East Texas pastor translates Old Testament into modern Aramaic

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) -Reverend Kenneth Bunge of First Lutheran Church in Lufkin was in the air force for 20 years and was a Arabic and Hebrew linguist.

This year, he is helping the Aramaic bible translators with their project based out Detroit to translate the old testament into Aramaic language by working with a professional translator by way of Skype.

“So, I have the professional software for bible translation hat was developed. It can actually handle any language I the world, so I bring up my software on the computer and I pull up my Skype and do a show screen,” said Reverend Bunge.

Reverend Bunge explained how the bible translations can benefit the Aramaic community.

“The Aramaic speaking people and the bible that they have in their church services is a translation that was done roughly in the 4th and 6th centuries A.D. called the Peshitta, so that’s all that they have had,” said Reverend Bunge.

Most importantly, he said his goal for the project is to help as many people as possible.

“We will translate as much as we can, and it may be that we won’t finish the old testament and not every language has the old testament. Throughout all of the world and through all of the projects out there and they don’t really intend to translate the old testament it just all depends on the need of the people that we are working with,” said Reverend Bunge.

once the translations of the old testament are completed they will publish them online.

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