i have a question about the spoken language in the jurusalem area around the first century?

Question

i would think that all the countries in that area would have spoken different languages, but they were also under the rule of the Roman Empire. So was there a common language.
please put your source

Answer 1

You are partially correct.

Folks in Jerusalem predominently spoke Aramiac. However, the "lingua-franca" of the time (or the language of business and trade) was Greek.

Latin was spoken by many, but it was a predominently Roman language and not many conquored peoples wanted to learn it.

Proof of the Aramiac language being spoken can be found in the Gospels. When Christ changed Peter's name from Simone, he changed it to Cephas, which is the Aramiac term for Rock.

Also, when Christ was hung on the cross, he made a statement ""Eli, Eli, la'ma sabach-tha'ni?" that is, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" This is in Aramiac.

Many of the records of the time were written in Greek. Thus it was the trade language.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

The generally spoken language was Greek. This was the language in which the New Testament was written because it was the lingua franca. The Jews spoke Aramaic. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/arts/ling/stories/s1066733.htm

Answer 3

Probably Aramaic.

From all the reading I have done.
Aramaic (ârema´ ìk), Hamito-Semitic language that flourished in SYRIA and the FERTILE CRESCENT around the time of Jesus.