What efforts I spent on that task (i.e., learning Hebrew), what difficulties I had to face, how often I despaired, how often I gave up and then in my eagerness to learn began again … I thank the Lord that from a bitter seed of learning I am now plucking sweet fruits! --Jerome, Epistula 125.12.Beginning Tuesday, September 2, a course in Basic Biblical Hebrew will be offered at Amarillo Bible Chair. There are no pre-requisites for this course. No previous knowledge of the language is expected. Anyone interested is welcome and encouraged to attend.
The class will meet each Tuesday evening, beginning at 6:30 p.m., at the Bible Chair building, 2501 S. Jackson (corner of Jackson and 25th), just across the street from the south parking lot of the Washington Street campus of Amarillo College.
Students should plan for class sessions lasting about two hours (until 8:30). But sessions can go a little longer if body, spirit, and time permit. A full school year of language study will require students to remain committed through May 2009.
Regarding textbooks: To begin, students must purchase Biblical Hebrew, Second Edition SET (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2004). The two books and three audio CDs may be purchased as a package. The SET is available for purchase at the Amarillo College Bookstore, located in the College Union Building on the Washington Street campus of AC. Because the College bookstore has been kind enough to order several copies of the SET, students are requested to purchase these materials from the bookstore.
Questions? You may call the instructor, Frank Bellizzi, at (806) 372-5747, or send an email to frankbellizzi@aya.yale.edu
Sounds interesting. Whenever, Lord willing, I go to seminary I plan to take both Greek and Hebrew. I had Greek in undergrad, but Hebrew will be all new to me. I'm not just saying I'll do it out of idealism. Those languages will be my main objective in getting graduate schooling.
ReplyDeleteAdam, if learning Greek and Hebrew is going to be a focus, just make sure you find a place that really excels in teaching those languages.
ReplyDeleteBecause you know more than one language already, you can appreciate even better that not all language instruction was created equal. The old top-down style of teaching makes it so difficult for students. Those kinds of classes are easy to find. A more-inductive approach that actually gets you into the biblical text early on, from below, is so much better. And it's so much harder to find.
Frank, where did you get the picture of the scroll?
ReplyDeleteBob,
ReplyDeleteWish I could say I took the photo myself. I found it looking around in Google Images.