Courses & Programs

We offer a variety of courses and programs to choose from. Scroll down or click to the specific program you are interested in.

SEMESTER LONG COURSES

14-day courses

speciality courses

Semester Long Courses

This academic course focuses on Hebrew as the source language of the Bible. The translator is also introduced to the context of the Bible, the land in which was written. This unique combination equips translators to provide a more accurate and natural translation into their own mother tongue as the target language. The program has been offered in conjunction with the Rothberg International School for Overseas Students of the Hebrew University since 1995.

The Language and the land: 6 semester courses

2022 SPECIAL SEMESTER PROGRAM
FOR CONSULTANTS, CONSULTANTS-IN-TRAINING
& Advanced MTT's
Accredited by the Hebrew University
Rothberg International School.
Advanced studies in Biblical Hebrew translation
led by experienced translation consultants.

Five-month study program, 2 months online, 3 months at JCBT in Israel
Dates: Feb 1^st – June 30^th2022
This is a semester program which is taught as a whole.
The courses are taught in sequence in modules of ca. one month each.
Each course will be taught by experts in the specific areas of BH.

STUDIES ONLINE at home by zoom:

Hebrew Texts (textual history, textual criticism etc) - February ( 3 cr. ).
Discourse Analysis – March ( 3 cr.)
Living BH (along with the above) – February/March (5 cr.).

STUDIES IN ISRAEL: Arrival in Israel April 1.

*Intensive Modern Hebrew Ulpan - April 1-9. (No credit)

4. Intensive study course in History, Geography, Archeology and Nature - April 10-30. (6 cr.)

Note: Short added tours can be conducted also during May and June, while living in Israel.

5. Texts and Semantics - May (3 cr.)

6. Biblical Hebrew Poetry - June (4 cr.)

March

In this course, participants will learn how to analyze the ways in which Biblical Hebrew narrative texts are structured. We will concentrate on participant reference, the verb system, default and marked word order, as well as the effect of text structure on non-chronological arrangement and paragraph division. We will compare narrative with dialogue and other genres, such as found in prophetic texts. Longer stretches of narrative texts, like the Samson and Balaam narratives, will be among the texts studied during the course. Participants will learn more about how they can help teams to translate biblical texts while respecting fully the discourse features of the Hebrew text.

Class Hours: 45 Credits: 3

Taught Simultaneously With Courses 1 & 2 During February and March

The instructor, Eyal Nahum, is an experienced Hebrew teacher. After having taught Modern and Biblical Hebrew for a number of years, Eyal has developed his own materials for teaching Biblical Hebrew using a similar methodology to that of the Modern Hebrew Ulpan at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He uses modern techniques for rapid language acquisition as applied to Biblical Hebrew.

Classroom instruction and interaction is conducted in Biblical Hebrew. This allows students to internalize the language by building both their memory and their analytical skills in the language, by exploiting all four of the major language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing. The book to be used in the course (“מבראשית”) was written by Eyal Nahum and is the fruit of many years of teaching Biblical Hebrew as a foreign language.

Instructor: Eyal Nahum, native Israeli, MA in linguistics (Hebrew University), linguist, Polis Institute, Jerusalem.

Class Hours: 100 Credits: 5

April

One-month course with comprehensive study tours throughout the land with Hebrew Bible in hand and an eye on Bible translation issues. Lectures are organized under three main topics: geographical regions, historical periods, and cultural issues. 18 field trips enable the translator to experience the sites of Biblical events, to see archeological evidence of life in Biblical times, as well as to observe flora and fauna of the Land. The Hebrew Bible readings on location enable the translator to understand the biblical text more accurately. This course is a learning experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world! The land serves as a visual experiential dictionary of Biblical Hebrew.

Instructor: Dr. Halvor Ronning and other experienced academic guides and lecturers.

Note: Attendance in Israel is required for this course.

Class Hours: 120 Credits: 6

May

Dr. De Blois will focus on Hebrew lexical semantics. This course teaches the student how to discover the meaning of the words they encounter in the Hebrew text. By focusing on the structure of meaning more than on grammatical structure, students will deal with prototypical meaning, metaphorical extensions, semantic domains, etc. These are aspects of the text that few students have learned before but that are essential for a good understanding of the text and for finding appropriate equivalents in the target language.

Extensive readings will focus on the the full verbal system and syntax.

Instructor: Dr. Reinier de Blois, Director of Nida Institute, American Bible Society.

Note: Attendance in Israel is required for this course.

Class Hours: 45 Credits: 3

June

Using their own newly revised handbook, Hebrew Poetry: a guide for understanding and translating (UBS, 2020), Drs. Wendland and Zogbo walk students through the various genres and characteristics of biblical Hebrew Poetry. Emphasis is placed on learning to identify and understand the functions of important stylistic features on different levels of discourse. As a case-study, participants will be invited to analyze the prophetic poetic book of Joel in an in-depth way, to see how form contributes to meaning, and also to explore what means they can use to create a powerful poetic rendering in their own language (or a language they know).

