Basics of Biblical Hebrew aims at providing students with an introduction to the basic elements of Biblical Hebrew grammar and a first encounter with an Old Testament text. The students are introduced to the basics Biblical Hebrew grammar, as well as an encounter with a few texts.
The course is organized with several modules available at the learning platform Canvas. Together these modules constitute a planned learning path with one or two modules per week.
In general, each module aims at expanding the student's understanding, skills and mastery of vocabulary, morphology, translation and syntactic analysis.
The students work independently, but under supervision, by reviewing the elements that each module contains, including video lectures, exercises, and other material. The exercises are designed so that the student receives immediate feedback.
There will be a (in principle fixed) weekly Teams meeting, where students can ask questions to the teacher.
Knowledge
The students have:
- explain the basics of Biblical Hebrew morphology and syntax.
- a basic vocabulary corresponding to words in the selected Bible texts that occur more than 30 times in the OT.
Skills
The students can:
- read and understand a selection of simple prose texts.
- translate an easier Biblical Hebrew prose text.
- use learning technology.
Final Assessment:
| Form of evaluation | Duration | Weight | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral exam | 15 min | 40 % | Online or face-to-face |
The course will be graded Passed for pass and Failed for fail.
Texts
Genesis 12:1-1-20 (1 page)
Deuteronomy 5-6 (3,5 pages)
2 Samuel 7:1-29 (2 pages)
Esek 36:24-38 (1 page)
Psalm 99 (0,5 pages)
8 pages from the Biblica Hebraica Stuttgartensia.
Recommended introduction to the basics of Biblical Hebrew
Van Pelt, M. V. (2007). Biblical Hebrew: A Compact Guide (2nd Ed.). Zondervan.
Recommended Biblical Hebrew Lexicon
Holladay, W. L., L. Köhler & W. Baumgartner (1991 or later). A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Leiden: Brill.
