Expert: Marilyn - 6/13/2009

Question
Hello Marilyn, I hope all is well.

My next question for you is this, Did Moses and his people speak Hebrew before he entered Canaan?? During the Exodus??

Here is an excerpt from a post that attempts to refute the Biblical account.

Hebrew Language, Semitic language originally adopted by the 'ibhri, or Israelites, when they took possession of the land of Canaan west of the Jordan River in Palestine. The language has also been called the speech of Canaan, and Judean, after the kingdom of Judah. Ancient Hebrew, the language of the Bible, was succeeded by an intermediary form, Mishnaic Hebrew, about the 3rd century bc. Modern Hebrew was developed in the 19th and 20th centuries from the ancient written form of the language.

How to cite this article:
"Hebrew Language," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2008
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
© 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

"In our survey of Hebrew literary and historical origins (above, Chapters I and II), we have been faced with an apparent paradox, which has disturbed many scholars. That the Patriarchs were unmistakably immigrants from
Mesopotamia, with historical traditions as well as religious lore and customary law derived from the northeast, the Hebrew language and poetic style were quite certainly Canaanite in origin."

YAHWEH AND THE GODS OF CANAAN, William Foxwell Albright, p 153

W. F. Albright is best known as an archaeologist and biblical scholar. He was born in Coquimbo Chile, to Methodist missionaries and transferred to the United States at age twelve to study. He gained his doctorate at the remarkable age of 22, continued to teach at University, and was widely regarded as a leading authority on biblical texts and languages, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the identification of numerous villages from biblical texts.

A Pioneer Archaeologist
Although born in Chile, Albright is commonly regarded as an American. Being born in 1891 positioned him as a pioneer in archaeology as the science of that discipline was truly in its infancy. Apart from a deep interest in archaeology, Albright is also acknowledged as an expert biblical scholar, merging the science of archaeology to vindicate the ancient biblical narratives as historically accurate. Albright⿿s methodical research in this field has never been challenged and even secular archaeologists concur with his findings.

http://www.archaeologyexpert.c o.uk/WilliamAlbright.html

From what Ive heard and read, Moses and his people did already speak Hebrew even though they had been slaves of the Egyptians for a long time. I was wondering if you could provide some insight on this for me.

Thank you in advance, Junior

Answer
Hello Junior;

Abraham was the beginning of Hebrew. He is first called "Hebrew" in Genesis 14:13. My Scofield Bible says the name may be rooted in "Eber" Abraham's ancestor, Genesis 10:25. Eber was a son of Shem. Shem was a son of Noah and it is from him and his name that we get the Semites and the semitic languages. Shem is essentially the father of people in the middle east, the Arabs, Hebrews, etc.

In Genesis 14:14 the word the NIV translates as "trained men" is a uniquely Hebrew word. Curiously, this Hebrew word is found in ancient Egyptian writing in the Hebrew form. It indicates hired soldiers of chiefs of the land where Israel now exists. Other Hebrew words can be found in ancient Egyptian writings.

Hebrew is a derivative of earlier Canaanite or Semitic languages. It wasn't until the 430 year captivity in Egypt, separated from its Canaanite roots, that Hebrew truly came into its own. Probably part of the purpose of the captivity was to ensure the people developed this language. (Nothing like oppression to solidify a people, a language and a belief system.) Language, along with religion, are the roots of culture and thought. Language influences thought and reason more dramatically than most of us realize. By the time the Israelites were freed from Egypt, the language and people had a unique identity setting them apart from all other people groups.

Moses definitely spoke and wrote Hebrew.

Today, Hebrew is one of the oldest languages still in use on the planet.

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/History/history.html

Sincerely,

Marilyn