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Comment by Larry on September 24, 2012 at 1:43pm

A Maronite revival in Israel

By JUDITH SUDILOVSKY

08/30/2012 12:04

Members of the Christian community in Israel are bringing back an ancient language spoken by Jesus, and are finding fellow speakers in unexpected parts of the world.

PHOTO: JUDITH SUDILOVSKY

To see the full article, click here, accessible to Premium Zone subscribers. 

A journalist congratulates Shadi Khalloul in Arabic on the birth of his second son, Yaakov, with the salutation, “Mabruk!” 

“In Aramaic,” Khalloul says with a smile. “You say ‘Brihu.’” A Maronite Christian from the Galilee village of Jish, 37-year-old Khalloul became hooked on reviving the traditional Maronite language of Aramaic after taking a three-month course for adults offered by Father Bishara Suleiman, the Saint Maroun parish priest. Today the elderly clergyman regularly teaches Aramaic as part of religious classes for the children of the parish, an option that was not on offer when Khalloul was growing up.

With 65 percent of its residents belonging to the Maronite Church, Jish is the only village in Israel with a majority Maronite population. Muslims constitute about 35 percent of the residents, with a smattering of Melkite Christians making up the tiny remainder.

When Father Suleiman’s course ended, a small group of students continued learning the language on their own. Soon they connected with Aramaic-speaking communities in Sweden and Holland, seeking guidance and learning materials.

“This is our Maronite Aramaic heritage,” Khalloul tells The Jerusalem Report. “A nation without a language and without his forefathers’ language has no future.”

Like Eliezer Ben Yehudah – considered the father of modern Hebrew for his efforts in the late 1800s to transform the ancient language of Jewish prayers into a modern spoken language – Khalloul only talks to his 2-year-old son, Aram, in Aramaic (Ben Yehudah communicated with his son solely in Hebrew). Khalloul is also quick to point out that others, such as the Welsh and the Catalans, have also had varyingdegrees of success in reviving their traditional languages.

Comment by Larry on September 24, 2012 at 1:42pm

I was looking today at the New Fissure of israel today and found out that , Aramaic is on the up Rise, though many tought the language was dead it is now being tought in some citys or towns in israel and there is a community of 80.000 in Sweden that us it as there major language ! Its  coming back. The question that interest me is what does this mean ? 

Comment by Larry on September 9, 2012 at 5:49pm

Thanks for the great comment to chris immmanuel

Comment by Immanuel Ben Yehudah Ha Levi on September 9, 2012 at 3:06pm

Shalom Achi Chris
Rabbi Immanuel nice to meet you, though Hebrew is more in my area, I definately look forward to see and grow in our Israelite people's sister language of Aramaic Todah for sharing & using the gift you have been given by Hashem YHWH..  May YAH bless and keep you... Shalom U'vraka Gam Lacha V Todah Achi..

Comment by Larry on September 8, 2012 at 12:46pm

Thank you Christ so much as Am sure you understand how much we dont want to call on any other Elohim but the one of Israel!   :) BLessing upon you for given us your time. 

Comment by Chris Lashbrooks on September 8, 2012 at 6:47am

Jeremiah...

Alaha is pronounced (Ah-Lah-HA) and don't be scared, you are NOT calling on Allah...LOL! No, "El-ha" is not right, it is "A-lah", not "All-ah"...you'll get it! Shalom

Comment by Larry on September 5, 2012 at 11:43am

I mean the way I say it is El-ha is that right? 

Comment by Larry on September 5, 2012 at 11:41am

Ive been wondering about how to say this as I think like Most of us we are still working out are Hebrew and Aramaic Pronouncations  and Alaha , is in one of my Aramaic bibles and Im alittle scared , I dont want to be calling on (alla). 

Comment by Chris Lashbrooks on September 5, 2012 at 7:16am

Samaria...you are quite correct! Aramaic came centuries before its current tongue, Arabic..

Look at it this way, Arabic is a distortion of the original Aramaic...let us look at one word today...

ALLAH

Most people know that this is the Arabic word for "God", but many don't know that it has an older Aramaic root word...and that word, in Aramaic is...

ALAHA (Ah-Lah-Ha)

This is the word that Y'shua would have used to say "God"...it is the cognate of the Hebrew word "Eloah", "Elohim" and most of all, "Elaha".

There is also, in Aramaic, with this word, ways to pronounce it that sound just like Arabic. If I were to say "My God", I would say "w'Alahi". I could also say "l'Alah (pronounced A-Lah).

Take into account that Aramaic came first. Arabic tends to drop "ah's" from the ends of word, thus distortion their original meaning. Take for instance, "light"...in Aramaic, as well as Hebrew, it is "norah", but in Arabic, it is "nor"...see what I mean?

Shalom and I hope this info helps a little!

Comment by Elisheva (Bonnie Greer) on September 2, 2012 at 8:12pm

I love www.peshitta.org.  Thanks for sharing it here.

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