Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Oun Kwon" <kwonbbl AT gmail.com>]

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