The ancient Jewish historian Flavius Josephus provides invaluable insights into the use and perception of Hebrew during the Second Temple period. In Antiquities of the Jews (I, 1:2), Josephus uses the Greek terms Ἑβραῖος (Hebraios, “Hebrew”) and Ἑβραϊστί (Hebraisti, “in the Hebrew language”) to describe the ancestral tongue of the Jewish people. These terms highlight the linguistic and cultural identity of the Hebrews as distinct from their surrounding nations.
Josephus frequently contrasts Hebrew with Greek, emphasizing its sacred and historical significance. His usage of Ἑβραϊστί often refers to the scriptural language, further solidifying Hebrew’s status as the language of divine revelation. This distinction is crucial, as it situates Hebrew within a broader Greco-Roman world where Greek and Latin were dominant but where Hebrew retained its religious and ethnic uniqueness.
Josephus uses the Greek terms Ἑβραῖος and Ἑβραϊστί in his writings to refer to the Hebrew people and language, respectively. Here’s a breakdown of these terms:
- Ἑβραῖος – Refers to the Hebrew people or individuals identified as Hebrews. Josephus often uses it in a historical and ethnic sense, particularly when narrating events involving the Jewish people in his works like Antiquities of the Jews and The Jewish War.
- Ἑβραϊστί – Refers to the Hebrew language. Josephus uses this term when specifying linguistic matters, such as naming conventions or scripture quotations in the Hebrew tongue.
Both terms are crucial in Josephus’ works as they distinguish between the ethnic identity of the Hebrews and their linguistic heritage.
