Why Hebrew is of central importance in Judaism

Hebrew is one of the oldest spoken languages in the world and the sacred language of the Jewish people. It is the only language ever to be revived as a spoken language - nearly 2,000 years after it ceased being one.

A Brief History of Hebrew

Hebrew was the language spoken in biblical times by the ancient Israelites. One of the original names for this language, and the one it is called today, is ivrit, because it is the language spoken by a people called the ivrim, or the Hebrew people. But it goes by many names in ancient Jewish texts, most frequently lashon hakodesh - the holy tongue.

Archaeo...