Hebrew Reading B (BA9503C)

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 detailed morphological and syntactical explanation of the texts as well as text-critical problems, including both modern textual criticism and the masorah. Building on previous study, students will revise and deepen their knowledge of the phonetics, morphology, and syntax of biblical Hebrew. They will approach texts in a more critical manner, evaluating textual variants, their implication for the text tradition, and their applicability to the exegesis of biblical passages. They will also consolidate their linguistic skills through exercises in intermediate Hebrew prose composition. (Cross-listed with AL9503C.)

Unit code: BA9503C

Unit status: Approved (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 as well as defend translational choices in each particular case;
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.

demonstrate a working knowledge of the methodology of text criticism of the Hebrew text by comparing textual variants and estimating their probability;
5.

apply their knowledge of Hebrew and textual variants to the exegesis of passages in the Hebrew Bible;
6.

research advanced topics in the morphological or syntactical areas of the study of Hebrew.

Unit sequence

AL8101C 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 (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.
  • Schenker, Adrian, et al., eds. Biblia Hebraica quinta. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2004–.
  • Tov, Emanuel. Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001.
  • 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
Oral Presentation

15-minute oral presentation

 1000 10.0
Investigation

2,500-word investigation

 2500 30.0
Written Examination

1-hour written examination

 1000 20.0
Approvals

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

Unit record last updated: 2023-06-13 16:07:56 +1000