No one is questioning what the HOME language of the Jews was - it was Aramaic.
However Palestine had been part of a large Greek empire for hundreds of years before it was conquered by the Romans.
That Greek empire was subsumed by the Romans.
Greek had become the language that EVERYONE spoke, not as their HOME language but the language of BUSINESS and ADMINISTRATION.
EVERYONE was multilingual, they spoke their home language as well as Greek (Koine), and many spoke other languages of ethnolinguistic groups that lived close by!
You may also have trouble believing this but Jews were VERY MUCH in the minority in Palestine during the NT period.
Palestine was a crucial crossroads of the known world at the time. Palestine and the Sinai formed the land bridge through which both trade and conquering armies always travelled between Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Jews had no say as to who came and went in Palestine - they were not in control!
The Romans and before them the Greeks had controlled Palestine for centuries!
If you ever go to current day Israel and Egypt you will find buildings and monuments from the NT period and before with Greek inscriptions on them.
No historian or archeologist. Christian or otherwise, would agree with you that Jews in the NT period only understood Aramaic and nothing else.
I would say, that if you continue to deny that Jews spoke Greek, in Palestine, in their everyday dealings in the market-place and with the Roman authorities then you are living in a fantasy!
The fact that those same Jews would have spoken Aramaic by preference among themselves does not change this...
John 19:20
New International Version
Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in
Aramaic, Latin and Greek.
New Living Translation
The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in
Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.
English Standard Version
Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in
Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek.
Berean Study Bible
Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in
Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.
Berean Literal Bible
Therefore many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in
Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.
New American Standard Bible
Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in
Hebrew, Latin and in Greek.
King James Bible
This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in
Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.
So is it Aramaic or Hebrew?
John 19:20
Text Analysis
Strong's Transliteration Greek English Morphology
3778 [e] touton τοῦτον This DPro-AMS
3767 [e] oun οὖν therefore Conj
3588 [e] ton τὸν the Art-AMS
5102 [e] titlon τίτλον title N-AMS
4183 [e] polloi πολλοὶ many Adj-NMP
314 [e] anegnōsan ἀνέγνωσαν read V-AIA-3P
3588 [e] tōn τῶν of the Art-GMP
2453 [e] Ioudaiōn Ἰουδαίων, Jews, Adj-GMP
3754 [e] hoti ὅτι for Conj
1451 [e] engys ἐγγὺς near Prep
1510 [e] ēn ἦν was V-IIA-3S
3588 [e] ho ὁ the Art-NMS
5117 [e] topos τόπος place, N-NMS
3588 [e] tēs τῆς the Art-GFS
4172 [e] poleōs πόλεως city, N-GFS
3699 [e] hopou ὅπου where Adv
4717 [e] estaurōthē ἐσταυρώθη was crucified V-AIP-3S
3588 [e] ho ὁ - Art-NMS
2424 [e] Iēsous Ἰησοῦς· Jesus; N-NMS
2532 [e] kai καὶ and Conj
1510 [e] ēn ἦν it was V-IIA-3S
1125 [e] gegrammenon γεγραμμένον written V-RPM/P-NNS
1447 [e] Hebraisti Ἑβραϊστί, in Hebrew, Adv
4515 [e] Rhōmaisti Ῥωμαϊστί, in Latin, Adv
1676 [e] Hellēnisti Ἑλληνιστί. in Greek. Adv
G1447 Ἑβραϊστί Hebraisti (he-ɓraiy'-stiy) adv/g.
Hebraically or in the Jewish (Chaldee) language.
[adverb from G1446]
KJV: in (the) Hebrew (tongue)
Root(s): G1446
Clearly this is Hebrew.
Also the Gospel of Matt was originally written in Hebrew and the Gospels of John and Luke have Hebrew versions that have been found.
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
Apostle John told Papias around 90 A.D. about this book of Matthew: “Matthew put together the oracles [of the Lord] in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as best he could.” (Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. iii. 39, quoting Exposition of the Oracles of the Lord)[/FONT]