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The languages spoken at the time of Jesus have been a topic of heated debate for years in the classrooms of seminaries and in the closed deep chasms of publishing house offices, who are trying to translate a another version of scripture for a "new" Bible. Sometimes you even hear a sermon about the languages used during the life and times of Jesus, but not often.

The written languages used during the time of Jesus are somewhat easier to discern, for examples of such are found throughout various ancient text manuscripts. The Dead Sea Scrolls have enlightened scholars and believers alike concerning the languages used when Jesus lived. The works found in ancient monasteries have also helped reveal the verbal tongues that were spoken by the people of the day.

The languages include:

Latin - mostly used by the Roman conquerors.
Koine Greek - used around the Mediterranean region by scholars and scribes and Romans as a common language link to cultures of the Mediterranean.
Aramaic - the language of the people which was a conglomerate of various semitic colloquial languages.
The Jewish dialect of Hebrew - A language of the Jews rooted in Aramaic

The spoken languages parallel the written word, but break into various hybrid forms, we would refer to them today as regional "street talk" or slang derivatives that became distinct branches of a foundational language. Thus, Koine Greek, Latin, Aramaic, Hebrew were all spoken languages of the people in the Palestine and neighboring regions during the days when
Jesus lived and traveled throughout the lands of the Dead Sea.

Most scholars believe Jesus spoke a form of Aramaic as his primary language and knew Hebrew also, as he had been trained in the temple as a young boy, so scripture tells us. It also seems that he may have been able to speak the common Greek of the day. Scripture stories tell of his conversations with Roman soldiers, who most likely did not know Aramiac or Hebrew. Thus Jesus, being able to converse with them meant he must have spoke in Greek or Latin. Scholars again believe it was Greek he would have been familiar with, because of the Greek influences on the region. Latin would not become a dominant language until long after his death.

Learn more about this author, Pam Uher.
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