Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>]

On 17/03/2004 17:45, Karl Randolph wrote:

> Peter:
>
> Where have I argued that Hebrew was not 
> used after the Galut Babel?
>
> Karl W. Randolph.
>
>  
You wrote the following:

> Hebrew had 
> ceased being the language on the street in 
> all but the most remote farming villages by 
> the time of the Maccabees, if not earlier. 
> Yet because it was the language of 
> religion, government and high literature, 
> it continued to be spoken by an educated 
> elite, much like Latin in Europe.

So you accept that Hebrew was used for religious purposes including 
writing the DSS, but not as anyone's mother tongue. In principle that is 
possible. In actuality the evidence is against it, but rather that 
Hebrew continued as the mother tongue of some communities throughout the 
Second Temple period.

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