Hebrew Language and Literature
Hebrew (/ˈhiːbruː/; עִבְרִית, Ivrit [ivˈʁit] (listen) or [ʕivˈɾit] (listen)) is a Northwest Semitic language native to Israel, spoken by over 9 million people worldwide. Historically, it is regarded as the language of the Israelites and their ancestors, although the language was not referred to by the name Hebrew in the Tanakh.[note 1] The earliest examples of written Paleo-Hebrew date from the 10th century BCE. Hebrew belongs to the West Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family. Hebrew is the only living Canaanite language left, and the only truly successful example of a revived dead language.
Hebrew had ceased to be an everyday spoken language somewhere between 200 and 400 CE, declining since the aftermath of the Bar Kokhba revolt.[note 2] Aramaic and to a lesser extent Greek were already in use as international languages, especially among elites and immigrants. Hebrew survived into the medieval period as the language of Jewish liturgy, rabbinic literature, intra-Jewish commerce, and poetry. Then, in the 19th century, it was revived as a spoken and literary language. It became the lingua franca of Palestine's Jews, and subsequently of the State of Israel. According to Ethnologue, in 1998, it was the language of 5 million people worldwide. After Israel, the United States has the second largest Hebrew-speaking population, with 220,000 fluent speakers, mostly from Israel.
Modern Hebrew is the official language of the State of Israel, while premodern Hebrew is used for prayer or study in Jewish communities around the world today. The Samaritan dialect is also the liturgical tongue of the Samaritans, while modern Hebrew or Arabic is their vernacular. As a foreign language, it is studied mostly by Jews and students of Judaism and Israel, and by archaeologists and linguists specializing in the Middle East and its civilizations, as well as by theologians in Christian seminaries.
The Torah (the first five books), and most of the rest of the Hebrew Bible, is written in Biblical Hebrew, with much of its present form specifically in the dialect that scholars believe flourished around the 6th century BCE, around the time of the Babylonian captivity. For this reason, Hebrew has been referred to by Jews as Lashon Hakodesh (לשון הקדש), "the Holy Language", since ancient times.
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Matching Hebrew Language and Literature Colleges
New York University
Four or more years; Private not for profit; $47,942 average out-state tuition; $47,942 average in-state tuition |
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Four or more years; Public; $28,822 average out-state tuition; $9,718 average in-state tuition |
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Four or more years; Public; $48,814 average out-state tuition; $15,433 average in-state tuition |
Yeshiva University
Four or more years; Private not for profit; $40,000 average out-state tuition; $40,000 average in-state tuition |
CUNY Queens College
Four or more years; Public; $13,920 average out-state tuition; $6,530 average in-state tuition |
University of Utah
Four or more years; Public; $26,940 average out-state tuition; $7,697 average in-state tuition |
University of California-Los Angeles
Four or more years; Public; $39,516 average out-state tuition; $11,502 average in-state tuition |
Scholarships for Hebrew Language and Literature Majors
Overseas Press Club Foundation ScholarshipOverseas Press Club Foundation |
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award $3,000 |
deadline December 01, 2023 |
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Sven Peterson Memorial Scholarship - UCSDUniversity of California, San Diego |
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award $2,000 |
deadline Varies |
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Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association ScholarshipU.S. Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association |
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award Up to $3,000 |
deadline June 30, 2023 |
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Doug and Dianne Taylor ScholarshipUniversity of Montana, Missoula - College of Arts and Sciences |
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award $1,100 |
deadline Varies |
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Michael Hodge Memorial ScholarshipGalveston College |
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award $1,000 |
deadline Varies |
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Humanities & Social Sciences Tiger Athletic Foundation ScholarshipLouisiana State University, Baton Rouge, College of Arts and Science |
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award $1,000 |
deadline Varies |
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Aspen Mitzvah Fund ScholarshipPortland State University - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences |
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award Up to $1,000 |
deadline February 01, 2024 |
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Corinne Jeannine Schillings Foundation ScholarshipCorinne Jeannine Schillings Foundation |
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award Up to $1,500 |
deadline December 01, 2023 |
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First Gaston Foundation Liberal Arts ScholarshipGaston College |
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award $1,000 |
deadline January 15, 2024 |
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John and Connie Sadler ScholarshipOklahoma State University - College of Arts and Sciences |
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award $700 |
deadline Varies |
Hebrew Language and Literature Related Majors
- Spanish Language and Literature
- Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
- French Language and Literature
- Linguistics
- Japanese Language and Literature
- Language Interpretation and Translation
- Sign Language Interpretation and Translation
- Chinese Language and Literature
- German Language and Literature
- Arabic Language and Literature
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
- Comparative Literature
- Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
- Russian Language and Literature
- Italian Language and Literature
- Korean Language and Literature
- Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
- Linguistics of ASL and Other Sign Languages
- Latin Language and Literature