Vol. 1: The Ancient Aramaic Heritage
ISBN: 1-931956-99-5-1
Aramaic, the language of Jesus of Nazareth, was the lingua franca of the Middle East for over a thousand years before Arabic became widespread. During the time of the Achaemenid Persian Empire it became the official language of the state, and was in use from Afghanistan to western Iran to the Mediterranean and down to the south of Egypt. This volume tells the story of the transition of Aramaic from its humble beginnings in the first millennium B.C. to its height as a truly international language. Includes both color and black and white illustrations.