Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re[2]: Hebrew & Aramaic again (was: Josephus & 1Esdras)

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: peter_kirk AT sil.org
  • To: <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re[2]: Hebrew & Aramaic again (was: Josephus & 1Esdras)
  • Date: Sat, 17 Jul 1999 12:41:32 -0400


While looking at Josephus in answer to the other division of this
thread, I came across the following in Josephus AJ book 20 chapter 11
section 2:

"our nation does not encourage those that learn the languages of many
nations, and so adorn their discourses with the smoothness of their
periods; because they look upon this sort of accomplishment as common,
not only to all sorts of free-men, but to as many of the servants as
please to learn them."

Thus Josephus is saying that some knowledge of Greek was common among
the Jews of his period, in fact more so among the common people than
among the intellectual elite. Clear evidence for bilingualism, with a
rather interesting slant to it.

Peter Kirk





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page