Can it be something like a verification of the meaning for a string or a set of strings? Sure, not so, but there are structures, probabilities and grammars for every language and sometimes one can find good ideas in blogs about the verification issue. Making use of probabilities of words following other words, such can be represented in Markov-chains, is a good idea. But the problem here is, that your words are unknown and a vord must not be, in our opinion, a word of the underlying language, so you don’t have the elementary Markov states. You see the vord nucleus but you don’t see the word quarks in it. If we would go deeper to the glyph level, then we could probably use generating grammars, like in formal languages of Chomsky hierarchy, and compare the grammars. Is then the grammar of your decipherment method results a proper subset of the underlying, origin language grammar? This should hold, otherwise your decipherment method and your language choice are not correct, this is a necessary condition.
That isn’t an easy task and you would have to analyse a considerable amount of vords (hundreds of vords, you couldn’t present a grammar for 10 vords and believe, it’s done). Or vords sliced to words, if you claim, like us, that there isn’t any 1to1 relation between them. I know that Chomsky was not successful to apply formal grammars to natural languages, but we don’t need to be that fussy, we could work with probabilities. And we would need to choose one particular type of the grammar for the representation as normal grammar. Usually, the generating grammars for string sets are not bijective, e.g., you can generate string sets with left-linear or right-linear grammars etc. In the coming months I will try to work on such a theory of verification. Presumably it will be harder to provide something useful then to decode the script.
But enough of that. We have here a translation of a spectacular passage (page 17v). It’s spectacular because it refers to concrete events and, from our point of view, we can identify these events and set an approximate time frame for them. Moreover, I didn’t hear of any existing text depicting them in such a descriptive way. We post here a summary, a detailed document of many pages is downloadable on our site (enspace.net -> “Intimidation, apostasy, oppression”).
In our translation we try to stay as close as possible to the underlying Aramaic text. Naturally, the syntax and sentence structure are that of Aramaic and not English so we have occasionally to change the word order in the translated sentence to make the sentence understandable, though our aim isn’t to provide the best possible English translation but to crystallize the meaning of the text, to make sense of it.
Verbs are mostly specified in infinitive or imperative mode. We are committed to the idea, that the underlying, crypted text was written in the form of so-called ketiv or kethib. This form of a consonantal text, handed down by tradition, with only a very limited and ambiguous indication of vowels, is used in written (meaning of ketiv) biblical texts in Hebrew and Aramaic, as preserved by the scribal tradition. This easy to learn writing system (in comparison to e.g., cuneiform) introduces, however, a considerable amount of ambiguity in the process of vocalisation and can therefore lead to plurivalent interpretations of the text. “A simple (infinitive) form can have a variety of grammatical functions and meanings: infinitive, all imperative forms (except feminine pl.),3rd masculine or feminine singular perfect, 3rd plural perfect, singular participle (all forms), plural participle (construct state)” - like in a genitive of a possessed noun followed by a possessor noun or with propositions requiring a dative (e.g., the suffering (those who suffer) of the world; those withdrawing from the prayer). The abjad text (ketiv) together with the specific of Aramaic to consist of short words makes the resulting writing, whether as plain Aramaic text or as Voynich code, very compact. A page like 17v of the VMS produces a translation of several pages in English or German.
The mapping to letter-transliteration of Aramaic shows the following picture (rows 1-11):
- plant_17v_small_a.jpg (180.83 KiB) Viewed 18970 times
And further (rows 12-23):
- plant_17v_small_b.jpg (157.5 KiB) Viewed 18970 times
The plain English translation (synonyms, prepositions and clarifications in brackets):
not the least the excitement of the intoxicating drink
weakens to confess the lamb, a burden (to) the poor,
whom the hope perishes, the weak green plants , which came,
fail, make (someone) taboo, rather the green plants have been brought to guard -
something lost, (what) now to drop!
to fix (appoint) this sufficient forever:
perplexing (the people) comes without dragging oneself along (to burden oneself)
with one lie to another !
so far these/who (know) the early time,
the oral hearings (tidings), lessen, are laid waste
forasmuch as approach the world satisfactorily,
a howling, assailing mischief burden
continuous observance (celebration) of God's wisdom -
the assembly of the poor is surfeited with that to the point,
that one deposes to consent (to agree) to seek (after) the friend (intimate),
the friend (fellow) branded (as) worthless,
the company (circle) of friends (fellows) became faint
to help to bring forth the witness (testimony) of the band (covenant),
do not burden yourself a plenty of woes to crush blunt grapes,
not the least then to be restrained (in the) height and so to abandon ,
be prepared rather to grow weak but gently (softly) to bend
be prepared (for) the Highest to come (to arrive)
counsel (advice) is utterly vain, where dropping (grows) to the point that this
indeed (means) finishing (completing),
to consult (to advise) here the raging (clamorous) adversary - don’t drag them along!
YHWH will draw then the limit (rim) to bear, furthermore (make) a prayer
propping up the disheartened (cowed) as (they) refused to go astray (to give up)
God's judgment puts in order (ordains/institutes) though
anger to apostatise (to turn away from God) asks for
making oneself a burden up to the time that God’s judgment (will) ruin
the marrow (substance) herewith to divide, to cease and rather timely to ask for
(to make) a petition now (to) a lawyer (interpreter of decrees of the community)
who (will) spoil the young barley ears (youngsters) -
laid one matter to another - such who love the prayer,
withdraw not from prayer!
