Hebrew Reading A (BA9502C)

Postgraduate, 24.0 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 as well as modern textual criticism. Students will revise their knowledge of the fundamentals of Hebrew grammar and learn advanced topics of phonetics, morphology, and syntax. They will also develop familiarity with modern critical editions of the Hebrew Bible. (Cross-listed with AL9502C).

Unit code: BA9502C

Unit status: Archived (Major revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

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 frequently used Hebrew word forms, both verbal and nominal.
3.

Exhibit mastery of the vocabulary associated with texts studied in class.
4.

Compare and evaluate main features of modern critical editions of the Hebrew text.
5.

Develop a working knowledge of the methodology of text criticism of the Hebrew text.
6.

Critically reflect on a specific topic of research in the morphological or syntactical areas of Hebrew by identifying its main components and assessing its validity in writing.

Unit sequence

AL9101C and AL9102C 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.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Clines, David J. A. The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew. 9 vols. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1993–2016.
  • Gesenius, Wilhelm. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar. Edited by Emil Kautzsch and Arthur E. Cowley. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 1983. (EBook available.)
  • Gibson, John C. L. Davidson’s Introductory Hebrew Grammar-Syntax. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1994.
  • Joüon, Paul. A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. Translated and revised by Takamitsu Muraoka. 2nd ed., with corrections. Rome: Gregorian and Biblical Press, 2011.
  • Kittell, Rudolf, Karl Elliger, and Wilhelm Rudolph, eds. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. 4th ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1990.
  • Lambdin, Thomas O. Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. London: Darton, Longman & Todd, 1973.
  • Tal, Abraham, ed. Genesis. Biblia Hebraica quinta 1. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2015.
  • Van der Merwe, Christo H. J., Jacobus A. Naudé, and Jan H. Kroeze. A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar. 2nd ed. New York: Bloomsbury T. & T. Clark, 2017.
  • Waltke, Bruce K., and Michael P. O’Connor. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1990.
  • Williams, Ronald J. Hebrew Syntax: An Outline. 2nd ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2004. (EBook available.)

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Short Answer Tests

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

 2500 40.0
Oral Presentation

15-minute oral presentation

 1000 10.0
Investigation

2,500-word investigation

 2500 25.0
Written Examination

1-hour written examination

 1000 25.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Maggie Kappelhoff on 22 Jul, 2020

Unit record last updated: 2023-06-13 16:07:30 +1000