Peshitta

The Peshitta Old Testament was translated directly from Hebrew. It seems likely that in many cases this was for Syriac-speaking Jews rather than Christians. Some of the books, such as the Pentateuch and Chronicles, have features or interpretations which are characteristic of Jewish targums of the period. The books were translated by different people, and probably at different times, with much of it complete by the end of the second century. Since Syriac is the local Aramaic dialect of Edessa, probably the work was carried out in and around Edessa.

The term Peshitta is not found until a later period, when it was used to distinguish this traditional translation from the 7th century Syro-hexapla translation from Greek.

Bibliography

• The Old Testament in Syriac : according to the Peshitta version = Vetus Testamentum Syriace iuxta simplicem Syrorum versionem. Edited on behalf of the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament by the Peshitta Institute, Leiden. Leiden: Brill.