Christianity was born in Israel. By the end of the first century, it had spread throughout the Roman Empire and was armed with a new holy book: the New Testament. This collection of inspired Scriptures had been added to the Hebrew Scriptures, the Tenach, which Christians call the Old Testament. The new writings, composed primarily of the Gospels and the Epistles, were distributed widely in the Greek language. It seems fairly certain that the Gospels of Luke and John, the Book of Acts, the Epistles, and the Book of Revelation were originally written in Greek, but what about the Gospels of Matthew and Mark?

          The oldest known manuscripts of Matthew and Mark are in Greek. According to recent scholarship, Greek fragments of these two Gospels have been verified as dating from as early as the 60s A.D. Some scholars have argued that these Gospels were originally written in Aramaic and later translated into Greek. If that is the case, no extant copies or fragments of the Aramaic text have been found. The only evidence we have is that the original text of Matthew and Mark was in Greek.

What Language Did Jesus Speak?

          Does this mean that Jesus spoke in Greek to His disciples and to the crowds He addressed in His Galilean ministry? Probably not, but what we have to understand is that first-century Israelis were tri-lingual, and even perhaps quadri-lingual. The languages spoken in Israel at the time of Christ were Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin. Most Jewish people spoke the first three, and some were conversant in Latin as well.

          Most of our readers know the difference between Greek and Latin, but there is some confusion about Hebrew and Aramaic. Hebrew was the language of the Old Testament, and has been adapted into modern Hebrew, the language spoken in Israel today. Modern Hebrew is similar to biblical Hebrew, with the addition of new words (such as telephone and automobile), and some very significant changes in syntax. In biblical Hebrew, the verb usually comes first, then the subject, then the object. In modern Hebrew, the order of words is similar to English, with the subject first, then the verb, then the object. Hebrew was a "dead" language for over two thousand years, used only for religious purposes (like Latin); but now it is a "living" language once again in Israel.

          Aramaic is a different language from biblical Hebrew. They use the same alphabet, but much of the vocabulary and syntax are different. In fact, Hebrew and Aramaic were almost as different as English and German are today. Webster's Dictionary offers the following definition:

Aramaic: a Semitic language of which documents are known from as early as the 9th century B.C., orig. the speech of the Aramaeans but later used extensively in southwest Asia as a commercial lingua franca and governmental language and adopted as their customary speech by various non-Aramaean peoples including the Jews among whom it replaced Hebrew after the Babylonian exile.

          Thus, the Jewish people learned to speak Aramaic in Babylon during the Babylonian Captivity. The Book of Daniel illustrates this transition. The first part of the Book of Daniel was written in Hebrew, but as Daniel began to explain the prophetic dream to King Nebuchadnezzar, he switched to Aramaic (which is sometimes also called Syriac or Chaldee). The next several chapters of Daniel deal with the succession of Gentile world powers and were written in Aramaic, and then the final chapters reverted to Hebrew.

          When the Jewish people returned to Israel, they carried back with them the language they had learned in Babylon. Hebrew was used in the synagogue when the Scriptures were read, but the language of the streets was Aramaic. This continued through the time of Christ, and it is probable that the language He most frequently used was the common Aramaic.

          One source of confusion is that Aramaic had, by Jesus' day, become so identified with the Jewish people that it was commonly referred to as "Hebrew," as it is in the New Testament. Note how the Gospel of John uses the term:

. . . in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. . . in a place that is called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha (John 19:13,17).

          Both Gabbatha and Golgotha are clearly Aramaic words, but John calls them Hebrew. Scholars explain to us that "Hebrew," as commonly used in the New Testament, refers to the Aramaic or Chaldee language:

Hebrew, the Hebrew language, not that however in which the OT was written but the Chaldee, which at the time of Jesus and the apostles had long superseded it in Palestine. (Thayer's Dictionary of the New Testament)

          Thus, the "Hebrew" language described in the New Testament is not biblical Hebrew, or even the Hebrew that is used today in modern Israel, but is rather Aramaic, the ancient language of Mesopotamia. In a very real sense, the language of Aramaic that Jesus and most of the people of Israel in His time spoke, was as Gentile as the Greek language.

