A SHORT GRAMMAR OF BIBLICAL ARAMAIC ANDREWS UNIVERSITY MONOGRAPHS VOLUME I A SHORT GRAMMAR OF BIBLICAL ARAMAIC by Alger F. Johns ANDREWS UNIVERSITY PRESS BERRIEN SPRINGS, MICHIGAN Copyright ©1963 by Alger F. Johns Copyright ©1966 by Andrews University Copyright ©1972 Revised Edition by Andrews University Press Andrews University Press 213 Information Services Building Berrien Springs, MI 49104-1700 Telephone: 269-471-6134; FAX: 269-471-6224 Emai 1:
[email protected] Website: www.andrewsuniversitypress.com All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Printed in the United States of America 07 06 05 04 03 13 12 11 10 9 ISBN 0-943872-74-X PREFACE The purpose of this grammar is to cover adequately, yet as concisely as possible, the essential elements of Biblical Aramaic. The goal has been to meet the needs of the typical theological seminary student. To reach this goal the grammar is concentrated on Biblical Aramaic, only touching lightly the vast areas of other Aramaic languages and dialects. For many years several excellent and comprehensive grammars of Biblical Aramaic written in the German language have been in existence. However, their full value has not been readily accessible to those seminary students who are more facile in the classical languages than in the modern languages. For the last few years, in connection with his teaching program, the author has been preparing this grammar in the English language to help meet the needs of such students.