Introduction to Classical Hebrew

 

 

Elementary Hebrew  II                                             MWF 12:00-1:00 p.m.  Old Main 002

Classics 218                                                                        Lab Tu 11:50 – 12:50 OM 002

Macalester College                                                                                   Nanette Goldman

Spring 2005                                                                           

 

Course Web Page: http://www.macalester.edu/courses/clas218/

 

 

Office:  Old Main 407      Phone: 696 - 6659 (x6659)

Office Hours: M 9:30-10:30  T  1:00-2:00 and by appointment.

Email:  goldman@macalester.edu 

 

Preceptor: Johanna Shreve (הדרו)

Email:jshreve@macalester.edu

Phone:651-695-1733

Office Hours: Sunday 9:00 – 10:30, Wednesday 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Lower level Kagin   

 

 

Course Description: This is the second half of a 30 week intensive study of classical Hebrew grammar and vocabulary which will give you the skills necessary to decipher ancient Hebrew texts.  Your primary objectives this semester will be twofold: 1) you will complete the grammar survey, including the Joseph adaptation, 2) you will begin working with selections from the Hebrew bible, translating Biblical texts and learning to use the research tools:  critical apparatus, lexicon and commentaries.  In addition, you will be introduced to matters of text transmission, interpretation and organization.  The oral component of the Hebrew language will receive continued attention.  Recitation drills, aural comprehension exercises, simple conversational practice, an interactive computer program, songs and games will reinforce visual acquisition of the language.  

 

The second year Hebrew courses (Intermediate Hebrew) survey the Hebrew language from antiquity to modernity. In Intermediate Hebrew, building on the first year grammar fundamentals, you will trace the development of the language through close examination of extended passages. You will read selections from Biblical prose, poetry, Qumranic (Dead Sea Scrolls) Hebrew, the Rabbinic corpus and finish the year by working in the Hebrew spoken in Israel today. Satisfactory completion of the 2-year sequence fulfills the Macalester foreign language requirement.

 

 

3 Required Texts: 

 

1)      Simon, Ethelyn, Irene Resnikoff and Linda Motzkin, The First Hebrew Primer, 3rd edition,  EKS Publishing: Albany, CA, 2000.

 

 

2) Hebrew Bible:   Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS), American Bible Society.

 

                                                            OR

 

                                    Koren Bible, Koren Publishers:  Jerusalem

 

*No Hebrew-English Bibles, or Humashim

 

 

3) Hebrew/English Lexicon:  Brown, F., S.R. Driver, and C.A. Briggs,  A Hebrew    
                                                   and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (BDB),  

                                                   Clarendon Press:  Oxford, 1976. 

 

                                                            OR

 

                                                Holladay, W.L., ed.  A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic
                                                Lexicon of the Old Testament, Eerdmans:  Grand Rapids, 1988.

 

 

Recommended Text:

 

English bible:  The NRSV HarperCollins Study Bible

                                                             OR

                           The NRSV Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha      

                                                            OR

                           Tanakh, Modern English Translation, Jewish Publication Society

 

  Online NRSV available at http://bible.crosswalk.com

 

 *JPS or NRSV translations only (not King James, or Living Word etc.)

 

 

Available in the DeWitt Wallace Library: Reserve Desk

 

CD-ROM  - Hebrew Tutor – used with lab exercises for the book of Ruth

 

 

Available on the Humanities Resource Center Web Site

 

Audio clips keyed to The First Hebrew Primer

 

Linked through course webpage or http://www.macalester.edu/courses/clas218/links.html

 

 

Available on 2-hour reserve at DeWitt Wallace Library

 

Brown, F., S.R. Driver, and C.A. Briggs,  A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (BDB), Clarendon Press:  Oxford, 1976

 

Holladay, W.L., ed.  A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament,   Eerdmans:  Grand Rapids, 1988.

 

Horev Bible, Horev Publishers:  Jerusalem

 

Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS), American Bible Society.

