Semitic language that is both a sacred language of Judaism and a modern vernacular in Israel. Like Aramaic, to which it is closely related, Hebrew has a documented history of nearly 3,000 years. The earliest fully attested stage of the language is Biblical Hebrew: the earlier parts (“Standard Biblical Hebrew”) date before 500 &BC; and include even older poetic passages; the later parts (“Late Biblical Hebrew”) were composed &circa; 500–200 &BC;.
Post-Biblical Hebrew, variously termed Rabbinic or Mishnaic Hebrew (&see; Mishna), is characterized by an early period when Hebrew was still probably to some degree a vernacular and a later period, after &circa; &AD; 200, when Aramaic became the everyday speech of Jews in the Middle East. The 6th and 7th centuries marked a transition to Medieval Hebrew. The resurrection of Hebrew as a vernacular is closely linked with the 18th-century Haskala movement and 20th-century Zionism. Contemporary Israeli Hebrew is spoken by about five million people in Israel and abroad. &Seealso; Ashkenazi; Sephardi; Hebrew alphabet.
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