Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Yodan" <yodan AT yodanco.com>]

In addition to what Nir Cohen wrote, with which I agree, and there is
evidence - and books about this topic - that support the argument (actually,
fact) that Hebrew never ceased to be used in prayer, writing, and speaking,
I'd like to add:

Modern Hebrew evolved from a previous form of Hebrew, which evolved from a
previous form of Hebrew, etc., etc. until we get to the form of Hebrew that
EVOLVED form Biblical Hebrew. It cannot be a coincidence that there is so
much similarity between Biblical and modern Hebrew, so much so that Israeli
Hebrew speakers/readers can read the Biblical text and understand a
substantial % of the words and their context, as well as the verses and the
meaning of the text. 

I don't know the % and it differs between the different Biblical sections,
some of which also depends not only on Hebrew knowledge but on understanding
the historical context of a particular section. In any event, my belief is
that it's substantial!

I'm an Israeli (raised and educated in Israel, including graduate school (in
science, not in Hebrew language or literature etc.), who has lived in the
U.S. for some years and I can read everything in the Tanakh and understand a
large number of words - at least 80% - in their context and also much of the
context, the level of which depends on the sections. 

If modern Hebrew evolved from Biblical Hebrew, the latter cannot be dead -
nothing can evolve from something dead! 

ERGO, Biblical Hebrew hasn't really died, it evolved.

Rivka Sherman-Gold


-----Original Message-----
From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of fred burlingame
Sent: Tuesday, December 28, 2010 9:23 AM
To: Nir cohen - Prof. Mat.
Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] hebrew is dead?

this is not good news.

for the announced purpose of the latter 1/3 of this document included an
existential debate with your minority of hebrew scholars below about their
biblical hebrew language scrolls. And such debate, framed in the context of
the great language of the west (greek) or the great language of the east
(aramaic) at that time ..... would have likely been met with laughter.
http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/codex/default.aspx

Clearly, the death, nice funeral and pleasant burial of the biblical hebrew
language, well before that time ... represents a much more palatable version
of history.

regards,

fred burlingame