Updated: 2021.06.17

`עִבְרִית`

Early Bronze Age

Before c. BCE 1112

While the roots of oral עִבְרִית trace back to עֵבֶר in the Early Bronze Age, c BCE 2393, and Av•râmꞋ, c BCE 2039, the current terminus ante quem for written Hebrew is a BCE 10^th century (the time of Dâ•widꞋ ha-MëlꞋëkh) shard inscription from מִבְצָר הָאֵלָ֑ה in central Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ (adjoining Mōd•i•inꞋ to the west).

After 2½ Millenia As The Spoken Language Of Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ and YᵊhūdꞋâh

c. 135 CE — Conversational Hebrew Eclipsed

Conversational Hebrew was silenced, initially by the Roman destructions of 70 & 135 CE with the resulting exile, falling into disuse not long after the death of רַבַּן גַּמְלִיאֵל דְּיַבְנֶה (c. 115 CE), being displaced by various European languages of Diaspora Jews and dwindling to no more than a little-understood and evolving "sacred language".

By the 6^th century CE, Hebrew had been relegated to extremely rare, written, literary circles and the beit kᵊnësꞋët—where the limited use of the limited Hebrew vocabulary in Ta•na"khꞋ (and Aramaic in Ta•lᵊmūdꞋ) was internalized as a sacred, holy, hence esoteric (i.e. mystical and angelic) tongue, prohibited in "profane" conversation.

Conversational Hebrew Extinct, Until The 19^th Century CE

1880s CE — `אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֵּן־יְהוּדָה` Revives Conversational Hebrew

Hebrew remained practically extinct until the late 19^th century CE when, in 1881, Russian-born Lithuanian Jew אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֵּן־יְהוּדָה, father & "reviver" of conversational Hebrew in the modern age, made a•liy•âhꞋ. Relying heavily on Scripture and Yiddish, he developed the first Hebrew dictionary in modern times and, in 1884, began publishing 2 Hebrew-language newspapers in Yᵊru•shâ•laꞋyim — despite fierce opposition from the (heavily German bastardized Aramaic-Hebrew) Yiddish-speaking Ultra-Orthodox, who felt they were chosen dictators over Hebrew as a "Holy Tongue".

As a result, Jews around the world annually celebrate the birthday of אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֵּן־יְהוּדָה (Tenthmonth 25) as "Hebrew Language Day".

Today's State

Pronunciations & Definitions Eroded; Some Assimilated & Confused

Glaring Example Of Difference In Pronunciation:

גּ — The most isolated & alienated group of Jews since the time of ShᵊlōmꞋōh ha-MëlꞋëkh — hence the least affected and assimilated by external societies — has been the Tei•mân•imꞋ. Since at least the beginning of the Islamic era, their Arab overlords strictly segregated Jews as a subclass; for example, Jews were required to move off sidewalks for Arabs to pass . Not that they probably wanted to anyway, but Jews were strictly denied the Arab symbol of manhood (wearing a Janbiya dagger in their belt). Ergo, when seeking the most authentic ancient Jewish anything, the Tei•mân•imꞋ Jews are the paradigm. And Tei•mân•imꞋ differentiate their pronunciation of גּ with, and without (ג), a dâ•geishꞋ (the dot accent in the letter). No other group of Jews differentiates this pronunciation.

Glaring Example Of Difference In Definition:

How did חַסָּה come to mean "lettuce", no "refuge", no the "Mercy Seat"???

Pay it forward! Quote & Cite:

Ben-David, Yirmeyahu. Netzarim Jews World Headquarters, Ra'anana, Israel. www.netzarim.co.il. Title of this page. Copy & paste URL of this page. Today's date.

עִבְרִית