Hebrew

The language of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) that is still spoken today.

Photo by Natalia Y.

Hebrew is one of the world’s oldest languages, with origins tracing back over 3,000 years. It belongs to the Semitic language family, which also includes Arabic and Aramaic. Hebrew is the language of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and was historically spoken by the ancient Israelites. Over time, its use declined as a spoken language, particularly after the Jewish diaspora, but it remained alive in religious texts, prayers, and scholarly writings.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Hebrew underwent a revival as a spoken language, largely due to the efforts of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, a linguist who modernized Hebrew vocabulary to accommodate contemporary life. This revival led to Hebrew becoming the official language of the modern state of Israel in 1948. Today, it is spoken by millions worldwide and is one of the only examples of a language that has been successfully revived after centuries of limited use.

Hebrew is written from right to left and has a unique alphabet consisting of 22 consonants. In its traditional form, it does not use vowels, though vowel markings (called nikkud) can be added for clarity, especially in religious and educational texts. The language has both biblical and modern forms, with Biblical Hebrew used in scriptures and Modern Hebrew serving as the everyday spoken language in Israel. Hebrew holds deep cultural and religious significance for Jews around the world and continues to be a key link to Jewish identity, heritage, and spirituality.

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