Hebrew Hebrew holds the rare distinction of being revived from near extinction to become a thriving modern national language. Originating over 3,000 years ago, it was the language of the Israelites and the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). After the Roman exile in the 2nd century CE, Hebrew ceased to be a spoken mother tongue, surviving only in liturgy, poetry, and rabbinic scholarship for nearly 1,700 years. In the late 19th century, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda spearheaded a revival movement, coining new words for modern concepts and encouraging families to speak Hebrew at home. With the founding of Israel in 1948, it became the country’s official language. Today, over 9 million people speak Modern Hebrew fluently—a Semitic language uniquely reborn through conscious cultural will. Its alphabet, read right-to-left, remains unchanged from ancient times, though pronunciation and syntax have adapted. Hebrew unites Jews worldwide, bridging diaspora communities and anchoring Israeli identity. Schools, media, literature, and tech startups all operate in Hebrew, proving that linguistic resurrection is possible. This revival stands as one of history’s most successful language revitalization efforts—transforming a sacred textual language into a dynamic vehicle of everyday life, innovation, and national cohesion.
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