Welcome to Aramaic Bible Society
The Aramaic Bible Society seems to have been divinely chosen to be the medium for officially presenting to America and to the whole world, this major prophet of the 20th and 21st Centuries, George M. Lamsa, Ph.D., FRSA. In his own right, based upon excellent training, and by virtue of his prodigious labors of translating the Holy Scriptures known as the Peshitta, Dr. Lamsa holds a unique position as an eminent ethnologist. He was a profound student of the Scriptures first written in the Estrangela script used by the Lord Jesus, His Apostles and the Prophets who preceded them.
The Aramaic Bible Society, Inc. was first incorporated under the laws of the State of New York, on December 2, 1943 under the guidance of George M. Lamsa. Among the illustrious members listed on the letterhead of the organization in the 1940's were the: Rev. Dr. Daniel A. Poling, Rev. Dr. C. Franklin Koch, Rev. Dr. H. Paul Guhse, Dr. Henry J. Arnold, Samuel G. Thomson, Charles R. Locklin, Mrs. Alfred Crawford and Mr. Leon Ackerman, a Realtor in Washington, D.C.
Today, the Aramaic Bible Society, Inc., reestablished in 1995, serves as a continuation of the work of original Society founded in New York and the Aramaic Bible Distribution Society, Inc., neither of which were active at the time our organization was founded. We own the records and books of the earlier two organizations.
Our mission is to promote the teachings and publications of Dr. Lamsa. We maintain the extensive library of Lamsa's books and when possible reprint his works through the charitable donations of members and supporters and with the sell of said works. The Aramaic Bible Society is the only archive of the original lectures of Dr. Lamsa, of which help support the Society through their sale.
We are excited to present you this web site for learning more about the work of Dr. George M. Lamsa, his translations and enlightenment of the Holy Bible.
Our Founder
Dr. George M. Lamsa
George M. Lamsa, a native Assyrian, renowned scholar of the scriptures, lecturer and author, F.R.S.A. was born August 5, 1892, in a civilization with customs, manners, and language almost identical to those in the time of Jesus. His native tongue was full of similar idioms and parables, untouched by the outside world in 1900 years.
Until World War I, his people living in that part of ancient biblical lands which today is known as Kurdistan, in the basin of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, retained the simple nomadic life, as in the days of the Patriarchs. Only at the beginning of the 20th century did this isolated segment of the once great Assyrian Empire learn of the discovery of America and the Reformation of Germany.
Likewise, until that same time, this ancient culture of early Christians was unknown to the western world, and the Aramaic (Syriac) language was thought to be dead. But in this so called "Cradle of Civilization," ancient biblical customs and Semitic culture, cut off from the world, were preserved.
Lamsa's primary training as a boy was to tend the lambs. But, as the first-born son in his family, while yet an infant, he was dedicated to God by his devout mother. Years after her death, when Lamsa was 12, her vow was renewed by native tribesmen when an ox was killed and its blood rubbed on his head. This vow to God, Lamsa claims, has always been part of him. "God's Hand," he affirms, "has been steadfastly on my shoulder, guiding me in His work."
Lamsa's formal studies began under the priests and deacons of the ancient Church of the East. Later he graduated with the highest honors ever bestowed from the Archbishop of Canterbury's Colleges in Iran and in Turkey, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Lamsa was never married, but dedicated his life to God's Calling."
At the beginning of World War I, when Turkey started invasions, Lamsa left and went to South America. Living was hard during those years; he knew only three words in Spanish -- water, work and bread. As best he could he existed in the British Merchant Marine for a time, then worked on railroads, in mines, and later in printing shops, a trade he had learned in college.
After arriving in the united States, in his early 20's, Lamsa worked as a printer by day, and by night went to school. He later studied at the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia, and at Dropsie College in Philadelphia.
It was through his struggles with the idioms of English, during these years, that Lamsa gradually launched into his life's work of translating the Scriptures from Aramaic (Syriac) into English. yet many years were to pass before the world received his translations.
First as a lecturer in churches and seminaries, in halls and auditoriums, before statesmen, theologians, groups of artists, actors and others, Lamsa received recognition as a poet philosopher, and as an authority on all phases of Eastern civilization.
It was his own inner compulsion, and the urgings of hundreds who heard him, that drove him forward, and brought about, after 30 years of labor, research and study, his translation of the Holy Bible from a branch of the ancient Aramaic language, used by Christians from earliest times; it is a known fact that Jesus and his followers spoke Aramaic.
There were times when he was temporarily stopped in his translations, when the idioms in the manuscripts would not be given correct English meaning.
Lamsa relates, "Often I would lie on the bed with the script before my eyes (he has a photographic memory which retains chapter after chapter of biblical passages), and suddenly the translation would come, the English words would fall into place.
"I discovered that the words in the Bible contain power, that they are charged with the Holy Spirit. Everything comes and passes away, but God's Truth endures forever."
It was Lamsa's firm belief that his translations will bring people nearer to the Word of God, and will facilitate understanding between east and West.
Our President
Robert E. Allen, Jr.
