What language(s) did Jesus Speak?

[Benaishtart]

Aramaic? Hebrew? Did he know Greek? I wonder if he knew Latin? If he could take an IQ test as a child do you think he would’ve scored high? I guess what I’m trying to say is was he just supremely perfect and spiritual or was he also a genius on his own right?

[kirtland r.m.]

Aramaic? Hebrew? Did he know Greek? I wonder if he knew Latin? If he could take an IQ test as a child do you think he would’ve scored high? I guess what I’m trying to say is was he just supremely perfect and spiritual or was he also a genius on his own right?

L.D.S. Bible Dictionary
Aramaic

An official language of the Persian Empire, spoken widely throughout the Near East. Certain portions of the Old Testament are written in Aramaic (Ezra 4:8–6:18; 7:12–26; Jer. 10:11; Dan. 2:4–7:28). Aramaic words are also found in Job, Song of Solomon, Jonah, Esther, the Hebrew parts of Daniel, and some of the Psalms.

The common language of the Jews after the return from Babylon was Aramaic, and it is most probable that Jesus and the Twelve spoke Galilean Aramaic, rather than the Hebrew of earlier times. See also Aram.

There is some other really awesome info. that I will research and put on this. Very interesting topic Benaishtart about what we can know about the Lord's life in mortality!

[passionflower]

If you ask the Greek Orthodox Church, they will tell you Jesus taught in Greek. According to them, and this is backed up in the BOM as well as every other ancient civilization: there were always at least two languages spoken in every kingdom of the ancient world, the common everyday tongue, and the teaching or professional language. In Jesus day, it was common to speak several languages. Greek was spoken throughout the Mediterranean world and far beyond, and has the longest documented history of any other indo european language, spanning more than 3000 years on written records. For example, though from a family of tentmakers and not scholars, the Apostle Paul had no trouble teaching the gospel in the country of Greece and writing letters to the church there.

Greece formed the beginning roots of western civilization, and as such, remnants of the the use of Greek as our "teaching and professional" still exist. Greek words (with a bit of latin thrown in), are still the foundational universal language of science and particulary modern medicine. If we need a new scientific word, we generally go to Greek, and hence the saying "that's all 'Greek" to me".

In England the professional language or "court" language was french. In the catholic church, the professional language was latin.
Very common thing. In the ancient world of Jesus' day, you couldn't get around in the world without being able to speak Greek.

I know this could be a subject fomented by lots of opinion, but for myself, I became utterly convinced that Jesus taught the gospel in Greek. Many times you have to outside the mainstream to find out the real truth of a matter.

[passionflower]

I guess my post didn't specifically answer the OP, (duh) so I want to correct that.

Jesus probably spoke several languages as a matter of course. It didn't make any difference that he was just a carpenters' son. He had to be able to speak at least Latin, Greek and Aramaic just to get around. Everybody there did. And remember that his first years were spent in Egypt.

[EmmaLee]

Aramaic? Hebrew? Did he know Greek? I wonder if he knew Latin? If he could take an IQ test as a child do you think he would’ve scored high? I guess what I’m trying to say is was he just supremely perfect and spiritual or was he also a genius on his own right?

I don't know about the languages. It wouldn't surprise me if he grew up speaking a couple of different ones though, as it seems many people in that area of the world (with so many cultures/countries in such close proximity) speak more than one language. I'm sure Jesus was very intelligent, but he, like all of us, had to learn things line upon line. As the scriptures say, he grew in wisdom and stature - meaning he didn't come out of the womb automatically knowing everything - he had to learn things like the rest of us. He learned as a child, as a youth, as an adult. He never referred to himself as "perfect" until after he had been resurrected. 'Perfect' means complete or finished, and as he understood this truth, he only referred to his Father as "perfect" until he himself had become complete/finished, after he had been resurrected. That is my understanding.

[Col. Flagg]

If IQ tests were around back during Christ's time and he had taken one, it would have been off the charts!

[Shaffer89]

Aramaic? Hebrew? Did he know Greek? I wonder if he knew Latin? If he could take an IQ test as a child do you think he would’ve scored high? I guess what I’m trying to say is was he just supremely perfect and spiritual or was he also a genius on his own right?

I don't know about the languages. It wouldn't surprise me if he grew up speaking a couple of different ones though, as it seems many people in that area of the world (with so many cultures/countries in such close proximity) speak more than one language. I'm sure Jesus was very intelligent, but he, like all of us, had to learn things line upon line. As the scriptures say, he grew in wisdom and stature - meaning he didn't come out of the womb automatically knowing everything - he had to learn things like the rest of us. He learned as a child, as a youth, as an adult. He never referred to himself as "perfect" until after he had been resurrected. 'Perfect' means complete or finished, and as he understood this truth, he only referred to his Father as "perfect" until he himself had become complete/finished, after he had been resurrected. That is my understanding.

I was thinking about this idea this weekend, I was watching a special called Killing Jesus, which of course had a million things that were omitted or incorrectly displayed, but when Jesus went to John the baptist there was an interchange between them that essentially had Jesus asking John about His (Jesus') purpose as though Jesus did not know. It caught my attention because I have always believed that Jesus was taught by angels and knew all things even at a young age as shown by the one instance of when he was in the temple in His youth. However, knowing what we know about Joseph Smith, and the how long his progression of knowledge was (including some knowledge that he attained in the moment by inspiration instead of knowing things beforehand) I wonder how much of Jesus' knowledge was perfect before he had to act in the moment. Like by the time he was speaking at the temple as a child, I think the teachers of the day were astonished by His knowledge of scripture, but was that because He was a child and knew more any unlearned child they had dealt with?
I think his IQ would not be abnormally high or low, even after He began His ministry. But that may just be because I currently like the idea, I don't have any real evidence to support it.

[The Airbender]

Has anyone read the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ?