Prior to the Hebrew language revival that commenced in the late 19th Century, Hebrew had been dead as a natural language for approx. 2000 years. Through this time Hebrew was used as a liturgical language and the language of prayer by the Jewish people. However, when the Hebrew language revival began in Israel, new arrivals to Israel required Hebrew language classes; these classes continue to this day. It was noted that Ashkenazi Jews struggled to acquire the Hebrew language more than Sephardic and Arabic Jews. But shouldn't Jewish people have already had knowledge of Hebrew by reading their sacred texts and vocalising prayers? Did the average Jewish person have a working knowledge of Hebrew prior to the Hebrew revival, or was it similar to the use of Latin in the Catholic Church prior to Vatican II - when many people knew the Latin words of the prayers said in Mass, but not their exact meaning, and knew no other Latin?