Considering Islam

[Tomas de Torquemada]

yes, greek was the lingua francia of the eastern empire.

 

[simplegifts]

This is not true, at least not as you are describing it. How about providing a link?

I can not post a link just yet. Try googling the common language of Israel during the Roman Empire, language spoken in first century Palestine, languages spoken by Jesus, languages spoken in Israel during the first century A.D., etc.

Where is your proof that Jesus only spoke? Which language do you think Jesus was limited to?

 

[Christianmilitaryofficer]

yes, greek was the lingua francia of the eastern empire.

After the seventh century. Not 1st century Palestine. This is very basic history, and Woodrow is very, very wrong.

 

[TG123]

This is not true, at least not as you are describing it. How about providing a link?

I did some quick googling, and it does seem that Greek was spoken in Ancient Palestine/Israel, along with Aramaic and Hebrew. Many Jews spoke Greek, and of 1,600 Jewish funerary inscriptions found in Ancient Israel/Palestine between 300 BC and AD 500, 70 percent of them were in Greek.

Language of the New Testament - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an interesting topic.

 

[Christianmilitaryofficer]

I did some quick googling, and it does seem that Greek was spoken in Ancient Palestine/Israel, along with Aramaic and Hebrew. Many Jews spoke Greek, and of 1,600 Jewish funerary inscriptions found in Ancient Israel/Palestine between 300 BC and AD 500, 70 percent of them were in Greek.

Language of the New Testament - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an interesting topic.

There are several problems here.

1. Christ was the equilavent of blue collar laborer from a rural district. Greek was spoken in the Levant, but by the educated in urban areas.

2. Latin was the official language of the Roman Empire.

3. Hebrew is a religious language. Therefore any observant Jew would know some Hebrew. The same applies today. An observant Jew in the US cannot simply step off the plane in Tel Aviv and converse without issue.

4. Aramaic was widely spoken by the population of Palestine.

Logically, it follows that Christ would speak some pidgin Greek, religious Hebrew, but existed in an Aramaic culture. There is little reason to suspect that Christ would have a firm grasp of Greek or Hebrew, unless the source was divine knowledge, since there would be little reason to have gained the education.

 

[Sister of Faith]

I enjoy listening to some parts of the Quran... "bismillah al rahman al raheem"... in the name of God most gracious, most merciful" is a very beautiful phrase indeed. I don't agree that Arabic is a divine language, it is quite a nice language and I enjoyed studying it but I don't think it is any better or worse than any other language. Spanish sounds also beautiful and melodic, as does Russian.

Muslims cry when they recite parts of the Quran probably for the same reason why I have seen Orthodox Jews cry in Israel when hunched over their Torahs and reading it... they believe God's words are contained therein and the beauty they sense brings tears to their eyes.

Psalm 23 brings tears to my eyes sometimes and I am a person who cries rarely, whether I read it in English or Polish.

There are two Unique attributes regarding the Noble Quran and you can ask any Muslim who has a good relationship with the Quran.
The first one is that if you read a single verse once you could understand it and if you read it twice or more you get extra meanings. And if you read the same verse after sometime you feel that you are reading it for the first time. In addition, your current mood could also affect the meanings which you will get. It just speaks to you All the time. This is practiced through "Tadabbur'. {Will they not then ponder on the Qur’an ? If it had been from other than Allah they would have found therein much incongruity.} [4:82]
The other one is a problem faced by those who are memorizing the Quran. It is easy to memorize it but if you did not review it frequently you will easily forget what you have memorized. I feel shame to say that I'm suffering from this problem. But this is a fact. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said: "Take care of the Quran (by memorising it). I swear by the One in whose Hand is my soul that it is easier to slip away from you than the camels from their shackles." [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]"
So to say that the Quran is dull is a big mistake. People just don't know how to deal with it!

 

[simplegifts]

There are several problems here.

1. Christ was the equilavent of blue collar laborer from a rural district. Greek was spoken in the Levant, but by the educated in urban areas.

2. Latin was the official language of the Roman Empire.

3. Hebrew is a religious language. Therefore any observant Jew would know some Hebrew. The same applies today. An observant Jew in the US cannot simply step off the plane in Tel Aviv and converse without issue.

