What language did jesus speak

What Language Did Jesus Speak? Why Does It Matter? by Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts Copyright © 2010 by Mark D. Roberts Note: You may download this resource at no cost, for personal use or for use in a Christian ministry, as long as you are not publishing it for sale. All I ask is that you acknowledge the source of this material: Some of My Other Writings on Jesus: Introduction Six years ago, people all of a sudden became interested in the language spoken by Jesus. The occasion for this burst of curiosity was the release of Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ. Although responses to this movie varied widely, just about every viewer was struck by the fact that not one word of English was spoken in the film. All dialogue was in one of two ancient languages: Aramaic or Latin. Without the English subtitles, most of us wouldn’t have been able to understand a word in The Passion of the Christ. (Photo: A statue of Jesus in his passion, from a church on the Mediterranean island of Menorca.) Many who saw this movie wondered about its antique languages. What is Aramaic, anyway? Was this really the language spoken by Jesus? Didn’t he speak Hebrew, the primary language of the Hebrew Scriptures? And, since the New Testament Gospels are preserved in Greek manuscripts, is it possible that Jesus also spoke Greek? In February 2004, the month when The Passion of the Christ was released, I wrote a short blog series on the language(s) of Jesus. Drawing from my background in New Testament s...

While scholars generally agree that Jesus was a In particular, there’s been some confusion in the past about what language Jesus spoke, as a man living during the first century A.D. in the kingdom of Judea, located in what is now the southern part of Palestine. WATCH: The issue of Jesus’ preferred language memorably came up in 2014, during a public meeting in Jerusalem between Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, and Pope Francis, during the pontiff’s tour of the Holy Land. Speaking to the pope through an interpreter, Netanyahu declared: “Jesus was here, in this land. He spoke Hebrew.” Francis broke in, correcting him. “Aramaic,” he said, referring to the ancient Semitic language, now mostly extinct, that originated among a people known as the Aramaeans around the late 11th century B.C. Washington Post, a version of it is still spoken today by communities of Chaldean Christians in Iraq and Syria.  A first century A.D. burial box with an Aramaic inscription that reads "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." Archeologists say this box possibly held the remains of James, the brother Jesus of Nazareth, dating back to 63 A.D. “He spoke Aramaic, but he knew Hebrew,” Netanyahu replied quickly. News of the linguistic disagreement READ MORE: Jesus Was Likely Multilingual Most religious scholars and historians agree with Pope Francis that the historical Jesus principally spoke a Galilean dialect of Aramaic. Through trade, invasions and conquest, the Aramaic langu...

While it is possible that Jesus and some of his apostles knew and used Greek (at least on certain occasions), it is clear that their primary language of communication was Aramaic and, quite possibly, Hebrew as well. Here is the key evidence. The New Testament records several unmistakable instances of Aramaic usage. Most notable is Mark 5:41, where Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter from the dead with the command, Talitha koum[i](“Little girl, get up!”). Interestingly, if Peter spoke in Aramaic when he raised Tabitha from the dead, he would have used almost the exact same phrase: Tabitha koum[i] (see Acts 9:40). Other examples of Aramaic on the lips of Yeshua include His words on the cross from Psalm 22:1, quoted in Matthew 27:45, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” Acts 1:19 also provides a good example of Aramaic usage, since it speaks of the field in Jerusalem purchased by Judas Iscariot, and states that the people “called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.” This name, Akeldama, reflects the Aramaic words haqal dama’, field of blood, and is definitely not a Hebrew construction. Despite the attempts of some “Hebrew only” authors to downplay or eliminate these examples, they clearly point to Aramaic usage by Jesus and His followers. Given the first century, Galilean background of the Lord and His disciples, Aramaic usage would make perfect sense and would be in keeping with the prevailing scholarly consensus. There are many other Aramaic names and terms...

Share Share Tweet esus Christ is one of the most influential figures in history, and many aspects of his life are still debated today. One particular subject that has been a source of interest is the languages Jesus spoke and understood during his lifetime. As part of this debate, it is important to understand the historical context in which Jesus lived, as well as the various languages spoken in Palestine during that time. Furthermore, there is evidence from the Bible that reveals Jesus’ use of language and Greek scholars have speculated whether or not he spoke Greek. By delving into these topics, we can gain insight into how Jesus used multiple languages to reach a wider audience with his message and teachings. In this blog post, we will explore the various languages Jesus likely knew and spoke during his lifetime, their implications for his ministry, and how they helped him spread his teachings to more people. Understanding the Historical Context of Jesus Understanding the historical context of Jesus is essential for F.F. Putsykovich – Life of the Saviour of the World (Source: Wikimedia Commons) In Jesus’ case, his multilingualism enabled him to communicate his message to a wider audience. He could speak Latin – which was used mainly for official purposes – as well as Greek and Aramaic – which were more commonly used in everyday life. Furthermore, many Jews living in Palestine at this time spoke Hebrew as their native language; thus it is likely that Jesus would have un...

1st-century Palestine was a relatively small area, surrounded by other countries, and part of the Roman Empire, which influenced commerce, government, and other areas of society. Jerusalem was a major destination for pilgrims during Jewish feasts, with people coming from all over to celebrate. Jesus spent a lot of time teaching and interacting with people during his ministry. Before his ministry, he spent time in Egypt. Growing up, he may have accompanied Joseph when traveling to trade and sell craftsman or carpenter wares. Jesus was familiar with the Hebrew scriptures, but his followers recorded his teachings in Greek and Aramaic. In these varied situations, what are the languages that Jesus may have spoken? (The question The answers to this question will vary according to the various perspectives. Nevertheless, it is thought by some that Jesus spoke only Aramaic. St. Thomas Aquinas seems to be of this opinion also: Christ in His own person purposed preaching to only one nation, namely the Jews. Consequently, although without any doubt He possessed most perfectly the knowledge of all languages, there was no need for Him to speak in every tongue. And therefore, as Augustine says (Tract. xxxii in Joan.), "whereas even now the Holy Ghost is received, yet no one speaks in the tongues of all nations, because the Church herself already speaks the languages of all nations: since whoever is not in the Church, receives not the Holy Ghost." - Even Pope Francis has spoken on this: L...