Biblical Hebrew

The Purdue School of Languages and Cultures offers four semesters of biblical Hebrew (HEBR 121, 122, 221, 222).

Thus biblical Hebrew may be taken for language credit to meet course requirements in all fields that require a language.
The first semester is devoted to learning the basics: alphabet, vowel signs, how sentences work, and basic vocabulary-all of which are learned using sections of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). The first semester ends with translating one of the most interesting passages in the Hebrew Bible, Genesis 22, which tells of Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac.

The second semester finds us learning more about how the language works and translating more sections of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 28, 29, and 37, and Exodus 3).

Second-year biblical Hebrew (the third and fourth semesters) is entirely devoted to the translation of books of the Hebrew Bible.

By the end of two years of studying biblical Hebrew, the student is equipped to enjoy reading and understanding the Hebrew Bible. Students may take the second-year course more than once, under a different course number, because each year the classes will translate different books of the Hebrew Bible.

For students who have studied two years of Greek and two years of biblical Hebrew, it is possible to take a course with a parallel translation of the Septuagint (the Greek translation) and the Hebrew Bible.

FALL 2025

HEBR 121: Biblical Hebrew I
TTh 9:00-10:15 am
The first semester of biblical Hebrew will present the basic elements of the language, including alphabet, vocabulary, and grammar. No previous knowledge of Hebrew required. 

HEBR 284A: Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture 
TTh 4:30-5:45 pm (SYNC ONLINE)
This course is a survey of the development of the ancient Near East, from its pre-history to Alexander the Great. It emphasizes the evolutions of various Near Eastern cultures in their many manifestations; art, government, agriculture, economics, philosophy, religion, ethics, and science. Taught in English.