Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Chavoux Luyt <chavoux AT gmail.com>]

Hi Karl

On 11 July 2013 17:00, <b-hebrew-request AT lists.ibiblio.org> wrote:

From: K Randolph <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>
To: Jerry Shepherd <jshepherd53 AT gmail.com>
<snip>

 

Please explain “but the post-exilic period is still within the biblical period.”

 

 All of Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Haggai, Zachariah, Malachi as well as at least the last bit of 2 Kings (about an exiled king being raised), parts of Ezekiel and possibly more, were written after the exile. What is interesting to me, is that with the exception of Daniel (who had a significant part of his training in Aramaic) and the direct reproductions of letters written in Aramaic, they all still used Hebrew rather than Aramaic. And although there is a bit of change in the grammar, vocabulary and possibly pronunciation, their use of the language does not seem to indicate second-language speakers to me. (Compare most of the Greek New Testament where it is clear that some of it was written by native Hebrew/Aramaic speakers rather than native Greek speakers). Yes, like in any area where a smaller native language is spoken within the area of a larger official language, the influence of Aramaic can be seen. But it is clear from a reading of Ezra and Nehemiah that those returnees whose children could no longer speak "Jewish", were not the rule, but the exception.

Shalom

Chavoux