Mishnaic Hebrew: An Introductory Survey

MISHNAIC HEBREW: AN INTRODUCTORY SURVEY· Moshe Bar Asher·· Hebrew University§Contents I. Mishnaic Hebrew and Rabbinic Literature (§§1-4) II. The Origin of Mishnaic Hebrew (§§5-6) III. Biblical Hebrew and Mishnaic Hebrew A. Common and contrasting features (§7) B. Diachronic differences (§§8-9) C. Dialectal differences (§§10-11) D. Differences of tradition (§12) E. Literary influences of Biblical Hebrew upon Mishnaic Hebrew (§§13-15) IV. Unity and Diversity in Mishnaic Hebrew A. The preconception of unifonnity examined (§16) B. The language of the Tannaim and the Amoraim contrasted (§17) C. Mishnaic Hebrew and its various dialects (§§18-19) D. Linguistic differences within the Mishnah (§20) E. Editions and manuscripts (§§21-23) F. Linguistic types in the manuscripts of the Mishnah (§§24-27) G. Special traditions (§28) H. Written and oral traditions (§§29-30) V. Mishnaic Hebrew and Other Languages A. The situation of multi-lingualism (§31) B. Mishnaic Hebrew and Aramaic (§§32-35) C. Borrowings from Greek and Latin (§§36-37) Appendix: Mishnaic Hebrew from Indirect Sources A. Direct and indirect sources (§§38-41) B. Documents from the Judean desert (§42) C. The Samaritan tradition (§§43-44) D. Greek and Latin transcriptions (§§45-46) E. The language of liturgy and the piyyul (§47) Conclusion (§§48-49) • (This artieal appeared originaUy as 1'= ~ - C'~ IV, in Rabbi Mordechai Breuer Festschrift: Collected Papers ill Jewish Studies. Vol. n. ed. M. Bar-Asher (Academon Press: Hebrew University. 1erusalem. 1992). pp. 6S7~ -ed.) •• The English version of this article was inviled by the Hebrew Studies editor. Ziony ZeviL The article was ttanslaled from the Hebrew by my learned friend. Dr. Michael Weitzman. who passed away in 1998 in London. It is dedicated to his blessed memory. Hebrew Studies 40 (1999) 116 Bar-Asher: Mishnaic Hebrew I. MISHNAIC HEBREW AND RABBINIC LITERATURE 1. Mishnaic Hebrew (MH) is the language of the Tannaim and Amoraim in Palestine and Babylonia. The Hebrew name for the language of these writings is Ldon IJakhamin. meaning: "the language of the sages:· Literature in MH covers a period of about 450 years. roughly between 70 CE and 500 CEo The literature of the Tannaim- which includes the Mishnah. the Tosefta. the halachic midrashim and Seder tOlam Rabbawas redacted between 70 CE and 250 CE approximately. The literature of the Amoraim was formed over a period from the end of the third century down to about 500 CEo In Palestine, the work of the Amoraim includes the Jerusalem Talmud and the ancient aggadic midrashim, such as the Genesis Rabba. Leviticus Rabba. and Pesiqta de Rab Kahana; in Babylonia. the work of the Amoraim is represented by the Babylonian Talmud. 2. Most Tannaitic texts were redacted in roughly the period 200-250 CEo when Rabbi Judah the Prince completed his compilation of the Mishnah. However. research has shown that the Mishnah contains a great deal of material contemporary with the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CEo Most of this material consists of texts describing the ceremonies performed while the Temple still stood.! Thus. the offering of first fruits (Bikkurim. chapter 3) is described almost wholly in the present tense, by one who had been present at this ceremony. 3. Research has further shown that Hebrew was spoken in Palestine until roughly 200 CE. The view is generally accepted that the Hebrew preselVed in Tannaitic literature reflects living speech current in various regions of Palestine.2 The literature of the Amoraim, however, was fonned in an environment where, in all probability. Aramaic rather than Hebrew was spoken. The dialect then current in Palestine is now termed Galilean Aramaic, or Jewish Palestinian Aramaic,3 while the dialect current in Babylonia is termed Babylonian Aramaic. It is well known that certain portions of the literature of the Amoraim. both in Palestine and in Babylonia, are written in Aramaic. or on occasion in a mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic. 1 Epstein, 1957: 21-58. 2 There is little doubt that Hebrew continued to be spoken here and there in Palestine at the time of the Amoraim, several generations after the close of the Mishnah. See Kutscher 1972: 57-60. and the Oxford papyrus mentioned in §4 below. 3 It is very likely that in...