PURELY COMMENTARY
New Lexicology With Dictionary On Ancient Aramaic
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor Emeritus
A
nother lexicographical move-
ment has just begun. Scholarly
tasks to compile "the world's
first comprehensive dictionary of
Aramaic, the ancient language
presumably spoken by Jesus," is exten-
sively outlined in an important article
in the New York Times science section
July 4 by Malcom W. Browne.
This report states that plans call for
20 years as the latest of four monumen-
tal projects to compile dictionaries of an-
cient Middle Eastern languages. It is
pointed out that linguists, historians
and archeologists will thus be provid-
ed with the best tools yet devised for
deciphering the cultures of the people
who spoke them.
The project aims at the 40,000
words known from inscriptions and
texts. It is undertaken by scholars from
Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore,
Catholic University in Washington and
Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati.
The director of the undertaking, Dr.
Delbert R. Hillers of Johns Hopkins'
Near Eastern Studies Department,
believes the project could easily outlive
some of the scholars who are starting
the task. Browne nevertheless quotes
him as saying, "The dictionary will pro-
vide vital new insight into the empires
of ancient Assyria and Persia. There
will be a study of the original choice of
Aramaic by the nations that used it."
In his article on "The monumental
projects undertaken in the United
States to compile dictionaries of ancient
Middle Eastern languages," as Malcolm
W. Browne defines the immense task,
he traces the historic facts about
Aramaic as follows:
The Aramaic dictionary's
compilers have decided to
restrict their focus to the period
before 1400 C.E. even though
Aramaic has survived to
modern times. The language
declined in importance afer
1400, although it is still spoken
in parts of Syria and Iraq
as well as a few Christian
communities in other parts of
the world, including the con-
gregation of St. Mark's Syr-
ian Orthodox Church of
Hackensack, N.J.
By including all the mean-
ings of each Aramaic word as
they changed over time, the
group expects to illuminate the
evolution of a great language
and to improve the translations
of biblical and secular texts.
Noting that the other major
dictionary projects for ancient
Middle Eastern languages are
in varying stages of completion,
Dr. Hillers described Aramaic
as "the last unclimbed peak of
ancient Middle Eastern
languages."
"The great University of
Chicago Assyrian and Hittite
dictionaries are nearing comple-
tion and we already have ex-
cellent Hebrew dictionaries and
a great Egyptian dictionary," he
said. "Work had begun on a
Sumerian dictionary. The
Aramaic dictionary will com-
plete the picture."
In Jewish analytical definitions of
Aramaic there are the important
historic elements not to be ignored. In
the Standard Jewish Encyclopedia the
topic is explained as follows:
The table given below illustrates the similarities and
differences between Aramaic and Hebrew. The Ara-
maic words are taken from the Kaddish prayer.
ARAMAIC
ARAMAIC: North-Semitic
language (erroneously known
as Chaldaic), still in restricted
use. It is divided into three prin-
cipal dialect groups: (1) Ancient
Aramaic (found on inscriptions
of the 1st millennium BCE, and
in the Elephantine papyri) used
in the Bible (Dan. 2:4-7:28; Ezra
4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Jer. 10:11).
(2) Intermediate Aramaic com-
prising western Aramaic (the
language of the Palestinian
Talmud, the aggadic Midrashim,
Targum Jonathan, and the
Samaritan translation of the
Pentateuch) and eastern
Aramaic (including Syriac and
the Aramaic of the Babylonian
Talmud ). (3) New Aramaic still
spoken by the Nestorian Chris-
tians in the Kurdish districts of
Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Persia, and
Russia and also by Jews who
have settled in Israel from these
regions. Aramaic is closer to
Hebrew than the other Semitic
Languages and has influenced it
considerably. It emerged as an
international language —
especially for commerce — from
the period of the late Assyrian
and Persian kingdoms (6th cen-
tury BCE) as evidenced by the
many inscriptions found in Asia
Minor, Egypt, India, and in
other places where it was never
native. Aramaic was for many
centuries the Palestinian ver-
nacular, and biblical readings
were translated into Aramaic in
HEBREW
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
yithgaddal
yithgaddel
Extolled be
veyithkaddash
veyithkaddesh
and hallowed be
shemeh raba
shemo hagodol
His great name
be'alma
ba'olam
in the world
di bera
'asher bara
chire'use
chirtzono
veyamlich
veyamlich
May He institute
malchuse
malchuso
His kingdom
behayyechon
behayyechen:
in your life-time
ubeyomechon
ubimechem
and in your days
ba'agala
bimherah
speedily
ubizman karib
ube'eth kerobah and in a short time.
