Origen's "CROOKED ANIMAL" ... The GaMLA

Origen Against Celsus clarifies the question of CAMEL vs ROPE.



Photo by flickr.com



Origen lived between AD 185 to 230 or 254...  again, long before the development of the Peshitta.  He lived and taught in Alexandria, but spent the last quarter of his life in Palestine and Caesarea !  Origen was a brilliant apologist for CHRISTIANITY. 

In this brief selection, Origen is arguing against the accusation by Celsus that YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+ lifted Matthew 19:24 from Plato's writings.

Please note:  the word CAMEL was NOT THE FOCUS of the argument; it was merely expounded upon to prove Origen's point in his defense of The LORD'S words and intent. 

This work is found in Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 4, Origen Against Celsus, Book 6, Chapter 16, page 580, hard copy, second printing, June 1995,   American Edition, Hendrickson Publishers INC., Peabody, Massachusetts. 

The blog posting is from Master Christian Library, version 8, pages 1148-1149, [ same reference as in the ANF volume listed above ],  2000 AGES software, Rio, WI, www.ageslibrary.com.  

Origen Against Celsus... Book 6.... Chapter 16... in its entirety ( color,  caps, brackets, sizing, and highlight added by SJH )

"In the next place, with regard to the declaration of JESUS against rich men, when HE+ said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God,"

Celsus alleges that this saying manifestly proceeded from Plato, and that JESUS perverted the words of the philosopher, which were, that "it was impossible to be distinguished for goodness, and at the same time for riches."

Now who is there that is capable of giving even moderate attention to affairs — not merely among the believers on JESUS, but among the rest of mankind — that would not laugh at Celsus, on hearing that JESUS, Who+ was born and brought up among the Jews, and was supposed to be the son of Joseph the carpenter,

and Who+ had not studied literature — not merely that of the Greeks, but not even that of the Hebrews — as the truth-loving Scriptures testify regarding HIM+, had read Plato,

and [ JESUS ] being pleased with the opinion he [ Plato ] expressed regarding rich men, to the effect that "it was impossible to be distinguished for goodness and riches at the same time," had perverted this,

and changed it into, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God!"

Now, if Celsus had not perused the Gospels in a spirit of hatred and dislike, but had been imbued with a love of truth, he would have turned his attention to the point why a camel — that one of animals which, as regards its physical structure, is crooked — was chosen as an object of comparison with a rich man, and what signification the "narrow eye of a needle" had for him who saw that "strait and narrow was the way that leadeth unto life;

and to this point also, that this animal. according to the law, is described as "unclean," having one element of acceptability, viz. that it ruminates, but one of condemnation, viz., that it does not divide the hoof.

He would have inquired, moreover, how often the camel was adduced as an object of comparison in the sacred Scriptures, and in reference to what objects, that he might thus ascertain the meaning of the LOGOS+ concerning

is to be wholly condemned.

For even a common individual would not thus indiscriminately have praised the poor, many of whom lead most wicked lives. But on this point we have said enough."

   

A GREEK KAM-I-LON ... in the Peshitta ?



"Can't you see I am a kam-A-lon-- a camel--,
not a kam-I-lon  -- a rope-- ? " 
photo by pocketculture.com


~ or ~

Why 
must we resort to GREEK sources
instead of Aramaic 

to find that CAMEL means ROPE... 

since the Aramaic translations
seem to be 
the ONLY ones
currently transforming 
a CAMEL into a ROPE ?

?  ?  ? ??????????? ?  ? 

 In the Nestle-Aland  Greek New Testament (1979, 12th printing, 1991 edition) are 7 New Covenant Greek manuscripts that have this kam-I-lon variant ...

...yes, 7...
( out of hundreds, at least )

that have appeared in some of the Aramaic English translations
which prefer ROPE
rather than
the bona fide CAMEL ! 

Let us recall some facts: ( all verifiable if the reader should choose to do so. But let me warn you: it takes a LOT of time.)

The texts online at Dukhrana's fine collection have oftentimes NO vowel pointings for the Aramaic word for "camel," GaMLa, as in Mr. Steven Silver's Khabouris T manuscript and Mr. Paul Younan's manuscript.  

The Aramaic texts online at Dukhrana which DO retain vowel pointings, as in the "G, B, and H" Netzarim volume, have the normal vowel pointings which marks GaMLa as "camel."

The vowel pointings ARE marked as GaMLa, (which is correctly translated as "CAMEL")  in the Dukhrana Aramaic texts of :

· Khabouris C

· Peshitta New Testament, New York, 1886 Mingana Manuscript

· Syriac Manuscript 148-38a

... And this is TRUE for all 3 mis-translated verses in question:

• Matthew 19:24,
• Mark 10:25, and
• Luke 18:25.

