Hebrew a "dead" language?

In a recent blog, James Davila gave a good response to some more sub-par journalism that has plagued the field of Biblical Studies as of late. The journalism implied that Hebrew was almost non-existant for 2000 years! While Jim gave a good answer citing all of the Hebrew that was produced from 200 CE to 1800 CE, it should be added that writing books and discussing the books meant that Hebrew was more than what graduate students typically expect or are required when approaching Hebrew. Hebrew was being preserved as a 'second language' in traditional Jewish circles, at a skill level that was high and fluent. Hebrew was alive and in continuous use, and this can serve as a recommended target level for graduate students who would like to control Hebrew as a second language, to be able to think, read, express themselves, and relate to texts within Hebrew and the Hebrew world. Exactly what a student of any other literature would expect.

What's with Christians and Hebrew in Israel?

BY RANDALL BUTH

The land of Israel offers new opportunities and can change Christian expectations for Hebrew learning. Literature is a weave of culture and language. Christian academic programs need to ensure a high level of Hebrew at the end of the day. An investment of six months or more should actively build toward internalization of the language: being able to listen to readings at the rate of speech, able to think in the language, able to work within the language. The following parable uses a hypothetical program in France in order to show what should be avoided. If the following is true of Moliere and France, how much more Isaiah and Israel?

מָשָׁל. לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה

וַיְהִי יוֹם מִיָּמִים
וַיָּבוֹאוּ תַּלְמִידִים מֵאָמֶרִיקָה
וַיַּגִּיעוּ אֵל־פָּרִיס בִּירַת צָֽרְפַת
לְמַעַן יִלְמְדוּ עַל מוֹלִיאֵיר וּבוֹלְטֵיר
הֵם כִּבְּדוּ אֶת־הַסּוֹפְרִים הָאֵלֶּה מְאֹד.
וַיֵּלְכוּ אֶל־הַמְּקוֹמוֹת
אֲשֶׁר בָּם נֶּעֶרְכוּ הַמַּעֲרָכוֹת הַגְּדוֹלוֹת
בֵּין מַלְכֵי צָרְפַת לְבֵין מְלָכִים אֲחֵרִים.
וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ עַל חַיֵּי בְנֵי אָדָם בְּעֵת מוֹלִיאֵיר וּבוֹלְטֵיר.
וְהַתַּלְמִידִים הָאֵלֶּה שָׂמְחוּ מְאֹד בַּשָׁנָה הַהִיא
כַּאֲשֶׁר יִרְאוּ בָתִּים עַתִּיקִים
וְלָמְדוּ עַל יְבוּל הָאָרֶץ.
וַיְהִי אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה
וַתִּתַּמְנָה תוֹרוֹתֵיהֶם
וַיִּשְׁאַל תַּלְמִיד אֶחָד לֵאמֹר
"זֶה שְׁנָתַיִם וְלאֹ הַחִלּוֹנוּ לְדַבֵּר בִּשְׂפַת הָאָרֶץ.
כַּאֲשֶׁר נָשׁוּב אֶל אָמֶרִיקָה
לאֹ נוּכַל לִקְרוֹא מוֹלִיאֵיר וּבוֹלְטֵיר לְפִי שְׂפָתָם כִּלְשׁוֹנָם.
הָעֵת חָלְפָה וְלאֹ נוּכַל לְהַקְשִׁיב אֶל־דִּבְרֵי הַסּוֹפְרִים.
מַה־נַּגִּידָה לַתַּלְמִידִים הַבָּאִים וְאֵיךְ נִיעָצֵם?
הֵם אוֹהֲבִים מוֹלִיאֵיר וּבוֹלְטֵיר
וְחָפְצוּ לִשְׁמוֹעַ וּלְהָבִין אֶת סִפְרֵיהֶם.
הֲיֵשׁ דֶּרֶךְ לִרְאֹת אֶת הַמְּקוֹמוֹת וְגַם לִלְמוֹד אֶת הַלָּשׁוֹן עַל בֻּרְיָהּ?"
וְעַתָּה, מַה־דַּעַתְכֶם, הַמַּאֲזִינִים?
זאֹת לאֹ בַשָּׁמַיִם לֵאמֹר
מִי יַעֲלֶה לָנוּ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וְיִקָּחֶהָ לָנוּ?
הַדָּבָר קָרוֹב לָנוּ
וְהִשִֹּיגָה יָדֵנוּ אִם נְבַקְשֶׁנּוּ בְּכָל־לִבֵּנוּ.

נעשה ונשמע

(NB: written Qumranesque, with the flexibility of wider vocabulary in late Second Temple literary Hebrew and with pretensions to First Temple Hebrew in structure. Vowels, punctuation, and formatting added for modern readers.) At issue: how should Christian programs make use of Israel? Is it enough to see the sites and study the history and archaeology in English or French?

Are We Serious About the Languages of the Bible: A Greek Parable

BY RANDALL BUTH

This is a parable written in Koine Greek, challenging Christian students to use common sense when setting goals of biblical language learning. What level would be honoring to our scriptures?

Ἆρά γε τιμῶμεν τὰς ἡμῶν γραφάς;

παραβολή, τίνι ὁμοιοῦται ὁ λόγος; ·
ἄνθρωπός τις ἀπὸ τῶν Ἰνδωνησίων ἦν σόφος τοῦ Κωρᾶν,
ἀποδημήσας δὲ εἰς τὴν Κάϊραν (ἐν τῇ Αἰγύπτῳ)
συνήντησε φίλῳ σοφῷ Γαλλικῷ ἀπὸ τῆς Πόλεως τοῦ Φωτός (Πάρις)
καὶ ὡμίλουν τῇ Ἀραβικῇ γλώσσῃ.

Ἕτερος δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς Μόσχας, Ἰουδαῖος ράββει,
ἦλθεν εἰς τὰς Ἀθήνας
ἐν αἷς συνήντησεν ἄλλῳ ράββει ἀπὸ τῶν Καλῶν Ἀνέμων (Βουένος Ἄϊρες)
καὶ ὡμίλουν τῇ Ἑβραϊκῇ γλώσσῃ.

λοιπὸν δὲ εὐαγγελικός τις ἀπὸ τῆς Πόλεως τῆς Μεχίκω
ὁδοιπορῶν εἰς τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα
συνήντησεν ἄλλῳ Χριστιανῷ ἀπὸ τῶν τῆς Βρεττανίας νήσων.
πλὴν ὡμίλουν τῇ Ἀγγλικῇ μόνον,
μήτε τῇ Ἑβραϊκῇ μήτε τῇ Ἑλληνικῇ δυνάμενοι.
τίς οὖν τούτων πλεῖον (ἢ ἦσσον) ἠγάπα τὰς ἰδίας γραφάς;


randallbuth@gmail.com
καὶ βλέπε www.biblicalulpan.org