![]() In sharp contrast, there are no ancient Hebrew manuscripts of the New Testament whatsoever. It also includes, of course, modern translations into countless languages around the world. This includes ancient translations into Latin, Coptic, Syriac, Ethiopic, Armenian, and Georgian. This Greek tradition ultimately was and is the source for all known translations of the New Testament into other languages, ancient and modern. ![]() The Institute for New Testament Textual Research has documented over five thousand Greek manuscripts containing parts (or all) of the New Testament, ranging from the second century AD into the early modern era. Here, the evidence is unequivocal: the New Testament is a corpus of Greek compositions. Thus, the language used for any spoken or written interaction depended on who was involved and the purpose of the conversation, and Greek allowed for the widest possible dissemination of written works throughout the Mediterranean world.īeyond this general linguistic background, the manuscript evidence is a crucial part of addressing the question of what language the New Testament was written in. Greek was widely spoken in the area as well, especially by Jews from higher socio-economic classes and those who had reason to interact with their Gentile neighbors. And there is some evidence that Hebrew also continued to be used as a spoken language in some circles. Hebrew continued to be used for prayer and to compose religious texts, such as many of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Aramaic appears to have been the most common spoken language, especially among the working classes. Thus, by the time of the first century AD, the language situation in Palestine was very complicated and multilingual. Many Jewish works from the diaspora, as well as some from Judea, were also written in Greek in this period. These translations-collectively called the “Septuagint”-became the main Scriptures used in the Jewish diaspora, the Jewish people living outside of the land of Israel. By the third century BC at the latest, the Jewish expatriate community in Egypt had largely lost the ability to speak Hebrew and/or Aramaic, and so they translated the books of the Hebrew Bible into their then-native Greek. With the conquest of Alexander the Great in the late fourth century, Greek gained prominence as the common language of government, trade, and elite culture throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, including Judea and Galilee. Some portions of the Old Testament were originally written in Aramaic, especially parts of Daniel and Ezra, as were some of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other early Jewish literature. Hebrew and Aramaic are closely related languages of the so-called “Semitic” branch (of the Afroasiatic family), and they mixed and influenced each other to a large extent during this period. Under Persian imperial rule in the sixth through the early fourth centuries BC, Aramaic became the official language of government and most scribal education, and it gradually became the most common spoken language in the region. Before the exile of Judah in the early sixth century BC, Hebrew was the main spoken and written language in ancient Israel and Judah, and most of the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew. ![]() In order to identify the original language of the New Testament, it is important to understand the language situation in the first century AD. The history of spoken and written languages in first-century Palestine In this article, we will survey the evidence and arguments that lead the vast majority of scholars today to believe that the original language of the New Testament was Greek. ![]() ![]() Some popular writers and religious groups, however, have claimed that much or all of the New Testament was originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic. This claim is not particularly controversial among biblical scholars, though some have argued that parts of the New Testament were originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic. The New Testament was originally written in Greek. Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest Email LinkedIn ![]()
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