Aramaic may be best known as the language spoken by Jesus Christ, but it was also the language of multiple empires, a lingua franca of ancient times. Today, the language’s modern speakers are scattered in villages and cities around the world. Author Ariel Sabar recently published an article in Smithsonian Magazine on Neo-Aramaic in Chicago, home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of Aramaic speakers. He’ll join us to discuss the ancient language’s modern incarnations. (Photo: Courtesy of Ariel Sabar)