“It's Greek To Me”

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

How many languages does one find in the New Testament that were used regularly in Jerusalem in the days of Jesus earthly ministry?  What languages were they?

Sincerely,
Multi-Lingual

Dear Multi-Lingual,

The Bible was written in three different languages, but many, many more existed throughout the Roman Empire during the time of Christ.  The Old Testament is written in Hebrew, and the New Testament is written in Greek with small portions written in Aramaic.  The common language of the Roman Empire was Greek.  Greek was the language used in the marketplaces and during all transactions among people of different cultures.

There were, however, many other languages that were used by people of different races and cultures.  The book of Acts gives us a taste of the diversity of languages used by people in Jerusalem.  Acts 2:5-11 mentions a multitude of languages used throughout the Roman Empire.  There were realistically hundreds of different dialects during Jesus’ day, yet they were all able to communicate using common Greek.

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