Oxford University Press Oxford Aramaic Inscriptions and Documents of the Roman Period

Explore the linguistic history of the Near East with this essential textbook from Oxford University Press. During the first centuries AD, while Roman rule shaped the region, Aramaic remained the primary local language for daily life and legal matters. This book provides a clear introduction to these early texts, making them accessible to a wide range of readers. This volume presents a carefully selected sample of eighty inscriptions and documents. It covers several important dialects, including Nabataean, Jewish, Palmyrene, Syriac, and Hatran. By studying these local dialects, readers gain a better understanding of how people lived and communicated on the fringes of the Roman Empire. The book includes detailed commentaries on the texts to help guide your study and analysis of these historical records.