Exodus 32:16, The writing of Elohim. The contemporary square script letters of the Hebrew alphabet were likely introduced into Israel by Ezra the scribe after the Babylonian exile. Prior to this, Israelite writers used the Paleo-Hebrew pictographic script, which is of ancient origination and is likely the script that YHVH used when engraving the stones on Mount Sinai.
Most modern linguistic scholars trace the alphabet of the European languages, including English, back to the pictographically-based Phoenician alphabet of the tenth century B.C., which shows striking similarities with the Proto-Sinaitic or Paleo-Hebrew script of nearly one thousand years earlier indicating that our own alphabet likely originates from the ancient Hebrew script of Mount Sinai!
The Scriptures record that the time the Phoenician script came into prominence on the world scene coincides with the Israelite alliance with King Hiram of Tyre, who was the king of the Phoenicians. Theirs was a commercial and military alliance that dominated much of the known world, and Israel was the senior partner in this confederation, since the empire of Israel (under kings David and Solomon) controlled a large area of land from Egypt to the Euphrates River (in modern Iraq). In the eyes of some ancient nations (e.g., the Greeks), the Phoenicians and Israelites were regarded as the same people, and both were known by the label of Phoenicians (see The Origins and Empire of Ancient Israel, pp. 148–151, 229–231 by Steve Collins quoting George Rawlinson, nineteenth century biblical scholar and history professor at Oxford University).
From this evidence, we can see that it is likely that the script known as “the writing of Elohim” (in Exod 32:16) is the root of many of the world’s alphabets including Japanese! (See http://jamesjpn.net/index.php/2010/06/10/japanese-script-compared-with-hebrew/.)
(Paleo-Hebrew graphic used as per Creative License with thanks to mdewey60; a member of AboveTopSecret.com in his message thread, “Is the Rune Alphabet Related To Paleo-Hebrew?” at http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread794112/pg1)
Hebrew is one of about 200 dialects of one of the languages that Elohim created at the tower of Babel. Over time the Hebrew people’s speech evolved into their own unique version of that original “Aramaic” (as did all the other versions of that original language). Regional differences of isolated people over time became dialects, then they differed enough to be considered separate languages. Scholars dispute some older writings as to whether or not they are Hebrew or Aramaic. Yeshua Himself and the Apostles had an “accent”.
Mark 14:70 He denied it again. A little later other bystanders said to Cephas, “Surely you are one of them, because you are also a Galilean, and your dialect confirms it.”
Yeshua’s dialect was called Eastern Aramaic. See “Was the New Testament Really Written in Greek at this link:
http://www.aramaicpeshitta.com/downloadbook.htm
(The other book featured on this site is trash.)
Aramaic as an original language is mentioned here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aramaic_language
You may be right about the Hebrew language originating at Babel and it being an offshoot of Aramaic, but your definitive assertions may be incorrect as well. Not all linguistic scholars agree with you on this.
For example, are you aware of the linguistic science called Edenics whose chief proponent is Isaac Mozeson? He’s a world leading scholar in this area and claims that all the languages of the world came from Hebrew. He has a Hebrew word dictionary where he cites hundreds of linguistic examples to back up his claim. His arguments are very compelling when you look at them. He is supported by one of the world’s leading Hebrew language professors, who I know personally.
We could call the original language (with the traceable roots) Hebrew instead of Aramaic. But I cant imagine that the people who spoke it called it that because the first Hebrew wasnt born until many centuries after Eden. Of the 200 or so versions of that original language that evolved from it, I would call the version that the Hebrews spoke Hebrew.
Now we’re talking semantics and labels. How about this: I’ve heard the terms proto-Hebrew thrown around.
Right, Hebrew evolved. Technically there is no one “Aramaic language”, there is the proto (first) family of languages that is known as Aramaic, of which Hebrew is one.
The link I mentioned has a very good explanation. It traces English thru Latin thru Greek to Phoenician. I dont buy the Phoenician rabbit trail. That language wasnt even known to history prior to the 19th century.
Could the Assyrian’s relocation of Israel explain the similarities?
I am new to this study, please send links.
Not sure what you mean. Similarities between what and what?