Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 25/02/2004 05:05, Jonathan Walther wrote:

> ...  He said that because of the
> multi-cultural nature of Palestine in Jesus time, and having been a
> Hellenized territory for the previous 200 years, it would be almost
> impossible not to believe that Greek was the common language of the land
> that everyone spoke. ...


So how does he explain the Roman commander's surprise in Acts 21:37?

I have lived in a country which had been dominated and occupied by a 
neighbouring major country, Russia, for 200 years. The country had 
become very multicultural, and most educated people spoke some Russian. 
But it was certainly not the common language heard on the street, except 
among a small Russianised minority, and among Russian immigrants.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/