BT-(KT)-BH5 or 15 EC of Hebrew education at Bachelor level

The student:

1.    can read and transliterate Biblical Aramaic texts, based on the knowledge of the phonology and script (LOQ 1);

2.    can distinguish the different ways in which nouns may be attached to other nouns or words of different morphological categories (LOQ 1;)

3.    can distinguish the different types and stems of the verb and their functions, and parse verbal forms (eventually without using paradigms) (LOQ 1);

4.    can name and recognise the main phenomena described in the syntax in the process of reading Aramaic texts (LOQ 1);

5.    can provide a grammatical analysis and translation of the Aramaic passages of the Old Testament with the aid of a grammar and dictionary (LOQ 1).

During the lectures (6×2 hour) first a few of the essentials of Aramaic grammar will be presented. The remaining part of the grammar is dealt with in the course of reading Aramaic texts from the Old Testament. The student benefits most when coming to class well prepared.

If this course will be taught as a course Biblical Hebrew in order to improve the student’s skills in this field, a similar program will be developed by mutual arrangement

Classes, Self-Study.

Contact hours: 12 hours

Preparation: ca. 18 hours

Self-study: 138 hours

Oral exam in reading, analyzing and translating.

Exam Requirements

- Studying class notes and being able to provide a grammatical analysis and translation of the Aramaic passages of the Old Testament (Gen. 31:47; Jer. 10:11; Ezra 5:1-17; Dan. 2:4-49; 5:1-30; 7:1-28).

- Creason, Stuart, ‘Aramaic’, in: Roger D. Woodard (ed.), The Ancient Languages of Syria-Palestine and Arabia (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008), 109-144.

Compulsory Literature

Resources

·      Cook, John, Aramaic Ezra and Daniel: A Handbook on the Aramaic Text. Baylor Handbook on the Hebrew Bible (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2019).

·      Greenspahn, F.E., An Introduction to Aramaic. Corrected Second Edition. Resources for Biblical Study 46 (Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature, 2007).

·      Dictionary: Koehler, Ludwig und Walter Baumgartner, Hebräisches und Aramäisches Lexikon zum Alten Testament. Lieferung V: Aramäisches Lexikon (3. Auflage, neu bearbeitet von Johann Jakob Stamm und Benedikt Hartmann, unter Mitarbeit von Philippe Reymond. Leiden; New York; Köln: Brill, 1995); or the English edition: The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Volume 1-5 (Leiden; New York; Köln: Brill, 1994-2000; Study Edition 2001).