truth he does not reject.
Son esprit est curieux,
il ne rejette pas la vérité.
Su mente es inquisitiva,
él no rechaza la verdad.
Sua mente é curiosa,
ele não rejeita a verdade.
Text and image © 2019 by Donald Jacobson Traxler.
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
His Mind Is Inquisitive / Son esprit est curieux / Su mente es inquisitiva / Sua mente é curiosa
His mind is inquisitive,
truth he does not reject.
Son esprit est curieux,
il ne rejette pas la vérité.
Su mente es inquisitiva,
él no rechaza la verdad.
Sua mente é curiosa,
ele não rejeita a verdade.
Text and image © 2019 by Donald Jacobson Traxler.
truth he does not reject.
Son esprit est curieux,
il ne rejette pas la vérité.
Su mente es inquisitiva,
él no rechaza la verdad.
Sua mente é curiosa,
ele não rejeita a verdade.
Text and image © 2019 by Donald Jacobson Traxler.
Synoptica XXII - Some Background
Countless careers have been built on the foundation of the fallacious notion, encouraged and abetted by the institutional Church, that the oldest, and indeed original, text of the Gospels is the Greek. Many of those who dared to dispute this erroneous hypothesis have had their own careers wrecked because of it.
About ten years ago I read an amazing and eye-opening book: THE SYRO-LATIN TEXT OF THE GOSPELS, by Frederick Henry Chase (published in 1895). Up to that time I had never heard of the book (or the author), but I immediately recognized its importance. Many, unfortunately, still haven't.
In his book, Chase showed that the text type that Westcott and Hort had referred to as "Western," and which he more appropriately called "Syro-Latin," was older than even the best Greek text. In other words, the textual type represented by the oldest surviving Old Syriac (Syr-s, the Sinaitic Syriac) and the oldest surviving Old Latin (k, known as Bobiensis or Bobbiensis) is older than the best Greek textual type, represented by א (Codex Sinaiticus) and B (Codex Vaticanus). Chase further hypothesized that the Syro-Latin text type likely originated in Antioch.
The owners of the aforementioned careers were not, and are not, pleased. An exception, as pointed out by William L. Petersen in his Collected Essays, was B. F. Westcott, who (in the 1896 2nd Ed. of his and Hort's classic book) had the honesty to admit, in spite of a lifetime spent supporting the dominant, "Greek" hypothesis, that Chase was likely right.
There has been a conspiracy of silence, and it did not begin recently, or even in modern times.
In 382 CE, Pope Damasus I commissioned Jerome to produce a revision of the Old Latin version of the Gospels, then in use. This Jerome did, and he eventually extended the work to include the entire Bible. This had the effect of bringing the accepted Latin text into closer agreement with the Greek text. There was a parallel development in the Syriac-speaking countries, with the Old Syriac being replaced by the Peshitta, sometimes referred to as the Vulgate of the East. These newer translations, supporting the Greek texts more closely, eventually became official, and the old versions, especially of the Syriac, were suppressed (to the extent that only two mss of the Old Syriac, both discovered in the nineteenth century have survived to our own time).
For some reason (or perhaps for many reasons), the institutional Church wanted to hang its hat on the Greek textual tradition, claiming it to be the original. But the truth, as we have shown in this series and elsewhere in this blog, is that, at least for the Gospel of Matthew, there was an earlier version, and it was written in Hebrew. Our canonical, Greek Matthew, was translated from an earlier Hebrew Matthew. That Hebrew Matthew survives, at least partly and with medieval emendations apparently intended to bring it more into line with the Greek, to our own time.
When George Howard published his 1987 book, The Gospel of Matthew according to a Primitive Hebrew Text, it was met with fury from the academic establishment, although Howard was a member in good standing of that establishment. That fury apparently induced him to walk back some of his assertions in his second edition (1995), which he simply titled Hebrew Gospel of Matthew. I have had Howard's second edition for years, and now also have his first. Professor Howard obviously continued his analysis between 1987 and 1995, but even in the 1995 edition, his analysis is only summarized. A great amount of work remains to be done.
