The Foundation on Judaism and Christian Origins originated in 1975 to support the publication of the first complete edition of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Two volumes were published in 1983 and 1985 and contain translations of many "Scriptures" not canonized as the "Old Testament." These documents were judged ancient (and not later), since copies of some of them were recovered from the Qumran Caves which preserved the Dead Sea Scrolls.

After the publication of this corpus, the Princeton Dead Sea Scrolls Project was launched in 1985 to make available critical texts, translations, and introductions of all the scrolls that are not simply a copy of the Bible. This massive Project which brings together over 60 Jewish and Christian scholars is approximately 85% completed. Finalizing this Project and presenting a one-volume English edition of all the Dead Sea Scrolls is the focal point of the Foundation.

The Foundation is exceptional for the success it has enjoyed with international symposia featuring luminaries who are Jews and Christians (and some who feel comfortable with either category). These symposia have been held in Jerusalem, Princeton, St. Petersburg (Russia), Prague, and Boca Raton, Florida.

CONFERENCES PRESENTED WITH EASILY UNDERSTOOD AND EXCITING NEWS BY WORLD-RENOWNED SPEAKERS FOR NON-ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL AUDIENCES

NEW POLISH EDITION ARAMAIC BIBLE - BIBLIA ARAMEJSKA

Professor Miroslaw Stanislaw Wróbel of Lublin, Poland (left in photo below), is the Editor of the new Polish edition of the Aramaic Bible (Biblia Aramejska). Professor James Charlesworth (on right), president of The Foundation on Judaism and Christian Origins (FJCO) is a a member of the editorial committee of this edition of the Aramaic Bible, serving on that committee named Komitet Naukowy Biblii Aramejskiej, the "Scientific Committee of the Aramaic Bible."

The photo shows Professor Wróbel presenting the first volume, Targum Neofiti 1, to Professor James Charlesworth, at their meeting in Jerusalem in March 2014.

After publication, Professor Wrobel promoted distribution of the Aramaic Bible in Poland, beginning in Jesziwa Synagogue (Lublin) with the Chief Rabbi of Poland (on 8 May), and following day, 9 May, at Catholic University of Lublin with Archbishop and University President.

As explained next in Dr. Charlesworth's comments, this is a universally usable, inter-religion Bible for study of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament translated from Aramaic in one volume.

FROM DR. CHARLESWORTH:

The Aramaic Bible is the focus of the Polish Academic Research Project. Some chapters of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament were composed in Aramaic, and that language became the lingua franca of Second Temple Judaism.

Aramaic was the language chosen to explain the archaic Hebrew to those living after Ezra when Hebrew was no longer the common language. Among the Dead Sea Scrolls were found Aramaic translations of Leviticus (4Q156) and Job (4Q157); these antedate Jesus and are the earliest Targumim. This noun designates the translations of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic with added explanatory glosses.

Often scholars must turn to the Aramaic versions of the Bible to understand the earlier text; for example, in the first volume of the Polish Project the Nahash [eventually to become the serpent in Gen 3] is considered "wise" and not "crafty," which misrepresents the author's story. The Nahash was created by God as a beast of the field; and he could talk and walk. God's Word becomes clearer and more exciting as we study the Aramaic versions of Scripture.

Jesus spoke Aramaic. Many of Jesus' saying, translated from Aramaic into Greek for our New Testament, make best sense when we study the Aramaic original that is sometimes reflected in the Syriac New Testament, especially the "Old Syriac Gospels." Jesus and his followers often imagined the meaning of God's Word as they thought in Aramaic, as we do today in Polish, English, or our native speech.