Hebrew Minor

Overview

The minor in Biblical Hebrew Language and Literature prepares a student to read the Hebrew Bible for pleasure and personal use, as well as for future advanced work in biblical Hebrew and biblical studies. The program uses a new, efficient paradigm based on second-language research, and builds the proper foundation for attaining fluent reading in the language that bypasses the need for translation.
 

Program Student Learning Outcomes

1. Develop intermediate level master of biblical Hebrew
   • Have internalized over 800 words most commonly used in the Hebrew Bible ("Internalize" means that a student can recognize the word in a new context in both the singular and plural forms of nouns and the suffixing and prefixing tense of verbs)
   • Be proficient with basic morphology and syntax of biblical Hebrew
2. Develop the skills necessary for fluent reading
   • Develop the student's phonological loop so that s/he will be able to understand a biblical Hebrew text when read aloud to them at the normal rate of speech
   • Be able to answer orally in (biblical) Hebrew simple questions about a given text in biblical Hebrew
3. Develop the skills necessary for exegesis
   • Be able to analyze the morphology of the Hebrew verb system
   • Understand the Masoretic Accent system of the Hebrew Bible
   • Be able to identify and discuss the basic characteristics of biblical Hebrew poetry
   • Be proficient at using reference tools for biblical Hebrew 
   • Be able to offer various stylistic alternatives in biblical Hebrew that an author could have used, and contrast them to the one extant in the biblical text, and explain the exegetical significance of the author's choice
   • Be able to synthesize a biblical Hebrew text in writing in biblical Hebrew