Purdue News

June 25, 1999 Adults may register for course in biblical Hebrew WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- A course in biblical Hebrew will be offered this fall for the first time at Purdue University. The three-credit course is open to the public, and adult students are encouraged to register for it. "Every lesson is built on a passage from the Bible," said Stuart Robertson, instructor of the course. In the first semester, students will study the vocabulary, grammar and syntax of the Hebrew Bible. The course is sponsored by the Jewish Studies Program at Purdue and is the brainchild of its new director, Sandor Goodhart. "There's been a need in this community for a course like this one for a long time," Goodhart said. "We have a wonderful series of courses in modern Hebrew, but nothing in biblical Hebrew. The Hebrew Bible is a fundamental component of Western culture. It needs to be read in the original language." Robertson said he is eager to have the adult community in Lafayette participate. "For a course like this, the level of interest is high among adults. They want the Bible, and we'll get into the Bible from the beginning." Robertson is a Presbyterian pastor with a doctorate in Hebrew from the Annenberg Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied with famed Jewish scholar and teacher Louis Feldman. He often has used biblical language in his own work as a pastor. Biblical Hebrew, FLL 101B, will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. from Aug. 24 through Dec. 9. Robertson said no previous knowledge of Hebrew is necessary. Adults who are interested in registering for the course should contact the Purdue Office of Admissions at (765) 494-1776. The fee for Indiana residents is $378. Undergraduates wishing to register for the course should contact their academic advisers. The registration deadline is Aug. 21. Students who register after the deadline will be charged a late fee. As a follow-up to the first course, a second semester of biblical Hebrew will be offered in the spring. During the second semester, students will be introduced to biblical Aramaic, and they will read sections from the Book of Daniel. For more information, contact Alice Wenger in the Jewish Studies Program office at (765) 494-7965, awenger@sla.purdue.edu. Robertson may also be contacted at (765) 743-3683 or boo@wcic.cioe.com. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page