From: "Jonathan D. Safren" <yonsaf AT beitberl.ac.il>
To: Michael Hildenbrand <hildenbr AT Haas.Berkeley.EDU>
Cc: Biblical Hebrew <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Subject: Re: Hebrew language, antiquity of ?
Date: Sat, 03 Jun 2000 07:50:05 +0200
Studies trying to demonstrate "translation" of one language into another
are difficult to prove. One would have thought that Abraham would have
spoken either Aramaic or some dialect of Akkadian (perhaps Sumerian?).
But that doesn't mean he could *not* speak excellent Hebrew.
He might also have spoken "Amorite" or some other Northwest Semitic
language.
--
Jonathan D. Safren
Dept. of Biblical Studies
Beit Berl College
44905 Beit Berl Post Office
Israel