An Aramaic Approach to Q

This is the first book to examine the Aramaic dimension of Q since the Aramaic Dead Sea scrolls made such work more feasible. Maurice Casey gives a detailed examination of Matt. 23.23-36 and Luke 11.39-51, demonstrating that they used two different Greek translations of an Aramaic source, which can be reconstructed. He overturns the conventional model of Q as a single Greek document, and shows that Jesus said everything in the original Aramaic source. Further analysis of Matt. 11.2-19 and Luke 7.18-35 shows the evangelists editing one Greek translation of an Aramaic source. The same is true of Matt.12.22-32//Luke11.14-23, for which Mark (3.20-31) utilised a different Aramaic source. A complex model of Q is thus proposed. Casey argues that Aramaic sources behind part of Q are of extremely early date, and should contribute significantly to the quest of the historical Jesus.