They say it was mainly Aramaic, sometimes Hebrew. But I want to think it Koine. Here's my article based on my mere assumptions.
I think Jesus was able to speak, use, understand workable Koine, not to say standard Greek.
I admit his native tongue was Aramaic, though, he must have understood Hebrew, at least what is written in Scriptures.
The reason he had to establish new religion somehow must have been related to his native tongue. He must have felt alienated from Hebrew dominated Pharisee society and Koine dominated Levant world.
That said, however, I assume his entire preachings were basically held in Koine.
What he wanted must be preaching as many people as possible.
His choice of universal language must have been the reason his teachings had dominated in Levant world, and his teaching itself matches the universality of its language.
hi, mer..you made me curious...keep posting what was it?...lol....all i thought..it was Latin. But since, I know nothing..let me know!
ReplyDeleteYeah, ;-)
ReplyDeleteJesus was born in Jewish family, but Hebrew, which is standard language used in Old Testament was already only found in Pharisees (Jewish rigorous teachers) and not used among ordinary Jews. Jews those days used Aramaic, which is a kind of dialect derived from standard Hebrew.
My point is why entire records of New testament were written in Koine( common Greek spoken outside Greece) in spite of the supposition that the language Jesus spoke was probably Aramaic.
So what I am eager to think is Jesus might have spoken Koine in his preachings.
Make sense?
Koine WAS the standard Greek of the time. It was spoken in Greece as well although there were still dialects. It was NOT some sort of artificial pidgin.
ReplyDeleteThe New Testament is written in Greek (Koine) because Christianity had spread to non-Jews. Paul, whose letters are the oldest texts in it, are written specifically to GREEK congregations.
Some of the authors, e.g. Mark, write a horrible Greek; they were with certainty thinking in another language, probably Aramaic or Hebrew.
It is very unlikely that ordinary fishers, farmers, housewives and craftsmen in Palestine knew more Greek than the same class of Indians today know English, and that's down to "three hundred rupees, sir/madam"*. Of course Jesus spoke to them in their own language. He probably knew Greek since we don't hear of an interpreter when he spoke with Pilate, but why the blazes he should use it among his own countrymen is beyond me.
*On second thoughts: they don't know "madam" - they say Memsahib.
We don't know whether Jesus wanted to create a new religion or to reform the old one (Judaism). We do know, however, that he never preached or talked to non-Jews except a couple of Samaritans and a single Roman officer who addressed him. It was his disciples who left Israel and preached to non-Jews, as you read in Acts.
ReplyDeleteDo you think Buddha changed his spoken language just because he wanted to abolish the caste system etc.?
Palestine was under Roman rule at a time Jesus lived.
ReplyDeleteFirst Greek translation of Old Testament was completed by 70 something scholars in the Septuagint in 246 BC. Probably first partial attempt to translate Bible into Latin was started as early as St Paul arrived in Rome in his last destination of missionary around AD 60.
First authorised Latin translation was made by Jerome in Vulgate in AD 405. Since then Jerome's Vulgate has been used almost exclusively as an official version of Catholic for a long time till now, so it's so natural you thought it Latin.
Jesus died in his thirties, he didn't have enough time to learn his second or third languages. But in his times Hebrew and Koine were more useful languages in that Hebrew is a written language of Scriptures and Koine was a common language spoken throughout Eastern part of Roman Empire. But I agree, he used his native tongue basically in his teachings.
ReplyDeleteBuddha died at age 80. He had enough time to learn other languages, besides he didn't have to worry about his daily life at all.
Aside from that, choice of language is extremely important in prevailing their thought. I never use my native tongue to express my idea both in writing and in speech. I think more and more people today are doing so this borderless society.
You yourself are Danish, but how can you make yourself understood in Danish when people around you only understand English?
When I was 18, I spoke three foreign languages and read two more. I won't even mention what I did in my 30es. And Jesus strikes me as pretty smart; he apparently read Hebrew fluently at age 12.
ReplyDeleteWe don't know how many languages he knew, but your argument is nonsense.
I understand continental Europeans are especially well versed in a number of different languages, that said, your ability is distinguishable.
ReplyDeletehe apparently read Hebrew fluently at age 12. We don't know how many languages he knew,
You are even well versed in the details of Bible. Whatever the language we might use, in the end there's only one language that struck us, that is the language from the bottom of our heart. Language is in short merely a conveyor of something. Something more important in which we carry.