The Aramaic Language in the Achaemenid Empire (538-330 B.C) In Light of the Elephantine Papyri and BiblicalAramaic A comparative historical and linguistic study

Aramaic is one of the most widely distributed Semitic languages ​​of the ancient Near East. It'sbeen used from the 10th century B.C to the present day, and spread across a wide geographical scope of the ancient Near East. In the 8th century B.C, Aramaic became a lingua franca for vast regions of the ancient Near East. During the Achaemenid period, Aramaic witnessed linguistic and literary stability;eventually becoming an official international language at that time.Therefore,it is called "official Aramaic" or "Achaemenid Imperial Aramaic." Aramaic was also the language of Jesus Christ. In fact, it was the most common language in Palestine in the first century A.D, and was also used in many other countries. Most of the discovered texts came from Egypt, Syria, and Palestine.

The study aims to state the history of the Aramaic language, its geographical spread, stages, and dialects. It also deals with the historical, geographical, cultural, and civilizational factors that contributed to the distribution and development of Aramaic throughout its history. This determinesto which extent Aramaic influenced and was influenced by the languages ​​of neighboring nations in its areas of distribution, especially during the reign of the Achaemenid Empire (538-330 B.C).Additionally,the study examines the most important distinguishing features of the Aramaic language during this period. This revealsits linguistic changesand shows the extent to which the official Aramaic dialect agrees or differs from the ancient Aramaic of previous eras.