Reading a First-Century Koine Greek Synagogue Inscription from Jerusalem | The THEODOTOS Inscription

[@danillosantos9275]

Coming to this video now as I wrap up Living Koine Greek with a group of students in Brazil for the first time, and I just wanted to say thank you for all your work with the Biblical Languages! It's been an excellent journey of learning for all of us.

[@betawithbrett7068]

κάγω ὦ φίλε βενιαμίν, θαυμάζων πρόσειχον τὸν νοῦν σοι. καλλίστη ἐπιγραφή ἐστιν.

[@chrisg.k487]

Salom from Greece.

[@lysanders8885]

Excellent scholarship, and very interesting insights into the pull between the Greek and Jewish cultures.

[@Christopher_Stead]

Fascinating video. A breakdown of the Temple Warning inscription would be similarly insightful. Thank you for all your work!

[@jimmypellas5937]

Excellent! Thank you, understood every word with your help. Interesting connection with that period where many in that region spoke Greek. Must get myself a replica of an inscription...

[@ioanniskoletis8300]

Modern Greek speakers can easily read and understand that inscription. Fascinating.

[@betawithbrett7068]

θέασθε ταύτην τὴν ταινίαν ὁπου ἑλληνες τινες εἶπον τούτου τὸ ἐναντίον καὶ τότε λαλήσατε. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGPJg4eJbamNbrc

[@bridgerbond]

Yes. Make more videos like this! That was amazing.

[@aykaleksanyan2161]

it is very useful. A good format of a video. Please go on doing more videos like this one.

[@Floyd-o7l]

Excellent instruction!

[@michaelgeorge4334]

Awesome, very educational. Thank you brother. Eucharisto! God bless! 🙌

[@newmind4850]

As a mexican I kinda understand everything but at the same time it's totally different. Beautiful language ❤️

[@orlogheen]

A fantastic video! Thank you! I would like to remark that "Christeria Tonydaton" may mean Mikveh(מקווה), a place where Jews immerse in water for several reasons, one of them was back then, to be pure before going to the temple. So by the location of the synagogue which also served as an inn, it also can be a logical assumption that it also had a mikveh of some sort

[@KoineGreek]

That is a good point! I think I would agree.

[@jenniferiacullo835]

I second this point, not least since there would have been a greater need generally for a synagogue to have a מקווה even for those not in the city for שלוש רגלים as the Temple was still standing.

[@Nach956]

Thank you for breaking down each word. That was very helpful for understanding and learning more words in koine hellenic. Shalom 🙏

[@ThomasGazis]

Κύδος! Your Greek pronunciation is excellent!

[@dexterplameras3249]

Benjamin Kantor is one of the leading scholars for the pronunciation of Reconstructed Koine Greek. He wrote "The Pronunciation of New Testament Greek"

[@scripturial]

Wow, this is both super geeky, but also super cool. I need one!

[@Eveerett]

Awesome!

[@raysalmon6566]

The mss was written in two columns with 36 lines in each. Among its significant features is its use of an organized text division, in which a new section of text (such as a new paragraph) begins with a colon combined with the projection into the left margin of the initial letter or letters of the next complete line. Skeat dated the fragments to the "late second century." As such, they represent the oldest four-Gospel mss known to exist and push the practice of organized text division back into the second century *Metzger* TNT pg 53 MeWe Learing Koine Greek

[@henrydicarlo8472]

Very good!

[@botrosphrawon7858]

Dr Benjamin! such a cool way to study to these ancient inscriptions, so this might sound strange but yeah I am a student on IBLT Hebrew and Greek and I think I have seen your jonah videos for like 100 times or more :) . I am going to email you at some point next week regarding some futher studies I am thinking about doing . Blessings !

[@deinstaller]

Wow! That was fantastic. Thanks for producing this instructional video and yes, please make more like this. Very in enlightening to see the various Greek, Latin and Hebrew language and cultural influence from the first century. You provided a real eye opening look into the past that is very easy to follow.

