Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>]

Fred,

We have enough inscriptions to show that the written language of an area
stretching from the Galilee to the Sinai in the Iron Age was close enough to
the language of the Bible to be considered "Hebrew". There are enough
differences between that language and Aramaic or Phoenician to show that
those were separate languages. Many of the said inscriptions are of types
(graffiti, non-royal tombs) that would indicate that this was also the
language spoken by the common people, although as in all languages, there
were probably differences between the spoken and written languages. However
the same inscriptions also show that: a: there were dialectical differences
between regions (Samaria vs. Judah vs. Moab etc.); b: the language also
developed over time. 
So yes, various dialects of "Hebrew" were commonly spoken throughout Israel
and Judah around 882 BCE (why that year?), but the specific dialect that the
pre-exilic books of the Bible were written in is most similar to what was
spoken in Judah towards the end of that period.

Yigal Levin

Ps. As you know, the line between "dialect" and "separate language" is often
hard to define, and often depends not on any objective linguistic criteria
but on how the users of the language see themselves. So while I might
include Moabite as a dialect of Hebrew, I would not be surprised if neither
the Moabites or the Israelites saw it that way.


-----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, January 04, 2011 4:51 AM
To: Uzi Silber
Cc: B-Hebrew
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] continuum of dialects

Hello Uzi;

the entire question is not whether hebrew was spoken, but what was the
prevalence of the language in the region in 882 b.c., ... approximately ...

a. 1 percent of the population;

b. 10 percent of the population;

c. 100 percent of the population?

or to put it another way; what was the language of the gov't; of the
priests; of the aristocracy; of the peasants on the street; of the middle
class; .... of lord & master to the servant in the home?

regards,

fred burlingame