the Miltha, substance, manifestation, word
Posted by Pelgrim on July 10th, 2008
Translation of John by Paul Younan from the Aramaic Peshitta.
John 1 In the beginning was the Miltha 1. And that Miltha was with God. And God was that Miltha. 2. This was with God in the beginning. 3. Everything existed through His hands, and without Him, not even one thing existed of the things, which have existed.
4. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5. And that light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.
6. There was a man who was sent from God whose name was Yukhanan. 7. This man came for a witness that he might testify concerning the light that all might believe through his hand. 8. He was not the light; rather that he might bear witness concerning the light.
9. For the light was of truth, that which shines on all who come into the world.
10. He was in the world, and the world existed by his hand and the world did not know him. 11. He came to His own, and his own did not receive him.
12 But those who did receive him He gave to them authority that they might be the sons of God, those who have believed in His name.
13. Those who neither by blood nor by the will of the flesh nor by the will of a man, rather were begotten by God.
14. And the Miltha became flesh and dwelt among us and we saw his glory, the glory as the Echadaya 2 who is from the Father who is full of grace and truth.
Footnotes:
“Miltha” has no direct English equivalent. It can mean `Word’, `Manifestation’, `Instance’ or `Substance’, among many other things. In this context, it is best left untranslated.
“Ekhadaya” is a beautiful theological term employed by many Eastern theologians and poets. It literally means “THE ONE”