[@konstantinospapadopoulos7735]

14:28 About the small iota in "ΚΑΙ", I am not sure that it is the case that it was somehow forgotten and then added later, as one has to account also for the other small iota in 22:07 (ΚΑΙ ΟΙ ΠΡΕ[...])

[@joshyam4026]

Even thought I am a user of only Living Biblical Hebrew, I believe the pedagogical method adopted in Living Biblical Greek can be applied to any language which people want to learn and teach as a secong language.

[@LukeRanieri]

That was incredibly enlightening! I loved every minute of it. Merry Christmas!

[@paulocaproni7534]

Light, interesting and informative. Well done!

[@acstamos]

Finally, a ξένος who knows how to pronounce Ελληνικά

[@Llyebbay]

,,pronounce ξενος

[@EdwardM-t8p]

​@@Llyebbayksenos or zenos?

[@EdwardM-t8p]

Interesting find! What it shows is that there were Hellenic Jews even in Jerusalem. This explodes the opinion of a lot of New Testament scholars that Jews in Judea and the Galilee kept to them selves and knew not a lick of Greek but spoke Aramaic sll the time. As I'm going along I'm trying to learn the vocab and the pronunciation but then lose 3/4s of it when you say all the words together in a sentence! 😩

[@joshmuller]

This is super cool! Thanks for sharing!

[@biblefacts7794]

thank you

[@Michail_Chatziasemidis]

Ἔξοχον! Εὐχαριστῶ σοι!

[@SJ-Equipment]

I like how you explained about the names. It’s fascinating to wonder how that Latin name showed up there whether it was by chance or they really were from Rome

[@raysalmon6566]

The application of critical methods to the editing of classical texts was developed principally by three German scholars, Friedrich Wolf (1759-1824), one of the founders of classical philology; Immanuel Bekker (1785-1871); and Kari Lachmann (1793-1851). Bekker devoted his long life to the preparation of crkical edkions of Greek texts. The transfer of many mss to public libraries as a result of the upheaval following the French Revolution provided the opportunity for extensive collation of mss older than those that had previously been generally available. *Bruce Mitzger TNT* pg 206 MeWe Learn Biblical Greek

[@bridgerbond]

That’s awesome.

[@AnthonySeptic]

Perhaps it was built after the expulsion of the Jews from Rome by Claudius, and the synagogue moved to Jerusalem. It would explain the Roman name. Really interesting stuff, thanks.

[@KoineGreek]

Thanks for your comment! That is certainly a possibility, though of course difficult to come to any firm conclusions.

[@jesusstudentbrett]

one word ➡Quality.

[@BenGristUK]

Love this!

[@Zwinilea]

I like to see more.

[@konstantinospapadopoulos7735]

19:05 Since the otherwise Classical Greek "ξένηθεν" is mentioned, some compare this -θεν suffix to the ablative case (as it existed in Latin and pretty much meant the same thing there; ie "from..")

[@Llyebbay]

Τhe Greek name ΘΕΟΔΩΤΟΣ is from the Greek word ΘΕΟΣ = God and ΔΩΤΟΣ = given

[@Llyebbay]

ΑΡΧΗΣΥΝΑΓΩΓΟΣ it's three Greek words APXH + ΣΥΝ + ΑΓΩΓΟΣ

[@jonmorale3580]

Thank you. Being of Spanish origins, I hear so many words that we use today. Please continue to help us with this important work. Question: Is the English word “ evangelical” an invention of Erasmus or when does the “eu” sound change to an “Evan”?

[@KoineGreek]

Thanks for your comment! The change of ευ = [e̞u] to [e̞β]/[e̞ɸ] and then eventually [e̞v]/[e̞f] did indeed occur in the ancient period, probably by or during the Roman period in many varieties of Koine Greek.

