Shalom Chaverim,
I wanted to give you an update on the continuing work on the Scripture Restoration Project. Unfortunately the work has gone slow this week, as my wife, who is chronically ill and disabled, has not been doing well in the last few days, which has demanded more of my time as her caretaker. However, the work has continued at a slower pace.
I have been working on Matthew 5:27-30 in which Yeshua builds a fence around the commandment against adultery, to include committing adultery in one’s heart/mind. This section also runs parallel Mark 9:43-48 which applies parallel statements in reference, not to adultery, but to sins against “little ones” (Mark 9:42 = Luke 17:1-2 and Matthew 18:6-7). For this reason, we will also be jumping ahead to Matthew 18:6-7 to help restore Mark 9:42 and Luke 17:1-2. This will give us the opportunity to complete this block of Mark 9:42-50 since we have earlier reconstructed Mark 9:49-50.
Mark 9:42-50 also contains the phrase “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:44, 46, 48 KJV). This phrase was drawn from Isaiah 66:24:
And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. (Is. 66:24 KJV)
Yeshua’s usage of the phrase is likely influenced by the Targum Jonathan to Isaiah 66:24 which paraphrases “their soul dieth not” for “their worm dieth nor”.
Thus we can restore this phrase in Mark 9 from Isaiah 66:24:
כִּ֣י תֹולַעְתָּ֞ם לֹ֣א תָמ֗וּת וְאִשָּׁם֙ לֹ֣א תִכְבֶּ֔ה
While this phrase is repeated three times in later copies, it appears only in Mark 9:48 in the Aramaic of the Old Syriac as well as in some of the oldest Greek manuscripts (Codices א, B, C, L, W, Δ. ψ ) and some other ancient versions as well. The repetitions of this phrase in verses 44 and 46 appear to have been copied by an early scribe from verse 48. In the original Hebrew of Mark, this passage taken from Isaiah 66:24 appeared only in Mark 9:48 while the repetitions of the phrase in Mark 9:44 and 9:46 did not appear in the original Hebrew of Mark.
This is just another example of the work I am doing on this project to restore the original Scriptures.
We must raise $860 by the end of the day Monday (1/18/21) or our account will go into the negative! $100 of that is needed by the end of the day today!
Donations in December were very, very low. This is common each year with holiday spending taking a bite out of people’s pocket books. Unfortunately, our expenses have not decreased during the holiday season.
The last two years have been a real trial for us, and the last two months especially so. As you all probably know, our lives have never been the same since my wife returned home from a nearly two month hospitalization and septic shock in 2018.
Then recently in October 2020 my wife was hospitalized for two weeks and and had two surgeries beginning October 9th. She was sent home with a antibiotic resistant infection, under home health care with I.V. antibiotics at home, with visiting nurses. Not long after we got home, we both started having Covid-19 symptoms (mine were only mild), and we both tested positive for Covid-19 about three weeks ago. We were both recently retested, and are now negative.
All of this has been a financial burden on us. The I.V. antibiotics were almost $200 a week, and she needs a prescription filled soon which is just over $200!
I am now “back in the saddle” on projects like the Scripture Restoration Project
Also, by popular request, start looking for ne YouTube teaching videos soon!
We need your help to continue the ongoing work, bringing the message of Messiah to the Jewish people, and bringing the message of Torah to the world. We need your help with the ongoing work of Scripture Restoration, as restore the original Hebrew of the “New Testament” books, a project which will bless all mankind, especially the Jewish people of Israel.
In these uncertain times, we need your support more than ever. The time is short, and there is much work to be done. As you might imagine, donations are low. If you can, please donate. This is no time to pull back from the great work in front of us!
Help us to continue to do important work, like posting important Hebrew and Aramaic texts at Scripture Nexus
As I have said to you many times, I look on this work as a co-operative one with me, and all of you combining our resources together in order to get the job done of helping to teach this great truth to all in the world who will listen. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for your continued support, you are the ones who make it all possible by your contributions and your prayers for our work. I truly appreciate your help in every way.
If you can make a one time donation of $500 or $1,000 dollars to support this work.
Donations can be sent by paypal to donations@wnae.org.
Donations can also be made out to “Nazarene Judaism” and sent to:
Nazarene Judaism
PO Box 471; Hurst, TX 76053