---
title: "1 Pre Christian Quotes By James John Courtenay"
description: "1 Pre Christian quotes by James John Courtenay. Plus more from James John Courtenay and more Pre Christian sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/james-john-courtenay-6996_time_syriac-was-not-a-prominent-element-in-th_2186558.jpg"
---

> [“Syriac ... was not a prominent element in the language of Palestine in pre-Christian times.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/syriac-was-not-a-prominent-element-in-the-language-of-palestine-in/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/415/james-john-courtenay-6996_time_syriac-was-not-a-prominent-element-in-th_2186558.jpg)

## More by James John Courtenay

> [“The Arabic language has had a great history, and in many respects is more remarkable than any other Semitic speech.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/the-arabic-language-has-had-a-great-history-and-in-many-respects-is/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

> [“There was probably a larger admixture of Greek in Galilee than in any other Palestinian province.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/there-was-probably-a-larger-admixture-of-greek-in-galilee-than-in-any/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

> [“The Samaritans were conservative in the matter of script, preserving the Phoenician type after Judaea and Galilee had accepted the Aramaic character.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/the-samaritans-were-conservative-in-the-matter-of-script-preserving/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

> [“There is some evidence that the Canaanites lived together with the Babylonians for a longer period than did the Aramaeans ... It is found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/there-is-some-evidence-that-the-canaanites-lived-together-with-the/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

> [“In its classical form Arabic is of later date than Hebrew, but in its ancient form akin to Hebrew and Aramaic, certainly as old,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/in-its-classical-form-arabic-is-of-later-date-than-hebrew-but-in-its/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

> [“The descendants of Joktan dwelt from Mesha to Sephar.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/the-descendants-of-joktan-dwelt-from-mesha-to-sephar/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

> [“It is doubtful whether the vernacular of Palestine admitted any Greek element prior to the Christian era. Even in the Greek form of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/it-is-doubtful-whether-the-vernacular-of-palestine-admitted-any-greek/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

> [“When Aramaeans became Christians, their name was often confounded with 'heathen', hence they called their land by the Greek name 'Syria', themselves by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/when-aramaeans-became-christians-their-name-was-often-confounded-with/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

> [“The books of the Old Testament, as we know them, do not represent the language of Palestine as spoken at any one time or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/the-books-of-the-old-testament-as-we-know-them-do-not-represent-the/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

> [“Mandaean ... letter-forms resemble the older Syriac ... Estrangelo character ... considerably coloured by Arabic ... likeness to Nabataean and the Babylonian Talmud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/mandaean-letter-forms-resemble-the-older-syriac-estrangelo-character/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

> [“The Galilean Aramaic pronunciation of שׁ was שׂ, or rather ס as the Ephraimite or Samaritan.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/the-galilean-aramaic-pronunciation-of-was-or-rather-as-the-ephraimite/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

> [“With the progress of the Greek arms cam the decline of the Greek language.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/with-the-progress-of-the-greek-arms-cam-the-decline-of-the-greek/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

> [“The use of 'ל' with imperfect ... the earliest occurrence of this construction found in Aramaean ... 'ל' has clearly a jussive force, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/the-use-of-with-imperfect-the-earliest-occurrence-of-this/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

> [“For the character of Aramaic between the Exile and the Christian era we are indebted more to inscriptions than other writings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/for-the-character-of-aramaic-between-the-exile-and-the-christian-era/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

> [“The post-Biblical literature contains many Greek loan-words. On the Hasmonaean coins, Greek is found along with Hebrew legends, while on the Herodian coins the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-john-courtenay/the-post-biblical-literature-contains-many-greek-loan-words-on-the/)

[James John Courtenay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-john-courtenay/)

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