[@peponiaspeponoglou7717]

@@KoineGreek ου εν τω πολλώ το ευ ευ equals always to good or gentle and in latin not always become as ev/ eg Eugene,

[@Nach956]

Not an expert here, but from my few understanding while learning, Evangelion (ευαγγελιοv), the way you would often see it written in old bibles is the prefix "Eu" + "Angelio". "Angelio" is message or news, therefore, "angels" are messengers. "Eu" is a preffix meaning something good, thus both together means "the good news", refering to the message the Christ was bringing of the new deal with God. So, basically, evangelio is a way of paraphrasing the new deal or pact with god or "New Testament". The old testament, old pact with God was the law (Torah) given to Moses. I extend myself responding these things to make clear that "evangelical" is no random invention, and that there is no "evan" as a whole world, the first word joining is just "eu" and both comments upon are right. The sound change from "eu" to "ev" or "ef", sounds hard to spot. I would guess it happened somewhen in the expansion of Rome influences, and thats a big range of time. And could also vary depending on the region. Its not the only word with such prefix and such sound adaptation. "Europe" also has it, and russians for example say "Ebropa" (Европа) with b. Que tengas en un feliz año nuevo.

[@marinus8824]

Great

[@hebrewgreek7420]

It seems to me if he is a Jew he would have also had a Hebrew name at least as an “official” Jewish name or for use in the synagogue when being called up to read, etc., no? From what I understand, legal converts to Judaism at the time (and even today) took on the patronymic בן\בת אברהם (υἱός/θυγάτηρ Ἀβραάμ-cf. Gal 3:7 where Paul argues that this status can be had without a formal, legal conversion) and also would have received a Hebrew name to go along with it. Would that not have been the case? Thank you for this fascinating lesson!

[@noahriding5780]

I'm a bit curious about this. I hear about jewish history in every European language and country, except for Greek. Some of it isn't always positive but its there. Not sure why that is, that you don't hear about much with Jewish people living in Greece? And is there very much sources, history for this, any? I was wondering this and then found your video by accident.

[@DrewMaust]

What's the relationship between law and commandments here? If law is the Torah, what is commandments referring to? Individual commandments found in the Torah? Or commandments found elsewhere?

[@KoineGreek]

Excellent question! I admit I had not thought about it too much before you asked. I will give my best guess, though I imagine there are scholars more well-researched in this area that could give a better answer. Note the different words that go with νομος 'law' and εντολαι 'commandments'. The law is 'read' but the commandments are 'taught'. This would be consistent with the general pattern of 'reading' the Torah regularly/liturgically in the synagogue but teaching/studying the import of the Torah as it relates to the specific laws and commandments that ought to be lived out in life. The 'teaching' of the commandments, then, could be seen as an earlier (or similar) expression of what would come to be codified in the Mishnah within the next couple centuries.

[@leonidasspyrou2368]

Since the small iota in tha word ΚΑΙ appears a second time in the inscription, probably it was not a mistake but deliberate. It must have been a stylistic choise of that era

[@jenniferiacullo835]

I'll be honest: I'm almost giggling because this sounds like it could be a plaque hanging on the wall in my shul (or any other synagogue in history). (Maybe this is anachronistic of me, but seriously.) Alternative interpretation based on IRL precedents: Perhaps this was based on a building campaign for a minyan that outgrew its original facility and raised money for something new?

[@c.matthias.t.3256]

Nice! What pronunciation is being used here?

[@Philoglossos]

Late Koine pronunciation. Fairly close to modern but with some differences especially in vowels.

[@ΓραικοςΕλληνας]

@@Philoglossos never Erasmus way was used

[@Philoglossos]

@@ΓραικοςΕλληνας This is not the Erasmian pronunciation. This is a historical pronunciation, they are very different.

[@ΓραικοςΕλληνας]

@@Philoglossos well we greek orthodox use in church koine greek . when we suposed change the way we say our language ? The question is for those that say greek was said the erasmus way

[@Philoglossos]

@@ΓραικοςΕλληνας You use modern Greek pronunciation. That is fine, but it is a convention, it is not how Koine was pronounced by your ancestors. All languages change over time. The grammar, the vocabulary, and of course the pronunciation too.

