Fun With "Dead" Languages

I haven't blogged about The Passion of the Christ in a long time, mostly because I didn't care to lower myself to the insipid level of discussion surrounding the film's anti-Semitism and the familial beliefs of the director - the film should be judged on its own merits and by those merits alone. But, in keeping with today's apparent linguistic theme, here are two blurbs that inadvertantly deal with The Passion.

The Seattle Times ran a very interesting story on Aramaic and how the language is, in fact, far from dead. And, from a story in the Chicago Tribune, is a great story about the linguist who translated the subtitles used in the movies.

Me, I'll wait for it to come out on DVD and watch it in the comfort of my own home.