Biblical Hebrew 323
Fall 2004
Class: MWF 1:20-2:10; 144 Van Hise Kent Reynolds
Office Phone: 262-8240 kareynolds@wisc.edu
Office 1336 Van Hise
Course Objectives:
1. To increase your facility in reading and comprehending Biblical Hebrew texts through an emphasis on oral reading and vocabulary building.
2. To increase your understanding of Biblical Hebrew grammar through a systematic review of its phonology, morphology, and syntax.
3. To develop an appreciation of narrative art in the Hebrew Bible through a study narrative techniques in the book of Ruth.
Course Requirements:
1. Attendance – Class attendance is required. If you have conflicts that you know about (sports, family, etc.), contact me as soon as possible. Poor attendance will reduce your daily assignment grade.
2. Assignments - You are expected to complete the assignments for each class. You will receive a pass/fail daily assignment grade based on your preparation for reading, translation, and discussion.
a. Quizzes - There will be a brief quiz once a week covering vocabulary and grammar. Missed quizzes will be recorded as a zero. There are no make-ups except by special permission. The lowest quiz grade is dropped when calculating your final grade.
b. Paper #1 - You must read Shimon Bar-Efrat's Narrative Art in
the Bible and submit an analysis of the book of Ruth with respect
to one of the literary features discussed in Bar-Efrat (i.e., narrator,
characters, plot, time and space, stylistic devices).
A rough draft is due by class time on Fri. Oct 8.
The final draft is due by class time on Mon. Oct 18.
The final grade will be based on both drafts. In class you will
be expected to provide “expert” comment on the particular feature you
have chosen as we work through the book of Ruth, summarizing the
narrative technique by chapter/scene.
c. Paper #2 - You must present a syntactic analysis of Deut. 4:1-40 based on our study of biblical Hebrew during the semester (the technique for the analysis will be demonstrated in class). The analysis is due by class time Fri. Dec 10.
d. Reading - You are expected to prepare two readings of chapter length from Ruth or Deuteronomy and read it aloud with fluency and proper inflection. It is your responsibility to make an appointment with me to complete the reading. The first must be completed before Fri. Oct 29th. The second must be completed before Fri. Dec 3rd.
e. Exams - Two exams will be given:
Midterm on Fri. Oct 22nd.
Final at 7:45 AM, Tues. Dec 21st.
The final will be cumulative.
Students needing disability-related accommodations should see me as soon as possible.
Undergraduate Grading: Grading Scale:
Daily Assignments 10%
Quizzes 20% A 94-100
Oral Reading 10% AB 88-93
Paper #1 15% B 82-87
Paper #2 15% BC 76-81
Midterm 15% C 70-75
Final 15% D 60-69
Graduate Grading
Daily assignments 20% (half of this is assignments from historical grammar)
Quizzes 15%
Oral Reading 5%
Paper #1 10%
Paper #2 10%
Midterm 10%
Midterm (4th hour) 10%
Final 20%
Required Reading [On Reserve]:
Bar-Efrat, Shimon. 1997. Narrative Art in the Bible. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.
Textbooks:
Mitchel, Larry. 1984. A Student's Vocabulary for Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs. 1979. The New Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew-English Lexicon. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson.
Elliger, K. and Rudolph, W., ed. 1967-77. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. 3rd ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft. or Dotan, Aron, ed. 2001. Biblia Hebraica Leningradensia. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson.
Undergrads: Merwe, Christo H. J. van der, Jackie A. Naudé, and Jan H. Kroeze. 1999. A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.
Grads: Joüon, Paul. 1991. A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew. Translated and edited by Takamitsu Muraoka. Subsidia Biblica 14, 1-2. Rome: Biblical Institute Press.
Calendar
|
Week |
Class Discussion on: |
Learn Mitchel: |
|
Sept 3, 8, 10 |
Introduction to class. Begin Ruth. Grammar overview (read BHRG ch. 3, §10-13). |
Mitchel §2 (review) |
|
13, 15, 17 |
Ruth. Orthography, Phonetics, and Phonology. BHRG §1-9; JM §1-14, 17-33 |
§3A-D |
|
20, 22, 24 |
Quiz #1. Ruth. Accents and Massorah. BHRG §9.5-9.8; JM §15-16 |
§3E-G |
|
27, 29, Oct 1 |
Quiz #2. Ruth. Nominal System: Morpology, Suffixes, Congruency, Construct. BHRG §23-27; JM §35, 86-99, 129-30, 134-40 |
§4A
|
|
4, 6, 8 |
Quiz #3. Ruth. Nominal System: Apposition, Pronouns, Adjectives, Numerals. BHRG §29-31, 36-37; JM §36-39, 100-1, 131, 141-49 Paper #1 draft (Oct 8) |
§4B |
|
11, 13, 15 |
Quiz #4. Ruth. Noun and Verb: Congruency, Prepositions BHRG §32-35; JM §125-28, 132-33, 150 |
§4C |
|
18, 20, 22 |
Quiz #5. Finish & review Ruth. BHRG §14-16; JM §40-60 Paper #1 final (Oct 18); Midterm Exam (Oct 22) |
review for Midterm! |
|
25, 27, 29 |
Discuss exam. Deuteronomy. Verbal System: Conjugations and Stems; Suffixes. BHRG §17, 19-20; JM §61-66, 111-24 Reading #1 (Oct 29; note before Oct 29th) |
§4D |
|
Nov 1, 3, 5 |
Quiz # 6. Deuteronomy. Review Gutt., Aleph, Nun verbs. Verbal Clause Syntax/Semantics, Word Order. BHRG §18.1-4, 6; §12, §46-47; JM §67-73, 78, 153-56, 176-77. |
§4E
|
|
8, 10, 12 |
Quiz #7. Deuteronomy. Review I-wy verbs. Verbless Clause; Apposition & Coordination. BHRG §18.7; §38-45; JM §74-77, 154, 157, 159-65, 172, 173, 175 |
§4F |
|
15, 17, 19 |
Quiz #8. Deuteronomy. Review III-he verbs. Relative and Comparative clauses. BHRG §18.5; 38-45; JM §79, 158, 174 |
§4G |
|
22, 24 Thksgv. 26th |
Quiz #9. Deuteronomy. Review II-w/y verbs. Temporal and Exceptive clauses. |
§4H |
|
29, Dec 1, 3 |
Quiz #10. Deuteronomy. Review II-III verbs. Conditional, Implicated (purpose/result), Causal clauses. BHRG §18.8; 38-45; JM §80-81, 166, 167, 170 Reading #2 (Dec 3; note before Dec 3rd.) |
§4I |
|
6, 8, 10 |
Quiz #11. Deuteronomy. Review doubly weak verbs. Concessive clauses. BHRG §18.9; 38-45; JM §168, 169, 171 Paper #2 (Dec 12) |
§4J |
|
13, 15 |
Quiz #12. Deuteronomy. Discourse patterns. BHRG §18.10-11; 13, 21 Review for Final. |
§4K |
|
Tues 21 |
Final Exam 7:45 AM |
