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Advances in the Study of Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic: New Insights for Reading the Old Testament
Advances in the Study of Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic by Benjamin J. Noonan offers a much-needed introduction to the issues in the current world of Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic scholarship. This book fills a gap in the field of Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic linguistics and provides an accessible, comprehensive, up-to-date, and linguistically-informed investigation of our understanding of these languages.
Topics addressed
Topics addressed
336 pages, Paperback
Published February 18, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 19, 2023
4.5*
Helpful and insightful, especially the last chapter on learning, teaching, and retention.
Helpful and insightful, especially the last chapter on learning, teaching, and retention.
January 17, 2024
This book is an excellent idea, inconsistently executed.
In each chapter Noonan covers a linguistic concept about which there's been much recent discussion and debate. The general structure he follows is to introduce the concept generally, survey the arguments and advances put forward by key scholars, and then finally evaluate the situation and make suggestions for further research. This works very well, most of the time. However, I had difficulty with a few chapters in particular.
The first chapter is "A Short Introduction to Linguistics and Linguistic Theories." This one could have used more concrete illustrations, because I came away with a fairly blurry image of the major perspectives. If asked, I don't think I could explain what Structuralism is.
Chapter 6, which discusses Discourse Analysis, I found very confusing. There is such a wide variety of opinions on the subject that the survey of scholarship section took up most of the chapter. Each scholar and his/her contributions were summarized so briefly that I'd be lying if I said I understood much at all. The scholars were separated into four categories of general approach, but these four categories lacked any formal, general introduction. I left that chapter feeling more confused (and frustrated) about DA than I was before.
The final chapter was also largely unhelpful due to its clear bias. Here Noonan discussed Hebrew language teaching methods, and he clearly prefers Communicative methods over Grammar-Translation methods. So much so that he fails to note any drawbacks the former might have at all (such as the huge problem that students who learn this way often struggle to analyze the grammar of sentences they read).
Though I take issue with these three particular chapters, the rest of the book ranged from decent to excellent. I also found Noonan's suggestions for further research encouraging -- there's a number of potential dissertations here! I'd like to have another similar resource to supplement this one, but I found it helpful on the whole.
In each chapter Noonan covers a linguistic concept about which there's been much recent discussion and debate. The general structure he follows is to introduce the concept generally, survey the arguments and advances put forward by key scholars, and then finally evaluate the situation and make suggestions for further research. This works very well, most of the time. However, I had difficulty with a few chapters in particular.
The first chapter is "A Short Introduction to Linguistics and Linguistic Theories." This one could have used more concrete illustrations, because I came away with a fairly blurry image of the major perspectives. If asked, I don't think I could explain what Structuralism is.
Chapter 6, which discusses Discourse Analysis, I found very confusing. There is such a wide variety of opinions on the subject that the survey of scholarship section took up most of the chapter. Each scholar and his/her contributions were summarized so briefly that I'd be lying if I said I understood much at all. The scholars were separated into four categories of general approach, but these four categories lacked any formal, general introduction. I left that chapter feeling more confused (and frustrated) about DA than I was before.
The final chapter was also largely unhelpful due to its clear bias. Here Noonan discussed Hebrew language teaching methods, and he clearly prefers Communicative methods over Grammar-Translation methods. So much so that he fails to note any drawbacks the former might have at all (such as the huge problem that students who learn this way often struggle to analyze the grammar of sentences they read).
Though I take issue with these three particular chapters, the rest of the book ranged from decent to excellent. I also found Noonan's suggestions for further research encouraging -- there's a number of potential dissertations here! I'd like to have another similar resource to supplement this one, but I found it helpful on the whole.
January 22, 2026
This is an excellent tool for surveying the past and present field of Hebrew and Aramaic study. However, the primary flaw of the book is the lack of examples. For this reason it was hard to grasp many concepts which were new to me. In many places he is overly wordy and repetitive. Reducing the “fluff” would allow for far more examples.
January 19, 2024
Great overview and resource.
I think the chapters could have been structured better along the flow of debate rather than unique scholars in order to help the reader have clarity around what is being argued.
I think the chapters could have been structured better along the flow of debate rather than unique scholars in order to help the reader have clarity around what is being argued.
February 19, 2024
A useful overview of recent research in Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. The layout is very well organized and systematic summarizing the views of various scholars and showing areas of agreement and disagreement on various issues such as the Hebrew verbal system, discourse analysis, and using linguistics for dating biblical Hebrew texts. When linguistic methods are involved, the author clearly distinguishes the different schools of linguistic models applied to Biblical Hebrew or Biblical Aramaic.
The last chapter is focused on pedagogy and as other reviews have noted the author advocates a communicative approach rather than the traditional grammar-based approach. He does mention many resources for trying new methods to tech Biblical Hebrew for better retention and mentions many websites and resources to retain your biblical language skills.
The last chapter is focused on pedagogy and as other reviews have noted the author advocates a communicative approach rather than the traditional grammar-based approach. He does mention many resources for trying new methods to tech Biblical Hebrew for better retention and mentions many websites and resources to retain your biblical language skills.
February 6, 2022
This is a great introduction to some of the issues relating to the scholarship on Hebrew and Aramaic. I know just enough Hebrew to keep up with the discussion, but not enough to retain the finer details. That being said, it’s really helpful to at least know the options that are available to us as exegetes and translators. I would definitely recommend this to most intermediate students of Biblical Hebrew!
October 7, 2022
Noonan explored the latest scholarships of Hebrew linguistic research and summerized in a rather condensed way. But he didn't at least attempt to comment or integrate the different theories. For beginner, this book contains way too much technical details. It's quite confusing and tedious. But for a Hebrew prospect, it is a well illustrated overview to academia.
April 26, 2024
Like its Greek counterpart, "Advances in the Study of Biblical Greek" by Constantine Campbell, this study is an excellent survey of the currents in the study of Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. Most Bible language students find themselves at chapter 10 on pedagogy, but one has to be current with the broad issues in studying a language to navigate its problems.
April 7, 2020
This is the Hebrew (and Aramaic) equivalent to Campbell's book on Greek. My comments on that review apply here.
August 4, 2021
3.5 stars [Linguistics]
W: 3.2, U: 3.43, T: 3.43
Exact rating: 3.35
W: 3.2, U: 3.43, T: 3.43
Exact rating: 3.35
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews