All the *historical* (as opposed to polemical) reconstructions I'm aware of
(Hengel et. al.) show that the use of Greek was more pervasive than you
believe, even among the middle/lower class.
[speaking of Jesus]
> He is recorded reading the scriptures (in Hebrew) and certainly is
> familiar with scriptural and pseudepigraphal writings.
> His sermons to the "common folk" among whom he moved and spoke
> would have been in Aramaic....as would his interchange with his family
> and
> friends. In short, I would pose that he was trilingual but at home in
> his native Middle Aramaic which also was probably ornamented with Greek
> "loan words."
Perry L. Stepp
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Pastor, DeSoto Christian Church, DeSoto TX
Ph.D. candidate in New Testament, Baylor University
"A system of morality which is based on relative
emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar
conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing
true."
Phaedo 69b
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