In working with the Shem-Tob Hebrew Matthew, I have to do my own analysis. My conclusions will not necessarily be the same as those of Howard, and they are already not the same. But neither are they in opposition to his, and they agree much more than they disagree. Only time will tell, and the job is far too big for any one person.
About ten years ago I read an amazing and eye-opening book: THE SYRO-LATIN TEXT OF THE GOSPELS, by Frederick Henry Chase (published in 1895). Up to that time I had never heard of the book (or the author), but I immediately recognized its importance. Many, unfortunately, still haven't.
In his book, Chase showed that the text type that Westcott and Hort had referred to as "Western," and which he more appropriately called "Syro-Latin," was older than even the best Greek text. In other words, the textual type represented by the oldest surviving Old Syriac (Syr-s, the Sinaitic Syriac) and the oldest surviving Old Latin (k, known as Bobiensis or Bobbiensis) is older than the best Greek textual type, represented by א (Codex Sinaiticus) and B (Codex Vaticanus). Chase further hypothesized that the Syro-Latin text type likely originated in Antioch.
The owners of the aforementioned careers were not, and are not, pleased. An exception, as pointed out by William L. Petersen in his Collected Essays, was B. F. Westcott, who (in the 1896 2nd Ed. of his and Hort's classic book) had the honesty to admit, in spite of a lifetime spent supporting the dominant, "Greek" hypothesis, that Chase was likely right.
There has been a conspiracy of silence, and it did not begin recently, or even in modern times.
In 382 CE, Pope Damasus I commissioned Jerome to produce a revision of the Old Latin version of the Gospels, then in use. This Jerome did, and he eventually extended the work to include the entire Bible. This had the effect of bringing the accepted Latin text into closer agreement with the Greek text. There was a parallel development in the Syriac-speaking countries, with the Old Syriac being replaced by the Peshitta, sometimes referred to as the Vulgate of the East. These newer translations, supporting the Greek texts more closely, eventually became official, and the old versions, especially of the Syriac, were suppressed (to the extent that only two mss of the Old Syriac, both discovered in the nineteenth century have survived to our own time).
For some reason (or perhaps for many reasons), the institutional Church wanted to hang its hat on the Greek textual tradition, claiming it to be the original. But the truth, as we have shown in this series and elsewhere in this blog, is that, at least for the Gospel of Matthew, there was an earlier version, and it was written in Hebrew. Our canonical, Greek Matthew, was translated from an earlier Hebrew Matthew. That Hebrew Matthew survives, at least partly and with medieval emendations apparently intended to bring it more into line with the Greek, to our own time.
When George Howard published his 1987 book, The Gospel of Matthew according to a Primitive Hebrew Text, it was met with fury from the academic establishment, although Howard was a member in good standing of that establishment. That fury apparently induced him to walk back some of his assertions in his second edition (1995), which he simply titled Hebrew Gospel of Matthew. I have had Howard's second edition for years, and now also have his first. Professor Howard obviously continued his analysis between 1987 and 1995, but even in the 1995 edition, his analysis is only summarized. A great amount of work remains to be done.
In working with the Shem-Tob Hebrew Matthew, I have to do my own analysis. My conclusions will not necessarily be the same as those of Howard, and they are already not the same. But neither are they in opposition to his, and they agree much more than they disagree. Only time will tell, and the job is far too big for any one person.
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Holy crap! / Merde! / ¡Santo cielo! / Caralho!
Holy crap! Did I drop TWO acid tabs?
Merde! Ai-je mangé DEUX comprimés d'acide?
¡Santo cielo! ¿Comí DOS tabletas de ácido?
Caralho! Eu comi DOIS comprimidos de ácido?
Text and image © 2019 by Donald Jacobson Traxler.
Merde! Ai-je mangé DEUX comprimés d'acide?
¡Santo cielo! ¿Comí DOS tabletas de ácido?
Caralho! Eu comi DOIS comprimidos de ácido?
