A Brief History of Hebrew Language
Lashon HaKodesh - A Brief History of Hebrew Disclaimer: This page provides a rudimentary overview of the history of the Hebrew script and is by no means intended to replace careful study of paleolinguists and other specialists in the field of ancient writing systems . For scholarly research , please see the Links page. About the Name "Hebrew" Hebrew (Ivrit: ) is the name given to one of the world's oldest languages. The name derives from Eber ('ever) ( ), the son of Shem; 'ever means "region across or beyond" and derives from a root that means to pass over. Shem is called , "the father of all of the sons of Eber" (Gen 10:21); and therefore Hebrew descendants are called Semites. In the Scriptures, Hebrew is used as an adjective ( ) to describe Jews who are "from the other side" (i.e., of the Euphrates River ). Modern Hebrew is called Ivrit. In Genesis 31:47, Laban and ...