Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Rev. Bryant J. Williams III" <bjwvmw AT com-pair.net>]

Dear George,

 

Considering that the Hebrews were in Goshen for 430 years, and had limited (?) contact with the rest of Egyptian society since they were shepherds, then slaves; and, finally, spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Now, it is obvious that those who came in contact with the Hebrews would do so with the leaders and those who had knowledge of the other language would have had a wider vocabulary. Furthermore, I am extrapolating from Isaiah 36-39 (II Kings parallel)  that the leaders of the nation knew Aramaic in speaking with the Assyrian respresentatives that this same scenario would have been present earlier until the Israelites entered the land ca. 1400 BC. when they would have wider contact with the population NOT removed from Canaan (see Joshua and Judges).

 

Rev. Bryant J. Williams III