Courses & Programs

We offer a variety of courses and programs to choose from. Scroll down or click to the specific program you are interested in.

SEMESTER LONG COURSES

14-day courses

speciality courses

Semester Long Courses

This academic course focuses on Hebrew as the source language of the Bible. The translator is also introduced to the context of the Bible, the land in which was written. This unique combination equips translators to provide a more accurate and natural translation into their own mother tongue as the target language. The program has been offered in conjunction with the Rothberg International School for Overseas Students of the Hebrew University since 1995.

The Language and the land: 6 semester courses

Advanced Study Program
for Translation Consultants
and Consultants-in-Training

Hebrew University, Jerusalem

JCBT Spring Semester: February 1 – June 30, 2023
Five-month program: 2 months online & 3 months in Israel

PART A: ONLINE - FEBRUARY/MARCH

1. Advanced Reading of Biblical Hebrew Texts - online (3 cr.) - February 1 – 28
2. Discourse Analysis of Biblical Hebrew - online (3 cr.) - March 1 – 31
3. Living Biblical Hebrew - online in February and March, and continued live in Israel (6 cr.) - February 1 – March 31

PART B: IN ISRAEL – APRIL/MAY/JUNE

Upon arrival in Israel the students will be given immersive a 10-day course in modern Hebrew along with a first tour around Jerusalem. Modern Hebrew will be continued by weekly informal tutorials (no credits). - April 3 – 14

4. Historical Geography and Cultural Backgrounds of the Land of the Bible (6 cr.) - April 3 – June 30, alongside the other courses.
5. Semantics of Biblical Hebrew (3 cr.) - April 17 – May 12
6. Biblical Hebrew Poetry (3 cr.) - June 1 – June 30

RESULTS of the study program in terms of 24 Hebrew University credits:
18 credits in Biblical Hebrew and 6 credits in Historical Geography of the land of the Bible.

February

This course focuses on strengthening the students’ reading skills and helping them to apply these skills in their (future) role as translation consultant. In addition to a variety of grammatical issues that are relevant for translators and consultants, the students will also learn how to read and understand the critical apparatus, and how to handle textual problems. During the practical classes the students will take turns playing the role of mother tongue translator and translation consultant and discuss with each other the difficulties that emerge both while translating and consulting. The students will also learn how Paratext can be of assistance in the process.

Dates: February 1 – February 28 Credits: 3

March

During this course, participants will learn how to analyze the ways in which Biblical Hebrew narrative texts are structured. The program will concentrate on participant reference, the verb system, default and marked word order, as well as the effect of text structure on non- chronological arrangement and paragraph division. Narrative discourse will also be compared in relation to other types of discourse, such as dialogues and other text genres. Longer stretches of narrative texts, like the Samson and Balaam narratives, will be among the texts studied during the course. All through the programme, attention is paid to how participants can apply what has been studied – how to help teams in practical ways to translate biblical texts while respecting fully the discourse features of the Hebrew text.

Dates: March 1 – March 3 Credits: 3

Online in February and March, and Continued Live in Israel

This course, which is taught concurrently with courses #1 and #2, will help the students immerse themselves in Biblical Hebrew in a way that they are unlikely to have experienced before. They will learn Biblical Hebrew as if it were a contemporary, living language. We

believe that this unique approach will serve to strengthen and deepen de students’ proficiency in Biblical Hebrew.

Dates: February 1 – March 31 Credits: 6

April – May

Much has been published about the grammar (morphology and syntax) of Biblical Hebrew. One of the linguistic disciplines that have been little explored, however, is Hebrew semantics. This course will use a cognitive linguistic approach to explore ways to get a deeper insight in the meaning of Biblical Hebrew words. One of our major discoveries will be that meaning is structured, and that a deeper understanding of the structure of meaning can help us get a deeper insight in the world behind the Biblical texts.

Dates: April 17 – May 12 Credits: 3

June

In this practical course, students will learn how Hebrew poetry works and develop skills in unfolding the layers of meaning embedded in the artistry of many Biblical poems. We will study – in context – multiple poems that have been variously translated in order to determine their most likely meaning. We will ask whether poetic structures and devices point to significant meaning connections in the poem. We will explore the Biblical world of the poets and their original audiences as well as other kinds of context.

Classes will demonstrate how to analyze and synthesize a wide variety of biblical poems, including up to nineteen short Psalms, forty very short (one-verse) Proverbs, four poems from the Prophets, and one each from the Books of Job, Ecclesiastes, and Song of
Songs. Students will practice applying these principles and procedures to almost all of these poems.