[@sparkyopie11]

Top line.... God gives my Greeks "YIEPEYE" and

[@sparkyopie11]

Theo Doto Mou Ethnos ???????? kai

[@AnHebrewChild]

@@sparkyopie11ethnos? You mean Ellenikos?

[@sparkyopie11]

@@AnHebrewChild Ethnos is anything but hebrew. Basically ethnic or pagan.

[@sparkyopie11]

@@AnHebrewChild Ellinikos is Hellenistic

[@AnHebrewChild]

@@sparkyopie11 right. That's why i typed that. You wrote ethnos Maybe I'm missing what you were doing.

[@sparkyopie11]

What is UIEREUS????

[@sparkyopie11]

SONS????????

[@roberttrevino62800]

Do you agree that the erasmian pronounciation is bad? I don’t like using Erasmus pronunciation and I go with modern.

[@wakeno.6047]

The best is to use the right chronologically pronunciation. But because that's hard, most use modern greek for AD scriptures, and Erasmian for BC.

[@joshyam4026]

θεοδοτος ουεττηνου ιερευσ και יהונתן בן ותנוס משרת ו αρχισυναγωγοσ υιοσ αρχισυναγω ראש כוהן בן הכוהן הגדול ‏ γ[ο]υ υιωνοσ αρχισυν[α]γωγου ωκο‎ בני כוהן גדול‏ δομησε την συναγωγ[η]ν εισ αναγνω בנה את בית כנסת בשביל דעת σ[ι]ν νομου και εισ [δ]ιδαχην εντολων και תורה וגם בשביל חינוך המצות ו ‏ τ[ο]ν ξενωνα κα[ι τα]δωματα και τα χρη בית גרים [בית מזון] וחדרי מושב σ[τ]ηρια των υδατων εισ καταλυμα τοι מי שזקוק מתנת מים ל σ [χ]ρηζουσιν απο τησ ξε[ν]ησ ην εθεμε‎ הבאים מן נאום נבסס λ[ι]ωσαν οι πατερεσ α[υ]του και οι πρε על יד האבות והזקנים σ[β]υτεροι και σιμων[ι]δης ושמאונאי

[@eigen1255]

You have really good content, but your way of explaining is so roundabout and somewhat perseverative, that it decreases the efficiency of your communication. I wonder whether you've ever been referred for an expressive language assessment.

[@KoineGreek]

Thanks for the comment and critique. Certainly open to improvement. Can you give me an example from the video of perseverative speech so I know better what you mean?

[@eigen1255]

@@KoineGreek You spent 1:53 to 3:36 talking about how Theodotos might have a Jewish name and a name in another language/culture; you said 'Natanel' three times. That's right at the start of the presentation. I understand that you want to give insights, but between the cultural insights, the translation, the bits on the morphological features of the language, and the way you interrupt the flow of your own thoughts as you jump from detail to detail, all those details end up choking the bigger picture. It's like watching a hedge grow thicker and thicker in a forest. Maybe one thing you could do is display a visual reference of what has already been translated as you go about your explanation.

[@KoineGreek]

@@eigen1255 Thank you for the helpful feedback. It's much appreciated and I'll keep in mind for future videos. There is no script for something like this, so my thoughts might not always be as concise as they could be, but definitely worth making an effort to keep more succinct in the future. Thanks for your comments!

[@eigen1255]

@@KoineGreek I once heard a lecture by Professor Patrick Winston of MIT, who said that there is such a thing as having too many good ideas. You do have good content; the packaging could benefit from organisation. Thanks for keeping an open mind.

