Papyrus fragment of the Torah.

The course leading to an M.St. in Classical Hebrew lasts for one teaching year, namely from October to June. While it is a Masters Degree in its own right, and may be taken by those with no interest beyond that point, it is designed especially for those with a basic knowledge of Biblical Hebrew (perhaps learned as part of a Theological or Biblical Studies degree) who wish to extend and deepen their linguistic and textual competence as a preparation for research. All candidates sit two compulsory three-hour examinations (one on prepared and unprepared Biblical texts and the other on history and literature) and also choose two others on such subjects as Hebrew language, textual criticism, epigraphy, Aramaic, and Dead Sea Scrolls.

Within these constraints, the course offers considerable flexibility to suit individual students’ interests and needs. For instance, the texts selected for study can be varied from year to year, while the optional papers may, with permission, be on any relevant subject. A substantial part of the course may therefore be directed towards a possible future research topic.

Hezekiah’s tunnel inscription

The teaching takes two main forms. First, there are classes on the specified texts and on advanced Hebrew language throughout the year, which you are strongly recommended to attend as a matter of priority. There may also be classes on your optional subjects, depending on what they are. Aramaic, for instance, is taught in this way. Secondly, you will receive individual supervision, usually for an hour each week, for which you will be expected to prepare written work on the basis of recommended reading. Teaching for such subjects as history and literature is wholly conducted in this way, while you will also be given practice in the proper way in which to answer questions on specified texts.

During the course there are two vacations of six weeks each. These are not holidays, however; as a graduate student, you are expected to keep working full time, with only modest breaks for Christmas and Easter. You will be given guidance about specific projects to be tackled, but it is also advisable to go back over the texts and other topics studied in the previous term in order to consolidate with wider reading, filling in gaps, and so on. It is also helpful, if you are in a position to do so, to undertake preparatory work during the summer before you begin. If you have had the opportunity to discuss with your potential teachers at least some of the texts that you hope to study, you will find that you derive far more benefit from the classes if you have been able to prepare them as far as you are able in advance.