Biblical Hebrew Forum

["James C. Kirk" <jckirk AT worldnet.att.net>]

From Takamitsu Muraoka's Modern Hebrew For Biblical Scholars: an annotated chrestomathy with an outline grammar and a glossary (Wiesbaden : Harrassowitz, 1998 [Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1982]):

 

"For decades, Israeli scholars, and occasionally scholars in the Diaspora, have been producing a tremendous amount of work written in their newly resurrected national language on a wide range of subjects which cannot fail to interest any serious student of the Old Testament and a host of related subjects. Whilst part of of the Israeli scholars’ output is available in one or more of the major West-European languages, much of lasting value and originality remains inaccessible to those who, even with a reasonable command of Biblical Hebrew, find it rather daunting to attempt to decipher unpointed Modern Hebrew publications. The present work is an attempt to meet this obvious need." (Preface to the First Ed., 1982)

 

"That there is still a demand for this textbook is, in a sense, sad.  Although we have noted, since its first publication in 1982, a welcoming increase in the number of non-Israeli scholars who do draw upon publications in Modern Hebrew, there are still not a few, even among Hebraists and Semitists to whom unpointed Hebrew publications remain a terra incognita.  What was said in the foreword to the first edition about the quantity and quality of such publications is still valid, even more so.  They are ignored only to the detriment of scholars."  (Prefact to the Second Ed., 1998)

 

jck

----- Original Message -----

From: Jonathan D. Safren

To: Biblical Hebrew

Sent: Saturday, May 18, 2002 3:15 AM

Subject: Re: OFF TOPIC Modern Hebrew question

When I was a student at Hebrew U, a popular joke had it that that German is the most important Semitic language, because you need it to learn all the other Semitic languages. Today, in order to be a serious student of Hebrew Bible and Semitic languages, you must know how to read the proliferous professional literature in Hebrew. How can one study Deuteronomistic literature without reading up on all Moshe Weinfeld has written? Can one do without Yair Zakovitch's studies on stylistic-literary phenomena in the Bible?

Anyonje who doesn't think that Modern Hebrew is at least as important as German or English for the study of the Tanakh is obviously ignorant of Israeli scholarly work (and of Modern Hebrew).

However, I really don't see the need to conduct Hebrew Bible classes in Hebrew in the U.S., though making it an elective might be useful for improving students' reading proficiency in Modern Hebrew professional literature.

Sincerely,

Jonathan D. Safren

Dept. of Biblical Studies

Beit Berl College

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