[@akariito4579]

Hta sureley did not sound as an e. it was not a vocal prior to 500b.c. but a pneuma. From H we got (cutted in the middle)daseia and psili. a pneuma tels us how the following vocal is pronounced, long or short. in this case ουεττνου the pronuncation is uettnoU. long stressed u. without the Hta it would be pronounced ouEtnou. after 500bc Hta turns to a long i therefor it would read uettinous.

[@Philoglossos]

η was absolutely pronounced as /e/ for most of Greek history. Often it is retained as such in Pontic Greek. The shift to the i sound happened in the Byzantine period.

[@antoniog8501]

ἱερεύς [-έως, ὁ] why do you read It ιρεψ? That Word doesn t exist

[@KoineGreek]

Thanks for your comment! It all depends on what pronunciation you are using. If you are using a Classical pronunciation, the word ἱερεύς is going to be pronounced as [hie̞re̞u̯s̱]. In Koine Greek of the Roman period, however, the second element of the diphthongs ευ and αυ had become consonantal, being pronounced as [β] before voiced consonants and as [ɸ] before voiceless consonants (though it seems that [β] could occur in this environment as well). That means that in the Roman period a word like ἱερεύς in Judeo-Palestinian Greek would have been pronounced as [iɛrɛɸs̱]. Though a bit later--I cite it because of how you transcribed the word--we find the spelling αναπαψος (for ἀναπαύσεως) in a Byzantine inscription from Judaea, though there is earlier (less explicit) evidence for this change in this region as well. Hope this helps!

[@ΓραικοςΕλληνας]

@@KoineGreek actually greeks never use erasmus way for koine greek

[@konstantinospapadopoulos7735]

9:40 Regarding ΩΚΟΔΟΜΗΣΕ, I understand that you are mostly focusing on Koine, but since you mention "ancient Greek" there, let me point out that there was also another dialectal form of the root-word ΟΙΚΟΣ with Υ instead of ΟΙ; as in the attested Boeotian (ie Aeolic) form ϝεϝυκονομειόντων (see "IG VII 3172 - PHI Greek Inscriptions"; where the counterpart Attic form would be ᾠκονομηκότων). This Boeotian form is interesting on a few distinct levels. Specifically, one can see here the surviving digamma and also see that the digamma was subject to reduplication for past tenses. Also, what is more directly relevant to the reference in the present video, one can see that the Boeotian Υ (U/Ypsilon) was typically used where other dialects used the diphthong ΟΙ instead. About this last point, it may be also interesting to analyse the name of the letter Υ; ie Upsilon or Ypsilon. U/Ypsilon means "the 'psilon' Y" (ie "the short/simple Y"). It is named like this in contradistinction what was regarded as "the non-psilon Υ", ie the diphthong ΟΙ (likewise about E-psilon and the diphthong ΑΙ...). Moreover, since there is not augmentation of the initial vowel as such in ϝεϝυκονομειόντων but rather a reduplication with digamma (ie ϝεϝ-), one cannot tell whether the augmentation of Ypsilon would be with Omega (Ω), as it is the case with augmentation of the diphthong ΟΙ in the Koine counterpart form. [You can look for more info regarding dialects in the Wordpress website by "Smerdaleos"; there is reference to ϝεϝυκονομειόντων towards the end of the article with title "Η αρχαιοελληνική διαλεκτογένεση #2"] The reference has as following; [Προσέξτε τον βοιωτικό παρακείμενο του ρήματος ϝοικονομέω. Επειδή η Αττικο-Ιωνική έχασε νωρίς το αρχικό δίγαμμα, σχημάτιζε τον παρακείμενο με αύξηση οἰκ- > ᾠκ-. Επειδή όμως η Βοιωτική διατήρησε το δίγαμμα, συνέχισε να σχηματίζει τον παρακείμενο με διπλασιασμό του τύπου (λείπω > λέ-λοιπα): ϝοικ-> ϝε-ϝοικ- > ϝεϝυκονομειόντων (με τυπική βοιωτική γραφή του /οι/ ως «υ»).]

[@aquariandude3195]

Very interesting !