Yes, all three verses of YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+ 'S  very words have the  mis-translation of "rope," in the "golden, best, and historic" Netzarim volume,  according to the existing VOWEL POINTS of GaMLA found in the Eastern texts listed above. 

They were changed into "ROPE" in the English translations of Mr. Younan and Mr. Lamsa... and the "Golden, Best, and Historic" Bible translation published by the Netzarim Publishing House... with apparently no vowel pointings able to be found to substantiate the change... if vowel pointings are indeed the crucial difference, as written in the GB & H volume !  

Now, do keep in mind that the Netzarim "Golden, Best, and Historic" version says that GaMLa (camel)  is actually a ROPE... due to it being a GaMaLa.   ( page 56 of the Mis-Pag. Edition, footnote 182, for Matthew 19:24).

NOW... LET US LOOK

AT THE GREEK RESOUCES....

Since there are none in the Aramaic. 

MATTHEW 19:24  

And again I+ say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of GOD.

(The young, TORAH-observant man with great possessions went away sorrowful. )

Nestle-Aland Greek Text lists in a bottom footnote the manuscript variant  for "camel" as being  kam-I-lon (rope) here... so few ( i.e., "p c" ) that N-A does not even mention or record the actual manuscripts. 

The fine Byzantine Greek Textform  work of Robinson-Pierpont have NO mention of any variant. 

MARK 10:25

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of GOD.

( The rich, TORAH-observant man went away sad.)  

The Nestle-Aland manuscript variants listing kam-I-lon  (rope) instead of "camel" are two:

manuscript 13 and manuscript 28 pc of the miniscules.  No variants are listed at all by Robinson and Pierpont's Byzantine Textform. 

LUKE 18:25 

For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of GOD!

(The rich, Torah-observant ruler went away sorrowful here, too.) 

The Nestle-Aland Greek text lists these manuscripts with ROPE ( kam-I-lon) instead of camel in its footnotes here. They are variants found in:

S, f13 manuscripts, 1010 manuscript, and 1424 al ( Latin for "others"), but the "others" are not significant enough to be listed.

No variants are listed by Robinson and Pierpont.

HERE is a TIMELY FACT to consider as well...

Although the GREEK manuscripts do have a few... a VERY FEW... places where ROPE is written in the Greek instead  of CAMEL, the TIME-FRAME of those few manuscripts is of utmost importance to this discussion. 

WHY ? 

The earliest manuscript

which contains such a variant

is dated at the 9th Century !

• p c ... un-datable
• Greek manuscript 13 .... 13th century
• Greek manuscript 28 ... 11th century
• Greek S uncial , dated 949 ... 10th century 
• f13 .... 10th century
• Greek manuscript 1010 ... 12th century
• Greek manuscripts 1424al...9 &10th century

So... how did Mr. Lamsa of Peshitta translation fame and the others who followed his translation,  find ROPE to put it into their translation of the ancient Aramaic text ? 

Futhermore... where did Mr. Lamsa find ROPE ... since it is not found in the Aramaic itself ... but only in these isolated, late GREEK manuscripts ?

Any theories, anyone ?

( I have a few,

based on this surprising 

GREEK text information. )

Coming soon: Elucidation on these Scripture verses by Pre-Nicene, historical Christian writers: Clement of Alexandria ( circa 153-217)  and Origen ( circa 185- 254) ... just in case readers adhere to Prosperity Theology, in either the Greek OR Aramaic camps ! / Sr. Judith Hannah  + + +

The CAMELS are Marching !

~ or ~
The Evidence is Mounting !

Photo by Wysinfo.com

A Look at the CAMEL Variants

as found in the ancient

New Covenant texts...

Nestle-Aland's Greek New Testament, while certainly not my favorite for accuracy, has made a valuable contribution in the researching and listing of manuscripts of the New Covenant.

Considering that there are THOUSANDS of manuscripts and fragments of the Greek New Covenant, Nestle-Aland's work stands as a classic, in this regard especially, in spite of their eclectic text. [ 1979 edition, 12th printing, 1991]

This Nestle-Aland volume is helpful in tracking down the CAMEL vs ROPE discrepancy found in the "Golden, Best, and Historic" ( GBH ) version of an Aramaic English translation published by the Netzarim publishing house.

This discrepancy is only found in the Aramaic TRANSLATIONS, not in the actual Aramaic texts themselves.

The texts online at Dukhrana's collection have oftentimes NO vowel pointings for the Aramaic word for "camel," GaMLa, as in Mr. Steven Silver's Khabouris T manuscript and Mr. Paul Younan's manuscript.  

The Aramaic texts which DO retain vowel pointings, as in the "G, B, and H" Netzarim volume, have the normal vowel pointings which marks GaMLa as "camel."

