A Comparative Dialectical Study of Genitive Constructions in Aramaic Translations of Exodus

[from Introduction]

Aramaic offers some of the richest sources of dialectal variation within the Semitic language family. Yet there are relatively few comparative dialectal studies of Aramaic (e.g., Talshir, 1982). Studies in Aramaic syntax are relatively rare, and comparative dialectal studies in Aramaic syntax are virtually non-existent.

Multiple ancient Aramaic translations of biblical books provide opportunities for comparative dialectical studies in Aramaic. All of these translations are now available in workable editions for the biblical book of Exodus. For this reason and because of its foundational importance to the rest of Scripture, Exodus has been selected as the corpus for this research.