How Different are Ancient Hebrew and Modern Hebrew?
Ancient Hebrew, also known as Classical or Biblical Hebrew, differs noticeably, though not drastically, from Modern Hebrew. The differences are mainly in the areas of grammar, phonology, and vocabulary, and speakers of Modern Hebrew can typically read Ancient Hebrew without difficulty. Classical Hebrew comprises a number of dialects spoken in ancient Israel between the 10th century BCE and the early 4th century CE. In the modern era, it has survived as a literary and liturgical language only. Modern Hebrew, the national language of modern-day Israel, is a secular spoken language based on Ancient Hebrew.