Text and image © 2019 by Donald Jacobson Traxler.
After Many Years / Après de nombreuses années / Después de muchos años / Após muitos anos / ᎤᎪᏗᏗ ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏓ ᎤᎶᏐᏅ
After many years of meditation, the hermit emerges from his cave, blinded by the light. He asks, "What are you looking at?" But no one understands his language.
Après de nombreuses années de méditation, l'ermite émerge de sa grotte, aveuglé par la lumière. Il demande: "Que regardez-vous?" Mais personne ne comprend sa langue.
Después de muchos años de meditación, el ermitaño emerge de su cueva, cegado por la luz. Él pregunta: "¿Qué estás mirando?" Pero nadie entiende su idioma.
Após muitos anos de meditação, o eremita emerge de sua caverna, cego pela luz. Ele pergunta: "O que você está olhando?" Mas ninguém entende sua língua.
ugodidi tsudetiyvda ulosonv agowadvdi-ayasdo vhnai, utselidv agayvlo nvlase doyegi utseli usdagalv nidvlenvda, digewita ulvsada gvdodi. atsvyai adadvdodase, "gado usdi nihi hagatase?" aseno tlagiloi golisdase utseli gawonihisgine.
ᎤᎪᏗᏗ ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏓ ᎤᎶᏐᏅ ᎠᎪᏩᏛᏗ-ᎠᏯᏍᏙ ᎥᎿᎢ, ᎤᏤᎵᏛ ᎠᎦᏴᎶ ᏅᎳᏎ ᏙᏰᎩ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎤᏍᏓᎦᎸ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ, ᏗᎨᏫᏔ ᎤᎸᏌᏓ ᎬᏙᏗ. ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎠᏓᏛᏙᏓᏎ, "ᎦᏙ ᎤᏍᏗ ᏂᎯ ᎭᎦᏔᏎ?" ᎠᏎᏃ ᏝᎩᎶᎢ ᎪᎵᏍᏓᏎ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᎩᏁ.
Text and image © 2019 by Donald Jacobson Traxler ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.
Après de nombreuses années de méditation, l'ermite émerge de sa grotte, aveuglé par la lumière. Il demande: "Que regardez-vous?" Mais personne ne comprend sa langue.
Después de muchos años de meditación, el ermitaño emerge de su cueva, cegado por la luz. Él pregunta: "¿Qué estás mirando?" Pero nadie entiende su idioma.
Após muitos anos de meditação, o eremita emerge de sua caverna, cego pela luz. Ele pergunta: "O que você está olhando?" Mas ninguém entende sua língua.
ugodidi tsudetiyvda ulosonv agowadvdi-ayasdo vhnai, utselidv agayvlo nvlase doyegi utseli usdagalv nidvlenvda, digewita ulvsada gvdodi. atsvyai adadvdodase, "gado usdi nihi hagatase?" aseno tlagiloi golisdase utseli gawonihisgine.
ᎤᎪᏗᏗ ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏓ ᎤᎶᏐᏅ ᎠᎪᏩᏛᏗ-ᎠᏯᏍᏙ ᎥᎿᎢ, ᎤᏤᎵᏛ ᎠᎦᏴᎶ ᏅᎳᏎ ᏙᏰᎩ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎤᏍᏓᎦᎸ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ, ᏗᎨᏫᏔ ᎤᎸᏌᏓ ᎬᏙᏗ. ᎠᏨᏯᎢ ᎠᏓᏛᏙᏓᏎ, "ᎦᏙ ᎤᏍᏗ ᏂᎯ ᎭᎦᏔᏎ?" ᎠᏎᏃ ᏝᎩᎶᎢ ᎪᎵᏍᏓᏎ ᎤᏤᎵ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᎩᏁ.
Text and image © 2019 by Donald Jacobson Traxler ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.
Monday, December 9, 2019
I Have No Need for Secrets / Je n'ai pas besoin de secrets / No necesito secretos / Não preciso de segredos
I have no need for secrets,
there is nothing I cannot tell.
