Those of you in or applying to a biblical studies PhD program.

[sacklunch]

I'll be applying to PhD programs in biblical studies, NES, and Jewish studies this fall, but I am curious what other folks have done to prep for admission?

Please list what courses you have taken in languages, exegesis courses, or other related prep work. Also list your area of proposed study.

thanks ya'll

[sacklunch]

No one, eh?

[JonathanEdwards]

No one, eh?

Hi JDM,

I’d be happy to help more, but I’m a Patristics guy, not Bib Studies. Perhaps this will be useful, though...

I’m sure you’ve prepared with grammar/exegesis for the primary language for your research, so I won’t belabor that side of things. One of the areas I needed improvement in and now see in students is a lack of internalization of the languages, even among people who have taken numerous grammar courses. Being able to think and compose in a language is a benefit that’s hard to derive from most grammar texts. If you think this might apply to you, check out Randall Buth’s inductive DVD’s/workbook - there’s a sample on his website at BiblicalUlpan. I’ll warn you that he uses a non-traditional pronunciation scheme for Greek, but that’s something you can work around if you don’t agree with his rationale for it. Unfortunately, this is only an option for Greek and Hebrew, not Latin.

Beyond that, I’d encourage you to read as much over the summer in the primary sources as possible so you don’t lose ground. You won’t need to worry about secondary literature, you’ll be fed a steady diet of secondary literature over the next few years!

Best wishes on your applications,

Westcott

[11Q13]

I knew Dr. Buth when I lived in Israel, went to a Seder at his house actually... interesting fellow. Not sure how useful his method is, haven't tried it myself.

I'll be applying to PhD's in the fall, so I will be mid-way through a year of German and Aramaic. I already have 3 years biblical Greek and 2.5 years biblical and rabbinic Hebrew under my belt.

My focus is Second Temple Judaism, so the program names vary from New Testament, New Testament and Early Christianity/Christian Origins, Second Temple Judaism, etc.

[JonathanEdwards]

jdm,

My Greek training included NT grammar/syntax/exegesis, Homer, and Plato. That may look like it’s randomly all over the board, but it was beneficial. One thing I found about NT studies is that it sometimes focuses too much on the vocabulary/syntax of the first century (which has admittedly been wonderfully enriched by modern papyrological finds). However, that doesn’t mean that authors didn’t have large blocks of text pounded into their heads from the classics of the wider culture. It’s almost impossible to overestimate the influence of the Iliad and Odyssey, which had been used as a foundation in the educational system of the Greco-Roman world for centuries. Writers with some classical education (Luke, Paul) may have been influenced by the way a word or phrase was used in Homer, just as they may have been influenced by its particular usage in the Septuagint. Bears consideration, which is why in my translation of Patristic Greek, I wind up checking the LSJM (Classical), Bauer (NT), and Lampe (Patristic) lexicons. Whew!

Anyway, perhaps this summer consider doing some reading in the pre-Koine period. If you’re interested, in addition to the online parsed editions of Homer like Perseus or TLG, there are nice editions of Homer with copious grammatical & historical notes by both Oxford & MacMillan. They should be quite inexpensive used. If you already have this sort of background, then pay my ramblings no mind.

Best of luck!

Edited May 26, 2011 by Westcott

[JonathanEdwards]

jdm,

I just noticed on another thread that you said you had a background in Classical Greek, so definitely pay me no mind on this topic. Ha!

I'll let the previous post remain in case someone else with similar questions finds it useful.

[sacklunch]

jdm,

I just noticed on another thread that you said you had a background in Classical Greek, so definitely pay me no mind on this topic. Ha!

I'll let the previous post remain in case someone else with similar questions finds it useful.

No worries, Westcott. We all seem to have a similar amount of language.

I'll also be applying this fall (as I said), and will/do have: 3-4 years of Koine/Attic, 2 years classical Heb, 1 year Latin, .5 Aramaic, and a summer of German (reading for grad students course).

[sacklunch]

I knew Dr. Buth when I lived in Israel, went to a Seder at his house actually... interesting fellow. Not sure how useful his method is, haven't tried it myself.

I'll be applying to PhD's in the fall, so I will be mid-way through a year of German and Aramaic. I already have 3 years biblical Greek and 2.5 years biblical and rabbinic Hebrew under my belt.

My focus is Second Temple Judaism, so the program names vary from New Testament, New Testament and Early Christianity/Christian Origins, Second Temple Judaism, etc.

I am also applying in Second Temple studies. Might I ask where you are applying? I have a tentatively list that keeps growing.

[11Q13]

I am also applying in Second Temple studies. Might I ask where you are applying? I have a tentatively list that keeps growing.

I'm only now beginning to research where to apply. The only places I would be excited about so for are Harvard and Notre Dame. I'll apply to UC Berkeley/GTU, Duke, and Yale as well...beyond that, not sure yet.

Edited May 28, 2011 by 11Q13

[bYg]

I'll be applying to PhD programs in biblical studies, NES, and Jewish studies this fall, but I am curious what other folks have done to prep for admission?

Please list what courses you have taken in languages, exegesis courses, or other related prep work. Also list your area of proposed study.

thanks ya'll

I'm going into my final year (UG), applying to PhD programs (UCL, CUA, and a few others) in Jewish Studies/Bible this Fall.

