With fragmentary records in Mycenaean dating back to the 15th or 14th century BC, Greek is one of the earliest attested Indo-European languages. Today it is spokenby 15-22 million people, mainly in Greece and Cyprus. The language is written in its own distinct Greekalphabet, preceded in the early centuries BC by primitive local alphabets. Greek literature has a continuous history of nearly three thousand years, comprising most of the Classical canon and producing some of the leading contemporary poets and novelists.
The Greek used to write the New Testament (Koine) should not be confused with Classical Greek (the form used by Aristotle, Plato, etc.). Koine was exported throughout the Roman Empire by the largely Greek-speaking military, and forms the link between Classical and Modern Greek. While those who understand Classical Greek will also be able to understand Koine, the reverse is not necessarily true.
Why Koine Greek
Koine vs. Classical
- Easier to learn
- Read the Bible
Why Greek over Latin
- Latin is a western language, but so is Greek. With Latin you can read Tacitus and the Vulgate. But if you just want to read the Bible in another language, then Latin's nothing special. However with Greek you can read the Bible in its original language, and that is special.
Levels
Elementary Level Greek
Highschool/College
Remedial/Working Dad
Greek 201
Resources/Study Aids
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