Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Isaac Fried <if AT math.bu.edu>]

"People" did not write the HB. Spoken Hebrew has its purposes, and BH has its purposes. 

I doubt that King David mundanely spoke to his wives and children in BH.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

 

On Jul 21, 2013, at 5:16 PM, Chris Watts wrote:

Well that is exactly the same as saying that 15th century literary dutch  or shakespearen literature was never spoken.  How can people not speak the language they write?

Chris Watts

Ireland

On 21 Jul 2013, at 21:04, Isaac Fried wrote:

Your assumption that biblical Hebrew was ever spoken is possibly a historical fantasy.

Isaac Fried, Boston University

On Jul 21, 2013, at 7:14 AM, Chris Watts wrote:

Modern hebrew of course has the three tenses now, but

biblical hebrew spoke with two distinct forms only and then varying

combinations of these two distinct forms would communicate the past

present and future in their evryday lives.