Overview
Hebrew is the language of the Tanak (the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament) and of the modern state of Israel. It is a Semitic language, related to Arabic. The papers offered at Otago aim to familiarise students with the Hebrew that is found in biblical writings.
The study of Hebrew is of particular interest to students of Religious Studies and Theology. It will also be of interest to students of Linguistics, in that it gives them access to a language which is very different in its structure from the languages of Europe and Asia.
Papers
There are two Hebrew papers available: HEBR 131 Introductory Biblical Hebrew 1 and HEBR 132 Introductory Biblical Hebrew 2.
Hebrew translation and explanation/interpretation papers are also taught at 200-, 300- and 400-level (BIBS 213, BIBS313, BIBS 411)
Further study opportunities
Whether you are looking to bridge your undergraduate studies to advanced knowledge or aiming to specialise in a specific field, Otago offers a range of graduate and postgraduate options to suit your aspirations.
Programme details
Compare programmes for this subject as a major and minor (where available).
Papers
View a list of all related papers below.
More information
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Regulations on this page are taken from the 2025 Calendar and supplementary material.
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