Hebrew 324: Biblical Texts

Department of Hebrew and Semitic Studies

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Spring 2006

Class: MWF 1:20-2:15                                                        Location: 148 Van Hise                 

Instructor: Jim Kirk                                                           Email: jkirk@wisc.edu

Office: 1336 Van Hise Hall                                                 Office Phone #: 262-8240

Office Hours: F 12:00-1:00 or by appointment                      Email list: hebrst324-1-s06@lists.wisc.edu

            The primary purpose of this course to increase fluency and accuracy in reading Biblical Hebrew through (a) reading selected texts; (b) discussion of grammar and syntax (a special focus will be clausal syntax);  (c) and vocabulary building. 

Requirements:

1)  Attendance is required.  Unexcused absences will have a negative impact on your final grade.

2)  Daily preparation:  Please come to class ready to translate and parse all the verbs in the Hebrew text for that day.  If you are not prepared when called on, please say so and we will move on to the next person.

3)  Quizzes:  Every Wednesday we will begin class with a brief 10 minute quiz that will test you primarily on material covered the previous week, especially vocabulary, syntax, and translation.  There will be no make-up quizzes (except by very special permission), but your lowest quiz score will be dropped.

4)  We will have a mid-term (FRI. MARCH 10) and a final exam (07:45 A.M. FRI. MAY 12).  Both exams will be cumulative. 

            5)  Syntax & Translation Exercise:  You must present a translation and syntactic analysis of two passages, Deut. 4:1-22 (DUE FRI. MARCH 31) and Deut 4:23-40 (DUE FRI. APRIL 21), according to guidelines discussed in class.

            6)  Oral Reading Memory Exercise:  This semester you are required to memorize and recite for me a Hebrew Psalm of your choosing.  Suggestions: Pss 1, 2, 15, 23, 120, 121, or another Psalm of similar length.  Please confirm your choice with me.  I will schedule the readings in April, but feel free to complete the assignment earlier in the semester.  A good, free, oral recording of the Hebrew Bible is available at http://www.aoal.org/hebrew_audiobible.htm (also available on cd from me).

Textbooks:

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.

Mitchel, Larry. 1984. A Student's Vocabulary for Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Grading:                                                                 Grading Scale:   A         94-100

Oral Reading:           10%                                                                      AB       88-93.99

Syntax Exercise:       15%                                                                      B          82-87.99

Quizzes:                   15%                                                                      BC       76-81.99

Midterm Exam:         25%                                                                      C          70-75.99

Final Exam:              35%                                                                      D         60-69.99

Special announcement:  The Department of Hebrew and Semitic Studies celebrates its 50^th Anniversary this Spring!  This semester there will be a number of special lectures related to this event.  Of special interest to students in this course will be the lectures on Sunday, April 2: Eugene Ulrich, “The Impact of the Dead Sea Scrolls on Our Bible,” and James VanderKam, “The Dead Sea Scrolls and Early Judaism” [3:00-4:30 p.m., Vandeberg Auditorium at the Pyle Center].  For more information, and other lectures, see http://hebrew.wisc.edu/50thAnnivCeleEvents.html.