Foundations of Biblical Hebrew: Alphabet, Grammar, and the Structure of the Sacred Text

Most readers of the Bible encounter it only through translation — a layer of interpretation that inevitably shapes meaning. Even excellent translations cannot fully convey wordplay, poetic meter, grammatical nuance, or the resonance of repeated root words that the original Hebrew carries. This course offers a structured path into Biblical Hebrew so you can begin engaging with the text as its authors wrote it. By the end of this course you will be able to read and vocalize Hebrew script using the full square-script alphabet and the Masoretic vowel-pointing system, identify the basic components of Hebrew nouns and verbs, parse simple verb forms in the Qal stem, and work through a short biblical passage with the aid of a lexicon. What you will learn: - The Hebrew alphabet (aleph-bet) in square script form, including final letter variants - The Masoretic vocalization system: vowel points, sheva, and dagesh rules - Noun gender, number, and the construct chain (semichut) - The definite article, conjunctions, and basic prepositions - Introduction to the Qal perfect and imperfect verb conjugations - Pronominal suffixes on nouns and how they indicate possession - How to use a standard Hebrew-English lexicon alongside a Hebrew Bible - An orientation to cantillation (te'amim) marks and their grammatical function The course is organized into five thematic units. Each unit opens with an explanation of a grammatical concept, followed by worked examples drawn directly from the Tanakh — the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. Reflection prompts encourage you to notice how grammar shapes meaning. Self-assessment exercises at the end of each unit test recognition of forms encountered in the readings. Vocabulary lists are built cumulatively so that by the final unit you will have working familiarity with the highest-frequency Hebrew words in the Bible. This course is designed for adult learners new to Biblical Hebrew, including those approaching the text from a religious perspective and those with purely academic or linguistic interests. No prior knowledge of Hebrew or Semitic languages is required. Students of theology, Jewish studies, biblical archaeology, or classical languages will find the material especially relevant, but any intellectually curious reader is welcome. By the course's end you will have a genuine foundation for continuing Hebrew study and for experiencing the biblical text in its original voice.