Hebrew and Arabic are both official languages of Israel. You can speak Arabic in many more countries. Why learn Hebrew?
Wy Hebrew?
Why learn to read or write Hebrew or study Hebrew? To read the bible in the original language - not only one of many translations - some of which are wrong or disputed.
The original Hebrew words may have other meanings, or ambiguous meanings, or be metaphors, or have numerical meaning, of interest to people who are scholars or superstitious.
You might want Arabic and Hebrew are both national languages of Israel which has Hebrew speaking and Arabic speaking populations. Aramaic, the language of Jesus, is still spoken by small groups in Israel and Syria. You can read Arabic and Hebrew on on kosher and halal food in supermarkets and online.
Here is the Hebrew written left to write.
| Alef | Gimel | Dalet | Zayin | Chet | Tet | Yod | Kaf | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| א | ב | ג | ד | ה | ו | ז | ח | ט | י | כ |
| ך | ||||||||||
| Lamed | Mem | Samech | Ayin | Tsadi | Qof | Resh | Tav | |||
| ל | מ | נ | ס | ע | פ | צ | ק | ר | ש | ת |
| ם | ן | ף | ץ |
If you show the Hebrew alphabset written downwards, that avoid the problem of confusing or misleading the reader or learner.
Arabic and Hebrew - Differences
Arabic is cursive (joined up writing). Hebrew is written in block letters (seaparate letters).
The Dead Sea Scrolls
The Dead Sea scrolls, now in a museum in Jerusalem, are not one document from one era, as I thought, but many scrolls from different eras, in several languages, including Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek. The first scrolls were found by Bedouins, not in one cave, but a series of caves, eventually archaelogists found about 40 caves hollowed out by humans.
Hebrew and English
If you use the English alphabet, you already know the word derived Alphabet. The word alphabet is derived from the first two leters of the Hebrew alphabet. Aleph. Bet.
Hebrew and Bamitzvahs
A 13 year old boy marks his coming of age at his 13th birthday by reading the day's passage from the Hebrew bible which is still written by hand on a scroll. (Therefore extremely expensive to make.)
Hebrew and Yiddish
Hebrew is used to write Yiddish (which is derived from spoken German),
Hebrew and Ladino
and Ladino (which is derived from spoken Spanish).
Hebrew and Arabic
A few Hebrew and Arabic words are similar. For example, the words for peace, Hebrew Shalom and Arabic Salaam.
However, another greeting in Arabic is marhaba.
The words for two numbers are similar.
the word for God is sinilar. In Hebrew it is pronounced El, in Arabic Allah.
Hebrew and Arabic are the national languages of Israel.
Some of the Hebrew letters are similar to the derived Greek and Russian letters.
Hebrew and Arabic are both written from right to left. Books written in Hebrew and Arabic open from right to left. If you go to a Jewish wedding or festive meal you might be given a prayer book or song book opening from right to left.
Aramaic
Jesus probably spoke Aramaic to other people in the stree, assuming he was a real person, not a fictitious person, and one person, not two or more people from different times, or a series of people, or a conglomorate character describing several people, such as the holder of an office, such as a teacher or rabbi or high priest, most likely spoke aramaic, but lived in the time attributed to him, born around the first year A.D.
He would have spoken and/or read Hebrew in the temple. Just as Italians would speak Italian to each other but classical Latin in church.
the Jewish kaddish (praise of God) is said in Aramaic as part of synagogue services, as well as a mourner's kaddish, recited after a death, to show that despite death one still believes in and praises God.
Marriage Contracts
In modern times a Jewish marriage contract given to the bride is often in Arabic, but may be multilingual. It is written in Aramaic, sometimes also in Hebrew and English. The basic contract from a synagogue might have only the synagogue symbol or logo. However, it is common for the couple to order an ornate marriage contract with a decorated border or flowers or others symbols in colours and gold for display in a frame in the home.these are sold on the internet at various prices. You get what you pay for, as the saying goes. They vary from the simplest and smallest to the largest and most elaborate.
Arabic Alphabet
Wiki reminds us> 'The Arabic alphabet is an abjad that is used to write several languages of the Middle East such as Arabic, Persian, Pashto and Urdu.
Checking Languages
I checked Wikipedia because it gives references to different sources. Wiipedia articles on these languages are long and complicated. If you just want a quick overview or a picture of an alphabet, Simple Wikipedia is useful. it does, however, write the Hebrew alphabet left to write, which is absurd. I have never seen this before. I have several books for adults and children on learning Hebrew and they have the alphabet written the way a teacher of Hebrew would show the alphabet, written from right to left.
Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aramaic
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aramaic_language
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_language#/media/File:Israel_in_Hebrew.svg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Scrolls
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_marriage_contract
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketubah
On Amazon.
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