An Introductory Ulpan Wed. Jan 27^th – Tues. Feb. 18^th 

The 3 week course of Spoken Hebrew will be taken via zoom because of Covid 19 restrictions.

The student is challenged to begin learning Hebrew as a living language via  instruction in Hebrew which aims to enhance the development of both spoken and written language skills. Along with traditional approaches, this intensive course is enhanced by innovative study methods, including audio and video learning tutorials in a University language laboratory setting. Internalization of Hebrew vocabulary and grammar is encouraged through hearing, speaking, reading and writing Hebrew. This immersion approach leads to long-term retention of vocabulary and verb forms.  

Hebrew University Instructors

Class Hours: 100     Credits: 5

Taught Simultaneously With Courses 3 & 4 During March and April

The instructor, Eyal Nahum, is an experienced Hebrew teacher. After having taught Modern and Biblical Hebrew for a number of years, Eyal has developed his own materials for teaching Biblical Hebrew using a similar methodology to that of the Modern Hebrew Ulpan at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He uses modern techniques for rapid language acquisition as applied to Biblical Hebrew.

Classroom instruction and interaction is conducted in Biblical Hebrew. This allows students to internalize the language by building both their memory and their analytical skills in the language, by exploiting all four of the major language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing. The book to be used in the course (“מבראשית”) was written by Eyal Nahum and is the fruit of many years of teaching Biblical Hebrew as a foreign language.

Note: this course can be taken by zoom in March and April. 

Instructor: Eyal Nahum, native Israeli,  MA in linguistics (Hebrew University), linguist, Polis Institute, Jerusalem.

Class Hours: 100   Credits: 5

March 1^st to March 31^st

Dr. De Blois will focus on Hebrew lexical semantics. This course teaches the student how to discover the meaning of the words they encounter in the Hebrew text. By focusing on the structure of meaning more than on grammatical structure, students will deal with prototypical meaning, metaphorical extensions, semantic domains, etc. These are aspects of the text that few students have learned before but that are essential for a good understanding of the text and for finding appropriate equivalents in the target language.

Extensive readings will focus on the the full verbal system and syntax.

Note: this course can be taken by zoom.

Instructor: Dr. Reinier de Blois, Director of Nida Institute, American Bible Society. 

Class Hours: 45       Credits: 3

April 1^st to April 30^th

In this course, participants will learn how to analyze the ways in which Biblical Hebrew narrative texts are structured. We 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. We will compare narrative with dialogue and other genres, such as found in prophetic texts. Longer stretches of narrative texts, like the Samson and Balaam narratives, will be among the texts studied during the course. Participants will learn more about how they can help teams to translate biblical texts while respecting fully the discourse features of the Hebrew text.

Instructor: Dr. Lénart de Regt, UBS Global Translation Advisor; Research Fellow, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein; Affiliated Researcher, Free University of Amsterdam.

Note: this course can be taken by zoom.

Class Hours: 45     Credits: 3

One-month course with comprehensive study tours throughout the land with Hebrew Bible in hand and an eye on Bible translation issues.  Lectures are organized under three main topics: geographical regions, historical periods, and cultural issues. 18 field trips enable the translator to experience the sites of Biblical events, to see archeological evidence of life in Biblical times, as well as to observe flora and fauna of the Land.  The Hebrew Bible readings on location enable the translator to understand the biblical text more accurately. This course is a learning experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world! The land serves as a visual experiential dictionary of Biblical Hebrew.

Instructor: Dr. Halvor Ronning and Dr. Adam Focht and other experienced academic guides and lecturers.

Note: Attendance in Israel is required for this course. 

Class Hours: 120     Credits: 6

June 1^st -June 30^th

Using their own newly revised handbook, Hebrew Poetry: a guide for understanding and translating (UBS, 2020), Drs. Wendland and Zogbo walk students through the various genres and characteristics of biblical Hebrew Poetry.  Emphasis is placed on learning to identify and understand the functions of important stylistic features on different levels of discourse.  As a case-study, participants will be invited to analyze the prophetic poetic book of Joel in an in-depth way, to see how form contributes to meaning, and also to explore what means they can use to create a powerful poetic rendering in their own language (or a language they know).  

Instructors:

• Dr. Ernst Wendland, UBS Translation Consultant; Lutheran Theological Seminary, Lusaka, Zambia; Professor in the Department of Ancient Studies at Stellenbosch University.
• Dr. Lynell Zogbo, UBS translation consultant; former professor at FATEAC, Cote d’Ivoire; and current UBS handbook author.

Note: Attendance in Israel is required for this course. 

Class Hours: 6o        Credits: 4

A. RESIDENT OPTION: The all- inclusive cost is $5,750.
(This is a 40% reduction. The usual price is $9,500)

1. tuition for all six courses, including student health insurance.
2. room and board for five months.
3. all study trip fees – including travel, overnights and entrances to museums and archeological sites.

It does not include individual personal expenses.

B. ZOOM OPTION: The cost is $5,750.
(This is a 20% reduction. The fee was $7,040)
(It was $7,040 = the full fee of $9,500 minus three months of room and board)

• tuition for all six courses, including student health insurance.
• room and board for two months.
• all 18 days of study trip fees – including travel, overnights and entrances to museums and archeological sites.

It does not include individual personal expenses.