4 ms·

"by the 3rd or 4th century AD" - that early?!

• cmrdporcupine 3y ago
  Hebrew itself was "extinct" as a spoken language by about 200ce. Until the 20th century when it was revived. It was replaced by Aramaic and Greek. Aramaic lived for a longer period, but then slowly died out. As a liturgical language western Aramaic / Syriac lived on, and eastern variants for longer but as a widespread, spoken lived language in the Levant I believe Greek replaced it, and then Arabic. I understand that "Jewish Palestinian Aramaic" lingered on for some time in some smaller communities.
  • qwytw 3y ago
    > I believe Greek replaced it I think that was only the case in urban areas and/or amongst the more educated upper and middle classes. Syriac and other Aramaic languages were still widespread amongst local Christian population well into the Islamic perod.