          What, then, was the process used for writing the Gospels of Matthew and Mark? The tradition about Mark is that John Mark wrote his Gospel under the guidance and encouragement of the Apostle Peter. After the early years of the Christian movement, Peter apparently worked among the Jewish people of the Diaspora (Jews living outside of Israel), including Babylon, as indicated in his epistles. There is also the tradition that Peter spent his last years in Rome, although there is nothing in the Scriptures to support this. In either case, Peter and Mark would have communicated primarily in Greek, rather than in Hebrew or Aramaic, since that was the common language among Diaspora Jews, as well as of most Gentiles. Thus, there seems to be no reason why Mark would not have written his Gospel in Greek as he recorded Peter's recollections of the events described.

          This leaves the Gospel of Matthew. Of the four Gospel writers, Matthew is the only one who was both an eyewitness to almost all of the events in Galilee and Jerusalem, and also wrote his Gospel near the beginning of the Christian movement. Matthew is an interesting personality who is often overlooked. Dr. Carsten Peter Thiede, in his recent book Eyewitness to Jesus: Amazing New Manuscript Evidence about the Origin of the Gospels, observes that Matthew, as a tax collector (probably a supervisor of the Capernaum office), undoubtedly had important writing skills. It has been discovered that the ancients who were skilled in writing had developed a form of shorthand so that they could take dictation. It is not outside the realm of possibility that Matthew could have written down entire messages, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the Olivet Discourse, just as Jesus delivered them, verbatim, in shorthand.

          Later, the faithful tax collector could have assembled his notes and written his narrative with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As stated above, Jesus probably delivered most of His messages in Aramaic, and therefore Matthew would have necessarily taken his shorthand dictation in Aramaic. Would he, then, have written his Gospel in Aramaic? We truly do not know. All we know for certain is that, perhaps as early as 66 A.D. (as Thiede suggests), the Gospel of Matthew was distributed in the Greek language as far as Egypt. If Matthew was still in Israel when he wrote his Gospel, it would seem appropriate that he would have used Israel's common language: Aramaic. In that case, his Gospel would have been translated into Greek quite early, before 66 A.D. It should be noted that Matthew's Gospel has more "Hebraisms" than any of the others. This suggests an earlier Aramaic version, although, as indicated above, no early Aramaic version of Matthew has been found.

          Thus, there is no evidence that the Gospels were written originally in any other language but Greek. If there were versions of Matthew or the other Gospels originally penned in Aramaic (in accordance with the language Christ used), they were very quickly translated into Greek so that they could be utilized throughout the Roman world. Both Greek and Aramaic were essentially Gentile languages, and the Lord was able and willing to use them to convey His teachings, so that the Good News could go forth from His homeland of Israel to "the uttermost parts of the earth."

Dear Zola,

          I watch you on Primestar. This morning's presentation was your interview with Mr. Netanyahu. I was thoroughly impressed both with the quality of the interview as well as the apparent integrity of Netanyahu. Given the latest attempt to undermine the Prime Minister's reputation, I have decided to accept the image presented by your interview and reject the one posed by the news media. Keep up the good work. Shalom.

— D.W.

Mr. Zola,

          I was flipping channels when I came across your interview with Prime Minister of Israel, BB Netanyahu. Afterwards, you had a few remarks regarding how it was God's own words that Israel was to belong to the Jews.

          Dear sir, you quoted these "words of God" from a book written by drunken phonies, alongside their perverted prose and hallucinations. As for Jerusalem and Israel as a whole, it rightfully belongs to the Palestinian people. It always has and one day, soon, it will be again. I do not wish any Israeli any harm, but you are NOT going to succeed in gaining territory by erecting settlements in East Arab Jerusalem. The U.S. citizens can only go so far in standing behind the atrocities of the Israeli government. Shape up and smell the coffee.

          However, if you people WANT to fight and keep the land, it will be your choice. Innocent blood will continue to flow on the streets of Israel. And by the smirk on your stupid face last night, I am pretty sure that you want it to turn out that way. Bon apetite.

— Anti-Fraud - Lies of Zola

Greetings.

          I recently ordered several books and I just wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed learning about the Hebrew family I have been adopted into. I really can't tell you enough how much fun I have had in seeing God's hand in the feasts. The way the Lord put this all together fills me with joy and faith. I regret so much of the Christian community remains ignorant regarding these wonderful events.

          I feel called to assist my local fellowship in learning and appreciating our "Jewish roots." Thank you for your ministry and I encourage you in your efforts in educating us about our reason for rejoicing. It is greatly needed and appreciated. Next year in Jerusalem!

