aramaic

Aramaic is an ancient language, and was one of the languages spoken by Jesus. The Peshitta is the ancient translation of the Jewish Scriptures into Aramaic made in the second century AD. The Old Testament included some deuterocanonical books not included in other traditions such as the Apocalypse of Baruch. The New Testament excluded 2 Peter, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation, which are regarded as deuterocanonical.

The western form of Aramaic, called Syriac, is used by Maronites and the Syriac Orthodox Church, written in Serto (or Nestorian) script, and sometimes Hebrew script in Israel.

The eastern form of Aramaic, called Assyrian, is used by the Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church, in Syria and northern Iraq and written in Estrangelo (or Jacobite) script. An updated translation into Assyrian was made in 1891 in Mosul, which included the 5 New Testament books not in the Peshitta.

Most Syriac and Assyrian speaking Christians are Orthodox or Chaldean Catholics and some evangelical Protestants. Bible work is done by the Bible Society in Lebanon and the Bible Society in Iraq.