Biblical Hebrew

Mentored by Shane S. Schulthies, PhD

July 14 - August 28, 2010

Listen to the free intro seminar held June 24.

"The wisdom and character of my instructor were truly inspiring; particularly I enjoyed his ability to allow [discussion to] flow while still covering the class content." - Melinda C.

Laying the foundation of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the Bible is more than just a classic--it has been the primary source of truth for Western Civilization for almost two millennia. Additionally, of all of the writings relied upon during the founding era of the United States, the Bible is the most quoted. One cannot understand the founding of America without comprehending the Old and New Testaments. To penetrate deeper into this great book, one of the sharpest tools is a functional knowledge of Biblical Hebrew. Martin Luther agreed, saying:

If I were younger I would want to learn this language [Hebrew], for without it one can never properly understand the Holy Scripture…. For that reason they have said correctly: 'The Jews drink out of the original spring, The Greeks drink out of the stream flowing out of the stream, The Latins, however, out of the puddle.'

The purpose of this course is two-fold. First, to help students learn enough Biblical Hebrew to begin to read and understand the Old Testament (last summer, every student who completed a six-week course was able to read and translate short Biblical passages). Second, to learn how to use Strong’s Concordance and other online tools, to enrich your study of the Bible.

Texts

1. The First Hebrew Primer: The Adult Beginner's Path to Biblical Hebrew, Third Edition, ISBN-10: 0939144158,ISBN-13: 978-0939144150
2. The Holy Bible
3. A Hebrew/English Bible, (e.g. http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0.htm)
4. Strong’s Concordance

Itinerary

This is a seven-week online course July 14th to August 28th 2010, held each Wednesday night from 6 to 10pm MDT. 

Course Credit

Students are eligible to receive two language credits.

Registration

To register online select the option appropriate for your student status.  If you do not have a GWU Online Services login (OLS), you will be able to create one.

Undergraduate (BA) and non-students: $450.00

Graduate (MA) students: $700.00

A free sixty-minute webinar is being offered June 24 for those interested in learning more about the concepts to be covered in the six-week course.  Click here to learn more.