— S.C.

Dear Zola,

          Somewhere I have heard speculation that the Antichrist might be Jewish. Is this possible? But then, wouldn't it have to be so? After all, the Jewish people would never accept a Gentile as the Messiah of Israel, would they?

— B.K.

Dear B.K.,

          Scripture does not say that the Jewish people will accept the Antichrist as the Messiah of Israel. I don't know where this idea came from. Neither does Scripture say that he is Jewish. Daniel 11:37 is translated in the King James Bible as " neither shall he regard the God of his fathers." But the Hebrew word used in that phrase, elochai, refers to false gods, and certainly not to Almighty God. A better translation, and one well within the powers of the King James translators, would be, "he will not worship the idols his fathers worshipped. " On this one mistranslation hangs the entire concept of the Antichrist being a Jew.

          In addition, the Jews would not really have to make a contract with one of their own. The reason for a written covenant with the Antichrist is that he is a stranger to them, coming out of another nation. I believe they will take the true Messiah's advice when they see the Antichrist blaspheming the Temple: "Let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains" (Matt. 24:16). Please see our television program on Petra in The Stones Cry Out series for a discussion of the Jewish people possibly hiding from the Antichrist at that ancient location.

          I think anti-Semitism is responsible for these widespread false notions about the Antichrist. God used the Jewish people to bring salvation, not damnation, to the world.

— Zola

Dear Zola,

          I very much love reading your magazine where one hears the truth about Israel. In 1993, my sister and I took a trip to Israel through a tour agency located in Florida. We went with my church group (I was a member of a United Methodist Church) and there were 15 of us, including the pastor.

          After my trip there, I left the Methodist Church because I was shocked at how pro-Palestinian they were. They had us stay at the Seven Arches Hotel in Jerusalem. The three nights we stayed there, our group (as well as all the Americans staying there) was subject to propaganda during or right after our evening meal as they had Palestinian speakers come and speak. At one point, I said to a group of people: "I believe God loves the Arabs, He cares about them, and He has a plan for them — but it is not Israel." I know I embarrassed my pastor, but I felt I had to say that. God bless your ministry.

Sincerely, L.B.

Dear Zola,

          As I'm sure you are aware, over six million Jewish people were exterminated during World War II at the hands of the Nazis. The few Jews that are left deserve to have their first amendment (freedom of religion) rights left untampered with.

          It is sad that a fellow Jew feels that it is his duty to convert other Jews. There unfortunately are so many anti-Semites still in existence today. Would not your efforts be better spent on explaining and promoting Judaism, which is, after all, the "mother of Christianity?" I bear you no ill will and ask only that you consider seriously what I have written.

Very truly yours, M.S.

Dear M.S.,

          I considered what you have written very seriously, as I do all of the time when I testify to my fellow Jews about the Messiah. I sincerely believe from the bottom of my heart that I am saving their lives, and not behaving as a Nazi. I am not tampering with anyone's freedom of religion, but simply trying to urge the Jewish people to read the Bible, a Jewish book. You have no idea how difficult a task that is to accomplish. So far as anti-Semitism is concerned, my daily efforts are against it in every way, and I think I have that reputation in Israel and in the American Jewish community.

          And I do not think that I am working against Judaism. I worship the Jewish God and serve the Jewish Messiah. Belief in Yeshua is the fulfillment and continuation of the covenant God made with Abraham. Jews who accept this belief do not abandon their Jewish identity. Instead, we come to know our God in the best possible way: He lives within our hearts through the saving work of the Messiah. I pray that some day you too will know the miracle that only Yeshua can give.

— Zola

My dear brother Zola,

          I just got the Levitt Letter. I've been receiving it for several months now and I can hardly put it down, once I start reading. I sensed that you are a little depressed about Israel and people's reaction to some of your reporting. DON'T STOP!! Where else can we get unbiased, truthful reporting about Israel? And if someone criticizes you for reporting only about Israel: 1) you are in good company. The "powers that be" were forever criticizing my Lord. And 2) the Lord has CALLED you to this ministry and the ministry is focused on Israel. Please don't be swayed by what people say. The Lord has appointed you to this kind of ministry for such a time as this. Praise to Him forever.

Loving you because of Him, G.D.

