“Reading the Hebrew Bible” courses are designed to provide a practical use of the knowledge acquired during the journey of learning Biblical Hebrew. These courses are text based courses, which is an actual reading of the Hebrew Bible in Hebrew in small groups, discussing the text, context, grammatical issues and much more.
The first 11 chapter is of the Book of Genesis present reality like nothing after it. These 11 chapters cover the first 2000 years of the world according to biblical historiography, which is the same amount of time, as from chapter 12 all the way to end of the New Testament.
As with every lesson in “Reading the Hebrew Bible” courses, all of the verses are pre-recorded, so you may listen to them (and read along, the speed is adjustable – note the small gear at the bottom left of the video) enabling you may come prepared to class and to make the most out of it. Here is just a few verses (Gen. 1:1-3)
By reading the Hebrew of the first 11 chapters of the Book of Genesis, we will gain an intimate knowledge of the text itself. We will cover so many of the questions that are undoubtedly bothering anyone reading it. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see few of the questions we’re going to cover, arranged by chapters.
Starting “Reading Genesis 1-11” group 01 – first meeting at:
What is the uniqueness of the Hebrew verb בָּרָא/וְיִבְרָא and how is that uniqueness reflected in the Bible in general and in the structure of Genesis 1 in particular?
What can be learned about the world around us, its purpose and its structure according to biblical perception, based on the structure of the creation story?
What is the significance of God resting on the seventh day?
How does the creation story in Genesis compare to other creation stories from different cultures?
What does the creation of humans in God's image imply about humanity?
What is the significance of God separating light from darkness?
What is the meaning and significance of the names אָדָם and חַוָּה?
What is the significance of God forming Adam from the dust of the earth?
Why did God create Eve from Adam's rib instead of creating her from dust?
What is the meaning behind God's command for Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil?
What is the symbolism of the serpent in the story of Adam and Eve?
How does the story of Adam and Eve relate to the concept of free will?
What is the significance of Adam and Eve realizing their nakedness after eating from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil?
What are the consequences of Adam and Eve's disobedience?
How does the story of the fall relate to the concept of original sin?
What is the meaning behind God's curse of the serpent, Eve, and Adam?
What does the story of the fall teach us about the nature of sin?
What is the significance of Cain being a farmer and Abel being a shepherd?
Why does God favor Abel's offering over Cain's?
What is the meaning and significance of the names קַיִן and הֶבֶל ?
What is the meaning behind God's punishment of Cain?
How does the story of Cain and Abel reflect the theme of sibling rivalry?
What is the purpose of the genealogy of Adam's descendants?
What is the significance of the long lifespans of the people listed in the genealogy?
How does the genealogy of Adam's descendants connect to the story of Noah?
What is the importance of Enoch being taken by God?
What is the meaning behind the names אֱנוֹשׁ חֲנוֹךְ and נֹחַ?
Who are בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים mentioned in the chapter?
What was the reason for God deciding to send the flood?
What is the significance of Noah being chosen to build the ark?
How did Noah and his family manage to care for all the animals on the ark?
What does the rainbow at the end of the flood story symbolize?
Why did God decide to establish a covenant with Noah after the flood?
How did Noah and his family survive on the ark for over a year?
What was the significance of the raven and the dove in the flood story?
How did the flood impact the environment and the world after the waters receded?
What was the purpose of God's promise to never again send a flood to destroy the earth?
What lessons can be learned from the story of the flood?
What was the first thing Noah did when he left the ark?
What did God promise to Noah and all living creatures after the flood?
How did Noah show his gratitude to God after the flood?
What was the significance of God's covenant with Noah and his descendants?
What do the different types of birds that Noah sent out from the ark symbolize?
What is the significance of God's covenant with Noah and his descendants?
What was the sign of the covenant that God established with Noah?
How did Noah's sons respond to their father's drunkenness?
What was the significance of the curse that Noah placed on Canaan?
What do the descendants of Japheth, Ham, and Shem represent in biblical history?
What is the Table of Nations and why is it significant?
What is the significance of the table of nations? What are the similarities and differences between the descendants of Japheth, Ham, and Shem?
How does the table of nations contribute to the overall narrative of Genesis? How does the table of nations inform our understanding of ancient history and geography? Why is Nimrod highlighted as a prominent figure among the descendants of Ham? What is the significance of the dispersion of nations after the tower of Babel and how does it relate to the table of nations??Why did the people decide to build the tower?
What was God's response to the building of the tower?
What is the significance of the people all speaking the same language?
How did God punish the people for their attempt to build the tower?
What does the story of the tower of Babel teach us about the dangers of pride and arrogance?
I’m Netanel Barak, Hebrew teacher since 2006.
I’m a husband and a father of six, a Major (Res.) in a Special Forces reserves division of the IDF, an amateur football player and a Bible collector.
I hold a master’s degree (magna cum laude) in Hebrew Bible Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Bar Ilan University, as well as a bachelor’s degree (magna cum laude) in Hebrew Bible Studies and Jewish Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a teaching certificate from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and from the Israeli ministry of education. I graduated from “Revivim – an Excellence Training Program for Teachers of Jewish Studies” at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
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