew poetics that key on the words “Stone” (אבן) and “Son” (בן). The poetics using
the words “Stone” (אבן)
and “Son” (בן)
form a central unifying theme throughout the Gospel of Matthew and appear in
the Dialogue of John the Baptist, The Temptation, the Sermon on the Mount, The
Confession of Peter, The Parable of the Cornerstone, The Olivet Discourse, The
Passion.
03:09 “Stones” (אבן) and “Sons” (בן)
04:03 “Son of God”
(אלקים בן)
and “Stones” “Bread” (לחם
אבן)
04:06 “Stone” (אבן) and “Son” (בן)
07:09 “Stone” (אבן), “Son” (בנו) and “Prophets” (הנביאים)
07:23-25 “Built” (שבנה), “Stone” (אבן) and “Built” (בנה)
16:12 “Understand” תבינו))
16:14 “Prophets” מהנביאים))
16:16 “Son” (בן)
16:18 “Stone” (אבן)
16:18 “Will Build”
(אבנה)
21:35-46 “Son” (בנו), “Stone” (אבן), “Builders” (הבונים) and “Prophet” (נביא)
23:29 “You Build” (שתבנו) and “Prophets” (נביאים)
23:30 “Prophets” (נביאים)
23:31 “Sons” (שבנים) and “Sons” (שבנים)
23:34 “Prophets” (נביאים)
23:37 “Prophets” (הנביאים) and “Sons” (בניך)
24:01 “Buildings” (בניני)
24:02 “Stone” (אבנ)
24:11 “Prophets” (נביאי)
24:15 “Understand”
(יבין)
24:22 “Chosen (נבחריו)”
24:24 “Prophets” (נביאי)
27:40 “Build” (לבנות) and “Son” (בן)
27:51“Stones” (האבנים)
27:54 “Son” (בן)
27:60 “Stone” (אבן)
28:02 “Stone” (אבן)
3. The authors of
the NT used assistants to pen various texts into Greek. For instance, Silvanus
assisted both Paul (1Thessalonians 1:1, 2Thessalonians 1:1) and Peter (1Peter
5:12). Possibly Papias assisted with the Gospel of John – “Here begins the
summary of the Gospel According to John: The Gospel of John was made known and
given to the churches by John while he was still in the flesh, as a man of
Hierapolis by the name of Papias, a beloved disciple of John, has related in
the exoteric – that is, the last – part of his five books. Indeed, he wrote
down the Gospel correctly as John dictated” (Papias – Fragment (19:1) from
Codex Vaticanus Alexandrinus).
4. Portions of the
NT especially some portions of the gospels may have originated from Hebrew
and/or Syriac (Aramaic). For instance, Syriac C and S and Dutillet Hebrew Matthew
all contain the missing 42nd name in Matthew 1:1-17 which is a
passage that contextually contains 42 Semitic names. There is no known Greek
text of Matthew that contains the missing 42nd name.
Based on the cross reference index notes for The
Comprehensive New Testament and The Passion: The Poetry of God
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