Dear Zola,

          I joined your tour in December '96 after many years of dreaming and longing to go. My husband was a faithful listener and passed away before he realized his dream. I took the trip for both of us, and what a time I had. Thank you for a beautiful time. As I traveled alone, while in Tiberias one evening, I got a cup of coffee and sat by the docks of the beautiful lake, Galilee. People were having a good time shopping and enjoying themselves on the boardwalk, and I gave in to a little self-pity.

          I noticed in the dark shadows two men walking down the steps and getting into a little boat full of fishing nets. The boat was a small row boat with a small motor, just a step up from the boat Jesus used. They made their way out to the middle of the lake. No one else noticed them as they were hidden in the dark shadows, and they were too busy having a good time. I watched them go further out and in the rays of the moon, I was able to see them cast their nets out. My heart leaped for joy! Nothing much has changed since Jesus' time and what a blessing to witness them fishing much the same as Jesus' disciples did.

          What I am trying to say is I would encourage a single person, especially a woman who has lost her husband, to step out and trust God to meet you where you are, and He will bless you in your aloneness. If I had had a traveling partner, no doubt I would have missed that scene. I would have been on the pier laughing and shopping. The whole trip was like that for me. Even though I was the first one to get sick and lost ten pounds in two hours (it felt like), I would go again and again. EVEN BEING SICK IN JERUSALEM WAS A BLESSING. The bellboy who brought Coke to my room put it on the dresser and ran out of the room. I was digging in my purse for a tip, and he ran so fast I didn't have time to give him anything. I got a look at myself in the mirror and what I saw, I would have run too. God even blessed me with a sense of humor when I needed it most. Thank you for a wonderful trip, and God bless you all.

— P.H.

Dear Friends,

          Reporting news is like reporting weather: even if there's not much going on, you still have to say something. And in order to sell the report, it must be dramatized as much as (or more than) possible. On April 2, a New York Times headline reported on "carnage" in the West Bank: two Palestinian casualties, and one Israeli casualty. If that's "carnage," how do we describe what happens every day in America?

          This sensationalism has been the root of the trouble for Prime Minister Netanyahu, who was in the news in April in connection with an influence-peddling scandal. Our correspondent in Israel, Norma Archbold, confirmed that the charges were politically motivated. Opposing politicians are always slinging mud, hoping that some of it will stick.

          I noticed something interesting about the Internet. It is referred to as the Worldwide Web, and Net addresses begin with www. In Hebrew, "w" corresponds to the letter vav, which has a numerical value of six. So, www in Hebrew is 666. That correlation would only be understood by those who speak both Hebrew and English, and who have also studied biblical prophecy. The people most familiar with Revelation are non-Jewish Christians. Of them, those who know Hebrew usually focus on the Old Testament. It is an interesting connection, since the Internet is playing a role in unifying the world.

          Another intriguing aspect can be found in the last two syllables of Netanyahu's name. "Yahu" is a common name ending among the prophets (usually mistranslated in English Bibles), meaning "He is God" or "He is God's." Netanyahu is "He is God's gift." A popular Net search engine is Yahoo. The Antichrist will be a counterfeit god — a counterfeit "Yahu."

          A viewer, writing about young Palestinians throwing stones, remarked, "Makes me wonder why one never sees nice Jewish boys throwing rocks. The last time I've heard of such was the lad David in his encounter with Goliath, so I know they have the ability." I can think of two reasons: Israeli police would stop them right away (a feat that seems remarkably difficult for Palestinian police); and Jewish parents are well aware that Israelis are seen as the aggressors in any conflict, no matter who starts it and who the victims are.

          Several viewers have contacted us about the Knesset legislation that would prohibit many Christian activities in Israel. The Israeli government has a strong Orthodox presence, so no doubt this is a result of their influence. Anti-Christian sentiment is not new among the Jewish people, who suffered for centuries at the hands of the "Church;" but I don't see how such a bill could ultimately become law in a democracy, since religious freedom is one of the foundations of a democratic society. Even if the law passes, I doubt it could stand up to a legal challenge. Most Israeli politicians know that such a law would alienate many of their strongest allies. Even so, we must lift up our fellow Israeli believers in prayer, and support them in the ways that God leads us.

          These believers live by faith, which is the focus of our next series. We will feature various heroes of the faith, who lived remarkable lives through their trust in the Lord. Our TV crew is accompanying our Spring Tour to bring you their usual excellent on-location filming. Your help in getting this project off the ground would be greatly appreciated.