Hebrew Reading Lab

Course Description

You have built a solid foundation in your journey to become a Biblical Hebrew scholar. The passion remains for you to be able to read the Scriptures in its original language. This course will give you exactly that: the ability to read the Scriptures out loud and speak the Word. The reading lab will give you an enriching experience and will add a more nuanced understanding of the original text.

During the Reading Lab sessions, one of our most experienced teachers will slowly read the text while you read along. Combining the teacher’s guidance and your practical learning, will help you refine your pronunciation and connect with the text at a deeper level. This type of course is something that many Bible scholars practice after their foundational language courses.

As Dr. Eli Lizorken-Eyzenberg, our Head of School, puts it: “We are what we keep on doing. Someone who wants to have an excellent command of Biblical Hebrew must read, read and read.”

Who is this course for?

This special program was designed for our most dedicated and advanced students. There is a focus on analyzing the sentences that will help you to understand the importance of pronunciation, identify grammatical forms and improve your translation abilities. The course is a must for anyone who studied Biblical Hebrew grammar before and wants to maintain and grow their language competency.

What will you learn?

During the Reading Lab sessions, you will see a vast improvement in the following skills:

  • Reading: As our expert teacher reads, you will be able to practice your reading and pronunciation out loud.
  • Parsing: The process of breaking down Scriptural sentences into shorter components in order to better understand the text.
  • Translation skills: Once you become more familiar with parsing and grammatical forms of the Scriptures you read, you will be able to better translate the Biblical Hebrew text. This, in turn, will lead to an improved understanding of the text.

What will you read?

Read the original Hebrew out loud with your teacher. Some of the interesting topics that will be read and studied include:

  • The birth and binding of Isaac
  • Balaam and the donkey
  • The story of Gideon
  • Elisha and Elijah raising the dead
  • Naaman’s leprosy
  • Ezekiel’s vision over the valley of dry bones
  • Hezekiah and Solomon’s prayers
  • Isaiah’s prophecy regarding the promise of everlasting salvation
  • Wise words from Proverbs

When do our courses start?
We have a few starting dates so you can choose the class that best suits your schedule. Our next class starts on Sunday, December 01 at 11:00 AM. If you are interested in one of our classes click on the schedule below to start the registration process.

Select your preferred class time
All times are in GMT+-5
11:00am
Sun, Dec 1
Mon, Dec 2
Thu, Dec 5
11:00am
01 Dec 2024 - 01 Aug 2025 Starts at 11:00am | GMT+-5 Weekly, Class duration: 60 min Enroll now
12:00pm
02 Dec 2024 - 02 Aug 2025 Starts at 12:00pm | GMT+-5 Weekly, Class duration: 60 min Enroll now
3:00pm
02 Dec 2024 - 02 Aug 2025 Starts at 3:00pm | GMT+-5 Weekly, Class duration: 60 min Enroll now
5:00pm
05 Dec 2024 - 05 Aug 2025 Starts at 5:00pm | GMT+-5 Weekly, Class duration: 60 min Enroll now

Syllabus Summary

  1. Abraham’s First Steps of Faith

    Welcome! After defining the course goals, we begin in Genesis 11-12 with Abraham as he sets out on his journey of faith. Then the focus moves to the Covenant of the Pieces.

  2. The Birth of Ishmael

    In this unit, we explore the birth of Ishmael including the name given to God by Hagar, and then read of the promise of the birth of Isaac and the command of circumcision.

  3. The Birth of Isaac in Gerar

    The birth of Isaac is the focus of this unit, along with the departure of Ishmael from Gerar of the Philistines where the family lived – and the covenant with the king of Gerar.

  4. The Binding of Isaac

    This unit explores the Binding of Isaac and its conceptual and linguistic connections with Abraham’s early call to faith, and the surprising connection with the story of Balaam.

  5. Psalm Featuring Abraham

    The content of Psalm 105 reminds the reader of Abraham in multiple ways, and it serves not only to reflect on the story of his life but also to make progress in poetic language.

  6. Finding Rebekah (Part 1)

    This unit presents the first half of the story of finding Rebekah from Genesis 24, while connecting it to the stories of Abraham and Sarah as well as Jacob and Joseph.

  7. Finding Rebekah (Part 2)

    The second half of the story of finding Rebekah appears here, and also draws connections between the promises given to her and those given to Abraham after the Binding of Isaac.

  8. Gideon Becomes a Warrior

    In this unit, the focus shifts to Judges 6 that tells of how Gideon emerged from the shadows in response to the call of God to become a warrior against the Midianites.

  9. Gideon Tests God’s Promise

    The story of Gideon continues with his plan to literally “lay out a fleece” ahead of battle, along with the actual conflict with the Midianites and its supernatural result.

  10. Preparations of War (Law)

    This unit transitions to the law addressing preparations for war in Deuteronomy 20, which is connected to the story of Gideon. Verses from Psalm 18 dealing with war also appear.

  11. Jehoshaphat and Ahab in Battle

    The theme of war continues but the focus shifts to 2nd Chronicles 18 and the joint efforts of Jehoshaphat and Ahab, the failure of which was reluctantly prophesied by Micaiah.

  12. Moabite and Ammonite Attack

    This unit explores the Moabite-Ammonite attack against Judah in chapter 20 as well as the role of prophecy in difficult times, and is followed by verses of victory in Psalm 115.

  13. Victory over Moab and Ammon

    The victory over Moab and Ammon is compared to the Exodus. Then Jehoshaphat’s wicked son, Jehoram, is introduced – as well as God’s promise of hope nonetheless.

  14. The Selection of Elisha

    This unit shifts to the story of Elisha in 1st Kings 19 and 2nd Kings 2-3, where his selection to replace Elijah is interwoven with the account of the crossing of the Jordan.

