Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Trevor Peterson <06peterson AT cua.edu>]

>===== Original Message From eskeeric AT isu.edu =====
>I was wondering if any of you have advice on the best schools to study 
Hebrew specifically Biblical Hebrew in the United States.
>

I would strongly recommend the Semitics Department at the Catholic 
University of America, Washington, DC (chaired by M. O'Connor, of Waltke 
& O'Connor's IBHS). The ANE track is always a major in Biblical Hebrew, 
plus you have a rare opportunity to study Aramaic with some true experts 
in the field. Add Akkadian and Ugaritic to round out your ancient 
languages (both approached with a strong sense of how knowing them will 
contribute to your understanding of Hebrew), and you've only scratched 
the surface. Because the department also has a Christian Near East 
track, you have the opportunity to study Arabic as much as you can 
handle, and the small size and centralized departmental library 
facilitates regular interaction between students and faculty of
different subdisciplines within the field of Semitics. You end up with a
well-rounded grasp of the language family and particular expertise in 
BH. It's a good foundation from which to build in a lot of related 
directions.

Trevor Peterson
CUA/Semitics