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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Survey Question about use of Biblical Hebrew in class

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Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

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  • From: Tory Thorpe <torythrp AT yahoo.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Survey Question about use of Biblical Hebrew in class
  • Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:10:14 -0700 (PDT)


--- On Mon, 6/15/09, Moshe Shulman <mshulman AT ix.netcom.com> wrote:

> Tony, I can only assume that you are not familiar with
> Modern Hebrew or Biblical Hebrew.

I'm fluent in modern Hebrew (I'm Israeli) and I've been reading the Biblical
Hebrew since I was a child. My first point was that modern Hebrew is no
obstacle to learning BH. I really can't see that it is.

> The differences are significant
> enough to be problematic.

Many modern Hebrew speakers have never studied BH but their mother tongue is
not an "obstacle" to learning. The disadvantage I spoke of in my second point
relates to preference and even credibility. Although very different, I would
prefer to learn ancient Egyptian from someone who knows Coptic inside and
out. Similarly, as a linguist, I would not want to learn early Russian from
someone who does not know and speak modern Russian fluently. Maybe this helps
clarify.

Tory Thorpe







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