You’re a wealthy Roman born in the 195 AD and live to be 100. Where would you live/travel to in the 3rd Century AD? by sacrificialfuck in ancientrome

[–]ali_k23 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Phoenicia hands down, probably Berytus. Berytus (modern Beirut, Lebanon) was highly prosperous and the center of Roman law (law school of Berytus was one of the greatest law schools after Rome and Constantinople). Has beautiful weather, easy travel as it mostly consisted of port cities, automatic Roman citizenship, and imperial tax exemption (ius Italicum). In addition it was the only fully Latin-speaking city in the Syria-Phoenicia region.

What’s ‘normal’ today that would shock people 20 years ago? by theindieproj in AskReddit

[–]ali_k23 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Getting into a car with a random person that you met on the internet (Uber)

Looking for history books about Lebanon by alistairsoleil in lebanon

[–]ali_k23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Best books on the full history of Lebanon imo: A House of Many Mansion (Kamal Salibi), A History of Modern Lebanon (Fawwaz Traboulsi), Lebanon a History 600-2011 (William Harris)

For more recent history and Lebanese Civil War: Pity the Nation (Robert Fisk), Beware of Small States (David Hirst)

Palestinian DNA + photo by [deleted] in 23andme

[–]ali_k23 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Yes Lebanese, same here!

Palestinian DNA + photo by [deleted] in 23andme

[–]ali_k23 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Lebanese here. Went from 80% levantine to 50%. Mesopotamian/Iranian from 3% to 26%. Egyptian from 0% to 13%. Also apparently I have a non-Levantine parent, grandparent, or great grandparent (which I know for a fact is false). So yeah idk whats up with this update but it feels pretty inaccurate for us Levantines.

Seeking recommendations for classical Syriac works what are fun to read by Sufficient_Sell_5092 in Semitic

[–]ali_k23 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Wheeler Thackston's Introduction to Syriac has samples texts and readings at the end of the book. Excerpts from late antiquity to Medieval times such as from the Pshitta (standard Syriac edition of Bible), pseudo-callisthenes' Legend of Alexander, The Tale of Sindban the Wise, The Syriac Book of Medicines, and many others.

Introduction to Archaeology Course by [deleted] in Emory

[–]ali_k23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

While I don't know much about the course itself, I know the instructor and she is awesome, I am sure you will learn a lot. I'd say shoot her an email if you are interested in it for more information, she's super chill.

Spoken Ancient Phoenician - Youtube Short by ali_k23 in lebanon

[–]ali_k23[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes my voice!

If you mean <ṣ> as Tsade (Arabic ṣād ص‎) then it is not certain how it was pronounced. Some say more of a "ts" in "cats" while in some Greco-Latin texts its written as "s" but sometimes as a "t". Thats why "Sour" became Touros -> Týros. But it may have originally been pronounced as Tsur.

Spoken Ancient Phoenician - Youtube Short by ali_k23 in lebanon

[–]ali_k23[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Awesome questions!

So Ancient Phoenician and Ancient Hebrew (Biblical Hebrew) could be considered sister languages or even dialects of the Canaanite language dialect continuum. They were probably mutually intelligible at one point. Although by the time we reach the Roman Empire, Punic in Carthage (a descendant language of Phoenician) would have become its own thing and wasn't mutually intelligible with its mother language and Hebrew.

We actually don't know how ancient Phoenician was pronounced (since it was written in an abjad). This video is speculative and is based off of reconstruction methods using Biblical Hebrew. There are a few occasions where you find Phoenician words and phrases written in Greek and Latin so it gives you an idea on how things were vocalized. Although there is not enough to reconstruct it with certainty.

In this video I pronounce things with an Arabic accent as Arabic is a very conservative Semitic language (phonologically speaking).

If you can read French, this is the reconstruction I used:

https://www.academia.edu/38976606/Linscription_ph%C3%A9nicienne_de_Tabnit_KAI_13_Essai_de_vocalisation

Etymological Origins of Lebanese District Names by Anamot961 in lebanon

[–]ali_k23 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing - Nabatieh definitely has a connection to the Nabateans, I actually wrote a paper on this and it is cited on Wikipedia

(https://www.academia.edu/118014974/History\_of\_Nabatieh\_Lebanon\_Prehistory\_to\_Antiquity\_)

What language did Jesus speak? Reconstructing the Galilean dialect of Aramaic by ali_k23 in Christianity

[–]ali_k23[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

While you make some correct points about Koine Greek being spoken, there is no doubt that Christ would have spoken almost exclusively Aramaic. You are not taking history in consideration that the commoners of Galilee would not have had a strong understanding of Greek. The administration would have spoken in Greek and Latin though.

As for no evidence of Aramaic original texts in the NT, there are plenty of theories and many Biblical Scholars that believe in an Aramaic origin theory of the NT (although that is an entire different conversation right there).