Josephus' testimony on 'Greek wasn't spoken in first century Israel' and 'the extreme rarity in terms of a Hebrew knowing Greek' is also supported by Aramaic New Testament known as Aramaic Peshitta. But they give him the testimony of being a wise man who is fully acquainted with our laws, and is able to interpret their meaning on which account, as there have been many who have done their endeavors with great patience to obtain this learning, there have yet hardly been so many as two or three that have succeeded therein, who were immediately well rewarded for their pains.' -Antiquities XX, XI.
'I have also taken a great deal of pains to obtain the learning of the Greeks, and understand the elements of the Greek language, although I have so long accustomed myself to speak our own tongue, that I cannot pronounce Greek with sufficient exactness for our nation does not encourage those that learn the languages of many nations, and so adorn their discourses with the smoothness of their periods because they look upon this sort of accomplishment as common, not only to all sorts of free-men, but to as many of the servants as please to learn them.
