Biblical Hebrew Forum

["K Randolph" <kwrandolph AT gmail.com>]

Dear James:

On 8/7/07, JAMES CHRISTIAN READ <JCR128 AT student.anglia.ac.uk> wrote:
> Hi Karl,
>
> …
> This brings us on to another point worthy of discussion
> on this list. I personally, am against pointed text,
> for the reason which you have amply illustrated with
> this example. I have thought about compiling a beginners
> course in biblical hebrew which teaches the reader, from
> the very outset, to read unpointed text in the hopes that
> students will be raised with good instincts and the
> ability to rely on them rather than a pointed text.
> Would that be a project you be interested in participating
> in Karl?
>
> James Christian Read
> BSc Computer Science (thesis: concept driven machine translation using the 
> Aleppo codex)
> http://www.lamie.org/hebrew

Uri Hurvitz sent me (I thought he sent it to the list) a reference to
an article http://sbl-site.org/Article.aspx?ArticleId=675 from someone
who is teaching students to read Hebrew without points as well as with
points. However, when I wrote the author, I got no response (it's
possible he never got my letter). I'd rather start with someone else's
efforts than "reinvent the wheel", giving him credit.

I was afraid that I would have to compile a beginners course on my
own, I would far rather do so as a collaborative effort. As for
licensing, how about open source or something similar?

My dictionary was written with the goal of helping the student, rather
than satisfying the scholar. Wherever I noticed that a form could have
come from two or more sources, I list it pointing to the sources.
Because of this emphasis on the student, it is only natural that I be
interested in a course for beginners, based on the unpointed text.

Thanks for the idea.

Yours, Karl W. Randolph.