Instructors:

Dr. Ernst Wendland, UBS Translation Consultant; Lutheran Theological Seminary, Lusaka, Zambia; Professor in the Department of Ancient Studies at Stellenbosch University.
Dr. Lynell Zogbo, UBS translation consultant; former professor at FATEAC, Cote d’Ivoire; and current UBS handbook author.

Note: Attendance in Israel is required for this course.

Class Hours: 60 Credits: 4

PREREQUISITES:

Participation in a Bible translation project – approval from the Project Leader
(see the special Project Leader Form in the JCBT application packet).
Successful Completion of Biblingo lesson 20 and BibleMesh level 2.
Familiarity & use of Paratext.

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Prerequisites

Cost of courses

Short Term Courses

Fourteen Days of Eye Opening Insights into the Hebrew Scripture and its Context

We offer several insightful courses on the historical, archaeological and geographical context of Scripture and how this understanding can impact translations. With Bible in hand trips to Biblical sites throughout the Land are experienced with an eye toward Bible translation issues.

Since translation consultants check and approve the Biblical accuracy of the mother tongue translations, they must be knowledgeable in not only the text of the Bible but also of the context in which the words were written.

Translation consultants should have a minimum of one study experience in the Land of the Bible to learn about its geography, archaeology, flora, fauna, etc., forming an experiential dictionary of Biblical terms and resulting in improved expertise in advising toward a more accurate and natural translation.

Participation in the “Land of the Bible” Course is for Bible Translators & Consultants

The awareness of how knowing the external “context” of Scripture enhances the ability to better understand the Text has increased tremendously over the past two decades. Short term “Land of the Bible” courses designed specifically for Bible translators or scholars throughout the year. Each study tour can be tailor made and typically includes both class lectures as well as field trips throughout the Land of Israel.

Preferences

The course is open to all but certain preferences apply:

1. Preferably currently consulting in a Hebrew Bible (OT) translation project. National consultants are encouraged to apply as JCBT can help in the visa process.

2. Preferably under 55 years of age.

Short-term courses by JCBT:

Are tailor made for consultants and translation groups.
Focus on how the context impacts the understanding of the original Text.
Are inexpensive and flexible for each group.

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Sample Schedule of Study Trips

Jerusalem & Vicinity

WILDERNESS AND FOOTHILLS

Galilee

Independent Studies

Private Tutorials in Hebrew

Private tutorials in either Biblical or Modern Hebrew, tailor made to individual needs, can be arranged through JCBT for visiting students or scholars.

Residence Studies for Scholars

JCBT also provides inexpensive residence for scholars and translators on study sabbaticals. Available only when space permits between each of the official study programs.

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COURS INTENSIF SUR LA NARRATION ET LA POESIE EN HEBREU BIBLIQUE

INVITATION COURS INTENSIF SUR LA NARRATION ET LA POESIE EN HEBREU BIBLIQUE

des études de DISCOURS de deux genres littéraires dans la Bible hébraïque : les textes narratifs et les textes poétiques. Les textes de référence seront le livre de Jonas et le livre de Psaumes (une sélection avec d’autres textes poétiques).
Un survol GEOGRAPHIQUE du pays d’Israël, concentré sur des sites et des éléments en rapport avec les textes choisis.

AN INVITATION TO an intensive course on NARRATIVE and POETIC TEXTS in the HEBREW BIBLE

Discourse studies of two biblical genres in the Hebrew Bible: narrative and poetic texts. Our reference texts will be the book of Jonah and the book of Psalms (selections with a few other poetic texts)
An overview of the historical geography of the land of the Bible, concentrating on sites and elements related to the texts under study.

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Testimonials

“Nothing compares with personal experience of the settings of events about which I have been teaching and consulting for a lifetime. Every day I am using the resources gained.”
"Wonderful experience. The course has helped me to understand the scripture better, and also it has helped me to enjoy my daily Bible reading."
"This has been one of the best courses and it was good to see the geography, land, animals, vegetation, etc that of the Bible. Now when I read the Bible things are becoming live and interesting."
"Without knowing the context of the land, my knowledge or understanding of the Bible would have been wrong. Language in the context is the essential key to make all the knowledge connected so as to become clear."
"I have to say that my understanding of Biblical culture and context before the course was very superficial. However, I have seen the real soil of this land, I experienced the weather/climate, I felt what we cannot get form the pictures on the internet or information in books. I am sure that I will read the Bible with more vivid eyes."
I am very happy to go through this to say good evening to all who are in JCBT... I returned to Benin well, and I started the service in the translation team. I attended a Fulani conference in Benin, which took place from August 27 to 31, 2019. This conference brought together about a thousand people. All are Fulani Christians from Benin. In this lecture, I presented many images of the country of Israel, and we prayed for Israel and for JCBT and all those are in JCBT.

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Meet our Instructors

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