What needs be said is said,
the rest can go to hell.
Je n'ai pas besoin de secrets,
il n'y a rien que je ne puisse dire.
Ce qui doit être dit est dit,
le reste peut aller en enfer.
No necesito secretos,
No hay nada que no pueda decir.
Lo que hay que decir se ha dicho,
el resto al infierno puede ir.
Não preciso de segredos,
não há nada que eu não possa dizer.
O que precisa ser dito é dito,
o resto para o inferno pode ir.
Text and image © 2019 by Donald Jacobson Traxler.
there is nothing I cannot tell.
What needs be said is said,
the rest can go to hell.
Je n'ai pas besoin de secrets,
il n'y a rien que je ne puisse dire.
Ce qui doit être dit est dit,
le reste peut aller en enfer.
No necesito secretos,
No hay nada que no pueda decir.
Lo que hay que decir se ha dicho,
el resto al infierno puede ir.
Não preciso de segredos,
não há nada que eu não possa dizer.
O que precisa ser dito é dito,
o resto para o inferno pode ir.
Text and image © 2019 by Donald Jacobson Traxler.
ᎤᏰᎸᎭ ᎠᎦᏙᎲᏍᏗ 76 - saloli ale gule disgonihi / L'écureuil et la colombe
saloli ale gule disgonihi alenidohase utloyi tlugvdi hawina. nasgidv iyudaliha ganohilidasdase itsule. nasgidv tla alasdase. nasgidv unvtase yeliquu nigadv nasgihai.gesvase yeliquu nigadv nasgihai igvnisisgi tlagiloi gesvase ugasalesgi. nasgidv tla uduladase danuwadine. nasgidv yeliquase alenidohi dohiyi hawina. yvwi yeliquase gadolequa saloli ale gule disgonihi nidvlenvda.
ᏌᎶᎵ ᎠᎴ ᎫᎴ ᏗᏍᎪᏂᎯ ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎭᏎ ᎤᏠᏱ ᏡᎬᏗ ᎭᏫᎾ. ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᎢᏳᏓᎵᎭ ᎦᏃᎯᎵᏓᏍᏓᏎ ᎢᏧᎴ. ᎾᏍᎩᏛ Ꮭ ᎠᎳᏍᏓᏎ. ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᎤᏅᏔᏎ ᏰᎵᏊ ᏂᎦᏛ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ.ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏰᎵᏊ ᏂᎦᏛ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ ᎢᎬᏂᏏᏍᎩ ᏝᎩᎶᎢ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᎦᏌᎴᏍᎩ. ᎾᏍᎩᏛ Ꮭ ᎤᏚᎳᏓᏎ ᏓᏄᏩᏗᏁ. ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎯ ᏙᎯᏱ ᎭᏫᎾ. ᏴᏫ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᎦᏙᎴᏆ ᏌᎶᎵ ᎠᎴ ᎫᎴ ᏗᏍᎪᏂᎯ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ.
L'écureuil et la colombe vivent dans les mêmes arbres. Ils recherchent souvent de la nourriture ensemble. Ils ne se battent pas. Ils savent qu'il y en a assez pour tout le monde, il y en a assez, car personne n'est gourmand. Ils n'ont pas besoin de guerres. Ils peuvent vivre en paix. Les humains peuvent apprendre de l'écureuil et de la colombe.
Text and image © 2019 by Donald Jacobson Traxler ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.
