Sign-In
Cart
Aramaic Jesus: Tradition, Identity, and Christianity's Mother Tongue
Hardcover
ISBN13: 9781481322232
Publisher: Baylor University Press
Published: Oct 15 2025
Pages: 336
Weight: 1.45
Height: 0.40 Width: 6.00 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
Aramaic, one of the great international languages of antiquity, left an indelible mark on the New Testament. Jesus and his first followers knew it because for centuries Aramaic had been a primary means of communication in the Middle East, and it remained current long after their time. Usage of Aramaic within Jesus' movement, initially with or without recourse to other languages, helped provide the fledgling community with a cultural as well as linguistic identity. Precise examples of the words of Jesus' teaching in Aramaic, reinforced by portrayals of him among Aramaic speakers, are explicit in the Gospels. Whatever other language choices he may have made, the Greek Gospels portray him as employing Aramaic as his medium of teaching.
Bruce Chilton's Aramaic Jesus is a groundbreaking study in pursuit of this Aramaic Jesus, a pursuit that requires awareness of the kind of Aramaic in play. In the past, sorting out dialects and types of Aramaic relied on sources composed well after the time of the New Testament; this work factors in analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls and related materials to access forms of Aramaic current during the first century CE. Since the depiction of Jesus in the Gospels involves various intersections with Aramaic, tracing the impact of Aramaic in the depiction of Jesus within the New Testament entails several investigative categories: specific cases in which Aramaic is identifiably transliterated within the Greek Gospels; analysis that accounts for the cultural settings of Aramaic through the technique of retroversion (involving translation back into Aramaic); and assessment of noticeable overlaps between the New Testament and contemporaneous Aramaic literature, where thematic emphases emerge that relate Jesus' movement to Second Temple Judaism.
The writings we call the Gospels involved transitions from the au/orality of Jesus and his movement to reliance upon writing, and from their language(s) to written Koine Greek. Those shifts involved an increasing resort to narrative and literary conventions. The extent to which Aramaic is a factor within this process is uncharted, and this volume clarifies the issues that are in play. Chilton's analysis illuminates the Aramaic Jesus and the people and processes that conveyed his memory.
Also from
Chilton, Bruce D.
The Missing Jesus: Rabbinic Judaism and the New Testament
Chilton, Bruce D.
Evans, Craig a.
Neusner, Jacob
Paperback
Resurrection Logic: How Jesus' First Followers Believed God Raised Him from the Dead
Chilton, Bruce D.
Hardcover
A Feast of Meanings: Eucharistic Theologies from Jesus Through Johannine Circles
Chilton, Bruce D.
Hardcover
Torah Revealed, Torah Fulfilled: Scriptural Laws in Formative Judaism and Earliest Christianity
Neusner, Jacob
Chilton, Bruce D.
Levine, Baruch A.
Paperback
Torah Revealed, Torah Fulfilled: Scriptural Laws in Formative Judaism and Earliest Christianity
Neusner, Jacob
Chilton, Bruce D.
Levine, Baruch A.
Hardcover
Also in
Bible Studies
The Early Versions of the New Testament: Their Origin, Transmission, and Limitations
Metzger, Bruce M.
Hardcover
The Apostle and the Empire: Paul's Implicit and Explicit Criticism of Rome
Heilig, Christoph
Hardcover
Render Unto Caesar: The Struggle Over Christ and Culture in the New Testament
Crossan, John Dominic
Hardcover
The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis: Commentary on the First Three Chapters
Smith, David Chaim
Paperback
Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds
Fugelsang, John
Hardcover
The King Is Coming Bible Study Guide Plus Streaming Video: It's Time to Prepare for the Return of Christ
Bevere, John
Paperback
The Jesus Discoveries: 10 Historic Finds That Bring Us Face-To-Face with Jesus
Johnston, Jeremiah J.
Paperback
The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion: With Selected Prayers from the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska
Michalenko, Seraphim
Paperback
Revelation: An Insightful Chapter-by-Chapter Journey Through the Book of Revelation
Dewaard, Erica
Paperback
Every Thought Captive Bible Study Guide Plus Streaming Video: How Renewing Your Mind Can Change Your Life
Idleman, Kyle
Paperback
The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus
Strobel, Lee
Paperback
The Promise of Heaven Bible Study Guide: Why You Can Get Excited about Your Eternal Home
Jeremiah, David
Paperback
The Beginner's Bible Study Guide: An Introduction to All 66 Books of the Bible
Trimble, Cameron
Paperback
Revelation: An Insightful Chapter-by-Chapter Journey Through the Book of Revelation
Dewaard, Erica
Hardcover
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Large Print Edition: Discovering God's Love for You (Large Print Edition)
Keller, W. Phillip
Paperback
Nothing Is Impossible with God: Eleven Heroes. One God. Endless Lessons in Overcoming.
Bream, Shannon
Hardcover
Praying the Names of God for 52 Weeks, Expanded Edition: A Year-Long Bible Study
Spangler, Ann
Paperback
Liturgies for Resisting Empire: Seeking Community, Belonging, and Peace in a Dehumanizing World
Armas, Kat
Paperback
The Meaning of Marriage Bible Study Guide Plus Streaming Video, Updated Edition: A Vision for Married and Single People
Keller, Timothy
Keller, Kathy
Paperback
Evidence That Demands a Verdict Bible Study Guide: Jesus and the Gospels
McDowell, Sean
McDowell, Josh
Paperback
Making Your Case for Christ Bible Study Guide: An Action Plan for Sharing What You Believe and Why
Strobel, Lee
Mittelberg, Mark
Paperback
Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness, and What He Wants to Do with You
MacArthur, John F.
