Revival of the Hebrew language many Jews spoke a related Semitic language, Aramaic.) From the 2nd century CE until the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language "circa" 1880, Hebrew served as a literary and official language and as the Judaic language of prayer. After the spoken usage of Mishnaic Hebrew ended in the 2nd century CE, Hebrew had not been spoken as a mother tongue. Even so, during the Middle Ages, Jews used the language in a wide variety of disciplines. This usage kept alive a substantial portion of the traits characteristic of Hebrew. First and foremost, Classical Hebrew was preserved in full through
Talmud Talmud The Talmud (; Hebrew: "") is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ("halakha") and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the centerpiece of Jewish cultural life and was foundational to "all Jewish thought and aspirations", serving also as "the guide for the daily life" of Jews. The term "Talmud" normally refers to the collection of writings named specifically the Babylonian Talmud "(Talmud Bavli)", although there is also an earlier collection known as the Jerusalem Talmud ("Talmud Yerushalmi"). It may also traditionally be