Indirizzato a

- This course is open to anyone over the age of 18.

- The only prerequisite for this course is a working knowledge of English – the language of instruction.

Presentazione

The course is also available in Spanish, Portuguese and French.


The classroom focuses on reading the New Testament in its original language and the Hebrew Bible in its Greek translation, known as the Septuagint.

Over the course of the semester, students learn the Greek alphabet and its pronunciation, familiarize themselves with the elementary noun and verb paradigms, and acquire a basic vocabulary of words frequently used in these texts.


Grammatical topics and vocabulary are illustrated by original verses, especially from the gospels of Matthew and John and the Book of Genesis, frequently illustrated by Christian and Jewish art of the medieval period and the Renaissance. By the end of the term, students will possess a basic vocabulary, be able to read and pronounce all the letters of the alphabet, and have a working knowledge of the language’s elementary syntactical features. There is special emphasis on the close connection between the two Testaments, both linguistic and literary.


Duration:

Class meets once a week over a 8-month period.
In addition, students can take advantage of our complimentary enrichment sessions, for an additional hour per week.


Additional features:

In addition to the weekly virtual class, students have access to the following learning tools:

Recorded Lessons – All the lessons are recorded and available on demand.
Q&A and extra practice sessions - A weekly teacher moderated session for Q&A and discussion group.
Forum – A 24/7 online forum to answer all your course-related questions.
Technical Support –Available 24/7 to assist you.


This Course is Fully Acknowledged by the Hebrew University:

- Get full academic credit for this course from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
- Valid in any academic institution that acknowledges credit from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
- Receive an official Israel Institute of Biblical Studies certificate upon completing this course.

Date e orari

- November 2017, Sun, November 12, 2017 Fri, August 03, 2018

Europe (CET)
•Group No. 157 - Sunday, 16:00 - 16:55

- February 2018, Sun, February 11, 2018 Fri, November 23, 2018

- May 2018, Sun, May 13, 2018 Fri, February 22, 2019

- August 2018, Sun, August 12, 2018 Fri, May 31, 2019

- November 2018, November 11, 2018 Fri, August 02, 2019

Programma

1. The Greek Alphabet

Why is studying Greek essential for students of the bible, both Old and New Testament? Why were these texts, more than 200 years apart in time, written in Greek? Is it a “sacred language” or one of several languages spoken in Palestine at the time? We will learn what an “alpha-bet” is and how the Greek, Hebrew and Latin alphabets are related. Then we will start studying the uncial, capital forms of the Greek letters from Alpha to Omega, and how we will pronounce them in this course.


2. The Greek Alphabet Continued

Review of the capital letters and some additional issues of pronunciation. On the way, we look again at the opening of the Gospel of John and learn some geographical names relevant to the Bible. We study in detail the trilingual sign which Pilate affixed to the cross: ??S??S ? ???O????S ??S????S ?O? ??????O?, Ev. John, 19:19-20. We learn the names of the Five Books of Moses, the Pentateuh, as they appear in the Septuagint.


3. The Minuscule Alphabet

The cursive, or minuscule form of the letters. The “breathing marks” and a few other details of orthography and pronunciation. Reading out loud.


4. Readings from the Bible in Greek

Reading texts out loud, the Lord’s Prayer and the passage from Genesis describing the Seventh Day of Creation. Review, some new vocabulary.


5. The Foundations of Greek Grammar

Foundations of Greek grammar – the structure of the sentence. The morphology of nouns, stems + endings. Review of grammatical terms in English grammar, definitions of parts of speech.


6. Characteristics of Greek Nouns; the Definite Article and the Principle of Agreement

Characteristics of Greek nouns: declension of the definite article and the principle of agreement, gender number and case.


7. The Adjective

The adjective. Review of the definite article; the forms of the first and second declension adjective. Three different uses of the adjective: attributive, predicate and substantive. The importance of word order in the Greek sentence.


8. The Good Shepherd

Review and reading. The common depiction of Jesus as the “Good Shepherd”, in the previous text taken from John 10. Images and texts about the Good Shepherd in the pagan and Jewish traditions. Some new vocabulary, but no new grammar.


9. The Second Declension Noun & Prepositional Phrases

The second declension noun and prepositional phrases. Two classes of nouns in the second declension, masculine and neuter. Discussion of the use of prepositional phrases and the nouns which follow the prepositions.


10. The First Declension Noun

The first declension noun. The three categories of the first declension feminine noun, those ending in –a, -?, and the mixed type. Examples of second declension nouns which are feminine.


11. Personal Pronouns

Personal Pronouns: declension of first and second person pronoun. The third person pronoun is discussed separately, along with its special adjectival uses.


12. Review and Reading: The Good Samaritan

Reading and Review: The Good Samaritan. Review of nouns and pronouns, adding the form of masculine first declension nouns. Reading about “what are the greatest commandments” and the parable of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke.


13. The Greek Verb Introduced

Introduction of the verb. The conjugation of the present, active, indicative form of the verb. The main characteristics of Greek verbs: tense, mood and voice.


14. The Verb “to be”

The verb “to be” in the present and past tenses. The concept of “linking”, predicate adjectives and predicate nouns (the complement).


15. Voice: Middle/Passive Verbs, Deponents

Voice: conjugation and use of middle/passive verbs in the present; deponents. The root of the verb and its appearance in other parts of speech.


16. General Review

Reading and Review: Review of definite article, first and second declension nouns and adjectives, personal pronouns, prepositional phrases, present indicative verb active and middle/passive, the verb “to be”. The story of the Centurion’s slave from Matthew.


17. The Demonstrative Pronoun/Adjective


The demonstrative pronoun/adjective; compound verbs.


18. Dependent and Independent Clauses; Relative Prounouns


Dependent and independent clauses, relative pronouns.


19. The Third-Declension Noun

The third declension noun.


20. Review and Reading

Review and Reading. Review of the demonstrative pronoun and adjective, the relative pronouns and the forms of the third declension noun.


21. Third Declension; Indefinite and Interrogative Pronouns/Adjectives

Third Declension: Indefinite and Interrogative Pronouns/Adjectives.



22. Imperfect Indicative Tense, Active and Middle/Passive Voice

Imperfect Indicative Tense, Active and Middle/Passive Voice



23. Imperfect tense continued, augment and prefix; e- and a- contract verbs

Imperfect Tense Continued, Augment and Prefix, epsilon and alpha contract verbs



24. Review & Reading

Review and Reading; the indefinite pronoun/adjective, the imperfect tense, and the rules for contract verbs.



25. The Future Tense: Active & Middle

The Future Tense, Active and Middle Voice



26. Continuing the Future Tense

Continuing the Future: consonant stems and phonetic change; future of the verb “to be”


27. Prepositions up, down and around

The Prepositional Phrase


28. Reading and Review

A review of the future tense and the use of prepositions, especially their significance in translation, and including their use as the prefix in compound verbs.


29. General Review and Reading

General review and reading. Jesus the wondermaker – for what end?


30. Final Reading: From Luke to Isaiah

Final Reading: From Luke to Isaiah. Continuation of the discussion of acts of healing, with more texts from the LXX. Review of basic forms.