Course Descriptions

Courses numbered 1000-1999 are open to freshmen; 2000-2999 to sophomores; 3000-3999 to juniors; 4000-4999 to seniors. It is recommended that students elect courses in the years for which they are listed. Freshmen will be admitted to courses above the 2000 level only with the consent of the instructor and the student’s advisor. Juniors and seniors taking freshman courses may be expected to do additional work. Any course above 4999 is a graduate course.

NOTE:
The number in parentheses following the course title indicates the semester hours of credit assigned to the course.
An H following the course number indicates an honors level course.

BHEB 1010
Elementary Hebrew I [Course] (3) (Liberal Arts)
Beginning students learn the basics of biblical Hebrew. The course lectures introduce the student to the language in a systematic way, beginning with the simple and regular forms and then processing toward the more complex aspects of the language. The emphasis is on mastering the basic forms, syntax, and vocabulary through exercises and quizzes. (Offered alternate years)

BHEB 1020
Elementary Hebrew II [Course] (3) (Liberal Arts)
Beginning students continue to develop their understanding of the basics of biblical Hebrew. The course lectures continue to present the simple and regular forms, while progressing toward the more complex aspects of the language. The emphasis continues to be on mastering the basic forms, syntax, and vocabulary through exercises and quizzes. The student applies and reinforces developing language skills through translating short sections of the Hebrew text of the Old Testaments. Prerequisite: BHEB 1010. Offered alternate years.

BHEB 2010
Intermediate Hebrew I [Course] (3) (Liberal Arts)
This course builds on the foundation laid in Elementary Hebrew I & II. The main emphasis of this course is on the continuing development of the student's understanding of Hebrew grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, as well as the cultivation of basic reading skills in the Hebrew text. Regular reading assignments taken from selected portions of the biblical text, e.g. Genesis and Ruth, provide an opportunity to gain basic proficiency in reading narrative passages in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. Integrated into the reading of the text is an inductive review of the basics of the language. The grammar and syntax assignments introduce the student to a significant number of weak and irregular forms and assist in developing a strategy for rapid recognition of such forms. Vocabulary building continues to emphasize frequent and important forms. The course also introduces the student to some of the basic principles of Hebrew lexical studies and the basic lexical tools that are available to the student of Biblical Hebrew. Prerequieist: BHEB 1020. (Offered alternate years)

BHEB 2020
Intermediate Hebrew II [Course] (3) (Liberal Arts)
This course prepares the student for exegetical studies in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. The approach of the course is to work intensively with selected texts, while expanding and deepening the student's knowledge of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. A number of important resources for the study of grammar and syntax are introduced in conjunction with the solution of grammatical and syntactical problems in the text. Sound hermeneutical principles are discussed at the appropriate points, and especially those related to the effective use of biblical languages in the study of the Old Testament. The student is given the opportunity to compare her/his own insights with those found in standard commentaries as the course progresses. The texts studied in this course are taken primarily from the hymnic, wisdom, and prophetic literature of the Old Testament. Important aspects of working with Hebrew poetic texts in particular are discussed. Throughout the course, the student is introduced to a number of standard reference works and resources that are of great benefit to the student who is proficient in the Hebrew language. Prerequisite: BHEB 2010. (Offered alternate years)