LAN 404 BEGINNING HEBREW I Class I: Introduction and Letters I Dr. Esa Autero

Why Study Hebrew? “The languages are the sheath in which the sword of the Spirit is contained." Martin Luther

Why Study Hebrew? “What was originally expressed in Hebrew does not have exactly the same sense when translated into another language.” “…even the Law…differ not a little when read in the original.” Prologue to the Book of Sirach c. 180 BC

Why Study Hebrew?  More accurate understanding of God’s word  E.g. you (sg./pl.; Masc./fem.)  Nuances and colors  E.g. Zechariah [זְכַרְיָה]  God remembers [ z e ḵ ar + yā h]  Misuse of Hebrew  Historical distance  Cross-Cultural experience

Introduction and Letters I 1.2 Introduction to Hebrew Language  Part of the Semitic (Shem, Gen 5:32) language family (Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic, Phoenician, Ugarit …)  Hebrew in usage since the time of Moses ( BC)  Hebrew, the official language in Israel

Introduction and Letters I  Short history of Hebrew language  HB. has app. 305,441 words of which 4,828 are in Aramaic (c. 2%)*

Introduction and Letters I  Origins of Biblical Hebrew:  Earliest Hebrew many commonalities with Ugaritic and Amarna Canaanite  Hebrew, a Canaanite language like Edomite, Ammonite, Moabite  Canaanite languages originated in 2 nd Millennium B.C. (before the Conquest)

Introduction and Letters I  Development of Hebrew script:

Introduction and Letters I  Gezer calendar*, 10th century B.C.  Language and script: Hebrew or Phoenician?  Hebrew flourished in Monarchical period (10 th -6 th century)  After Exile Aramaic spoken along with Hebrew

Introduction and Letters I  Deir Alla inscription*  Balaam (Num 22-24)  Language w/ Canaanite & Aramaic features Inscription of Balaam son of Beor, the prophet, man of the gods. Behold, the gods came to him at night, and [spoke to] him according to these words, and they said to [Balaa]m son of Beor thus: "The [Light] has shone its last; the Fire for [judgment] has shone."

Introduction and Letters I  Historical stages of Hebrew language  Archaic Biblical Hebrew, 10th to 6th century B.C (Ex 15; Jud 5)  Biblical Hebrew around the 6th century B.C.  Late Biblical Hebrew, 6th to 4th century B.C. (Ezra-Nehemiah)

Introduction and Letters I  Dead Sea Scroll Hebrew, 3rd century B.C. to 1st cent. A.D.  Mishnaic Hebrew from 1st to the 3 rd /4 th century A.D  Medieval Hebrew (7 th to 15 th century)  Modern Hebrew (renaissance from 18 th century)  Educated Hebrew speaker could read Hebrew of all periods

Introduction and Letters I 1.3 Beginning Hebrew Course  Textbook & workbook  Basics of language learning:  Read ch(s). ahead of the class  Learn alphabets & practice reading  Spend at least 1 hr./day  Vocabulary & grammar  Repetition the key  Use study aids (note cards, apps etc.)  Complete all homework  Review for exams  Form study groups

Introduction and Letters I ENGLISH ALPHABETS:  Read from left to right  26 letters (vowels, consonants)  Upper & lower case forms  Letters always the same (regardless of position)  Need to know the meaning of the words to read  Pronounced differently in different countries (US, UK, Australia…) HEBREW ALPHABETS:  Read from right to left  22 letters (all are consonants)  vowels are dashes/dots added to the consonants  No upper/lower case forms  End of the word forms  Consonants and vowels almost always pronounced the same way  Various pronunciations: Sephardic (Middle Eastern); Ashkenazic (Europe)

Introduction and Letters I 2.1 Hebrew letters I – Consonants א Alef(Silent) ʾ ב Betb as in boyb ג Gimelg as in God g ד Daletd as in day d Hb. letterNamePronunciationTransliteration

Introduction and Letters I Hb. letterNamePronunciationTransliteration ה Heh as in hay h ו Waww as in way w ז zayinz as in Zion z ח Ḥ et ch as in Bach ḥ ט Tett as in toy ṭ

Introduction and Letters I Hb. letterNamePronunciationTransliteration י Yody as in yes y כ,[ך] Kafk as in king k ל Lamedl as in lion l מ,[ם] Memm as in mother m נ,[ן] Nunn as in now n ס Sameks as in sin s ע Ayin(Silent) ʿ

Introduction and Letters I Hb. letterNamePronunciationTransliteration פ, [ף] Pep as in pastor p צ, [ץ] Tsadets as in boots ṣ ק Qofk as in king q ר Reshr as in run r שֹ Sins as in sin ś שׁ Shinsh as in ship š ת Tawt as in toy t

Introduction and Letters I  ע and א  Silent but possess phonetic value  Only their assigned vowels are pronounced  If “a” is assigned, only “a” is pronounced etc.  Hebrew is written from right to left  תֹּורָה teaching, law, Torah  א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט י כ ל מ נ ס ע פ צ ק ר שׂ שׁ ת 23 Hebrew alphabets (consonants)

Introduction and Letters I  Final forms of Hebrew letters Regular form Final formExampleTransliterationTranslation כך דרך drkRoad, way מם עםעם ʿmʿm Nation, people נן זקן ZqnOld man, elder פף כסף KspMoney, silver צץ ארץארץ ʾrṣʾrṣ Earth, land

Introduction and Letters I  Begadkephat letters  Six Hb. consonants have two possible pronunciations  Known as begadkephat letters (בגדכפת)  Dagesh lene dot inside the letter indicates hard pronunciation  בּגּדּכּפּתּ בגדכפת

Introduction and Letters I Begadkephat letter PronunciationTransliteration בּ ב b as in boy v as in vine bḇbḇ גּ ג g as in God gh as in aghast gḡgḡ דּ ד d as in day dh as in the dḏdḏ כּ כ k as in king ch as in Bach kḵkḵ פּ פ p as in pastor ph as in alphabet pppp תּ ת t as in toy t as thin tṯtṯ

Introduction and Letters I  Guttural letters – (ר),ח,ה,ע,א  Pronounced in the back of the throat  Memorize gutturals  Important later on for vowel changes etc.  Numerical value of Hebrew letters  Each Hb. letter has a numerical value  א through ט represent numbers 1-9  י through צ represent numbers 10-90, multiples of 10 (10, 20…)  ק through ת represent numbers ( שׂ,שׁ both = 300)

Introduction and Letters I  Look alike letters:  ב (Bet) and כ (Kaf)  ג (gimel) and נ (nun)  שׂ (sin) and שׁ (shin)  ם (final Mem) and ס (samek)  ד (dalet) and ר (resh)  צ (tsade) and ע (ayin)  ו (waw) and ז (zayin)  ו (waw) and ן (final nun)  ך (final kaf) and ן (final nun)

Introduction and Letters I  Practice (workbook):  Pp. 1-4  Homework:  p. 5

Introduction and Letters I LL