Dates: June 1 – June 30 Credits: 3

A. RESIDENT OPTION: The all-inclusive cost is $6000*

application fee for Hebrew University.
tuition for all six courses.
health insurance for students of Hebrew University.
room and board for three months.
all study trip fees – including travel, overnights and entrances to museums and archeological sites.

It does not include individual personal expenses and books. Advise for private pocket money: $100 per month.

*subsidies and scholarships are available, reviewed by a special committee

Short Term Courses

Fourteen Days of Eye Opening Insights into the Hebrew Scripture and its Context

We offer several insightful courses on the historical, archaeological and geographical context of Scripture and how this understanding can impact translations. With Bible in hand trips to Biblical sites throughout the Land are experienced with an eye toward Bible translation issues.

Since translation consultants check and approve the Biblical accuracy of the mother tongue translations, they must be knowledgeable in not only the text of the Bible but also of the context in which the words were written.

Translation consultants should have a minimum of one study experience in the Land of the Bible to learn about its geography, archaeology, flora, fauna, etc., forming an experiential dictionary of Biblical terms and resulting in improved expertise in advising toward a more accurate and natural translation.

Participation in the “Land of the Bible” Course is for Bible Translators & Consultants

The awareness of how knowing the external “context” of Scripture enhances the ability to better understand the Text has increased tremendously over the past two decades. Short term “Land of the Bible” courses designed specifically for Bible translators or scholars throughout the year. Each study tour can be tailor made and typically includes both class lectures as well as field trips throughout the Land of Israel.

Preferences

The course is open to all but certain preferences apply:

1. Preferably currently consulting in a Hebrew Bible (OT) translation project. National consultants are encouraged to apply as JCBT can help in the visa process.

2. Preferably under 55 years of age.

Short-term courses by JCBT:

Are tailor made for consultants and translation groups.
Focus on how the context impacts the understanding of the original Text.
Are inexpensive and flexible for each group.

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Sample Schedule of Study Trips

Jerusalem & Vicinity

WILDERNESS AND FOOTHILLS

Galilee

Independent Studies

Private Tutorials in Hebrew

Private tutorials in either Biblical or Modern Hebrew, tailor made to individual needs, can be arranged through JCBT for visiting students or scholars.

Residence Studies for Scholars

JCBT also provides inexpensive residence for scholars and translators on study sabbaticals. Available only when space permits between each of the official study programs.

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COURS INTENSIF SUR LA NARRATION ET LA POESIE EN HEBREU BIBLIQUE

INVITATION COURS INTENSIF SUR LA NARRATION ET LA POESIE EN HEBREU BIBLIQUE

des études de DISCOURS de deux genres littéraires dans la Bible hébraïque : les textes narratifs et les textes poétiques. Les textes de référence seront le livre de Jonas et le livre de Psaumes (une sélection avec d’autres textes poétiques).
Un survol GEOGRAPHIQUE du pays d’Israël, concentré sur des sites et des éléments en rapport avec les textes choisis.

AN INVITATION TO an intensive course on NARRATIVE and POETIC TEXTS in the HEBREW BIBLE

Discourse studies of two biblical genres in the Hebrew Bible: narrative and poetic texts. Our reference texts will be the book of Jonah and the book of Psalms (selections with a few other poetic texts)
An overview of the historical geography of the land of the Bible, concentrating on sites and elements related to the texts under study.

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Testimonials

“Nothing compares with personal experience of the settings of events about which I have been teaching and consulting for a lifetime. Every day I am using the resources gained.”
"Wonderful experience. The course has helped me to understand the scripture better, and also it has helped me to enjoy my daily Bible reading."
"This has been one of the best courses and it was good to see the geography, land, animals, vegetation, etc that of the Bible. Now when I read the Bible things are becoming live and interesting."
"Without knowing the context of the land, my knowledge or understanding of the Bible would have been wrong. Language in the context is the essential key to make all the knowledge connected so as to become clear."
"I have to say that my understanding of Biblical culture and context before the course was very superficial. However, I have seen the real soil of this land, I experienced the weather/climate, I felt what we cannot get form the pictures on the internet or information in books. I am sure that I will read the Bible with more vivid eyes."
I am very happy to go through this to say good evening to all who are in JCBT... I returned to Benin well, and I started the service in the translation team. I attended a Fulani conference in Benin, which took place from August 27 to 31, 2019. This conference brought together about a thousand people. All are Fulani Christians from Benin. In this lecture, I presented many images of the country of Israel, and we prayed for Israel and for JCBT and all those are in JCBT.

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