1] The
real mother tongue of Jesus was the Syrian dialect mixed with Hebrew,
which was then spoken in Palestine.[2] Still less probably had he any
knowledge of Greek culture. This culture was proscribed by the doctors
of Palestine, who included in the same malediction "he who rears
swine, and he who teaches his son Greek science."[3] At all events it
had not penetrated into little towns like Nazareth. Notwithstanding
the anathema of the doctors, some Jews, it is true, had already
embraced the Hellenic culture. Without speaking of the Jewish school
of Egypt, in which the attempts to amalgamate Hellenism and Judaism
had been in operation nearly two hundred years, a Jew--Nicholas of
Damascus--had become, even at this time, one of the most distinguished
men, one of the best informed, and one of the most respected of his
age. Josephus was destined soon to furnish another example of a Jew
completely Grecianized. But Nicholas was only a Jew in blood. Josephus
declares that he himself was an exception among his contemporaries;[4]
and the whole schismatic school of Egypt was detached to such a degree
from Jerusalem that we do not find the least allusion to it either in
the Talmud or in Jewish tradition. Certain it is that Greek was very
little studied at Jerusalem, that Greek studies were considered as
dangerous, and even servile, that they were regarded, at the best, as
a mere womanly accomplishment.[5] The study of the Law was the only
one accounted liberal and worthy of a thoughtful man.[6] Questioned as
to the time when it would be proper to teach children "Greek wisdom,"
a learned rabbi had answered, "At the time when it is neither day nor
night; since it is written of the Law, Thou shalt study it day and
night."[7]

[Footnote 1: Mishnah, _Shekalim_, iii. 2; Talmud of Jerusalem,
_Megilla_, halaca xi.; _Sota_, vii. 1; Talmud of Babylon, _Baba Kama_,
83 _a_; _Megilla_, 8 _b_, and following.]

[Footnote 2: Matthew xxvii. 46; Mark iii. 17, v. 41, vii. 34, xiv. 36,
xv. 34. The expression [Greek: e patrios phone] in the writers of the
time, always designates the Semitic dialect, which was spoken in
Palestine (II. Macc. vii. 21, 27, xii. 37; _Acts_ xxi. 37, 40, xxii.
2, xxvi. 14; Josephus, _Ant._, XVIII. vi. 10, xx. sub fin.; _B.J._,
prooem I; V. vi. 3, V. ix. 2, VI. ii. 1: _Against Appian_, I. 9; _De
Macc._, 12, 16). We shall show, later, that some of the documents
which served as the basis for the synoptic Gospels were written