quote:
Originally posted by Zhimbo:
Is the Aramaic (I believe that's the right language for what we're tlaking about here) word for camel similar to "camolis"?
Hi all! :-)
I believe the word is originally aramaic, that being the Aramaic wrod "gamla", which could mean Camel, beam or large rope.
The semetic root word being GML meaning 1)To ripen or 2)To bestow upon.
The meaning as a rope can be confirmed in the work of 10th century aramaic lexiconographer Mar Bahlul who wrote an aramaic dictionary and gives the meaning a "a large rope used to bind ships".
This meaning is confirmed also in the writings of george lamsa..
In his books, George M. Lamsa lists the Aramaic word GMLA as a word
"with many meanings" and states that it can mean "Large rope; Camel; Beam"
(The New Testament according to the Eastern Text; George M. Lamsa; 1940 ;
p. xxiv). Elsewhere Lamsa writes;
The Aramaic word GAMLA is the same word for "camel" and
"a large rope". Matt. 19:24 should read, "It is easier
for a rope to go through a needle's eye, etc."
(The Four
And in ...
TEACH YOURSELF ARAMAIC
By Dr. Mar Aprem;
Mar Narsai Press
Trichur, Kerala, India; 1981; p. 95
THE NEW COVENANT PESHITTA ARAMAIC TEXT WITH A HEBREW TRANSLATION
The Bible Society;
Jerusalem; 1986 p.356
The hebrew word GMLH seems also derived form the aramaic..
GMLH Post Biblical Hebrew; gangway, gangboard. Palestinian Aramaic GMLA; of uncertain origin.
- A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew
Language for Readers of English;
By Rabbi Ernest David Klein Ph.D.; 1987; p.103
The arabic word JAMEL also means to bear a burden.
On the greek loan word Khamelos.....
"Gk. kamelos (whence L. camelus), is a loan word from
Heb.-Phon. GML"
- A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the Hebrew
Language for Readers of English;
By Rabbi Ernest David Klein Ph.D.; 1987; p.103
Now according to the MANUAL GREEK LEXICON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 3rd Ed. by
G. Abbott-Smith; 1939; p. 229; there is an alternate spelling for Greek
KAMHLOS which is KAMILOS. A GREEK-ENGLISH LEXICON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
AND OTHER EARLY CHRISTIAN LITERATURE; by Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich; 1957; p.
402; states that KAMILOS can mean "rope."
Hope this is a help...:-)
[This message has been edited by judge, 11-25-2002]
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