Hebrew II

Instructor: David Pettit

Phone: 914 466 0162

Email: dpettit@iliff.edu

Course Synopsis: This course is the second course in a year-long sequence designed to give students the ability to read and interpret biblical Hebrew. Such ability is essential for students who wish to understand the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. The fall and winter quarters of this course are devoted to giving the student the ability to read Hebrew at a basic level, while learning to appreciate the distinctive cultural concerns and ways of expressing these concerns in biblical prose and poetry. These quarters will include a survey of Hebrew grammar and the development of a basic Hebrew vocabulary. The spring quarter will primarily be devoted to the reading and exegesis of Hebrew texts and will further develop the student’s vocabulary, and the student’s ability to read, interpret and understand Hebrew grammar.

Required Texts:

Hackett, Jo Ann. A Basic Introduction to Biblical Hebrew . Har/Cdr Bl edition. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers, 2010.

Brown, Driver, and Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Hendrickson.

Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS). Edited by Gerhard Weil, 1977.

Recommended Texts:

Waltke, Bruce K., and M. O’Connor. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax . Winona Lake, Ind: Eisenbrauns, 1990.

Benjamin, Don C., and Victor H. Matthews. Social World of Ancient Israel: 1250-587 BCE . Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2005.

King, Philip J., and Lawrence E. Stager. Life in Biblical Israel . 1 edition. Louisville, Ky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002.

Course Goals

This year-long sequence will endeavor to do the following:

Course Objectives

Students should possess the following competencies when they complete this year-long sequence:

 

Requirements And Evaluation 

Requirements

 

  1. Actively read through the first chapters 18-30 of Hackett’s A Basic Introduction to Biblical Hebrew.

We will work through the remainder of Hackett’s grammar (18-30) by covering approximately two chapters per week. The chapters are not generally long, and you would do well to review them a second time after you read through them once. Submissions are expected for each chapter, and at least one google hangout will be scheduled for questions and reviewing some of the chapter's exercises. 

Note: the google hangout is optional and not in lieu of submitting the chapter exercises. 

 

2. Regular Submission of work (40%) 

Our work each week will be punctuated by designated due dates when I expect your chapter and exercise work will be completed. Exercises showing your translation and analyzing will be due on each of these dates. 

 In the gradebook I will submit a mark based on a 10 point scale for each of these assigments (twice per week for most weeks).

9.5 – you are on track, showing progress, gaining facility, participating. Great!

8.5 – you are doing well; might put in a little more time gaining a handle on the material so that you do not get overwhelmed as we go.

7.5 or below – looking for more progress or evidence of close engagement.

10 – Way to go! Look at you!  

My goal with this grading approach is to build in some accountability and feedback to keep you on track, for me to get a sense of how you are doing, and for you to have some feedback to gage your own progress. 

Further comment on this: I expect you to complete the chapter exercises, making yourself familiar and comfortable with the concepts, paradigms, and vocabulary of each chapter and be able to translate them without your notes.

Each chapter has a reasonable number of practice exercises. I expect you to complete them. I am not ultimately concerned if you do not complete every one as long as you complete enough to be comfortable with the concepts and paradigms and this becomes evident in your ability to analyze and translate.

I am not expecting perfection, but am looking for evidence of progress, in your translations! I am looking for evidence that you are able to pronounce words and identify vocabulary and are improving in your ability to recognize and analyze forms. Again, not concerned with perfection, but with progress and an increasing facility with being able to analyze and translate what you are reading.

 

3. Reading and Pronunciation (graded as part of the weekly submissions)

In weeks 3a and 8a I will expect you to upload a video of your reading for 3 minutes. This is to monitor and give feedback on your ability to read aloud. The most important aspect of reading is that you are able to recognize readily the consonants and vowels that are key to knowing vocabulary, analyzing, and translating. This will be in addition to your written translation/notes. 

 

4. Vocabulary (10%)

I am still developing an accountability structure for weekly vocabulary. You will be expected to know the vocabulary from the first 17 chapters of Hackett, in addition to the weekly chapter(s)'s vocabulary as we progress through the quarter. 

This accountability will most likely involve the test mode in quizlet. I want you to study vocab as if you will be quizzed on it; that you study it till you know it. 

https://quizlet.com/join/SXfnhhNWj (Links to an external site.) 

 

5. Mid-Course reading with the Instructor (10% of grade)

In Week 6 you will be expected to read with the instructor. This is designed to be a check-in on progress in understanding the content covered so far as reflected in reading, recognizing vocabulary, analyzing forms, and translating. You will need to sign up for a slot in a timely manner. 

 

6. Final Translation Exercise (20%)

Given in week 10. 

 

 7. Optional Google Hangouts

Because participation in google hangouts will depend on schedules and other things going on in life, the hangouts will be optional, and not required. Furthermore, I want more accountability and more evidence of your weekly work, hence requiring submissions and not accepting the hangout in lieu of weekly submissions.

While the hangouts are apparitional, If you are struggling it behooves you to take advantage of these, and I expect that you will. The google hangout is for asking questions, getting clarification on things that are not clear, and going over a handful of the exercises. 

 

https://hangouts.google.com/hangouts/_/iliff.edu/dpettit?authuser=0 (Links to an external site.) 

 

8. Instructor Assessment (20%)

The last 20% of your grade is the instructor's assessment of your overall work throughout the course. This gives the professor some leeway for honoring faithful and hard work even when it has been a struggle, or overall performance even if there is a missing assignment or low marks in places. 

 

Degree Learning Goals: Please take some time to look over the Professional Degree Learning Goals (MDiv, MASC, MAPSC) and the Academic Degree Learning Goals (MTS, MA).

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

       Incompletes will only be considered in cases where the majority of the work has been completed during the quarter. 

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community. 

DateDayDetails
Jan 10, 2017TueFront Matter - Getting Starteddue by 06:05AM
Jan 10, 2017TueDiscussion Thread - Weeks 1-5. due by 06:59AM
Jan 16, 2017MonSignificant Differences - #1due by 06:59AM
Jan 31, 2017TueSignificant Differences #2due by 06:59AM
Feb 15, 2017WedWeek 5b-6a Mid-Course Reading With Instructordue by 06:59AM
Feb 16, 2017ThuVocab Quiz 1due by 06:59AM
Feb 16, 2017ThuDiscussion Thread - Weeks 6-10due by 06:59AM
Mar 07, 2017TueSignificant Differences #3due by 06:59AM
Mar 20, 2017MonWeek 10 - Final Assignment - Translationdue by 12:00PM
Mar 21, 2017TueInstructor Assessmentdue by 05:59AM