Ask Re’uben
Was the New
Testament (Brit Chadashah)
written in Hebrew?
S H A L O M !
_______ A MESSIANIC
JEWISH SCRIPTURAL VIEW ______
Biblical Question:
Was the
New Testament (Brit Chadashah) written in Hebrew? Our Question:
Kevin from Cleveland asks: Dear Pastor Reuben, I have heard that it is now thought that the
New testament was written not only in Greek but, also Hebrew. Possibly Hebrew
first. Is this true? Pastor Reuben's Answer:
Dear Kevin, shalom, Many scholars in
Israel are now convinced that the spoken and written language of the Jews in the
Land of Israel at the time of Jesus was indeed Hebrew; and that the Synoptic
Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) were derived from original Hebrew
sources. These scholars,
fluent in both Greek and Hebrew, have proposed impressive solutions to major
problems of New Testament interpretation. Important discoveries which
they have made serve to illuminate the very Hebrew style of speech used by
Jesus and his first followers, and to make possible
a more accurate translation of the Gospels. With a new understanding of
the language Jesus spoke, they are now able to
correct numerous mistranslations in the English text of the New
Testament. Professor David Flusser of Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the
world's leading Jewish authority on the New
Testament and early Christianity, holds strongly to the view that the life of
Jesus was originally composed in Hebrew. Dr. Moshe
Bar-Asher, also of Hebrew University and their foremost Aramaic scholar,
agrees. He thinks the Synoptic Gospels go back to a Greek translation
of an original Hebrew (not Aramaic!) document.
Outstanding
scholars from outside Israel also have arrived at this conclusion.
Harris Birkeland, a Norwegian, states, "The
Language of the common people in Palestine in the time of Jesus was
Hebrew." William Sanford LaSor,
professor emeritus at Fuller theological Seminary An impressive
amount of evidence points to the use of Hebrew in first-century Israel: the
testimony of the church fathers, the Dead Sea Scrolls, coins, and
inscriptions from the first centuries B.C. - A.D., the writings of Josephus, and Rabbinic Literature. Further reference: 1. Jewish New Testament by David Stern ISBN 965-359-006-5 Questions are welcome from ALL readers at ALL levels and
Forums, from everyone. Questions of general interest will be considered for
inclusions in this column. Those of a more personal nature will be keep
confidential and we will answer via e-mail; always state your name, To submit a question,
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