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  • From: "Oun Kwon" <kwonbbl AT gmail.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Discovering the language of Jesus
  • Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2006 13:37:24 -0400

What was it in the nonbiblical DSS material? Was it mostly in Aramaic?

Thanks,

Oun.


Date: Sun, 1 Oct 2006 18:46:14 +0100
From: "Chris and Nel" <wattswestmaas AT eircom.net>
Subject: [b-hebrew] Discovering the language of Jesus


Dear Oun,

I am not able to answer the question about Jesus, but I would like to
'donate' some balance to the idea that all the jews coming back from babylon
spoke Aramaic, this reasoning propagated by many, is entirely unjustified.
Nehemiah 13:24 is but a small, indicative clue to the practicality of the
situation. I believe that common sense and modern history can teach us that
many Jews would have retained their native dialects and passed them on.
Some would have abandoned their children's language to the language of
Babylonia. My own children have not been allowed to forget their native
language in spite of living in an English speaking environment. I have heard
and read it so many times that the Jews spoke aramaic after Babylon -- and I
find it a simplistic view of a complex environment. Nehemiah 13:24 does in
no way deny that jews may well be conversing in aramaic, the business
community, to converse with their neighbours etc, but it also presents an
unexpected portrayal of Practical daily life that I am thankful was inserted
into the scripture.

Chris Watts




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