The vowel pointings ARE marked as GaMLa, (which is correctly translated as "CAMEL")  in the Dukhrana Aramaic texts of :

• Khabouris C
• Peshitta New Testament, New York, 1886 Mingana Manuscript
• Syriac Manuscript 148-38a

... And this is TRUE for all 3 mis-translated verses in question: Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, and Luke 18:25.

Yes, all three verses of YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+ 'S  very words are mis-translated as "rope," according to the existing VOWEL POINTS of GaMLA found in the Eastern texts listed above. 

They were changed into ROPE in the English translations of Mr. Younan and Mr. Lamsa... and the "Golden, Best, and Historic" Bible translation published by the Netzarim Publishing House... with apparently no vowel pointings able to be found to substantiate the change !  

Recall that the Netzarim "Golden, Best, and Historic" version says that GaMLa is actually a "GaMaLah"... a rope... due to the vowel pointings, ( page 56   of the Mis-Pag. Edition, footnote 182, for Matthew 19:24).

Unfortunately, these particular vowel pointings, claimed to make a ROPE out of a CAMEL,  are nowhere to be found!

They are not even in the Aramaic text itself that is SUPPOSED to be translated in that volume ! 

Significantly and in opposition to the erroneous translation of the Netzarim Bible, in the two other parallel verses in Mark 10:25 and Luke 18:25, the vowel pointings are the same as in the text of Matthew 19:24... the vowel pointings which make the word CAMEL not ROPE.

The vowel pointings making CAMEL into ROPE are also not found in the Aramaic Lexicons, Klein's Semitic Etymology, or the other Aramaic texts themselves which are available online for all to see, through Dukhrana.

?   ?   ?

Where, then , is the linguistic authority to verify even this claim that GaMaLah means ROPE ? 

Where also is the written grammar or lexicon reference which verifies that an extra vowel point is added ... and indeed, that word is USED in Aramaic literature... to make another, bona fide Aramaic word out of GaMLa ?   

Why Go to the Greek Manuscripts

to check an Aramaic discrepancy ?

RIGHT!

By far the  most logical place to check the Aramaic CAMEL vs. ROPE word would be to look   in the Aramaic resources: Aramaic lexicons, Semitic etymology volumes, and such Aramaic online resources as Dukhrana and the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon ( CAL )   for that word GaMLa, camel, and the rope word, GaMaLah.

In ALL the Aramaic resources listed above (and in earlier posts), however, "GaMLa" and its compounds and prefixed forms retain the definition of CAMEL... never ROPE.  

And GaMaLah is just not found !

Because Aramaic is actually a conglomeration of several Semitic dialects, the goodly Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon found online at Dukhrana allows readers to check EACH WORD in a verse. It displays the Aramaic dialect of each word used and its slightly different shades of meaning.

A most excellent, scholarly tool ! 

It has been developed by HEBREW, not GREEK, scholars at the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio.  

For instance, let us look momentarily at the Aramaic word for ROPE found in the New Covenant.  ROPE  is actually "CHaBL"... much like the English word "cable." 

The interesting thing is that "CHaBL" ( for rope) is found in ALL THESE ARAMAIC DIALECTS: 

• Jewish Literary Aramaic, Targumic
• Galilean
• Palestinian Targumic Aramaic
• Christian Palestinian Aramaic
• Samaritan
• Syriac
• Late Jewish Literary Aramaic

Now note this: CAL also listed other definitions in these various dialects for "CHaBL" which were somewhat related to ROPE or CORD:

• Syriac ... a measuring line or line
• Syriac and Late Jewish Literary Aramaic ... snare
• Galilean and Syriac ... region
• Syriac ... seashore or space
• Syriac and Late Jewish Literary Aramaic ... a flame, a twisted thing.  

However, no "CAMEL" was to be found hiding within the Aramaic word for  "ROPE" ... and vice versa !

Photo by Flickr.com

The Greek Documentation 

Because: the Aramaic resources of lexicons, Dukhrana, CAL, and their quoted references:

• NEVER list GaMLa and its forms as ROPE
• ALWAYS list GaMLa  as CAMEL 
• ALWAYS list CHaBL as ROPE
• NEVER list ROPE    for GaMLa
• and NEVER include the "GaMaLah" form to mean ROPE

... as found in the New Covenant Peshitta and other old writings...

then: the only other resource available to locate this anomoly, this odd Aramaic  discrepancy .... is the Greek ! 

  

 ( More to come on this exciting find. )

   

An Aramaic GAMLAH is Still an English CAMEL !



Photo by fasterthenrocket.com

A certain man came and drew near and said to him, "Good Teacher, what is good that I should do that I should have Eternal Life? " 

Then HE+ said to him, "Why do you call ME+ good? There is none good except one ALAHA. Now if you desire to enter into Life, keep the Commandments." 

He said to HIM+, "Which ones?" 

