Department of Asian Studies

Hebrew

Hebrew is one of the world's oldest languages still spoken today. It was similar in origin to ancient Phoenician and developed into an independent language in the 12th century BCE. Hebrew was the spoken language of the Patriarchs during the Biblical period, and the Bible is written in Hebrew. While Aramaic, which utilizes the same alphabet, replaced Hebrew as the spoken language for centuries, Hebrew remained a language used for ritual, prayer, literature, and written communication. As a spoken language, Hebrew began to reemerge in the 19th century and became, in 1913, the official language of instruction in Jewish schools in the region of Palestine. In 1948, Hebrew became the official language of the modern state of Israel.

Hebrew is written from right to left and consists of 22 consonants. A series of dots and dashes which represent vowel sounds were introduced in the 8th century in order to facilitate pronunciation. Students of Hebrew learn to read with the accompanying vowels which are phased out once the grammatical structures of the language are mastered. School and prayer books include vowels while magazines, newspapers, and literature do not.

Hebrew is spoken by a population in Israel of greater than 8 million and in communities throughout the world. It is studied widely in universities and seminaries by students of the Bible. Practically all vocabulary found in the Bible is utilized in Modern Hebrew, and examples of English words of Hebrew origin include: amen, hallelujah, cherub, seraph, behemoth, sabbath, and shibboleth.

The Department of Asian Studies offers six semesters of Modern Hebrew, and related culture and history courses are offered in a number of other departments. Students can minor in Modern Hebrew, or simply choose Hebrew to satisfy their foreign language requirement.

Minor in Modern Hebrew
The minor in Modern Hebrew consists of four courses. Three courses are language courses beyond HEBR 203 [103] (the first semester of Intermediate Hebrew): HEBR 204 [104], 305 [105], and 306 [106]. The other course must be chosen from among the following:

AMST 253 [53] Jewish Women in America
ENGL 289 [49J] Jewish-American Literature and Culture of the Twentieth Century
GERM 056 [006I]: Germans, Jews, and the History of Antisemitism
GERM 270 [61] German Culture and the Jewish Question
HIST 262 [50] History of the Holocaust: The Destruction of the European Jews
HIST 276 [77A] The Modern Middle East
HIST 277 [77B] The Conflict over Israel/Palestine
HIST 538 [197] The Middle East and the West
RELI 103 [21] Introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Literature
RELI 106 [24] Introduction to Early Judaism
RELI 107 [34] Introduction to Modern Judaism
RELI 110 [28] The Archaeology of Palestine in the New Testament Period
RELI 205 [55] Legends of Genesis
RELI 206 [57] Prophecy and Divination in Ancient Israel and Judah
RELI 343 [79] Religion in Modern Israel
RELI 401 [113] Biblical Hebrew
RELI 402 [114] Biblical Hebrew
RELI 403 [115] Intermediate Classical Hebrew
RELI 404 [116] Intermediate Classical Hebrew
RELI 503 [122] Exploring the Dead Sea Scrolls
RELI 512 [111] Ancient Synagogues
RELI 602 [126] What are the Holy Scriptures? The Formation of the Hebrew Canon

Courses in Hebrew

HEBR 101 [001]: Elementary Modern Hebrew I (3). Introduction to the essential elements of modern Hebrew structure and vocabulary and aspects of modern Israeli culture. Aural comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing are stressed in that order. Fall. FL [GC Foreign Language perspective].
HEBR 102 [002]:Elementary Modern Hebrew II (3). Prerequisite: HEBR 101 [001]. Spring. FL [GC Foreign Language perspective]..
HEBR 203 [003]: Intermediate Modern Hebrew I. Prerequisite: HEBR 102 [002]. The intermediate sequence is designed to increase reading and writing skills. An introduction to representative literary works is included. Aural comprehension and speaking skills are also stressed. Fall. FL [GC Foreign Language perspective].
HEBR 204 [004]: Intermediate Modern Hebrew II. Prerequisite: HEBR 203 [003]. Spring. FL, FI [GC Foreign Language Perspective].
HEBR 305 [005]: Advanced Modern Hebrew I (3). Prerequisite: HEBR 204 [004]. In the third year, students begin to read the great works of Hebrew literature, including the work of S.Y. Agnon, the first Hebrew writer to garner the Nobel Prize in Literature (1996). Fall. [A&S Aesthetic perspective].
HEBR 306 [006]: Advanced Modern Hebrew II (3). Prerequisite: HEBR 305 [005]. Spring. [A&S Aesthetic perspective].

For related courses taught in English, please see the complete list of courses.