  15. Victory over Moab

    The struggle with Moab is revisited in the context of the story of Elisha, and it is followed by a comparison between miracles done on behalf of widows by Elisha and Elijah.

  16. Elisha Raises a Dead Son

    This unit presents Elisha’s promise of a son to the barren Shunammite woman, and compares between the son’s death and subsequent raising and a similar story with Elijah.

  17. The Law of the Leper (Part 1)

    The Law of the Leper from Leviticus 13-14 is the theme of this unit, which also explores the surprising connection to the “living water” mentioned in the story of Isaac.

  18. Miracles by Elisha

    This unit reverts to the life of Elisha and specifically focuses on the story of Naaman the Leper along with a connection to the story of Miriam’s leprosy in the Torah.

  19. The Siege of Samaria

    The Aramean siege of Samaria in 2nd Kings 6 grants Elisha the opportunity to pray that his servant would be able to see the angelic protection, a theme continued in Psalm 34.

  20. Lepers in the Enemy Camp

    The hunger of Samaria’s residents of was only alleviated when four lepers discovered the abandoned Aramean camp. This miraculous provision is compared to Malachi 3 as well.

  21. The Crowning of Jehu

    The focus shifts to the secretive anointing of Jehu as king in 2nd Kings 9, and then moves on to the death of Elisha – which paradoxically brought life to a dead man.

  22. The Valley of Dry Bones

    The theme of resurrection moves on to Ezekiel 37 and the prophecy of the valley of dry bones, while touching on this hope as mentioned in Hosea and Deuteronomy as well.

  23. “A Soft Answer…”

    The style and structure of Proverbs 15 is the main focus of this unit, complete with the analysis of multiple idioms in Hebrew and comparisons to similar content in the Psalms.

  24. The Consecration of Isaiah

    This unit compares and contrasts the prophetic consecrations of Isaiah and Jeremiah, and explores the question of the Seraphim who appear in the story of Isaiah in chapter 6.

  25. Jerusalem Besieged by Assyria

    The Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in the time of King Hezekiah in Isaiah 36-37 includes the initial response of Hezekiah – along with his interaction with Isaiah himself.

  26. Hezekiah’s Prayer

    This unit focuses on the prayer of supplication made by Hezekiah while making direct comparisons to the prayer of Solomon at the dedication of the Temple in 1st Kings 8.

  27. Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles

    In this unit, we look at the letter in Jeremiah 29 written by the prophet to the exiles in Babylon – which included a message of hope, although from unexpected directions.

  28. Promised Return to the Land

    Jeremiah 30-31 contain the promise of a return to the Land and of rebuilding from the ruins, and these words resemble a promise in Isaiah 58 as explored in this unit.

  29. Promises for the Way Home

    The greater part of Jeremiah 31 and Isaiah 35 are compared while focusing on promises given not only of arriving in the Land but also of protection and of blessing on the way.

  30. The Promise of Final Salvation

    The promise of final redemption including a messianic figure of salvation in Isaiah 11 and Jeremiah 33 provide the perfect way to bring the course to a close in its final unit.

Close

Meet Our Scholars

Learn from our distinguished scholars, experts in biblical studies with advanced degrees from leading universities around the globe.

Eliyahu (Eli) Lizorkin Eyzenberg, PhD
Annie Caruso, PhD
Stephen Kim
Verónica Moreno Arjona, PhD candidate
Don Peterman, MAJCS, Rabbi
Marvin Meital, PhD
Fiona Blumfield MA, PhD

Register online and get exclusive access to extra content

In addition to the course you will gain access to both our live and recorded webinars on fascinating Biblical topics. It’s time to discover new depths in the Scripture and broaden your biblical horizons.

You’re about to begin a new Biblical journey

The registration process takes a minute and is required to secure your spot in the class.
In case you decide to cancel your participation within 7 days from registration you will be able to receive a full refund

Select your preferred class time
  • December 01, 2024 - 11:00am | GMT+-5
  • December 02, 2024 - 3:00pm | GMT+-5
  • December 05, 2024 - 5:00pm | GMT+-5
  • December 02, 2024 - 12:00pm | GMT+-5
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    Following the online registration process our academic adviser will contact you to finalize the registration process.
    • Course Duration:32 weeks, 9 months
    • Schedule:Starting {{start_date}} - {{end_date}} Every {{week_day}} from {{class_time_start}} to {{class_time_end}}
    • Location:Online
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    All our courses include

    Access to recordings of your live lessons
    Missed your live lesson? Don't worry, simply view the recording
    Technical Support
    available 24/7
    We are here to help you with any technical issue
    Extra Practice Sessions
    A weekly Q&A session in addition to the regular lesson

    Have a Question?

    • How does the course work?

      We teach live classes online: a teacher and a small group of students meet once a week through their home computer. We use video conference technology that allows live student-teacher interaction. You can fully participate in the lesson by using the microphone or the chat box.

    • What if I miss a lesson?

      Don’t worry all the live lessons are also recorded and available on demand. You can review them at any time.

    • What qualifications do your teachers have?

      All our teachers have a teaching certificate and are approved by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. They are all scholars from leading universities around the world, including the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Harvard and Durham University.

    • What is your cancellation policy?

      To read our full cancellation policy, click here.

    • Class time zones – what time do your classes start?

      We teach Sunday to Friday according to your local time zone. You are welcome to check the schedule and assign yourself to a time that’s most suitable to you.

    • Do I need to purchase special equipment for the courses?

      All you need is a working computer with an internet connection and you’re set. We work with Windows and Mac operating systems.

    • How much does it cost?

      The total tuition for the course is $1295.

    • Can I pay in installments?

      Yes, you can pay in 9 monthly installments.