Today I'm craving around a virtual cave - Travel to Qumran

Today I will be taking a tour of the Qumran caves and the Dead Sea Scrolls. 

https://walkingthebiblelands.waynestiles.com/dashboard/

I've visited a website that will interact with the scroll itself. Cool

http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/isaiah#2:3

You can click on a particular chapter and verse and I will give you a translation of that verse. Note the translation is of the scroll itself which was a translation used by the Essenes group. Dr. Wayne Styles gives the following information of the group.

“At the northwest corner of the Dead Sea, a small community at Qumran meticulously copied the Hebrew Bible and other literature—from the 2nd century BC to around AD 68. These Essenes were zealous for God’s law, and they retreated to this secluded area in order to devote themselves to the study of the Hebrew Scriptures and other literature, as well as to the preservation of these texts.”

When this scroll was discovered in 1947 it was a Hebrew text 1000 years older then the text that we had. Its discovery has shown us how careful we are when it comes to the translation of the Bible. 

It was not the translation that Jesus learned from as a child in his synagogue. Nor was it the translation he used in his ministry. Jesus was familiar with the Septuagint, LXX which was a Greek translation from 200 BC, by the Jews in Alexandria, Egypt. Jesus spoke mostly in Aramaic. Today language is used on one Mountain in Israel with less than 600 people speaking it. Most of the youth in Israel today speak Arabic, Hebrew, or English. It has been predicted that the language of Jesus is dying out.

Here is an example from the 9 to 11th century Aramaic of John 3 :16

ܗܟܢܐ ܓܝܪ ܐܚܒ ܐܠܗܐ ܠܥܠܡܐ ܐܝܟܢܐ ܕܠܒܪܗ ܝܚܝܕܝܐ ܢܬܠ ܕܟܠ ܡܢ ܕܡܗܝܡܢ ܒܗ ܠܐ ܢܐܒܕ ܐܠܐ ܢܗܘܘܢ ܠܗ ܚܝܐ ܕܠܥܠܡ ܀

16 For, Alaha {God} has thus so loved the alma {the world}, in such a way that He would give His Only-Begotten, so that whoever might believe in Him, shouldn't be lost, but rather, may have for them lives which are eternal.

http://www.thearamaicscriptures.com/johns-gospel.html

 In the Hebrew Scriptures parts of Daniel and Ezra are Aramaic as well as parts of the New Testament.

Having a reliable translation is indeed a blessing. Read the books of the Bible one by one. If you have never read the Bible there are many good ideas to do so. If you want to find faith and walk with God read the gospel of Mark (action) and Paul’s letter to the Romans. Both books were written to the same city Rome. Romans 1-8 answers the question of how God makes sinners saints. Romans 9-11 gives information concerning God's future work with the Jews? Romans 12 to 16 shares how to practically walk with God as a saint.

Saints (Romans 1:7) are made by God when one believes in the good news of Jesus Christ. They are far from perfect and there is growth and development after one becomes a Christian. 

Each book you decided to read has its own theme and structure. For example the Gospels, the first four books in the New Testament are not the same. There will be differences which will and help understand the whole.

Mark off in your Bible the books that you have read. After you have read the Bible now you will have real questions and insights. You will be amazed. Keep walking