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PESHITTA

The Syriac translation of the Bible. This late Eastern Aramaic rendering is the second oldest of the primary versions and one of the earliest documents of Syrian literature. The word peshiṭta (Eastern, Nestorian pronunciation; cf. Jacobite “Peshiṭto”) functions as an adjective meaning “simple.” The translation was apparently the “simple” or “common version.” (Most believe the designation was to distinguish this standard Syriac version from the more sophisticated, annotated Syro-Hexapla.)

It is a matter of debate where and when the translation originated, and why the translation was made and by whom. The consensus is that the Peshiṭta was the work of more than one translator and was produced over an extended period of time, possibly as early as the 1st or 2nd century c.e. Evidence shows that the biblical books were translated individually, and that the translation points to a Hebrew original very close to the MT. Some books exhibit a link with Jewish targumic traditions; others give evidence of LXX influence. Debate continues as to whether the Peshiṭta is a Jewish or Christian translation.

The value of the Peshiṭta to textual criticism and to the study of textual history has been recognized by scholars since the 16th century. Not only is the Peshiṭta a textual witness in its own right, but Syriac readings of this primary version provide insight into the history of the Hebrew text and Hebrew textual traditions that deviate from the MT.

See Syriac Versions.

Bibliography. P. B. Dirksen, “The Old Testament Peshitta,” in Mikra, ed. M. J. Mulder. CRINT 2/1 (Philadelphia, 1988), 255-97; Dirksen et al., eds., The Peshitta: Its Early Text and History. Monographs of the Peshitta Institute 4 (Leiden, 1988).

Dennis R. Magary