Introductory Hebrew I
Course Description
Welcome to this course on Biblical Hebrew. I’m thrilled that you’ve decided to take up the challenge. Hebrew is a rich and rewarding language to study (and with it, you will gain access to around 78% of the Bible). It will require hard work and effort, but the challenge is worth it. Language study can be intimidating but, with appropriate time invested, it is eminently doable. Many have done it before you and many will do it after you. I hope you feel supported and encouraged along the way. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Be disciplined in your study habits; cramming seldom works in language study. Keep on top of your assignments and you will get the most out of this course.
This course is part one of a two-part study of biblical Hebrew. We’ll work through approximately half of Pratico and Van Pelt’s Basics of Biblical Hebrew, laying the foundations for part two next term.
| Offered | 2026 Fall |
| Dates | Sep 8 - Dec 10 |
| Days | Tue, Thurs, 09:30AM - 11:00AM |
| Format | Onsite and Online |
| Credit Hours | 3 |
| Audit Hours | 3 |
| Room Number | Rm 013 |
Teaching Faculty
Joseph Lee
Online Sessional Lecturer
Originally from South Korea and growing up in the Midwestern USA, Dr. Joseph Lee is interested in cultural exegesis and the intersection of the East and West from biblical and historical perspectives. Most recently, he was an adjunct faculty member in Biblical Studies at Jessup University in California and is a data analytics engineer at a tech firm in Silicon Valley. His research interests include inner-biblical allusions in the Hebrew Bible, the use of Scripture in early Jewish and Christian literature, and Digital Humanities. He is working on the topic of the inverse of power and mystery within the Hebrew Bible and beyond for his current research. He regularly presents papers at academic conferences and publishes book reviews and essays in edited volumes. Upon returning to California after completing his PhD from Scotland, he received an SBL Pacific Regional Scholar Award in 2020 for submitting an essay on First Enoch. He is also a co-editor of the two Feschriften, one in honour of Sven Soderlund, Scriptures, Scholarship and the People of God (Regent College Publishing, 2021), and another edited volume in honour of Rikk Watts, It’s About Life: The Formative Power of Scripture (2023). Joseph is married to Rachel, and they reside in NorCal with their two daughters, Χάρις and אֲמִירָה.
