Timothy's Scriptures

[Tandi]

Hi Everyone,

Question:

Timothy knew from childhood the holy, inspired Scriptures, which were able to make him wise unto salvation. What language did he read or hear them in, Hebrew or Greek?

[Psander]

obviously, Greek and the LXX, else, Paul would have written to him in Hebrew.

[Tandi]

Why did Jesus use the term "jot (yod) or tittle" which refer to Hebrew Scriptures, not Greek?

[Tandi]

And why was the superscription, "King of the Jews" written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin if Hebrew was a dead language at the time?

[Psander]

Originally Posted by Tandi

And why was the superscription, "King of the Jews" written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin if Hebrew was a dead language at the time?

It is far from established that εβραικοις (Hebraikois) refers to Hebrew here. It could just as easily refer to Aramaic. In fact, the designations Latin, Greek, and "Hebrew" in this Greek refer not to specific languages but to specific peoples. Hence, whatever language was spoken by the Hebrews is what is referenced in this passage.

Even if it can be shown that the reference to "Hebrew" is indeed about "Hebrew," this does not mean Hebrew was a lingua franka. Many sacrosanct languages are used to convey meaning not because they are common but because are sacred.

Peter

[Tandi]

Other examples of the Hebrew language being alive and well:


Act 21:40 And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto [them] in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

Act 22:2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

Act 26:14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Rev 9:11 And they had a king over them, [which is] the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue [is] Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath [his] name Apollyon.

Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

[Psander]

Hello,

How do these establish your point? How do you deal with the fact that most understand the Lukan verses are references to Aramaic?

Peter

[Tandi]

Originally Posted by Psander

Hello,

How do these establish your point? How do you deal with the fact that most understand the Lukan verses are references to Aramaic?

Peter

I have heard that it is now in dispute concerning the predominance of Aramaic. The DSS have evidenced many Hebrew texts. I will gather my notes and post tomorrow. Maybe you can find something in scholarly journals. This is all I could find so far:

http://www.ccsom.org/languageofjesus/

Going out to the sukkah to watch the moon rise. : )

[Psander]

To use the DSS to represent mainstream Judean and Diasporic practice is a bit of a stretch. How do you know they represent mainstream Jewish polity in any matter?

[Steven Avery]

Hi Folks,

Acts 21:40
And when he had given him licence,
Paul stood on the stairs,
and beckoned with the hand unto the people.
And when there was made a great silence,
he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

Acts 22:2
And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them,
they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

Acts 26:14
And when we were all fallen to the earth,
I heard a voice speaking unto me,
and saying in the Hebrew tongue,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Originally Posted by Psander

It is far from established that εβραικοις (Hebraikois) refers to Hebrew here. It could just as easily refer to Aramaic.

This is a myth. Hebraikois is clearly a reference to Hebrew, etymologically and contextually, while other words existed in Greek for Aramaic.

Ken Penner wrote a paper on this very point, here is a discussion, the paper and notes are a good read. Hebraisti as Aramaic is simply a modern version blunder, recent scholarship has caught up to the Reformation Bible.

RE: [biblical-studies] Aramaic was called "Hebrew"?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biblic...s/message/3376
"Aramaic was never called Hebrew until well after the Bar Kokhba revolt...ancient authors had no trouble distinguishing Hebrew and Aramaic. They regularly called Hebrew (in chronological order) the language of Canaan, Judean, Ibrit/Hebraisti/Hebrais, or the holy language. They called Aramaic Aramit, Syristi/Syriake/Syrum, Chaldean, Sursi, or Targum."

Ken Penner points out that Philo was the only exception to this (Philo used both words).

Ken Penner notes
http://ocp.acadiau.ca/kpenner/papers...is/hebrais.doc.
We should expect there to be sound reasons for interpreting a word contrary to its etymological meaning and its normal usage. After all, Paul uses the same adjective, Hebraios, to call himself a “Hebrew of Hebrews”... the Bauer-Danker lexical entry for the words Hebrais and Hebraisti need to be revised to remove the assertion (or implication) that these words refer to any form of Aramaic. Hebrais, Hebraisti and other words for the Hebrew language are clearly and consistently distinguished from those for the Aramaic language

Ken Penner
What Language did Paul speak in Acts 21-22
Ancient names for Hebrew and Aramaic
http://ocp.acadiau.ca/kpenner/papers...s/handout1.pdf

Shalom,
Steven Avery