Introduction to Hebrew OT502 Fall 2005 Dick Belcher, Jr. Welcome to the study of Hebrew. Although there are some initial barriers to overcome, most people who are diligent and disciplined in their study can understand this material. Learning Hebrew is part of our devotion to God and is important because of the high esteem we have for the Word of God. If we believe that theology is based on exegesis, then it is imperative that we learn Hebrew to the best of our ability. I. Course Goals A. To learn the fundamentals of Hebrew word formation and pronunciation. B. To gain an introductory understanding of Hebrew grammar. C. To achieve an elementary ability to read Hebrew. II. Textbooks A. Required: 1) Mark Futato, Beginning Biblical Hebrew 2) A Hebrew Bible: Biblia Sacra: Hebraica et Graeca or Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia 3) Hebrew Vocabulary Cards B. Recommended: "The Hebrew Alphabet and Vowels," Dick Belcher, Jr. This tape covers how to recognize, pronounce, transliterate, and form the Hebrew letters and vowels. A practice sheet is also included. III. Course Requirements A) Quizzes: The quizzes provide a series of short term goals which, if met, will advance you smoothly through the course. They are important. 1) Class will begin with a quiz. Do not be late for class. 2) You will always be told what new material to expect on a quiz. The quizzes will focus on class lecture material and the handouts. 3) Ten quizzes will be given. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped. 4) The first time you miss a quiz for whatever reason will be your dropped quiz.B) Exams: there are two exams and the final. The exams during the semester will take the first hour of class and the second hour will have normal lecture. No exercises are due the day of the exam. C) Practice: the Practice sections in Futato include vocabulary, a focus on the new material, and a review of previous lessons. 1) Vocabulary: the vocabulary has been matched to the numbers on the vocabulary cards. Vocabulary is cumulative throughout the semester. 2) Students are required to do all the Practice material. On each quiz there will be a statement concerning the completion of the practice material. A student must complete 90% of the practice material to get credit. Class will begin by reviewing the Practice assignments. Students will get a chance to orally participate during this time. Be prepared to read the Hebrew and answer questions based on the Practices. Answers to the Practices are in the back of the book. Please do the work yourself first, and then you can check what you have done. IV. Grading 10% Practice (including class participation) 60% Exams 30% QuizzesSchedule For Introduction to Hebrew Fall 2005 Grammar Paradigms August 24 Chap 1 The Alphabet Chap 2 The Vowels August 31 Chap 3 Syllables, Shewa, Dagesh Sept 7 Chap 4 The Noun: Basic Forms Noun Inflection (absolute) Chap 5 Pronouns and the Def Article Personal Pronoun Sept 14 Chap 6 The Verb: Qal Pft Complete Qal (perfect) Sept 21 Exam 1 Chap 7 Sentences with Verbs Sept 28 Chap 8 Noun: Vowel Changes Chap 9 Prepositions and Waw Conjunction October 5 Chap 10 The Adjective Chap 11 Qal Imperfect Complete Qal (imperfect) October 12 Fall Break October 19 Chap 12 Construct Singular Noun Inflection Chap 13 Construct Plural (abs and cons) October 26 Exam 2 Chap 14 Qal Pft and Impft Weak Verbs November 2 Chap 15 Qal Pft and Impft: I Nun, III Hey November 9 Chap 16 Poss Suff/Sing Nouns Noun w/Suff (sg)Chap 17 Demonstrative and Demon Pron/Adj Relative Pronouns November 16 No Class November 23 Chap 18 Qal Impft: I Yod, I Alef Chap 19 Poss Suff/Plur Nouns Noun w/Suff (pl) November 30 Review December 9, 12-14 Final