Language of the New Testament
From Textus Receptus
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==Koine Greek== | ==Koine Greek== | ||
| - | + | :''See main article [[Koine Greek]]'' | |
| - | + | :''See also [[Jewish Koine Greek]]'' | |
| - | Whereas the [[Ancient Greece|Classical Greek]] [[Polis|city states]] used different dialects of Greek, a common standard, called Koine ( | + | Whereas the [[Ancient Greece|Classical Greek]] [[Polis|city states]] used different dialects of Greek, a common standard, called Koine (κοινή "common"), developed gradually in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC as a consequence of the formation of larger political structures (like the [[Greek colonies]], [[Athenian Empire]], and the [[Macedon|Macedonian Empire]]) and a more intense cultural exchange in the [[Aegean Sea|Aegean]] area, or in other words the [[Hellenization]] of the empire of [[Alexander the Great]]. |
In the [[Greek Dark Ages]] and the [[Archaic Greece|Archaic Period]], [[Greek colonies]] were founded all over the [[Mediterranean basin]]. However, even though Greek goods were popular in the East, the cultural influence tended to work the other way around. Yet, with the conquests of Alexander the Great (333-323 BC) and the subsequent establishment of [[Hellenistic]] kingdoms (above all, the [[Seleucid Empire]] and [[Ptolemaic Kingdom]]), Koine Greek became the dominant language in politics, culture and commerce in the Near East. | In the [[Greek Dark Ages]] and the [[Archaic Greece|Archaic Period]], [[Greek colonies]] were founded all over the [[Mediterranean basin]]. However, even though Greek goods were popular in the East, the cultural influence tended to work the other way around. Yet, with the conquests of Alexander the Great (333-323 BC) and the subsequent establishment of [[Hellenistic]] kingdoms (above all, the [[Seleucid Empire]] and [[Ptolemaic Kingdom]]), Koine Greek became the dominant language in politics, culture and commerce in the Near East. | ||
| - | During the following centuries, [[Roman Greece|Rome conquered Greece]] and the Macedonian Kingdoms piece for piece until, with the [[Roman Egypt|conquest of Egypt]] in 30 BC, she held all land around the Mediterranean. However, as [[Horace]] gently puts it: "Conquered Greece has conquered the brute victor and brought her arts into rustic Latium" (''Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit et artis intulit agresti Latio''.< | + | During the following centuries, [[Roman Greece|Rome conquered Greece]] and the Macedonian Kingdoms piece for piece until, with the [[Roman Egypt|conquest of Egypt]] in 30 BC, she held all land around the Mediterranean. However, as [[Horace]] gently puts it: "Conquered Greece has conquered the brute victor and brought her arts into rustic Latium" (''Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit et artis intulit agresti Latio''.<small>Hor., ''Epist.'' 2. 1. 156–7</small>) Roman art and literature were [[calque]]d upon Hellenistic models. |
Koine Greek remained the dominant language in the eastern part of the [[Roman Empire]], extending into the [[Byzantine Empire]] as Byzantine Greek. In the city of Rome, Koine Greek was in widespread use among ordinary people, and the elite spoke and wrote Greek as fluently as Latin. [[Jewish Koine Greek]] did not exist as a separate dialect, but some Jewish texts in Koine Greek do show the influence of Aramaic in syntax and the influence of Biblical background in vocabulary. | Koine Greek remained the dominant language in the eastern part of the [[Roman Empire]], extending into the [[Byzantine Empire]] as Byzantine Greek. In the city of Rome, Koine Greek was in widespread use among ordinary people, and the elite spoke and wrote Greek as fluently as Latin. [[Jewish Koine Greek]] did not exist as a separate dialect, but some Jewish texts in Koine Greek do show the influence of Aramaic in syntax and the influence of Biblical background in vocabulary. | ||
Revision as of 01:30, 2 April 2022
The New Testament was written in a form of Koine Greek, which was the common language of the Eastern Mediterranean from the conquests of Alexander the Great (335–323 BC) until the evolution of Byzantine Greek (c. 600).
The New Testament gospels and epistles were only part of a Hellenist Jewish culture in the Roman Empire, where Alexandria had a larger Jewish population than Jerusalem, and Greek was spoken by many Jews. Other Hellenistic Jewish writings include those of Jason of Cyrene, Josephus, Philo, Demetrius the chronographer, Eupolemus, Pseudo-Eupolemus, Artapanus of Alexandria, Cleodemus Malchus, Aristeas, Pseudo-Hecataeus, Thallus, and Justus of Tiberias, Pseudo-Philo, many Old Testament Pseudepigrapha and the so called Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible itself (most probably created in the early church era).
Koine Greek
- See main article Koine Greek
- See also Jewish Koine Greek
Whereas the Classical Greek city states used different dialects of Greek, a common standard, called Koine (κοινή "common"), developed gradually in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC as a consequence of the formation of larger political structures (like the Greek colonies, Athenian Empire, and the Macedonian Empire) and a more intense cultural exchange in the Aegean area, or in other words the Hellenization of the empire of Alexander the Great.
In the Greek Dark Ages and the Archaic Period, Greek colonies were founded all over the Mediterranean basin. However, even though Greek goods were popular in the East, the cultural influence tended to work the other way around. Yet, with the conquests of Alexander the Great (333-323 BC) and the subsequent establishment of Hellenistic kingdoms (above all, the Seleucid Empire and Ptolemaic Kingdom), Koine Greek became the dominant language in politics, culture and commerce in the Near East.
During the following centuries, Rome conquered Greece and the Macedonian Kingdoms piece for piece until, with the conquest of Egypt in 30 BC, she held all land around the Mediterranean. However, as Horace gently puts it: "Conquered Greece has conquered the brute victor and brought her arts into rustic Latium" (Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit et artis intulit agresti Latio.Hor., Epist. 2. 1. 156–7) Roman art and literature were calqued upon Hellenistic models.
Koine Greek remained the dominant language in the eastern part of the Roman Empire, extending into the Byzantine Empire as Byzantine Greek. In the city of Rome, Koine Greek was in widespread use among ordinary people, and the elite spoke and wrote Greek as fluently as Latin. Jewish Koine Greek did not exist as a separate dialect, but some Jewish texts in Koine Greek do show the influence of Aramaic in syntax and the influence of Biblical background in vocabulary.
Languages used in ancient Judea
- See also Hellenistic Judaism
After the Babylonian captivity, Aramaic replaced Biblical Hebrew as the everyday language in Judea. The two languages were as similar as two Romance languages or two Germanic languages today. Thus Biblical Hebrew, which was still used for religious purposes, was not totally unfamiliar, but still, a somewhat strange norm that demanded a certain degree of training to be understood properly.
After Alexander, Judea was ruled by the Ptolemies and the Seleucids for almost two hundred years. Jewish culture was heavily influenced by Hellenistic culture, and Koine Greek was used not only for international communication but also as a language known and used by many Jews. This development was furthered by the fact that the largest Jewish community in the world lived in Ptolemaic Alexandria. Many of these diaspora Jews would have known Greek.
Currently, 1,600 Jewish epitaphs (funerary inscriptions) are extant from ancient Judea dating from 300 BC to 500 AD. Approximately 70 percent are in Greek, about 12 percent are in Latin, and only 18 percent are in Hebrew or Aramaic. "In Jerusalem itself, about 40 percent of the Jewish inscriptions from the first century period (before 70 C.E.) are in Greek. We may assume that most Jewish Jerusalemites who saw the inscriptions in situ were able to read them".
