How different was the ancient language of the Hebrews from today's Hebrew?

Question

If I were to go back in time speaking modern Hebrew, would I even be understood?

Answer 1

The "ancient Hebrew" is called Aramaic. In modern Hebrew, there are a lot of added and changed words. If you would go back in time, I'm not too sure if they would fully understand, but I'm sure you'd get along ;).

Answer 2

The underpinnings of modern Hebrew are based in biblical hebrew, but there are so many terms that have been adopted for modern times. And there are some words and terms that we can't translate from ancient times. Look at it this way, we can barely understand Shakespeare, and he wrote only 400 years ago. And Shakespeare would have a hard time understanding us when we say things like, "Hey, hon, nuke me some pizza while I go online and email my peeps." Also, would you be speaking Ashkenazi Hebrew (more like Yiddish) or Sephardic (which is what is spoken in Israel now)? I think you could make yourself understood, but it would be tough.

Answer 3

That is difficult to say, especially since you did not specify how far back you want to go. But even the grand-daddy of the Jewish scriptures, (i.e. Moses himself ) seems to have drawn upon many different dialects, idioms, and word variations, and even some of these may reflect some time differences. And I am speaking as if the Torah were written all at once and all by Moses; many think that it was not...
For a modern example, how different is american english from
1611 british english? Better yet, how different is american english from eubonic english? Even today, the best scholars cannot translate certain passages of ancient biblical hebrew with any degree of certainty. Soooo...get out those language books and study, study, study...

Answer 4

There are some major grammatical differences to the point that what was past tense is now future tense, but Hebrew is a language based on trilitteral roots - three letter roots of words (excluding vowels)- and these pretty much stay the same throughout all periods - for example LMD is the basis for learning - so lilmod means learn, lilamed means teach, limud means learning, etc.

So - to answer your question - you would probably understand, but not be understood. If you stuck to nouns you'd probably be ok, but congegating verbs would be all messed up

Answer 5

aramaic was the common language of Jesus' time and then it was greek. Hebrew is actually race not a language