Book excerpt: Aramaic Peshitta New Testament Translation is a translation of the New Testament into English that is based on the Gwilliam text. This translation includes explanatory footnotes marking variant readings from the Old Syriac, Eastern text, and other Peshitta manuscripts. Other footnotes provide cultural understanding and a system of abbreviations that mark idioms and figures of speech so that they are easily recognizable. The translation is as literal as possible, but with readable English, giving the flavor and rhythm of Eastern language. Aramaic is the language of the first century and the Peshitta is the earliest complete manuscript of the New Testament.