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The Holy Spirit in Aramaic
By H.E. Hadrian Mr lijah Bar Isral, Ph.D., D.Div.


In Aramaic, the "Holy Spirit" is known as (Rucha Qadisha), which
literally means "spirit of holiness". The word is an Aramaic idiom which
simultaneously means "spirit", "breath" and "wind"; whereas all three definitions
are always interchangeable in scripture.
So that the "Spirit of God" in Genesis 1:2 could also be translated as the "breath
of God" or even the "wind of God".
Interestingly the word is always female in gender; however since the 7th
Century A.D. many manuscripts have used a male pronoun to describe her. This
however is revisionism, brought on by the same Hellenization which also changed
the liturgies of the churches in that same era and does not represent the original
revelation of MarYAH to His people.
The fact that the Holy Spirit is feminine in the Peshitta as well as in the Aramaic
liturgies, completes the sacramental offering (Qurbana) because the priest,
standing at the Altar represents Christ, and calls the Holy Spirit to come and rest
upon and hallow the sacrifice that he is making, so that a "womb" is created from
which the mysteries (sacrament) may be born. For this symbol the priest must be
male, because the Holy Spirit is female.