It is closely related to the Phoenician alphabet. The first alphabet used to write Hebrew emerged during the late second and first millennia BC. and a further 2 million people speak the language in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Palestinian West Bank and Gaza, Panama, the UK and USA. Today Hebrew is spoken by some 5 million people mainly in Israel, where it is an official language along with Arabic.

One man who played a major role in these efforts was Eliezer Ben Yehuda (1858-1922), who was the first to make exclusive use of Hebrew in his home, and encouraged the use of Hebrew among others, as well as its use in schools.

Status: official language in Israel recognised minority language in Polandĭuring the mid-19th century the first efforts were made to revive Hebrew as a everyday language.

Spoken in: mainly Israel, and also in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Palestinian West Bank and Gaza, Panama, the UK and USA.Language family: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central Semitic, Northwest Semitic, Canaanite.

Is old hebrew read right to left