Students who seek to gain proficiency in the biblical languages may now enroll in an online Hebrew tutorial course that will be taught during the 2016-17 academic year.

This assisted self-study tutorial is designed to prepare students to take the Entry Level Competency Exam (ELCE) in Hebrew, an entry-level requirement for the Master of Divinity program. Those wishing to learn or review biblical Hebrew also will find this course a very helpful resource.

“This is an opportunity to work through the fundamentals of biblical Hebrew in a way that has proven successful in preparing to pass the ELCE,” said Dr. Andrew Bartelt, the Gustav and Sophie Butterbach Professor of Exegetical Theology at Concordia Seminary. “The tutor is an experienced instructor who is very familiar with the language and with these actual course materials, both in classroom teaching and now in this online format that features a weekly live session.”

The course will be led by Rev. David Duke, who has taught the Fundamental Biblical Hebrew course several times at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and also at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary, St. Catharines, Ontario. Students will need the textbook, Fundamental Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic (Bartelt and Steinmann), as well as the companion workbook.

“Come, drink deeply of the Tigris and the Euphrates, of the Pishon and the Gihon, the nectar of God's Word,” Duke said. “Learn the language in which Christ is first revealed to the world through Moses, the headwaters of the promises of God. No one ever found the source of water without much labor, but when he finds it, there percolates a living treasure, pure and clean, with many mysteries discovered to be examined in great joy.”

Students will engage the same course materials as in Seminary classes, including videos of live classes. They also will participate in weekly hands-on instruction consisting of a two-hour live online tutoring session from 7-9 p.m. CT Thursdays throughout the three quarters of the academic year.

Students should plan to commit at least 12 hours of study and class time each week.

Registration is open here through Aug. 12, 2016, and the course fee is $800 per quarter. Class size will be limited to 15 students.

The course is designed primarily for current and prospective incoming students. If space is available, it will be open to anyone wishing to learn Hebrew. While it is a noncredit course with no prerequisites, a solid understanding of English grammar is essential to success in the course.

To request an application or get more information, contact Gina Matzenbacher in the Registrar’s office at 314-505-7107 or [email protected]. Residential summer term and fall term Hebrew intensive courses continue to be offered by Concordia Seminary. These courses also prepare students for the Hebrew ELCE and for study of the Old Testament in Hebrew during their Seminary studies.

For information on these classes, contact Rev. Bill Wrede, director of ministerial recruitment and admissions, at 314-505-7200 or [email protected].

About Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis provides Gospel-centered graduate-level theological education for pastors, missionaries, deaconesses, scholars and other leaders in the name of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). To learn more, visit www.csl.edu.