ᏌᎶᎵ ᎠᎴ ᎫᎴ ᏗᏍᎪᏂᎯ ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎭᏎ ᎤᏠᏱ ᏡᎬᏗ ᎭᏫᎾ. ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᎢᏳᏓᎵᎭ ᎦᏃᎯᎵᏓᏍᏓᏎ ᎢᏧᎴ. ᎾᏍᎩᏛ Ꮭ ᎠᎳᏍᏓᏎ. ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᎤᏅᏔᏎ ᏰᎵᏊ ᏂᎦᏛ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ.ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏰᎵᏊ ᏂᎦᏛ ᎾᏍᎩᎭᎢ ᎢᎬᏂᏏᏍᎩ ᏝᎩᎶᎢ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᎦᏌᎴᏍᎩ. ᎾᏍᎩᏛ Ꮭ ᎤᏚᎳᏓᏎ ᏓᏄᏩᏗᏁ. ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎯ ᏙᎯᏱ ᎭᏫᎾ. ᏴᏫ ᏰᎵᏆᏎ ᎦᏙᎴᏆ ᏌᎶᎵ ᎠᎴ ᎫᎴ ᏗᏍᎪᏂᎯ ᏂᏛᎴᏅᏓ.
L'écureuil et la colombe vivent dans les mêmes arbres. Ils recherchent souvent de la nourriture ensemble. Ils ne se battent pas. Ils savent qu'il y en a assez pour tout le monde, il y en a assez, car personne n'est gourmand. Ils n'ont pas besoin de guerres. Ils peuvent vivre en paix. Les humains peuvent apprendre de l'écureuil et de la colombe.
Text and image © 2019 by Donald Jacobson Traxler ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.
Sunday, December 8, 2019
The Hawk Is on the Horizon / Le faucon est à l'horizon / El halcón está en el horizonte / O falcão está no horizonte / ᏔᏬᏗ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎦᎸᎶᎢ-ᎡᎶᎯ ᎠᏍᏓᏅᏅ ᎾᎿ
The hawk is on the horizon,
the lizard sleeps in the sun.
All will be made known
when day is done.
Le faucon est à l'horizon,
le lézard dort au soleil.
Tout sera connu
quand le jour est terminé.
El halcón está en el horizonte,
el lagarto duerme al sol.
Todo se dará a conocer
cuando termina el día.
O falcão está no horizonte,
o lagarto dorme ao sol.
Tudo será divulgado
quando o dia terminar.
tawodi gesvase galvloi-elohi asdanvnv nahna,
tiyohali galvdase nvda-agaliho hawina.
nigadv gesvose agadudesdita
iyuno iga gesvose asquadisdita.
ᏔᏬᏗ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎦᎸᎶᎢ-ᎡᎶᎯ ᎠᏍᏓᏅᏅ ᎾᎿ,
ᏘᏲᎭᎵ ᎦᎸᏓᏎ ᏅᏓ-ᎠᎦᎵᎰ ᎭᏫᎾ.
ᏂᎦᏛ ᎨᏒᎣᏎ ᎠᎦᏚᏕᏍᏗᏔ
ᎢᏳᏃ ᎢᎦ ᎨᏒᎣᏎ ᎠᏍᏆᏗᏍᏗᏔ.
Text and image © 2019 by Donald Jacobson Traxler ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.
the lizard sleeps in the sun.
All will be made known
when day is done.
Le faucon est à l'horizon,
le lézard dort au soleil.
Tout sera connu
quand le jour est terminé.
El halcón está en el horizonte,
el lagarto duerme al sol.
Todo se dará a conocer
cuando termina el día.
O falcão está no horizonte,
o lagarto dorme ao sol.
Tudo será divulgado
quando o dia terminar.
tawodi gesvase galvloi-elohi asdanvnv nahna,
tiyohali galvdase nvda-agaliho hawina.
nigadv gesvose agadudesdita
iyuno iga gesvose asquadisdita.
ᏔᏬᏗ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎦᎸᎶᎢ-ᎡᎶᎯ ᎠᏍᏓᏅᏅ ᎾᎿ,
ᏘᏲᎭᎵ ᎦᎸᏓᏎ ᏅᏓ-ᎠᎦᎵᎰ ᎭᏫᎾ.
ᏂᎦᏛ ᎨᏒᎣᏎ ᎠᎦᏚᏕᏍᏗᏔ
ᎢᏳᏃ ᎢᎦ ᎨᏒᎣᏎ ᎠᏍᏆᏗᏍᏗᏔ.
Text and image © 2019 by Donald Jacobson Traxler ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.