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A paper for beginners covering the basics of Biblical Hebrew grammar and vocabulary, to enable students to read the Hebrew Bible in the original.
This paper is an introduction to the main original language of the Hebrew Bible, spoken and written in ancient Israel and Judah in the first millennium BCE and almost certainly well known to Jesus Christ. We cover the Hebrew alefbet, the vowel signs and the basics of Hebrew grammar and syntax (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives and the 'waw' conjunction). This paper is essential for anyone wanting to understand the Bible well. It also lays a sound basis for learning other languages that belong to the same language family as Hebrew, such as Aramaic, Akkadian, Ugaritic and Arabic.
| Paper title | Introductory Biblical Hebrew 1 |
|---|---|
| Paper code | HEBR131 |
| Subject | Hebrew |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1
(Distance learning)
Semester 1 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $929.55 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Restriction
- HEBX 131
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music, Theology
- Eligibility
- Any student who would like to learn ancient Hebrew.
- Contact
Reverend Dr James Harding - email james.harding@otago.ac.nz
- More information link
- View more information on the Theology website: www.otago.ac.nz/theology
- Teaching staff
Dr Jonathan Robinson - email jonathan.robinson@otago.ac.nz
- Paper Structure
- This paper will be assessed by:
- Four assignments (5% each)
- Two tests (15% each)
- One final examination (50%)
- Teaching Arrangements
- Campus and Distance: Three 1-hour lectures per week.
Distance students participate in the class via a desktop videoconferencing programme called Zoom (available free of charge). Classes are recorded, and students who are unable to join classes can download the videos and watch them later. - Textbooks
Required:
Learning Biblical Hebrew: Reading for Comprehension: An Introductory Grammar (Karl V Kutz, Rebekah Josberger)
Learning Biblical Hebrew Workbook: A Graded Reader with Exercises (Karl V Kutz, Rebekah Josberger)
Highly recommended:
Pocket Dictionary For The Study Of Biblical Hebrew (T J Murphy)
Please note - these are new textbooks for 2022.- Course outline
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Lifelong learning, Critical thinking.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the paper will
- Understand the main principles of the grammar of biblical Hebrew
- Have acquired a broad core vocabulary of the most common words used in the Hebrew Bible
- Have read and understood basic Hebrew texts from the Bible
