Hebrew Reading B (BA3503C)

Undergraduate, 18.0 points

Content

This unit is designed to enable students with a background in biblical Hebrew to advance their Hebrew skills through the guided reading of selected Hebrew texts. Passages are chosen from both prose and poetic texts. Attention is given to a morphological and syntactical explanation of the texts. Building on previous study, students will revise and deepen their knowledge of Hebrew grammar and textual criticism. They will also learn the basics of Hebrew prose composition to consolidate their linguistic skills. (Cross-listed with AL3503C.)

Unit code: BA3503C

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 3

Unit discipline: Old Testament

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

give an English equivalent of selected prose and poetic passages from the Hebrew Bible with and without the aid of lexicons;
2.

analyse and categorise accurately common Hebrew word forms, both verbal and nominal;
3.

exhibit very good control of the vocabulary associated with texts studied in class, including the study of semantic fields of words;
4.

demonstrate a good knowledge of the more advanced methodology of textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible;
5.

apply their knowledge of Hebrew to the exegesis of a range of passages of variable difficulty in the Hebrew Bible;
6.

understand and explain particular morphological and syntactical areas of the study of Hebrew.

Unit sequence

AL1101C and AL1102C or equivalent

Pedagogy

Classes consist of reading and analysing texts, discussing philological problems, revising vocabulary and grammar, as well as interactive lectures, discussions, and seminars (in each case, presented in modes appropriate for face-to-face or online learning contexts).

Indicative Bibliography

  • Clines, David J. A. The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew. 9 vols. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1993–2016.
  • Elliger, Karl, et al., eds. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. 5th rev. ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2007.
  • Gesenius, Wilhelm. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar. Edited by Emil Kautzsch and Arthur E. Cowley. 2nd ed. 1910. Reprint, Mineola: Dover: 2006. (EBook available.)
  • Joüon, Paul. A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. Translated and revised by Takamitsu Muraoka. 2nd ed. with corrections. Rome: Gregorian and Biblical Press, 2016.
  • Kelley, Page H., Daniel S. Mynatt, and Timothy G. Crawford. The Masorah of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia: Introduction and Annotated Glossary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.
  • Lambdin, Thomas O. Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. London: Darton, Longman & Todd, 1973.
  • Schenker, Adrian, et al., eds. Biblia Hebraica quinta. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2004–.
  • Van der Merwe, Christo H. J., Jacobus A. Naudé, and Jan H. Kroeze. A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar. 2nd ed. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2017.
  • Waltke, Bruce K., and Michael P. O’Connor. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1990.
  • Wonneberger, Reinhard. Understanding BHS: A Manual for the Users of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. 2nd rev. ed. Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1990.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Short Answer Tests

10 x 15-minute written tests (equivalent to 2,500 words)

 2500 40.0
Written Examination

2-hour written examination

 2000 60.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 13 Jun, 2023

Unit record last updated: 2023-06-13 16:00:06 +1000