In what year did the ancient Jews go from speaking Hebrew to Aramaic?

There is no specific year that can be pinpointed as the exact time when the ancient Jews transitioned from speaking Hebrew to Aramaic. The shift from Hebrew to Aramaic occurred gradually over several centuries due to various historical and cultural factors.

The decline in the use of Hebrew and the rise of Aramaic were influenced by the political and cultural shifts that took place in the ancient Near East during the Iron Age and the subsequent Babylonian and Persian periods. The Aramaic language gained prominence in the region, becoming a lingua franca for trade, diplomacy, and everyday communication.

The Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BCE and the subsequent exile of a large portion of the Jewish population to Babylonia played a significant role in this linguistic transition. During the Babylonian exile, Aramaic became the dominant language of the Jewish community, and it continued to be widely used even after the return to Judea in the late 6th century BCE.

Overall, the transition from Hebrew to Aramaic occurred over several hundred years, and the use of both languages coexisted for a period. While Hebrew remained the sacred language for religious texts, Aramaic became the primary language for everyday communication and trade.