Languages Used in Dead Sea Scrolls Manuscripts
The Dead Sea Scrolls primarily contain texts written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, reflecting the linguistic landscape of Judea during the Second Temple period [1, 2]. The vast majority of the scrolls, approximately 80%, are in Hebrew, with Aramaic making up about 15% and Greek around 5% [1].
Hebrew was the primary language of many biblical texts found among the scrolls, including numerous copies of books from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). This includes early manuscripts of Isaiah, Psalms, and Deuteronomy, among others. The Hebrew used in these scrolls is often referred to as Qumranic Hebrew, which exhibits some distinct features compared to classical biblical Hebrew [1].
Aramaic was a widely spoken language in the ancient Near East and became increasingly prevalent in Judea during the Persian and Hellenistic periods. The Aramaic texts in the Dead Sea Scrolls include targumim (Aramaic translations of biblical books), apocryphal works like the Book of Enoch, and other sectarian writings. The Aramaic dialects found in the scrolls are diverse, reflecting different regional and temporal variations [1].
Greek, the lingua franca of the Hellenistic world, is also represented in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The most notable Greek texts are fragments of the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. The presence of Greek manuscripts indicates the linguistic diversity within the Qumran community or among those whose texts were preserved there, and the broader influence of Hellenistic culture in the region [2]. For instance, the inscription on Jesus' cross was written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, indicating the common use of these languages for public communication in Judea [2].
The linguistic variety of the Dead Sea Scrolls provides crucial insights into the languages used by Jewish communities in Judea from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE, demonstrating a multilingual environment where Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek coexisted and were used for religious, literary, and administrative purposes [1, 2].
Sources
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 97b.3: Rav Ḥanan bar Taḥlifa sent a message to Rav Yosef: I found one man, and in his hand there was one scroll written in Ashurit script and in the sacred tongue, Hebrew. I said to him: From where did this scroll come into your possession? He said to me: I was hired to serve in the Roman army and I found the scroll among the Roman archives. It was clear that the scroll was written by Jews, not Romans. And it is written in the scroll: After 4,291 years have elapsed from the creation of the world, the world will end; during those years there will be the wars of the ”
- Luke (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Luke 23:38: A superscription - See Mat 27:37. In letters of Greek, and Latin and Hebrew - The inscription was written in all these languages, which were the most common, that all might see the reason why he was put to death. The inscription was written in Greek, on account of the Hellenistic Jews, who were then at Jerusalem because of the passover; it was written in Latin, that being the language of the government under which he was crucified; and it was written in Hebrew, that being the language of the place in which this deed of darkness was committed. But, by the good provide”