You've been wanting to do it for some time...why not make it a goal to learn Hebrew this summer?
We've got some excellent tools to help make it as easy as it can be. Here are my top three picks, in no particular order:
This brand new Logos book is due to ship at the end of the month, so now is your last chance to take advantage of the prepub discount and get this for less than $20.
The description says,"Biblical Hebrew for Beginners shows you how to master fundamental Hebrew in clear, simple steps. Starting from scratch with the Hebrew alphabet, Rabbi Dan Cohn-Sherbok leads you through the essentials of biblical Hebrew and has you reading the Bible in Hebrew from the very first lesson. There are simple exercises (including answers), a word list, and plenty of examples throughout."
How much easier could it get? Plus it's even endorsed by a former Archbishop of Canterbury! So ignore the bizarre cover and check out the details...
I had the pleasure to meet Mark Futato when he was here in Bellingham giving a talk on Psalms as part of the Logos Lecture Series. It was a fantastic talk, and Mark would be a great teacher of Hebrew whether in person or via this grammar.
An RBL reviewer said of this one, "Mark D. Futato's new Hebrew grammar is a simple, thoughtful, and straightforward work that reflects genuine empathy for the beginning Hebrew student. The agenda of the book is to provide the fundamentals of the language unencumbered by information that may fog the road toward basic Hebrew competency."
Logos user George Somsel warned, "I can see it putting all Hebrew instructors out of work since it's so simple to teach yourself." Look to your tenure, Hebrew profs!
The First Hebrew Primer: Textbook, Answer Book & Audio Companion
This one is the big enchilada, complete with audio recordings and a workbook.
These resources begin with the alphabet...or you might say the Aleph-bet (aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, get it?)...and over the course of thirty lessons provides enough information and practice to enable you, with the aid of a Hebrew-English dictionary, to understand most biblical texts.
We just put together a brief video demo so now you can get a look at what the First Hebrew Primer package is all about.
Wouldn't it be great if you got to the end of summer and could look back on not only a bunch of great barbecues, ball games and days at the beach...but also take with you a new knowledge of and appreciation for the Bible that Jesus used? Learning Hebrew would provide a lifetime of rewards and there's no better time to begin than now!
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