Re: What language(s) did Jesus speak?

kdlitwak (kdlitwak@concentric.net)
Mon, 10 Feb 1997 20:59:25 -0800

I would have to agree with Stephen Carlson in being aided by Dr.
Hobbs's post on this subject. I guess it was taken a little differently
by various readers (reader-response criticism lives). I took it as
information to conisder only, and reflective of a position that is the
majority view. Although I feel no compunction to accept the view
expressed by Edward Hobbs, I certainly think it is important to know of
different views and good representatives of each position. As one of my
profs has observed, if you are going to disagree with a position, you
should find the best advocate and the best arguments for that position
to challenge, not the least capable presentation of it.

For a different view, and the one I find most persuasive, Stanley
Porter wroe an article which appeared a couple of years ago in Novum
Testamentum (sorry I don't hae the exact Turabian citation). Porter
argued quite ably I think that the use of Greek among Jesus' fellow-Jews
is underestimated commonly, based on the available archaeological
evidence, and that there is good reason to beliee that Jesus in fact
taught in Greek *at least* some of the time.

Ken Litwak
Graduate Theological Union (at least right now)