An Introductory Grammar of Rabbinic Hebrew [Hardcover]

Miguel Perez Fernandez (Author), John Elwolde (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1997

In Greek and Roman Palestine a Hebrew dialect existed alongside the literary language of Biblical Hebrew and yet followed its own pattern of development. After the destruction of the Temple it is believed the rabbis elevated this dialect to the status of a literary language, "Rabbinic Hebrew" and employed it in the composition of the Mishnah, Tosefta and halakhic "Midrashim". This volume is a practical grammar of Rabbinic Hebrew that seeks to bring up-to-date the 1927 work of M.H. Segal. It incorporates the results of recent investigations in the field and adds a pedagogic perspective, with vocabulary and exercises in every unit.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'..".the most complete description of the language of the Mishnah and other tannaitic works in English since Segal's 1927 grammarPirez Fernandez has rendered an important service to English-speaking students and scholars. He has made the modern study of Mishnaic Hebrew easily accessible to a wide audience.'
Steven E. Fassberg, "The Jewish Quarterly Review, 1999.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: English, Hebrew (translation)
Original Language: Spanish

Product Details

• Hardcover: 327 pages
• Publisher: Brill Academic Pub (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9004108904
• ISBN-13: 978-9004108905
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,334,988 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Only Book of Its Type, December 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: An Introductory Grammar of Rabbinic Hebrew (Paperback)

I just read a review of this book that said it was the best book of its type. The truth is, that it is the ONLY book of its type. The only possible exception to that would be M. Segal's book from Oxford in 1927, but that book is out of date and was written only as a comprehensive reference grammar and not as a textbook.

On the other hand, this book, (which, incidently, was first published in Spanish in 1992) is an lesson-by-lesson textbook designed to introduce you to Rabbinic Hebrew (i. e. of the Mishnah, Tosefta, etc.) and its culture and literature. It provides practice passages for reading and other exercises. So, besides, being an excellent (and so far the only) update to Segal's reference grammar, it is (as far as I know) the only _textbook_ of Rabbinic Hebrew ever written. So, if you interested in this subject, you have little choice but to buy this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for the student of the mishnah, March 19, 2002

By 

J. E. S. Leake "sailor and scholar" (Offshore, Persian Gulf) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Introductory Grammar of Rabbinic Hebrew (Paperback)

The only thing I can think to add to the previous review is that one does have to have a reasonable competence in Biblical (or perhaps Modern) Hebrew in order to use this book, tho' someone would be very unlikely to want to use it without first knowing biblical Hebrew. A copy of Segal's Mishnaic Hebrew grammar would be useful as a supplimentary reference, and a Biblical grammar too as this book is not strong on morphology. But syntax and idiom are very well handled and it is these that make the Mishnah so impenetrable.

As to the "reasonable price", sadly this volume in paperback is at a typically exhorbitant Brill price. And the hardback is ridiculously costly. Still, there IS a paperback, so Brill are moving in the right direction!

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best in its class, December 6, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: An Introductory Grammar of Rabbinic Hebrew (Paperback)

Simply the best grammar ever published for rabbinic hebrew -- now that it's available at a reasonable price in paperback, go for it!