My first contact with members of The Aramaic Bible Society, Inc. founded by Dr. George M. Lamsa and his illustrious friends in 1943 dates back to a chance meeting during the years of the "Great Books Discussions" taking place in public libraries, YMCA's and YWCA's in the early 1960s. Mr. Leon Ackerman, a Realtor in Washington, D.C. was a member of the Board of Directors of the Society, founded in New York, then headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was Mr. Ackerman who introduced me to the teaching of Dr. Lamsa. He was in attendance with one of the discussion groups near mine and had heard something I had said at the meeting. As our group brook up, Mr. Ackerman spoke to me and said "I liked what you had to say as our groups were breaking up and I would like for you to visit me in my office ". I was so pleased to know that anyone so important could think that I had a brain with which to think and reason I said, "I would like that. May I have your card?" Mr. Ackerman gave me his card and, the very next morning appeared an ad in the Washington Post. It was a full-page ad and there were only three words in the ad. In huge letters it read:
GOD
IS
LOVE
Mr. Ackerman's business card appeared in the lower right hand column and to myself I said immediately "I must visit Mr. Ackerman". I did this promptly and my life was changed! Mr. Ackerman gave me several books by Dr. Lamsa and to this day I consult them whenever I am faced with moral, ethical and religious decisions.
At the time of my meeting with Mr. Ackerman I was a "detailman" for one of the leading pharmaceutical companies, McNeil Laboratories, manufacturers of Tylenol. My children had reached the age requiring that my family became "church going members" of a faith that would tolerate independent thought and reasoning. Our friends assured us that their church would be happy to have us and so it was that my family and I joined the Episcopal Church. Regrettably, I did not then pursue the studies of the theology of Dr. George M. Lamsa. I failed as a teacher to convey to my children these ideas that have served me so well for so many years of trials and tribulations as a salesman of medical and surgical products.
It was for these reasons that I sought to find, upon my "retirement" in 1991, those who were operating what remained of the organization founded by Dr. George M. Lamsa. There were two and the first I was to find was that that of Mr. William Dale of Charlotte, NC. He and the secretary of the organization at the time of Lamsa's death, Penny Biemiller, formed The Aramaic Bible Distribution Society. Following my contact with William Dale, Mr. Sidney Goddard, the last treasurer of The Aramaic Bible Society contacted me. I traveled to St. Petersburg, FL to meet with Mr. Goddard. On my return I was in possession of the records and books of the former Aramaic Bible Society with Mr. Goddard's hopes that I would revive the Society.
At the time of these incidents I had no idea that I would be would be doing as I am, heading up and again incorporating, in another state, the organization founded by Dr. Lamsa. And so it is that I welcome one and all to these web pages. As you read, please remember that we are trying to conduct an Open Forum. Support us when you can, challenge when you must. We pray that you will be pleased with our program for enlightening Christians of many persuasions with little known facts about their Lord and Savior and the importance of the Law of Unconditional Love. If you believe we have done well, please order one or more of the books that appeal to you. And make a tax-deductible donation because we are not yet a self-supporting organization.
Having made the above reference to the Law of Unconditional Love let me challenge the readers' understanding of Christian thought and the philosophy of life. And when I have done so let me hear the views of the reader on what follows here. And then let me hear from the reader regarding the many subjects raised by the information provided.
My use of the term "Law" in the phrase the "Law of Unconditional Love", is in no way an inference that the Divine Creative Force in the Universe that causes things to be will exonerate the evil works of mankind. On the contrary, the power that we call God will have Its Vengeance: "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will execute justice for you, said the Lord (Romans 12:19, LAMSA). This is not to say that mankind is not to carry out the Law as prescribed. There is none other than mankind to carry out the Law, whatever it may be. But it must be done without a shred of personal vengeance. The alternative to the Law of Unconditional Love is the ongoing chaos in our socio-economic system; the ongoing mayhem and murder we witness daily. Let us begin a correction of the false understanding of so much thought to be "Christian". Let us re-think and again begin to reason for such is the meaning of Logos - Good Reasoning of God!
Our Cross
The Aramaic symbol for God is one that shows His three attributes: Eternity, Creativity, and Enlightenment; some translate this as Eternal, Self-existant One, the ever living Life Giver, the Creator who causes things to be. Others translate these dots meaning Father, Son, and Holy Spirit or Mind, Wisdom, and Life. With the Torah and the Ten Commandments we symbolize Jesus' statement that He came to fulfill the law, to put the teachings into practice (Matt. 5:17 Lamsa). The language of Christ illuminates the idioms and metaphors which tell us about the coming Kingdom of God on Earth and Jesus' return.
Keeping the Word Alive
A small Federal agency is spending $1.3 million on a 20-year project to put together the biggest ever dictionary of Jesus' first and last language: Aramaic. By 2003, publication should begin for the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon.
Once - 2500 years ago - Aramaic spread from Pakistan to southern Egypt. In the time of Jesus, many Jews who did not know Hebrew spoke Aramaic, since the two languages are similar. Speakers of one, however, do not always understand the other. Now, in the Ukraine and the Middle East, only scattered clumps of villages still speak versions of Aramaic.
Scholars think Jesus also may have known Hebrew and some Greek, but Aramaic was the language of his native Galilee.
Few Christians in the Western world now know Aramaic, but many recall Jesus' last words on the Cross: "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" Mark, apparently writing in Greek, carefully added, "which is, being interpreted, 'My GOD, My GOD, for this I was saved'"
The grants for the Aramaic dictionary come from the National Endowment for the Humanities, which also has funded dictionaries of other ancient languages in the Middle East, including Sumerian, which goes back more than 5,000 years and may be the oldest written language of all.