which He created
according to His will.
yehe
yehi
May there be
shelama raba
shalom rab
great peace
min shemayya
mehashamayyim
from heaven.
the synagogues for the benefit of
congregants who did not
understand Hebrew. It long per-
sisted as a literary tongue and
was thelanguage of the Zohar
and of later kabbalistic poetry.
As we engage in appeals for new
strength to be given to Yiddish and
Ladino, we provide an invitation to con-
cern with all Jewish dialects and
linguistics generally. What we are deal-
ing with now are not dialects. They are
languages, and in the instance of
Aramaic, also spoken tongues. Malcolm
Browne's definitive revelations on these
subjects add importance to this and to
related research and continuing
studies.
The Aramaic Kaddish
Aramaic influences are more fre-
quent in Jewish prayers and
Continued on Page 38
The Hank Greenberg Legend Against Bigotry In Sports
H
ank Greenberg became a leg-
end in baseball in the very
early years of his sensational
career. It has grown into a fascinating
chapter in the history of the game into
which he helped draw millions of admir-
ing fans.
Even more importantly in his life
story is the determination with which
he confronted bigots who villified him
as a Jew.
The manner in which his role as a
Jew is portrayed in the great American
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Vol. XCV No. 22
2
FRIDAY, JULY 28, 1989
July 28, 1989
sport at once creates revived interest in
the Jackie Robinson story as it relates
to the civil rights issue and to the
racism that was a cause for contempt in
the commencement of the career of the
famous black baseball star. Jackie's
baseball role continues a lasting indict-
ment of racism and prejudice against
the blacks in the game.
The Jackie Robinson story will
never die in the recounting of battles
against racism. It was natural,
therefore, upon tackling an important
Hank Greenberg biography to im-
mediately think also of Jackie. This
thought linked at once with Hank
Greenberg: The Story of My Life, edited
with an introduction by Ira Berkow.
Berkow's share in this biography,
which is based on some 800 pages of
reminiscences compiled by Greenberg,
is in itself a tremendous publishing
achievement. The historical perspective
to Greenberg's experiences is provided
by Berkow, who has authored nine
books. As New York Times sports colum-
nist he is an acclaimed authority on
baseball history. In his Hank Greenberg
(Times Books), he has compiled so much
to indicate the struggle against bigotry
in the baseball ranks, with Greenberg
and Robinson as the heroes, that the
% _
Hank Greenberg
new biography of the Jewish hero in
baseball and the Jackie Robinson story
combine to make the new volume a tex-
tbook in the struggle against racism.
A debt of gratitude is due Berkow
for contributing toward the perpetua-
tion of the Jackie-Hank joint resistance
to prejudice, anti-Semitism and racial
animosities.
The Greenberg biography is replete
with incidents of fraternal efforts by the
two baseball stars, with memories of
unforgettable incidents and journalistic
tributes to them.
The Robinson-Greenberg friendship
started in 1947 when "Jackie Robinson,
his his rookie season, was the center of
attention in the National League."
Berkow's account of the relationship of
the two men who became sensations in
baseball is related in the following in
the Greenbrg biography:
Early in the season, Jimmy
Powers in the New York Daily
News quoted Greenberg on
Robinson: "The more they ride
him the more they will spur him
on. It threw me a lot when I first
came up. I know how he feels .. .
They will keep needling Jackie,
and he will react by forcing
himself to play over his head. I'll
be awfully surprised if I hear
that Robinson fails to hit and
hold his job."
Greenberg and Robinson,
kindred spirits of a sort, would
soon meet.
A short, one-column story in
Continued on Page 38