Did Jesus speak Latin?

[Walty]

I wonder in what language he spoke to the Father when he prayed. 

The Tongue of the Angels?

Did He use any language at all, even that of the Angels?  He used human languages for our benefit of course, as is recorded in the Scriptures, but fundamentally He is God and consubstantial with the Father whom He is praying to ... so I'd think no language at all.  Language is used to communicate between "others" but the Father and the Son are not "other". 

I don't know what a proper term would be btw, so I just used the word "other."

Yeah, this is where you simply get lost in the mystery of the Trinity.  They are the same substance and being so it seems that regular communication doesn't apply, however, they are different persons who exist communally, and thus, insofar as there is distinction, there must be some sort of communication. 

 

[Vetus Ordo]

The Romans in Palestine spoke Latin and, as conquerors, required everyone to speak it.   They would never stoop down to learn the language of the conquered, which would be something demeaning for them.  Some of the more educated Romans spoke Greek but I doubt they were scholars.  The Jews spoke Aramaic and I would think only the educated ones spoke, wrote and read in Hebrew.  Jesus of course spoke Latin and Aramaic, as well as Hebrew when he preached in the Temple.

Is that right?  I learned that contrary to many (most) conquering forces, the Romans actually didn't impose their language on the conquered.

If that were true you wouldn't have the romance languages today scattered throughout Europe, such as French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, etc., all derived from the Vulgar Latin spoken in those regions.

Greek was the lingua franca of the Eastern half of the Empire but Latin was the official language. Roman citizens everywhere spoke Latin but not everyone was a Roman citizen.

[Pilgrim]

The Romans in Palestine spoke Latin and, as conquerors, required everyone to speak it.   They would never stoop down to learn the language of the conquered, which would be something demeaning for them. 

I think this is an overstatement.  After all, the Greeks were a "conquered people," yet the culture was adopted almost wholesale (much to the chagrin of conservative Romans like Cato the Elder).  We also have to remember that the Romans were an incredibly pragmatic lot.  It wouldn't make much sense to impose Latin on the rest of the empire when most of the East already spoke Greek.  I have little doubt that the Romans encouraged Latin where they could (I'll bet the Sanhedrin knew some since they were interacting with the authorities), which is why we have the Romance languages.  Yet the local languages most likely survived as well.

[Adam Wayne]

Well since God gave man divers tongues at the Tower of Babel. And since the Holy Ghost delvered the gift of tongues for the preaching of the good news at Pentacost. And since Jesus is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, I'm going to guess yes.

Now did it speak it during his earthly mission? That is another question.

[drummerboy]

The Romans in Palestine spoke Latin and, as conquerors, required everyone to speak it.   They would never stoop down to learn the language of the conquered, which would be something demeaning for them.  Some of the more educated Romans spoke Greek but I doubt they were scholars.  The Jews spoke Aramaic and I would think only the educated ones spoke, wrote and read in Hebrew.  Jesus of course spoke Latin and Aramaic, as well as Hebrew when he preached in the Temple.

The eastern empire did speak Greek.  Its common to think that Latin was THE language in the whole empire, but this wasn't the case.  For official Roman government work it was (Latin), but Greek was the spoken language in the east, and was common enough in the west.  You even read in Caesar's Gallic wars about some Gallic records being written in Greek.  All educated Romans knew Greek as well; Pilate was educated, so would have spoken Greek.

But I believe that Jesus never spoke at all.  He communicated his mind to people, and they received: 1) the knowledge Jesus wished to convey, and 2) the appearance, or impression, that he was physically speaking. 

[newyorkcatholic]

But I believe that Jesus never spoke at all.  He communicated his mind to people, and they received: 1) the knowledge Jesus wished to convey, and 2) the appearance, or impression, that he was physically speaking. 

Really, you believe that?  Sounds like Docetism...

I believe: the Gospels say He spoke, so He spoke.

[richness of tradition]

But then again, on the basis of his divine omniscience as the Word of God, Jesus probably knew every human language.

Did Jesus have total knowledge as God when he was in human form or just human knowledge?  ie: just what a human being would be capable of knowing?

[OCLittleFlower]

I wonder in what language he spoke to the Father when he prayed. 

Latin.  Duh.

 

[Pilgrim]

Latin.  Duh.
 

This entire thread reminds me of an old Golden Girls episode.  Sophia is bemoaning the vernacular Mass and declares "I think that Mass should be in Latin, the language that Jesus spoke!"  When she is told that he spoke Hebrew, she asks "Even in church?"   

[Might_4_Right]

I was listening to a lecture by Michael Davies and he was saying that Jesus spoke Aramaic most of the time but during the last supper he spoke in the liturgical language of Hebrew. At this point he mentioned something interesting, he quotes a rabbi who told him that the Jews were very much aware that if they had abandoned Hebrew as there liturgical language and adopted the vernacular they would have lost their sense of identity and there would be no Jewish religion in the world today.