A Perspective on the Chronological Framework of Biblical Hebrew

Hebrew is traditionally divided into chronological periods corresponding to the different linguistic corpora, namely pre-exilic or Early Biblical Hebrew, post-exilic or Late Biblical Hebrew, Qumran Hebrew, Mishnaic Hebrew, etc. In recent years this chronological framework has been challenged and a new agenda has been set for the next phase of the debate. This agenda is outlined and assessed within the assumptions of language change and diffusion.