Kel wrote:
And would the Hebrew that one would learn to read the Hebrew Bible be mutually intelligible with the form that is spoken today in modern Israel?


David ben-Gur'yon (1886-1973), Yisrael's first Prime Minister, often used archaic forms only found in Biblical Hebrew when speaking in public. He was considered eccentric for doing so - but nonetheless we could all understand him. Does this answer your question?


http://mordochai.tripod.com - פרופ' מָרְדֳּכַי בֶּן-צִיּוֹן, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל