Biblical Hebrew for Students of Modern Israeli Hebrew [Hardcover]

Marc Zvi Brettler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2001 | ISBN-10: 0300084404 | ISBN-13: 978-0300084405

This is the first textbook written for the purpose of teaching biblical Hebrew to college-level students who already know some modern, Israeli Hebrew. Marc Brettler provides a clear, comprehensive book with numerous well-constructed exercises to help students either make the transition from modern Israeli Hebrew to biblical Hebrew or deepen their understanding of biblical Hebrew. The book is also ideal for individuals who might like to study independently, and for serious Jewish adult-education programmes. Biblical Hebrew for Students of Modern Israeli Hebrew is unique in its emphasis on phonology, based on the conviction that a strong grounding in phonology makes it possible to learn biblical Hebrew grammar in a much more systematic fashion. This method also allows verbal conjugations to be taught much more quickly and systematically. Although the text is not inductive, it uses authentic biblical texts throughout to illustrate fundamental points, and it contains many biblical texts in the exercises. Students progressing through the book will quickly be encouraged by a sense of accomplishment as they encounter and understand well-known biblical passages.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Brettler has given us a comprehensive textbook that will serve the broadest needs of various teaching styles." -- William Schniedewind, UCLA

"Not only would I use this book in the classroom, I will recommend it to students as a helpful reference." -- Ehud Ben Avi, University of Alberta

"This book provides an important service to students and teachers alike." -- Christine Hayes, Yale University

. . . . Brettler has filled a 'significant void'. . . . by producing this volume. . . . [A]n excellent tool. . . . for all students of [Biblical Hebrew]. -- (Archie T. Wright, Society of Biblical Literature)

About the Author

Marc Zvi Brettler is professor of Hebrew Bible in the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University and serves as chair of the department.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (October 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300084404
• ISBN-13: 978-0300084405
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #254,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #63 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Languages > Hebrew > Instruction

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best I've yet found for teaching Biblical Hebrew, February 19, 2008

By 

Rachel L. Solomin "Jewish educator and rabbi" (Mountain View, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Biblical Hebrew for Students of Modern Israeli Hebrew (Hardcover)

As a Rabbi and adult educator, this book is the best by far I have yet found for teaching Biblical Hebrew to anyone with a background (even a relatively basic one) in Modern Hebrew. It explains clearly particular biblical forms (such as the jussive, eg.) and the differences between Biblical and Modern Hebrew. I think the text would be improved if it had an index to all of the charts. Brettler puts an unusual weight on the ability to compose/write in Biblical Hebrew, which will only be helpful for the few students for whom the mental challenge will reinforce their recognition of Biblical Hebrew forms and translation of texts. Other students will find it confusing, since they will never have a practical use for writing in Biblical, rather than Modern Hebrew. However, the structure of the book is sound and the verses for translation exercises in each chapter are well-chosen. Even American Israelis would find it useful in learning how Biblical Hebrew is different than their native tongue.

This book is not a perfect choice for students working to learn on their own, but it would serve the purpose. It is a fabulous course selection or choice for an individual working with a tutor. One must possess, in addition to this book, his/her own copy of an accurate English translation of Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible)--such as the "new" JPS. Also recommended is a good dictionary of Biblical Hebrew, such as Brown-Driver-Briggs (which is also made more accessible by separate indexes, etc.).

This book does not (at this time) come with any support materials for instructors.

Finally, I just want to let potential students of Biblical Hebrew know that I strongly recommend studying Modern Hebrew first, since learning a living language engages more learning modalities. I have found that students (Christian or Jewish) who study Biblical Hebrew first--without a strong foundation in reading and pronouncing basic Modern Hebrew--are rarely able to read confidently and accurately out-loud and sometimes find themselves embarrassed in academic settings.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars VERY USEFUL, June 10, 2006

By 

Charles E. Meadows (Milton, WV United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Biblical Hebrew for Students of Modern Israeli Hebrew (Hardcover)

This is a very good review book for those learning biblical Hebrew. Actually the title is slightly misleading - there is very little here about modern Israeli Hebrew. The overall scope is typical for an introductory grammar - perhaps similar to Pratico. The author has some very nice discussions about accentuation and syllabification - I found this to be one of the book's best features. The explanation of propretonic reduction in noun pluralization is the clearest I've found. There are numerous exercises at the end of each chapter if one likes that sort of thing.

4.0 out of 5 stars Grammar Made Clear, February 9, 2012

By 

S. Keiter (LA, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Biblical Hebrew for Students of Modern Israeli Hebrew (Hardcover)

This text takes a challenging subject, Hebrew grammar, and conveys the concepts in clear and concise terms, with supporting illustrations for each concept. While the focus is on Biblical grammar, much of the knowledge is useful to strengthen mastery of modern Israeli Hebrew. And while this book presumes basic knowledge of modern Hebrew, one does not need to be fluent to benefit from the information in this book. The tone of the book is clear and not overly pedantic. It even includes a small number of comic illustrations of potential translation errors.

The book contains many exercises to reinforce the concepts discussed. While these exercises are very useful, my only complaint is that the book does not include the answers. Thus, there is the danger that the student studying on their own may not be correct and may be reinforcing incorrect understanding of certain concepts.