(what) prepared this rising (is) youth (offspring) perception (understanding) of yokes
to be dull, to shake (to brandish) against
where God's judgment (opinion) to be carried out, the rising heart (mind)
desires (longs for) to light upon (it) so then there not be
nothing rising a lost thing (none of the rising) -
be fulfilled this forever - so don’t go (turn) to the left -
a blemish (fault) which (means) not to exalt the Father (God),
to fulfil the law (of God) and to be cowed (by) these who (are) shouting,
to go astray (from) God's judgment - prostrate yourself (in worship)!
to have learned and feed (fatten) the goat (with) fresh green,
green plants (which) caused grief and now are willing to withdraw (from) this
fatigued stream - if only ! - determined heart - how worthless (this) perishing!
we pray (please), shed light upon the burden (above the burden),
Father, and (above) the green plants harassing constantly,
be fulfilled the law of God and be fulfilled the testimony of God's judgment,
be the rising mingling (mixing) ourselves no baking (of) enduring (durable) affair
to be dull (for) continuous prayer!
wait upon unfavourable saying (defamation) circumstance (condition)
confined (narrowed) - until then, prayer, if possible!
who then have no shade (no roof over his head),
side one to another (side one to the other),
don’t make yourself a burden of cleanness (of animal meat) to be sated,
prepared to bear witness (to testify) of continuous validity (of) God's judgment
accept now (consent to the situation)
we pray (please), fall upon the rising to perish (vanish),
one to another, endow with knowledge the young in this manner to love the prayer,
love this, indeed, like a friend!
oppression of the wicked (evil) and the stream of rising lies, this prepared above ,
brought throwing down - how not to drop?
oppression of the wicked (evil) shows indignation with (anger at) even the testimony
(of) the poor – assemble (meet) by appointment to hear (to listen) peaceful the words,
so turning about (around) then comes to pass the words of hater,
(which) brought in the distress (calamity)!
a discreet friend affirming solemnly becoming faint bring (thrust) not into Sheol ,
the prepared for discernment (understanding of God),
(prepared) to help to bring forth God's knowledge (teachings)
(to) the receiver of the divine revelation (all over) the world (earth),
let not drop the prayer!
we pray (please), mourning for the dead now, timely brought to the Father,
though prepared to go in (to enter) where the doors of heaven above
What does the text say? A religious community referring to itself as the
poor or worshiper of the
lamb, suffers huge hardship, apostasy and prosecution. The fellows, identified as such in the streets, are exposed to hostilities and slander by mostly young people. They can easily be identified and denounced by apostatized members. The hostilities reach that point that a joint prayer must be suspended. Interim a peaceful prayer should take place in privacy – if possible. One or more particular persons are made taboo – they have to fear for more than harassment only, they apparently have to fear for their lives. The weak and faint members of this bond (in their faith determination) are beset to depose against them. Many already withdrew from the prayer and service. The text says, somehow helplessly, – how not to drop? – under the circumstances.
For us it’s impossible to state something other than that this Aramaic passage points to the early Hebrew Christian Church in the times before the word
Christian even occurred for the first time. In this case, the
hated friend, whom the oppressive wicked try to taboo must be identified as St. Paul. We must admit at this point, that our former assessment, attributing these texts to pharisaic and rabbinic authorship, must be revised. The deep devotion to Tanach and to the sayings of the Hebrew bible, expressed in the apocalyptic section of the VMS, make, however, these two groups hardly distinguishable from each other in this regard.
The passage doesn’t address the reason for the repression and prosecution directly. That must have been obvious for the direct listener or other audiences, inasmuch this text was intended to be read aloud at various places. We must assume, that it wasn’t the content of the teachings of St. Paul but the fact itself, that he preached to the Gentiles, which outraged the opponents, as there are only few references to a controversial exegesis. Still one of the supposed controversial points is mentioned in the text – that of the eating of unclean animal meat, which contradicts the mosaic law.
We hit here upon events, which probably took place in the years directly proceeding the Great Jewish Revolt. The explosive atmosphere against the Roman oppressors and other strangers must have been already tangible before the breakout - zealots, sicarii and other nationalistic groups were already active in Judea and Jerusalem. Under such circumstances, preaching to the enemies and embracing them like they were Jews, promising them the same heaven, were most probably considered as collaboration. And wasn’t it said in the scripts, that none unclean and uncircumcised will ever pass the gates of the New Jerusalem? In these aspects the beliefs of the poor must have been considered by many Jews as treachery against the nation. On the other hand, nothing in this passage points directly to controverses about teachings of Jesus. The mentioning of apostasy means that the community was losing members, some of them described as well prepared to bring forth the testimony of the Highest. This suggests that until then the communion considered itself as a strong and sound growth.
Here is a brief interpretation of the depicted plant. Again, as from our point of view, the plant is merely allegorical imagery. The solid roots allude to firm foundations, but at the top the plant is shrivelled and can’t carry any grapes. The plant is restricted in the high, exactly as mentioned in the text, and bends towards ground. The crucial aspect in the middle is, that the grapes and leaves are young and unripe. The grapes are not entirely red, but white with a red dot in the middle and the leaves, which can be those of the silver sword (Philodendron Hastatum), are not developed finally. This can be concluded, since their shape resembles more an arrow, when they are matured. The image can then be considered as a symbolic representation of a religious community, which struggles to grow and bends, as its young, unripe fellows withdraw for reasons not exhibited thoroughly in the text.
In our longer document (75 pages) we specify the possible synonyms exhaustively and give references in plenty of footnotes.
But there is a problem with this thesis. Some statements in the VMS - we know it nowadays and the fellows centuries ago had but nobody should in-between…