Why was the New Testament written in Greek instead of Hebrew?

The New Testament of the Bible was written in Greek because Greek was the linga franca, or common language, of the Roman Empire. As a result, the authors of wrote in Greek even when it wasn’t the language they spoke, ensuring that their manuscripts could be widely read and passed on to future generations.

When was Greek Bible written?

Before AD 1500. The first known translation of the Bible into Greek is called the Septuagint (LXX; 3rd–1st centuries BC). The LXX was written in Koine Greek. It contains the Hebrew Bible translated from Hebrew and Aramaic.

Who wrote the Bible in Greek?

A translation of the Bible (Old and New Testaments) in literary Katharevousa Greek (Καθαρεύουσα) by Neofytos Vamvas (Νεόφυτος Βάμβας) and his associates was first published in 1850 following nearly 20 years of work. Vamvas was dean and a professor of the University of Athens.

Why was the Bible translated to Greek?

They assembled to translate the Hebrew Old Testament into the Greek language because Koine Greek began to supplant Hebrew as the language most commonly spoken by the Jewish people during the Hellenistic Period. The Pentateuch is the Greek version of the Torah, which consists of the first five books of the Bible.

Why is New Testament in Greek, not Hebrew?

Why was the New Testament originally written in the Greek and not in Hebrew or some other language? The basic reason why Greek was chosen for the New Testament instead of Aramaic or Hebrew was that the writers wished to reach a broad, Gentile (non-Israelite) audience, not just a Jewish audience.

What was the original language of the New Testament?

The New Testament was written in a form of Koine Greek, which was the common language of the Eastern Mediterranean from the Conquests of Alexander the Great (335–323 BC) until the evolution of Byzantine Greek (c. 600).

What is the best way to learn New Testament Greek?

Answer Wiki. The best way to learn it is to read it. I recommend getting a Greek textbook for Attic Greek (Athenaze or Luschnig), strolling through the entire book (take notes, learn the vocabulary, understand the morphology), and then purchasing a Greek New Testament to read.

What is the earliest writing of the New Testament?

The earliest manuscript of the New Testament was discovered about 50 years ago. P52 is a small papyrus fragment of the Gospel of John (18:31-33 on the front; 18:37-38 on the back), and it has been dated to about 125 AD.