This course is an introduction to one of the fascinating languages of the Bible, Hebrew. It intends to offer some solid reading and grammar skills, along with historical and cultural perspectives. It will provide the students with a foundation for careful and informed reading, exegesis, and analysis of the biblical text. The course is designed as a thorough introduction to Biblical Hebrew with an emphasis on grammar and vocabulary, which will also help students identify and develop reading tools and exegetical methods for biblical and theological study.
Biblical Hebrew: Beginners
This is an Online course which requires your attendance to weekly meetings which take place online using Microsoft Teams meetings.
This short course will combine pre-recorded lectures with live, weekly, online meetings where discussion and debate will take place between students and the tutor. Visit our How our WOW courses work page for full details.
This course will close for enrolment 7 days prior to its start date.
Overview
Programme details
Courses starts: 15 Apr 2024
Week 0: Course Orientation
Week 1: Introduction to the Hebrew Language: its Story, Context, and Development
Week 2: Alphabet – Let’s Start Reading Biblical Hebrew
Week 3: Consonants & Vowels
Week 4: Nouns
Week 5: Definite Article, Conjunction Waw, and Prepositions
Week 6: Adjectives
Week 7: Pronouns
Week 8: Pronominal Suffixes
Week 9: Hebrew Construct Chain
Week 10: Introduction to Hebrew Verbs
Recommended reading
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Continuing Education Library for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are welcome to use the Library for reference. More information can be found on the Library website.
There is a Guide for Weekly Class students which will give you further information.
Availability of titles on the reading list (below) can be checked on SOLO, the library catalogue.
Preparatory reading
- Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar / Gary D. Pratico, and Miles V. Van Pelt
- Basics of Biblical Hebrew Workbook / Gary D. Pratico, and Miles V. Van Pelt
- Charts of Biblical Hebrew / Gary D. Pratico, and Miles V. Van Pelt
- Getting to Grips with Biblical Hebrew: An Introductory Textbook / L David Baker
Digital Certification
To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend and participate in at least 80% of the live sessions on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £251.00 |
| Take this course for CATS points | £10.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Tutor
Prof Stefano Salemi
Stefano Salemi is a scholar and professor of biblical studies and theology, biblical languages and exegesis. He read history, religion, theology, biblical languages, biblical studies; research fellow at Oxford, Harvard, Yale, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, King's College London, and others.
Course aims
This course aims to offer an introductory, though solid knowledge of the Hebrew language, to read through the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible with a reflective understanding of its content. This is done by supporting the acquisition of reading and grammar skills, along with historical and cultural perspectives, and exegetical and analytical methods for biblical study.
Course objectives:
- To formulate a broad understanding of the fundamentals of the Hebrew language.
- To acquire an appreciation of the specificity of the language of the Old Testament, and a clear evaluation of the cultural and religious background of the text.
- To handle a basic vocabulary and the main grammatical structures to translate passages from the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS).
- To assess modern computer-based Hebrew language tools.
Teaching methods
The virtual class will replicate the experience of a face-to-face classroom. Live and recorded lectures will continue offering a programme of interactive classes fully tutor-led, based on in-Oxford teaching. These classes allow students to meet online and maximise interaction and enhance fluency in a friendly, supportive environment. When pre-recorded material is offered, this will be available for students prior to the live element of the class which will take place using Microsoft Teams. This will be an opportunity for students to ask questions about the material in the lectures, and practice the language by means of various pedagogical interactive methods. The live sessions will allow for discussion, exercises, group work, and class activities on the weekly topic. Additional resources may be made available to students and regular preparation in advance of the class is strongly encouraged.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to understand:
- the main grammatical features of the language;
- how to analyse and interpret the biblical text with attention to linguistic characteristics;
- how to display critical thinking skills based on exegesis;
- how to identify and translate grammatical constructions and simple Hebrew sentences, with a view to pursuing further study and reading autonomously.
Assessment methods
You will be set short, optional assignments to consolidate your learning and to allow you to progress at your own pace.
Application
We will close for enrolments 7 days prior to the start date to allow us to complete the course set up. We will email you at that time (7 days before the course begins) with further information and joining instructions. As always, students will want to check spam and junk folders during this period to ensure that these emails are received.
To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).
Level and demands
No prior knowledge is required.
Additional reading material may be provided during the lessons and the pre-recorded classes will be accompanied by slides that will be available to each student outlining in detail the content of each class. However, students may wish to familiarize themselves with the main grammar book or others (see the "reading list" for reference).
Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.
To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.
Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.