 

The NSRV HarperCollins Study Bible

                                                             

The NSRV Oxford Annotated Bible  with Apocrypha      

                                                           

Tanakh, Modern English Translation,  Jewish Publication Society

 

Anchor Bible Commentary:  Genesis

 

Anchor Bible Commentary:  Deuteronomy 1-11

 

Course Requirements:

 

1.  Regular attendance and class participation                              10%

 

2.  Daily assignments.  (Lowest three scores dropped)                 20%

 

3.  Weekly quizzes. (Lowest one dropped)                                  15%

 

4.  Class Presentation/Written Project                                         5%

 

5.  Two Mid-semester exams.                                                    25%

 

6.  Final Exam (comprehensive)                                                 25%

 

 

Regularity in class attendance and timely completion of homework are the most important components in acquiring a language.  It is best to allot time daily for Hebrew study.  The average ratio of hours of outside preparation to hours in class is 2/1.  Frequent quizzes/evaluations provide the incentive to stay current. You’ll be responsible for the material in EKS 1st Hebrew Primer and material covered in supplementary handouts and class lectures. Make sure to have read all the chapter by the day of the quiz. Beginning the week of February 21st you must bring both your Hebrew Bible and EKS Hebrew Primer to class every day.   If there is need for absence from class, please notify me in advance via email or phone. Quizzes will generally take place on Mondays. Missed quizzes due to unexcused absences will be scored as zeroes.  If absent, you will be responsible for obtaining all handouts from the class period - available in an envelope outside my office OM 407.  There will be several assignments that will involve a CD program available at the reserve desk of the library.  A weekly schedule of assignments will be distributed every Monday and posted on the class web page.  Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. Homework turned in late will be receive a grade but will suffer point deductions as follows:

 

-5%   submitted on the due date anytime after homework is collected.

-15% submitted one class period after the due date and probably not returned.

 Homework handed in later not accepted.

 

All on-time homework that I fail to return to you by the next class period automatically receives a grade of 100%

 

As always, if you feel yourself falling behind, come see me or Varda immediately for help in getting back on track. 

 

Grading Scale:

 

93-100              A

90-92                A-

87-89                B+

82-86                B

79-81                B-

77-78                C+

72-76                C

69-71                C-

67-68                D+

62-66                D

59-61                D-

0-58                  F

 

Schedule of Units:

 

Week 1             Jan.24 - Jan.28              Chapter 17.  Vav Conversive. Pi’el Perfect.  Joseph 11

 

Week 2             Jan.31 - Feb. 4              Chapter 18.  The Participle.  Joseph 12.

                                                                         

Week 3             Feb.7 - Feb.11               Chapter 19.  Commands and Numbers. Joseph 13.

                                                                         

Week 4             Feb.14 - Feb.18             Chapter 20.  Infinitive and Verb Review. Joseph 14.

                                                            Chapter 30.  Using BDB, the Hebrew dictionary.           

 

Week 5             Feb.21 – Feb.25                        Chapter 21.  Hollow Verbs.  Joseph 15.
                                                                                 Genesis 17.1-4.

 

Week 6             Feb.28 - Mar.4              Chapter 22.  Possessive Suffixes of Plural Nouns. 
                                                                                Joseph 16. Genesis 17.5-6.

 

·         MARCH 7 - MID-SEMESTER EXAM I

 

Week 7             Mar.7 - Mar.11             Chapter 23. Pi’el. Pu’al. Joseph 17.  Genesis 17.7-10.

 

Week 8             Mar.14 - Mar.18           Chapter 24.  Hif’il.  Joseph 18.  Genesis 22.1-3.                                                 

 

Week 9             Mar.19 - Mar.27           MID-SEMESTER BREAK

 

Week 10           Mar.28 - Apr.1              Chapter 25. Hif’il Variations.  Hof’al. Joseph 19.           
                                                            Genesis 22.4-7. Class presentations.

 

Week 11           Apr.4 - Apr.8                Chapter 26. Hif’il Hollow Verbs.  Joseph 20.
                                                            Genesis 22.8-10. Class presentations.

 

  • APRIL 11 - MID-SEMESTER EXAM II

 

Week 12           Apr.11 - Apr.15                        Chapter 27. Verbs with Object Suffixes. Joseph 21.
                                                            Genesis 22.11-12. Class presentations.

 

Week 13           Apr.18 - Apr.22                        Chapter 28. Nif’al. Joseph 22. Genesis 22.13-16.

                                                            Class presentations.

             

Week 14           Apr.25 – Apr. 29          Chapter 29.  Hitpa’el. Joseph 23. Genesis 22.17-19.

                                                            Class presentations.

 

Week 15           May 2 - May 3              Review. Joseph 24. Deuteronomy 6.4-9.

 

 Schedule of Quizzes

 

M 1/31

M 2/7

M 2/14

M 2/21

M 2/28

F 3/18

M  4/4

M 4/18

M 4/25

 

 

 Final exam (comprehensive):  Saturday May 7, 10:30 –12:30