Special emphasis is put on the book of Amos. The student is introduced to the characteristics of certain groups of Psalms, such as the messianic, historical, and those that are centered on kingship of Yahweh. Basic issues such as the concept of kingship and the relationship between history and liturgy are dealt with. Questions arising from the study of wisdom literature are also discussed, including those of the meaning and scope of wisdom, as well as the functional role of this group of books as a part of the Old Testament and as a preparation for the New Testament. The basic grammatical rules of Biblical Hebrew, in preparation for the reading and translation of the texts of the Old Testament.
Special attention is given to the conjugation of verbs and the analysis of their forms.
The translation of selected passages from the Old Testament, starting with narrative passages up to prophetic and poetic passages from the prophetic books, the wisdom books and the Psalms. Upon completion of this course, the student is expected to translate and study passages from the Old Testament using the dictionary, and discerning their linguistic particularities. An introduction to the basic rules of grammar and syntax of New Testament Greek. The student is initiated into vocabulary and verbal roots of this language, and is helped to acquire a basic knowledge of its phonetic rules and grammatical structures. The student completes his knowledge of the basic rules of grammar and syntax of New Testament Greek, while learning systematically the verbs and their roots.