Then YESHUA+ said to him, "That you will not kill, and not commit adultery, and you will not steal, and you will not give false witness. And honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself."  

That young man said to HIM+, " All these things I have obeyed them from my youth. What do I lack?"

YESHUA+ said to him, "If you desire to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give them to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven, and come follow ME+." 

And that young man heard this word and went away sad, for he had many possessions. 

YESHUA+ then said to His+ disciples, "Truly I+ say to you that it is difficult for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

And again I+ say to you that it is easier for a rope to enter into the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of ALAHA. 

And when the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed and were saying, "Who indeed is able to gain Life?"

Matthew 19:16-25

These words are from the "golden, best, and historic" Aramaic - English New Covenant version. [ Capital letters and Aramaic textual spellings of YESHUA+ and ALAHA  added to make the English version line up with the Aramaic text. Footnote has underlining added. Sr. JH  ]

The fanciful footnote (#182) that accompanies this erroneous translation of the Aramaic text says this: 

"Gamala  refers  to a "heavy rope" rather than a "camel" which is also spelled gimel-meem-lamed-alap.   Greek scholars puzzled over a camel passing through the eye of a needle, which is a physical impossibility. 

"YESHUA+ is clearly not saying a rich man can't enter, or HE+ would not "love: this one! 

The "heavy rope" lesson teaches about a rich man entering Heaven, after he "unravels" his fortune strand by strand as YESHUA+ instructs.  

"If his wealth was bound tightly and strong like a rope, it is to be unwound like threads which will pass through the eye of the needle! 

"Careful attention is required to thread a needle; so are the rich obligated unto YHWH for how their wealth is acquired and dispersed.

"Theological attempts to "prove" the eye of the needle to be a geographical location have utterly failed." 

( end of quote)  

Photo by flickr.com

Fanciful Footnote PROBLEM #1:

Gamlah is the word in the Aramaic text... not Gamala... according to  the vowel pointings in this Aramaic text. Gamlah = camel in every Aramaic lexicon available, i.e., [ Jennings, J. Payne Smith, Dukhrana, Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon, Ernest Klein's Hebrew  Etymology, and Henry Whish's Clavis Syriaca, plus in Jeff Benner's Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible ( #2070 pg 315) ]

  

Fanciful Footnote PROBLEM # 2: 

Which Greek  scholars "puzzled" over a camel passing through the eye of a needle ? Who, what , when, where, and why... rudimentary documentation giving the authority for such a broad-sweeping statement. 

Fanciful Footnote PROBLEM # 3: 

A parallel passage with the same exact  details is found in Mark 10:25, but this account records one OTHER important detail.  It says ( from the G,B, and H version itself...)

" And YESHUA+ looked at him and loved him and said to him, "One thing is lacking in you..."

Thus, Scripture says YESHUA+ did indeed love the sad rich man who chose Eternity WITHOUT YESHUA+, Eternity outside of Heaven, in order to keep his riches.

That is why the rich young ruler was

SAD !

 YESHUA+ did NOT give him a loop-hole to escape the confines of Damnation in HELL, HADES, or SHEOL... and eventually, the Lake of Burning Fire at the Second Death !  

If indeed YESHUA+ had proffered

to the rich man a WAY to keep his wealth

and have Heaven too...

the rich man would have left

HAPPY ! 

For, that is what he wanted, hoping YESHUA+ would think that he had kept the commandments so well that HE+ would allow him to enter Heaven !

The LORD said that which is impossible with men is possible with GOD. Yes, it is impossible for a man to shake off the grip of Mammona on his heart. By love of money or fear of no money... it is humanly impossible to untangle oneself from Mammona's grip. 

BUT now....

.... YESHUA+ has made it possible --- for those who love HIM+ ---  to be freed of both the LOVE of and the FEAR of money. 

There is a way even for the very wealthy ones to enter into Heaven; history is full of the accounts of those  who forsook their wealthy holdings and followed YESHUA+.

Since they lived ...albeit simply, as YESHUA+, their Example+ did... they did not die of starvation or exposure ... and laid up for themselves treasures in Heaven.

Where are our treasures laid up?

A Aramaic  "gamlah" is still an English camel and a needle is still a needle. 

And the Words of YESHUA+ are still Truth. 

YESHUA+ said, " I+ am the Way , the Truth, and the Life; no man comes to The FATHER except through ME+. " 

John 14:6   

Q^Q: When is a CAMEL Not a Camel ?



Photo from wolfiewolfgang.com

Answer: When CAMEL is found in the "golden, best, and historic" version of the Aramaic-English New Covenant !

This "translation" published by the Netzarim publishing house followed (seemingly) the tradition found in Mr. Paul Younan's work...  which followed (seemingly) the tradition found in Mr. George Lamsa's work... who followed a non-Christian metaphysical belief system ... and that is NOT "seemingly" !