4. Aramaic was widely spoken by the population of Palestine.

Logically, it follows that Christ would speak some pidgin Greek, religious Hebrew, but existed in an Aramaic culture. There is little reason to suspect that Christ would have a firm grasp of Greek or Hebrew, unless the source was divine knowledge, since there would be little reason to have gained the education.

Appears to have been divine knowledge:
Luke 2
46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

 

[simplegifts]

There are two Unique attributes regarding the Noble Quran and you can ask any Muslim who has a good relationship with the Quran.
The first one is that if you read a single verse once you could understand it and if you read it twice or more you get extra meanings. And if you read the same verse after sometime you feel that you are reading it for the first time. In addition, your current mood could also affect the meanings which you will get. It just speaks to you All the time. This is practiced through "Tadabbur'. {Will they not then ponder on the Qur’an ? If it had been from other than Allah they would have found therein much incongruity.} [4:82]
The other one is a problem faced by those who are memorizing the Quran. It is easy to memorize it but if you did not review it frequently you will easily forget what you have memorized. I feel shame to say that I'm suffering from this problem. But this is a fact. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said: "Take care of the Quran (by memorising it). I swear by the One in whose Hand is my soul that it is easier to slip away from you than the camels from their shackles." [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]"
So to say that the Quran is dull is a big mistake. People just don't know how to deal with it!

A similar thing happens with the Bible - deeper meaning.

There are groups of people who because the Bible is outlawed in their country have have memorized different pages of the Bible and gotten together to have acess to the entire Books.

 

[RaiseTheDead]

Yyou should not even be reading the Bible

Rather a complete statement there

 

[KimberlyAA]

Maybe you should consider Christianity as well. The Bible can be quite interesting once you start reading it.

 

[RaiseTheDead]

This is not true, at least not as you are describing it. How about providing a link?

yes, greek was the lingua francia of the eastern empire.

Our multi-graduate-degree-bearing LDS has caught himself in a web of lies? Say it isn't so!

 

[LoAmmi]

I'm sorry but for some reasons, I just keep thinking "Why not Zoidburg?" when I see this thread.

 

[RaiseTheDead]

I'm sorry but for some reasons, I just keep thinking "Why not Zoidburg?" when I see this thread.

Sounds like a Futurama quote?

 

[LoAmmi]

Sounds like a Futurama quote?

 

[RaiseTheDead]

All I see is a MS icon for a broken link - sorry

 

[LoAmmi]

All I see is a MS icon for a broken link - sorry

Weird. How about now?

 

[ChavaK]

My experience on this forum has convinced me that I should seriously consider Islam. If any Muslims on this forum have suggestions for me, please contact me privately. I plan to start by reading the Haleem translation of the Quran.

You have "Following the Old Testament" under your name.
How does that square with being interested in Islam?

 

[fschmidt]

You have "Following the Old Testament" under your name.
How does that square with being interested in Islam?

Islam adds the Quran to the Old Testament. Christianity adds the New Testament. Rabbinic Judaism adds the Talmud. So which religion is adding the most to the Torah which explicity says that it shouldn't be added to? I see the Talmud as the biggest addition. There is no perfect religion for me, though Karaite Judaism probably comes closest. Of the religions in my city, Orthodox Christianity seems closest to the spirit of the Old Testament, so this is where I go.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

and

Islam adds the Quran to the Old Testament. Christianity adds the New Testament. Rabbinic Judaism adds the Talmud. So which religion is adding the most to the Torah which explicity says that it shouldn't be added to? I see the Talmud as the biggest addition. There is no perfect religion for me, though Karaite Judaism probably comes closest. Of the religions in my city, Orthodox Christianity seems closest to the spirit of the Old Testament, so this is where I go.

The Talmud was not added to the Torah, and the “Old Testament” is not a part of the Koran.

 

[ChavaK]

and


the “Old Testament” is not a part of the Koran.

exactly, and thus my question. The koran and the Hebrew bible are two
very different scriptures, which is why I ask how one can say they follow
the "old testament" yet are interested in converting to Islam.