Dr. George Lamsa

George M. Lamsa

(1892 – 1975) By virtue of his birth place, linguistic ability, and his scholarly achievements, George M. Lamsa was ideally suited to accomplish his outstanding contribution to the field of Biblical research. As all serious students of the Bible know, no one particular version of the Bible may accurately be called THE Word of God as originally given by God. In order to arrive at an accurate understanding of certain scriptural passages, one must at times examine various translations of the Bible, as well as the underlying original, ancient Biblical languages. Lamsa’s pioneering work, including the notable Holy Bible from Ancient Eastern Manuscripts , provided invaluable resources for Biblical scholars and kindled a widespread interest in the long neglected, yet crucial, primary Aramaic texts. Aramaic History The history of the Aramaic language extends all the way back to the time of the patriarchs and the region of Mesopotamia, commonly referred to as “the cradle of civilization.” It is the ancestor to all Semitic languages, and the language and its alphabet continue in use to the present day. Being a Galilean, Jesus Christ spoke Aramaic. The Gospels and Church epistles were originally written in Aramaic, and then immediately translated into Greek as they were sent out to the Greek speaking regions of early Christianity, such as Macedonia and Achaia. As Christianity continued to grow and spread simultaneously in the Aramaic speaking regions of the Eastern Church, and the Greek speaking regions of the western church, the Scriptures were carefully copied and preserved in both of these primary languages. Written in the Syriac dialect of Aramaic, the Peshitta version is the oldest complete Aramaic manuscript in existence. The word Peshitta means “straight, simple, sincere, o