Paperback
Parables: The Mysteries of God's Kingdom Revealed Through the Stories Jesus Told
MacArthur, John F.
Paperback
Brain Games - Large Print Bible Word Search: The Words of Jesus
Brain Games
Publications International Ltd
Paperback
Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter: Expanded Second Edition
Freeman, Lindsay Hardin
Paperback
No More Boring Bible Study: Why Taking Scripture Seriously Is Easier and More Exciting Than You Think
Womack, Faith
Paperback
Exploring Ezekiel: The Next Big War, Earth's Final Days, and Your Eternal Destination
Tsarfati, Amir
Paperback
Catholic Book of Prayers: Popular Catholic Prayers Arranged for Everyday Use (Large Print Edition)
Fitzgerald, Maurus
Paperback
The Wiersbe Bible Study Series: Philippians: Even When Things Go Wrong, You Can Have Joy
Wiersbe, Warren W.
Paperback
The Daily 5-Minute Bible Study for Women: 365 Focused, Encouraging Readings
Compiled by Barbour Staff
Paperback
The Last Book: What You Need to Know About Revelation, the Rapture, and the End Times
Kaddis, James
Hardcover
The Westminster Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition with the Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal Books
John Knox Press, Westminster
Hardcover
The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible
Cobble, Tara-Leigh
Hardcover
Mysteries of the Messiah: Unveiling Divine Connections from Genesis to Today
Sobel, Rabbi Jason
Paperback
The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) about Scripture's Most Controversial Issues
McClellan, Dan
Hardcover
God, AI and the End of History: Understanding the Book of Revelation in an Age of Intelligent Machines
Lennox, John C.
Hardcover
30 Life Principles Bible Study: An Action Plan for Living the Principles Each Day
Stanley, Charles F.
Paperback
Believing Jesus: Are You Willing to Risk Everything? a Journey Through the Book of Acts
Harper, Lisa
Paperback
My Utmost for His Highest: Updated Language Paperback (a Daily Devotional with 366 Bible-Based Readings)
Chambers, Oswald
Paperback
Brain Games - Bible Crossword Puzzles: Prayers, Parables & Prophets - Large Print
Publications International Ltd
Brain Games
Paperback
The Circle Maker Bible Study Participant's Guide: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears
Batterson, Mark
Paperback
The Complete Ethiopian Bible in English: The 88 Books Canon Including The Book of Enoch, Jubilees, Meqabyan, Ancient Biblical Apocrypha and More Ortho
Various Ancient Authors
Hardcover
When God Doesn't Fix It Bible Study Guide: Learning to Walk in God's Plans Instead of Our Own
Story, Laura
Paperback
Grace Bible Study Participant's Guide: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine
Lucado, Max
Paperback
Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs: How the People of the Bible Really Lived
Vos, Howard
Paperback
Considering Sparrows: What Birds Teach Us about Who We Are, Where We're Going, and the Joy of Following Jesus
Burrell, Kevin
Hardcover
30 Life Principles Bible Study Updated Edition: A 90-Day Action Plan for Living These Principles
Stanley, Charles F.
Paperback
Viviendo Su Voluntad: Cómo El Espíritu Santo Nos Guía a Cumplir Nuestro Propósito Eterno
Franz, Sebastian
Paperback
El Poder de la Kabbalah: 13 principios para superar los desafíos y alcanzar la realización
Berg, Rav
Paperback
All the Names in the Bible: Comprehensive Index of Every Person and Place in Scripture
Thomas Nelson
Paperback
When God's People Pray Bible Study Participant's Guide: Six Sessions on the Transforming Power of Prayer
Cymbala, Jim
Paperback
The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible, Deluxe Edition--Sage Floral Imitation Leather
Cobble, Tara-Leigh
Hardcover
Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm Into a Tool of Healing
Lambert, Zach W.
Paperback
The Rapture, the Antichrist, and the Tribulation: An End-Times Countdown and What Happens Next
Renner, Rick
Paperback
La Visión: Una Aterradora Profecía de Los Días Finales del Mundo, Que Ha Comenzado a Manifestarse YA En La Actualidad
Wilkerson, David
Paperback
NIV, the Woman's Study Bible, Hardcover, Full-Color: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation
Thomas Nelson
Hardcover
Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of Jesus Christ
Heiser, Michael S.
Paperback
The Complete Orthodox Ethiopian Bible in English: A Comprehensive Collection of Scriptures and Apocrypha Including the Book of Enoch, Ezras, Jubilees,
Press, Covenant Sacred
Hardcover
The Jesus You Can't Ignore: What You Must Learn from the Bold Confrontations of Christ
MacArthur, John F.
Paperback
Everything You Need Bible Study Guide: Essential Steps to a Life of Confidence in the Promises of God
Jeremiah, David
Paperback
Moving Mountains Study Guide: Praying with Passion, Confidence, and Authority
Eldredge, John
Paperback