The revival of Hebrew as a modern spoken language in the early part of this century is discussed. The usage of spoken Hebrew in the Middle Ages and its evolution within and outside the Middle East are described. The interpretation of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda's late nineteenth century interest in reviving spoken Hebrew as a call for general spoken Hebrew usage and the largely negative response made by Hebrew literary scholars and others are also outlined. Two previous distinct periods of Hebrew revitalization are described in the context of political, religious, social, and literary trends and events. A review of research on the most recent period of change focuses on linguistic borrowing and invention and its institutionalization in The Language Committee and later the Academy for the Hebrew Language in Jerusalem. The report recounts the terminology work undertaken at the Academy and the use of Hebrew and external grammatical mechanisms to develop Hebrew vocabulary for modern usage. (MSE)