Hebrew language debate the degree to which Hebrew was a spoken vernacular in ancient times following the Babylonian exile, when the predominant international language in the region was Old Aramaic. Hebrew was extinct as a colloquial language by Late Antiquity, but it continued to be used as a literary language and as the liturgical language of Judaism, evolving various dialects of literary Medieval Hebrew, until its revival as a spoken language in the late 19th century. In July 2008 Israeli archaeologist Yossi Garfinkel discovered a ceramic shard at Khirbet Qeiyafa which he claimed may be the earliest Hebrew writing yet discovered, dating
The Talmud: The Steinsaltz Edition Eliezer Waldenberg harshly condemning it. Waldenberg wrote that when the Steinsaltz Talmud was brought before him, he was "shocked" to see the way in which the Steinsaltz Talmud described the Patriarchs and Talmudic sages, as well as its approach to the Oral Torah. Waldenberg further wrote that the Steinsaltz Talmud had the power to "poison the souls" of those who read it. Mordechai Gifter delivered a pointed lecture on the subject, criticizing Steinsaltz and his defenders in strong terms. The Talmud: The Steinsaltz Edition The Steinsaltz Edition is a Hebrew translation of the Babylonian Talmud, that has a literal direct