Languages:

Arabic - Elementary

Aramaic - Babylonian, Palestinian, Geonic - Advanced

Hebrew - Biblical, Mishnaic, Medieval, Modern - Fluent

Latin - Intermediate

Syriac - Advanced

Ugaritic - Elementary

This summer I am working on French (using Sandberg's French for Reading, which is excellent).

I would like to add to my list German and French on an intermediate level and Akkadian on at least an elementary level before I graduate.

I don't think that my list is usual though, as I have been exposed to Hebrew and Aramaic since childhood, and have a "thing" for languages.

Edited July 9, 2011 by bYg

[sacklunch]

I'm going into my final year (UG), applying to PhD programs (UCL, CUA, and a few others) in Jewish Studies/Bible this Fall.

Languages:

Arabic - Elementary

Aramaic - Babylonian, Palestinian, Geonic - Advanced

Hebrew - Biblical, Mishnaic, Medieval, Modern - Fluent

Latin - Intermediate

Syriac - Advanced

Ugaritic - Elementary

This summer I am working on French (using Sandberg's French for Reading, which is excellent).

I would like to add to my list German and French on an intermediate level and Akkadian on at least an elementary level before I graduate.

I don't think that my list is usual though, as I have been exposed to Hebrew and Aramaic since childhood, and have a "thing" for languages.

Your exposure to the languages is unusual, for sure. You sound like a very competitive applicant, since it seems the biggest problem for most of us (in bible) is acquiring the proper languages.

This fall I am also applying to a handful of MA's in Classics.

cheers

[Mathētēs]

Syriac - Advanced

BYg, where did you learn Syriac, and where or using what texts would you recommend studying it? Thank you!

[bYg]

BYg, where did you learn Syriac, and where or using what texts would you recommend studying it? Thank you!

I took 201 (after doing 101 and 102 on my own) with Dr. R. White at YU, who uses Coakley. I used Noldeke as a reference grammar. For reading material, I would recommend using the chrestomathy in Muraoka's Classical Syriac, (which uses Estrangela, which, having first learned Serta, is a little annoying. Kind of like learning Hebrew using modern script, and then shifting to square print. But I guess a little variety is good) if you can get a copy, or any of CAL's texts (which are quite numerous). Peshitta is good practice, but (IMHO) won't prepare you well for reading the likes of Aphrem (as would using the Vulgate to prepare you for Cicero. Not entirely analogous, but hey).

I don't really know about Syriac programs elsewhere. I know that here at YU a large portion of the Bible faculty is very competent in Syriac, but Syriac courses are only offered once every five years or so.

Best of luck to you.

What is your standing plan of action to learn Syriac?

[Mathētēs]

What is your standing plan of action to learn Syriac?

Hi bYg. Thanks for your reply and helpful references. I considered taking the Syriac sequence at U of Chicago, which will use Coakley, but I am not able to fit it into my schedule. Therefore, I will need to study on my own for the present time. Most of the documents I have seen use Estrangela, as does Thackston. How do you think Thackston compares to other Syriac grammars? I would like to purchase one and am considering the options. Thank you!

Edited July 10, 2011 by Mathētēs

[bYg]

Hi bYg. Thanks for your reply and helpful references. I considered taking the Syriac sequence at U of Chicago, which will use Coakley, but I am not able to fit it into my schedule. Therefore, I will need to study on my own for the present time. Most of the documents I have seen use Estrangela, as does Thackston. How do you think Thackston compares to other Syriac grammars? I would like to purchase one and am considering the options. Thank you!

I have not looked through Thackston, and thus haven't been able to form an opinion regarding his work, but according to S. Shoemaker, it is much better than that of either Coakley or Muraoka. If cost is an issue, it seems that Thackston is the way to go.

Yes, Estrangela is more common, but generally Serta is used in older texts (e.g. Walton's 1654-7 Polyglott. Some older texts use Nestorian, which is even more angular than Estrangela).

Good luck!

[bogles]

Would any of you be willing to share when you took your language courses? (i.e. Undergrad vs. Grad)

I'm interested in the Hebrew Bible and I am starting a MA program this fall. I would also like to be as prepared as possible for PhD applications. Feel free to PM me as well.

[sacklunch]

Would any of you be willing to share when you took your language courses? (i.e. Undergrad vs. Grad)

I'm interested in the Hebrew Bible and I am starting a MA program this fall. I would also like to be as prepared as possible for PhD applications. Feel free to PM me as well.

Sure.

UG - 1 year of attic Gk, 1 year of intermediate Koine Gk, .5 Gk Plato's Apology, .5 Gk John's Gospel

Grad - 1 year of intro bib. Hebrew, 1 year of Intermediate Hebrew, 1 year of Intro Latin, .5 Aramaic, summer German, .5 Graeca, .5 Greek Patrology

Edited July 11, 2011 by jdmhotness

[bogles]

Sure.

UG - 1 year of attic Gk, 1 year of intermediate Koine Gk, .5 Gk Plato's Apology, .5 Gk John's Gospel

Grad - 1 year of intro bib. Hebrew, 1 year of Intermediate Hebrew, 1 year of Intro Latin, .5 Aramaic, summer German, .5 Graeca, .5 Greek Patrology

Thank you! I appreciate the specificity.