Re: Mark 15:34

From: Jack Kilmon (jkilmon@historian.net)
Date: Thu Apr 20 2000 - 21:20:44 EDT


Bill Ross wrote:
>
> <Micheal>
> ...However, this same utterance in Hebrew in transliteration (which I won't
> even attempt to present since I do not know Hebrew) appears almost identical
> to the Aramaic and it looks to me as though it would preserve the lexical
> connection Eloi-Elijah as well as the Aramaic does.
>
> <Bill>
> Can someone on the list provide an authoritative word on whether they are
> truly homophonic?

The Hebrew of Psalm 22 is:

)ly )ly lmh (zbtny (Eli, Eli lameh azabtani)

Mark transliterates in Greek:

ELWI ELWI LAMMA SABAXQANI

for the Aramaic:

Elahi Elahi lema shebaqtani

As an Aramaicist I have given this a lot of thought and I am sure that
most of us are familiar with the debates in scholarship over this. These
debates focus on whether these are ipsissima verba Iesu or were
placed into the mouth of Jesus for theological reasons. Variations
on the theme are later extensions of a simpler cry.

After 40 years of study, I am happy to say, with confidence, that
I still have no clue.

I am only confident, from a form critical standpoint, that this is
one of the earliest traditions in first stratum material. I am
going to fly with this as ipsissima verba Iesu and that it meant
just what it seems to be...a cry of pain and desparation from
someone who knew Psalm 22 well and its implications. His not
using the Hebrew could be because Jesus did not know Hebrew and
was familiar with scripture through targums....or, more likely,
the audience for this cry was not above him but the Aramaic
speaking crowd below him.

I think some scholars who try to dance around the cry from the
cross do so as a special pleading because of the theological
embarrassment of a despairing Jesus.

I think Lamsa's take "For this I was spared" is one of
those special pleadings based on the Syriac of the
Peshitta and a play on the root for $bq.

At this point, I lean toward:

Yes, Jesus cried it out.

Yes, he was feeling despair.

Crucifixion hurts.

Jack

-- 
______________________________________________

taybutheh d'maran yeshua masheecha am kulkon

Jack Kilmon jkilmon@historian.net

http://www.historian.net

sharing a meal for free. http://www.thehungersite.com/

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