Don’t be afraid of Hebrew!

Do you want to learn Hebrew? Then you’ve come to the right place!

I offer the following courses in Hebrew each semester at the Faculty of Theology: Hebrew I (aimed at the “Hebraicum”), a supplementary reading and examination course, and Hebrew II. At regular intervals I also hold courses in Aramaic (I and II), occasionally Syriac (Eastern Aramaic) and Ugaritic, a major north-western Semitic language.

Don’t be afraid of Hebrew!

Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, is a language of incomparable beauty. It gives you access to the world and the theology of the Old Testament. And it’s not as difficult as it seems at first glance!

If you need the Hebrew language certificate “Hebraicum”, then Hebrew I (eight contact hours a week) is the right course for you. In this course we work together on the writing, form and syntax of Biblical Hebrew. Very soon you will be able to read Hebrew and translate simple texts! In the Hebrew I reading and examination course (two contact hours per week) you practise and deepen your knowledge. It therefore makes sense to do this course as well. The “Hebraicum” certification takes place at the end of the semester. It consists of a written and an oral examination, which we have targeted in our preparation. I will inform you of the examination and registration procedures in due time as our course progresses.

In the Hebrew II course we practise how to apply and consolidate the knowledge acquired in the “Hebraicum”. We read different texts from the Old Testament and study their linguistic and theological characteristics. A lot of the material is repeated which makes this a suitable course for all students, including candidates for examinations.

And if you’ve caught the bug, then I‘ve got lots more on offer! Every now and then I hold epigraphic tutorials where we read ancient Hebrew texts which are not in the Old Testament. These reveal much about the history and faith of Israel.

Since parts of the Old Testament are written in Aramaic, I also offer courses in Aramaic. Here you learn the language by means of instant guided reading. We begin by reading Old Testament texts and then other literature from different periods, e.g. the 5^th century BCE papyri from the Elephantine Island in the Nile. If you want to study more of the Old Testament then I would recommend learning Ugaritic. The texts which were written in the northern Syrian port of Ugarit (2^nd millennium BCE) provide information not only about various theological ideas of the Old Testament, but also about the vocabulary and poetry of the Hebrew language.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact me at any time. My email-address is: thilo.rudnig@theologie.uni-goettingen.de.

I look forward to seeing you in the language courses!

Sincerely,
Thilo Rudnig

Adjunct Prof. Dr. Thilo Alexander Rudnig
Lecturer in Biblical Hebrew and related Semitic languages