Aramaic's origin is unknown, but it seems closely related to Amorite and other ancient Northwest Semitic dialects. It perhaps the longest continuous living history of any language known, used during the day of the Patriarchs and today. Aramaic and its cognate Syriac evolved into many dialects in different places and periods. It's characterized by simplicity, clarity, and precision, and adapts well for everyday life, scholars, lawyers, and merchants.
No Aramean kingdom has really existed, but various Aramean states developed into influential centers. We've found a few short Aramean inscriptions from 10-8th century B.C. By the 8th century B.C., King Hezekiah's representatives requested the spokesmen of the Assyrian king Sennacherib to "speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don't speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall." (2 Kings 18:26) By the Persian period, Aramaic was the language of international trade due to the Jewish captivity, while Hebrew gradually became confined to the learned and the religious leaders. After the Babylonian exile, Aramaic influence pervaded the land of Palestine. Nehemiah complained that mixed children were unable to speak Hebrew (Nehemiah 13:24). Jews continued using Aramaic widely during the Persian, Greek, and Roman periods. Eventually, the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Aramaic paraphrases called Targums, some of which were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Aramaic was a common language of Palestine during Jesus' day. New Testament names reflect Aramaic (Bartholomew, Bar-jonah, Barnabas), Greek (Andrew, Philip), Latin (Mark), as well as Hebrew. Aramaic, Greek, and Hebrew were widely used. Latin was probably limited to military and governmental circles. Mishnaic Hebrew was also used, and Mishnaic Hebrew documents were found with the Dead Sea Scrolls.
(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Biblical Languages by Larry Walker. Page 227-229)
Holy Language
The Bible is written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Aramaic is linguistically close to Hebrew and is written in the same script in the Bible. It is found in Daniel 2:4b-7:27 and Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26), and elsewhere in phrases and expressions like Genesis 31:47, Jeremiah 10:11, and the New Testament.
In Genesis 31:47, Jacob, father of Israel, and Laban, an Aramean, referred to the same memorial or "witness heap" in their own language: Galeed vs. Jegar-sahadutha.
(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Biblical Languages by Larry Walker. Page 217, 227)
Hebrew is the holy language, Aramaic is a secondary holy language, and Arabic is an everyday language.
(Ancient Semitic - Ancient Semitic I: The Semitic Languages - A Brief Introduction - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c8HUM_u7RI)
Hebrew remained the scholarly language, and prejudice spurned vulgar translations, but over time, Aramaic readings became accepted in synagogues.
(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Texts and Manuscripts of the Old Testament by Mark R. Norton, Page 170)
Character
Though, less euphonious and poetical, it is superior for exact expression while being linguistically close to Hebrew. It uses a larger vocabulary with many loan words and a greater variety of connectives, elaborate system of tenses. It uses participles with pronouns or various forms of "to be."
(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Biblical Languages by Larry Walker. Page 228)
Archaeology
The oldest examples of a Canaanite alphabet were preserved in the Ugaritic cuneiform alphabet of the 14th century B.C. The old style is called the Phoenician or paleo-Hebrew script and is the predecessor to Greek and Western alphabets. The modern script is Aramaic or square script and became widespread after Israel's exile into Babylon (6th century B.C.) but did not entirely replace the old. Early Christian era coins and God's name in the Dead Sea Scrolls use the old.
(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Biblical Languages by Larry Walker. Page 221)