Aramaic Language

Aramaic Language, Semitic language closely related to Hebrew. Originally the language of the Aramaeans, an ancient Middle Eastern people, it was used, in many dialectical forms, in Mesopotamia and Syria before 1000 bc and later became the lingua franca of the Middle East (see Assyro-Babylonian Language), supplanting the Akkadian language. Aramaic survived the fall of Nineveh (612 bc) and Babylon (539 bc) and remained the official language of the Achaemenian Persian dynasty (559-330 bc) until it was displaced by Greek following the conquests of Alexander the Great. Ancient inscriptions in Aramaic have been found over a vast area extending from Egypt to China; the oldest written texts date from the 9th century bc.

Before the Christian era, Aramaic had become the language of the Jews in Palestine. Jesus preached in Aramaic, and parts of the Old Testament, notably the books of Daniel and Ezra, and much of the rabbinical literature were written in that language. Dialects of Aramaic comprise Ancient Aramaic, Imperial Aramaic, Western Aramaic (including Palestinian and Galilean), and East Aramaic (including Syriac). Syriac, or Christian Aramaic, also developed an extensive literature, especially from the 3rd to 7th centuries.

The influence and diffusion of Aramaic began to decline in favour of Arabic at the time of the Arab conquest in the 7th century ad. Aramaic survives today in Eastern and Western languages, mostly as the language of Christians living in a few scattered communities in Syria, Israel, Palestinian-administered areas, Georgia, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran.

See also Alphabet.