Aramaic

Aramaic is a Northwest Semitic language that spread widely across the Middle East beginning in the first millennium BCE. Because it was practical and easy to adopt, it became a common language for daily speech, administration, and commerce in many regions. As a result, Aramaic was used alongside Hebrew and other languages in religious, legal, and literary settings. Portions of the Bible are written in Aramaic, and many later Jewish texts, including translations and interpretations of the Torah, rely heavily on it. Aramaic existed in many forms over time, reflecting different places and historical periods, and eventually replaced Hebrew altogether in Jewish culture.